The Great Brooklyn Neighborhood Tour
Since moving back to the East Coast in March, I have had the privilege of living in three different apartments, three distinct neighborhoods and with a total of six people, all within Brooklyn. I lived with people from all different backgrounds and ages, from a 20 year old college student about to enter her senior year of college and become legally allowed to drink, to a 39 year old Harvard educated, former doctor about to hit a very different milestone.
I experienced, witnessed and lived through countless events on a historial and personal level. During the hurricane that wasn't, also my last weekend in Prospect Heights, I was awoken by the falling of a huge tree right outside my window, a tree, that I later found out, had been in front of the building for over forty years.
A week later, settled into my new neighborhood of Crown Heights, only a ten minute walk but a world of difference, I came home one night to a swarm of policemen and roped off sidewalks. There had been a major shooting 6 blocks from my apartment and two people had been killed, including an innocent bystander. This shocked the neighborhood, an eclectic mix of West Indians, Orthodox Jews, white, creative professions and hipsters. I've only been in "my" Park Slope apartment for nearly a month and with a new freelance gig, my reality has changed dramatically. It seems that with each apartment, there is the possibility of a new beginning and I am making the most out of every moment.
My first apartment in Prospect Heights was a world of first's; first time being outnumbered by male roommates, living in Brooklyn and living in an up and coming neighborhood. My neighborhood was more racially diverse than the East Village but less diverse than my home town. The local ice cream shop, Blue Marble, catered to hipster parents with young children, eagerly lining up for all natural ice cream and young professionals, like me, excited that my fair-trade iced coffee came in a compostable cup.
My apartment building was a mix of young, white professionals and African Americans of all ages, some with kids and some who had been in the building their entire life.The neighborhood itself consisted mostly of brownstones, nearly as beautiful as Park Slope but not as crowded or as developed. Vanderbilt was lined with only a handful of restaurants and Washington had various hidden enclaves like Sit & Wonder, among local corner delis and laundromats.
My next Brooklyn apartment in Crown Heights coincided with one of the most difficult experiences in my life financially and emotionally. The cliff notes are that my cat nearly died and some other stuff happened that I'd prefer not to write about. I don't have many fond memories of my dark apartment, with a window that overlooked a garbage filled courtyard, but I'm happy to have discovered Franklin Avenue and all
the lovely restaurants. Most importantly, I'm still trying to cope with not having Chavela's corn on the cob once a week. And I'm still kicking myself for having only discovered,a week before leaving, that Abigail Cafe, with their mellow atmosphere and healthy menu is the absolute perfect work spot. I usually went to Glass Shop on Classon which was a great coffee shop but you can only drink coffee so much before you need a real meal.
Finally, we come to ParkSlope.Call me simple, but I am easily influenced by amazing food and like Crown Heights, there are culinary delights to be found. I had my mind expanded and blown away the other day with a breakfast dish from Juventino, two poached eggs over wilted greens (swiss chard perhaps?!), brioche with garlic infused chicken broth poured over the dish - a perfect cold day, fall or winter treat.
And now instead of "hipster cafes" with freelancers on laptops, I'm a block away from Café Martin, acoffee shop with enough French staff to allow me to pretend I've just stepped into Paris. Now, instead of being surrounded by "hipsters," I'm surrounded by parents with their children who have won the clothing battle. Once again, a am faced with an entirely new beginning and a neighborhood full of new discoveries. What's your favorite neighborhood in Brooklyn?
Weekend Update
 |
| A tornado hit my room |
 |
| My donations to Buffalo Exchange |
I'm laying down on a deck in the backyard of a house in Cape Cod. I can get used to this. I haven't had a beach vacation in years. Don't be fooled. Being unemployed or underemployed is in no way, a "vacation." On Thursday, movers came to haul my furniture into storage. The Moishe's Movers were like well-oiled machines - wrapping and carrying out my furniture down flights of stairs in about an hour, and they were on time. The process was much smoother than my first move last year. I even had a few minutes to enjoy my apartment when everything was packed up and my desk was clear - no visual clutter. I've tried to get rid of tons of clothing and books over the last few weeks which have mostly resulted in epic fails - at least in terms of trying to make money from my junk. Buffalo Exchange flat out rejected a pile of clothing that I probably wouldn't have gotten rid of if I had known I'd get no money but I had plans right after stopping by their store.
 |
| Made me laugh but left him on the curb |
 |
| A small casualty of moving. I had just proclaimed in my head how much I liked my Benefit Cheek Stain when I knocked it over. |
On Friday, I spent the day running errands and attempting to enjoy the last few hours of my Upper East Side neighborhood. I hung out in Java Girl trying to write my novel, then prepared to drag the rest of my stuff into my father's car by consolidating and packing some more. I spent the final hour of East 66th street laying on my yoga mat in my former roommate's sun-filled room, with a candle lit and a Fast Company magazine, reading, stretching and closing my eyes before my dad arrived.
I had asked about five friends if they could help me move things into my dad's car but most were busy. One said he could, possibly but was uber busy that day. So as usual, I overestimated my strength and underestimated the amount of work moving would take. I was overly optimistic in thinking that my dad could find a parking space (he couldn't) so I didn't call the one available friend. I dragged my huge suitcase down the stairs, ran back up, carried a few boxes to the car and was sweating by my second run. The man who owns the pet store "Litter & Leashes" saw my struggle. He offered to help and wouldn't take no for an answer. So he made about four trips with me up my five flights of stairs - perfectly packed the car when my dad thought all hope of fitting another box was lost, and didn't complain for a second.
