i was meant to move april 15. the lease was up. the impetus was strong. and i was ready.
i'd been counting down for months. time to go.
and then came the elevator repair. the elevator repair that begins tomorrow, march 26, just weeks before my move-out date. and with the repair, the news that i'd not be allowed to leave until it was finished.
wrench.
when i went to visit my brother last year there was a moment while waiting for the train that i watched as a little boy tugged on his mother's arm, it's coming, the train is coming.
he had heard it--i knew he had heard it, but try as i might, head-cocked, much as i could, i could not. i could not hear what that little boy had heard.
i always hear the train where i live now. it's that phenomenon where you're so attuned to a place--so familiar with your neighborhood that you know the subtle shifts in sound and pressure.
it's time. to move. to live somewhere new. to learn to listen differently.
i got one more month than expected until that happens, but that means an extra month to explore new neighborhoods in hopes of finding one that feels both totally different and totally safe.
this weekend my dear friend kim took a trip with me on the F train to brooklyn, and i'm gonna level with you: i quite might like living in a borough.
23 comments:
I was daydreaming and looking at craigslist ads for Brooklyn apartments this afternoon. Although I have much, much more than a handful of weeks before I make the move, the anticipation is so sweet. Enjoy your search!
Move to Greenpoint! So close to the city, fantastic restaurants and bars and boutiques and coffee shops (!) -- close enough to Williamsburg that you can walk over in a few minutes, but far enough that you're not constantly dealing with peter pan hipsters.
Check out Astoria! I work in Brooklyn, and love it, but I really like living in Queens. If you ever want a tour of the neighborhood, let me know!
My boyfriend's job allows us to move once a year for four years...we're on our first stretch now but I'm very much looking forward to moving a lot...I love searching for new things!
Eek! This is SO exciting! I love finding new places to live, whether it be for a month or a year. To just visit or actually live there. Good luck on your such and I hope you find exactly what you're looking for!
i love brooklyn and often think of living there (my favorite neighborhoods are carroll gardens, fort greene, willamsburg and my holy grail - red hook - but that one is impossible to get to and from), but i live near flatiron/gramercy right now and really like it. good luck with your search!
Isn't it funny how we get used to things - the sounds of trains for you, firetrucks for me - and it becomes background noise.
You'll find something, A Train free.
How are you editing your photos now, Meg? They are very neat.
Brooklyn and New York in general are finished cities.
Move to Los Angeles.
ah I love Brooklyn. Wouldn't mind living there one bit.
My best friend lives in Park Slope and loves it. She also lived on McDougal in the city and that was great as well.
The first and only time I have visited NYC i stayed with a friend who lives off the F train on Ditmas. It's far out there... but i liked it. It's different. I feel like it's old school nyc. how it use to be.
Good luck in your search! I hope you find something awesome, safe, and you! =)
I have just moved so know all about the excitement of exploring a new part of town--can't wait to hear all about it.
The area of Brooklyn that my aunt and uncle live in is spectacular. Boerum Hill. Check it out! :)
Yes, move to Brooklyn! I was born-and-raised here and it's seriously the best.
I spent two great years in the East Village (well, technically Alphabet City) and I miss it so much! You can find some pretty cheap places (granted we lived above a tiki dive bar and two dollar stores), but there is so much charm, so many wonderful little places you'd never stumble on other wise, and lots of parks. Good luck with the move, hopefully sooner rather than later!
Meg, I lived in Williamsburg, just off of Bedford Avenue for almost 2 years and I loved it! The L train is great :) oh the memories! I think you'd like living in that area. From the Bedford stop, you're only 1 stop to the Lower East Side so it's taking the leap of moving into the Borough's without taking too much of a leap! :) P.S. It's also safe. I would run at night. The area by the waterfront is perfect for playing frisbee, laying in the sun, sharing a picnic with friends! AHHHH I miss it!
I moved from Washington Heights to Park Slope three years ago and I love it. What's great about this area of Brooklyn is no matter what neighborhood you end up in the others are all so close that you get to know them intimately too. I love waking up on a Saturday morning and strolling across the Gowanus to visit my favorite bookstore on Court Street. Searching for a new home in New York, as you know, can be really stressful, but it's also such an exciting chance to see a totally different New York. Best of luck!
It's not *way* south and may be not the neighborhood you're looking for, but may I recommend 210 W 137th St (equal distance from the 2,3/B,D). I lived there for 11 months in 2008-9 and loved this little studio. It had a full brick wall, tiny kitchen, and stairs similar to these http://pinterest.com/pin/66780006944700953. It was home and I definitely miss it, and the true independent living that was mine during that time.
I'm sure you'll find something nearly perfect for you.
This is SO beautiful!!!
might i suggest the neighborhood of astoria in queens?
here's what i'd suggest. take the n/w to the last stop: ditmars blvd. get off the train, take a right onto ditmars blvd and walk until you see Martha's Country Bakery on your left. have a coffee and a cupcake there.
you'll fall in love.
Brooklyn is the Promise Land, dramatic statement? Yes. The truth absolutely!
:) You'll love living in a borough. Moving to Brooklyn was the best choice I made since moving east.
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