He helped me to the end even when I told him I could finish the rest myself. I joked around about how he didn't need to go to the gym for a week and he mentioned that he was fasting for Ramadan. With all the controversy surrounding the Muslim Community center, I thought this fact was particularly timely. How could people equate all Muslims with extremists? The only thing extreme about his behavior was his incredible kindness, exhibited countless times while I lived in that apartment. He treated my cats to free fake mice every time I bought pet supplies. He gave me a sympathetic and genuine hug when he heard that the kitten who fell was mine, and he reminded me how awesome New Yorkers are while I officially moved out of New York City (at least for 2010). It's a nice and (should be obvious) reminder that kindness transcends all faiths.
 |
| Romanticizing my apartment. Thanks new Hipstamatic iPhone App. |
 |
| Java Girl |
New Apartment
I'm totally late on the new apartment update but have still spent the last few days unpacking and then simplifying my possessions so they fit in a smaller space. So yeah, for those of you who don't know, I moved from the crazy East Village, St. Mark's between 2nd and 3rd, to the Upper East Side (or Lennox Hill) in the East 60s on 1st avenue. I went from an insane street with a quiet oasis of an apartment to a quiet oasis of a neighborhood with a loud apartment from cars, buses and trucks on 1st avenue. Such is life. I'm waiting to hear back from my architect friend on what to do to block the noise but am so far, relying on my ear plugs. It's hard not to regret a decision that cost about $500+ in movers along with countless other costs associated with moving when the apartment is so noisy.. I guess neither my roommate or I heard the noise when we visited and we were under some serious time constraints. Such is life.
BUT I love my new roommate. We have tons in common and similar, sunny outlooks on life. I love the neighborhood. Despite flirting with the thought of moving to Brooklyn, I'm happy with my decision to stay in Manhattan. There will be time for BK when I'm knocked up.. or at least coupled up. I'm excited to explore upper Manhattan and feel I'm already familiar with most of downtown from Tribeca to Chinatown. I'm hoping being surrounded by the wealthy and the successful will inspire and motivate me, or at least one might accidentally hit me with their Lexus so I can sue.
Will update more when I have a legitimate internet connection. OH! And you'll be so proud, haven't watched TV (minus today) since last Thursday. New roommate and I are just getting internet and no cable which I'm totally okay with. I may not even watch any TV until I get a newer digital TV (makes no sense to drag my old TV and buy a $50 converter). So more time for blogging/ writing my novel/ coming up with an amazing business plan/ or getting serious about going to grad school.
P.S. There's an awesomely adorable cafe directly across the street from me called Java Girl with coffee and food far better than some old faves that shall not be mentioned. (Nothing beats Abraco so far YET).
Life is Good
Have had a lovely weekend so far. Wow, what a difference a day makes. Or a week. Good lesson to keep trekking through the bad because the good is always around the corner. Okay, so sometimes the block is really long.. Overall, I spent my last weekend in the East Village very appropriately.
Friday night, I had a lovely dinner with one of my best friends. I'm excited that I'll be living less than 10 blocks from her in a week! Post dinner, we tried seeing The Proposal but during the trailer, the film actually burned right in front of our eyes. So alas, it wasn't meant to be and we met up with her friend and friend's sister. It was very nice to have a girls' night. Especially since I feel like most of my friends are guys.
Today, I was fairly productive. I dropped off my $3000 + check for my new apartment. Yikes! Then started basically walking back to my apartment from 59th and 3rd. I think subconsciously (or maybe consciously) it was an attempt to avoid doing laundry and going to my intense spinning class. I met up with another best friend and we snacked while sitting on a bench that overlooked the East River in the East 30s. From there, I walked home, through the Union Square farmer's market and Whole Foods. The universe reminded me why I'm moving. It's been a day, and I still have no hot water. I went to the gym and attempted the most pitiful excuse for a workout just so I could shower.
My lovely weekend concluded with seeing The Proposal at the same theater (East Village on 2nd Ave and 12 street)-Check out the old school, beautiful theater if you get a chance. The movie was hysterical. I laughed uncontrollably and am totally in love with Ryan Reynolds. It's obviously predictable but visually somewhat stunning.. makes you want to move to Alaska.. and Sandra Bullock was great. As a tribute to St. Mark's, we got a hot dog at Criff Dog. It was total serendipity. Neither of us could figure out what to eat, and we were on our way to a Mac & Cheese spot when someone near us mentioned hot dogs. At Criff Dog, I ran into this guy I used to have the biggest crush on. He skated at the ice skating rink I used to frequent and we'd race each other around the rink. I'm pretty sure the last time I saw him, I was 12. Now he's married (as of last week) and apparently his wife used to work in my building. Jesus. Small freaking world. On top of that, another guy I know walked in the joint. And this afternoon, spotted a former coworker. And Thursday night, spotted a former college classmate, along with one of my spin teachers, all while walking home from an event. I'm curious as to what cast of characters from my past I'll spot while living on the Upper East. Must remember to always look presentable when exiting my apartment :)
Short story long, if it's not already obvious, I'm really looking forward to moving. There is no question that I need to change my lifestyle and develop more healthy habits. And a move is the fresh start that I obviously need. I can't wait to regularly run in Central Park, cook healthy meals with more than 4 inches of counter space, develop buns of steel from my 5th story walk up, NOT regularly stop at Criff Dog, Ray's Pizza, Pinkberry, Red Mango, etc. on my way home, save money, not stop at Solas... and get serious about applying to a master's program this fall. So yeah, feel free to hold me accountable and I'll happily entertain you with my progress. Maybe even be an inspiration.. but yeah, I may miss Pheobe the cat.
What are your goals? Are there things you keep saying you are going to do but don't? Or better question, how did you manage to develop the good habits?