I'm back. Thanks to those of you who urged me to post during my dry spell. I started to think it was kind of stupid. I mean how narcissistic can you get? Right?
I changed my mind. I just don't get to talk to everybody as often as I'd like. So, I can write amusing things here and you all can check in. Heck, I've even gotten a few notes from strangers who happened upon my blog and wrote to tell me what they liked about it. That's pretty cool. My own little bit of fame.
So, one interesting thing about this neighborhood is the amount of life on the street. There are always people walking around and milling about.
Sundays are a great day to go hat spotting. This mornning, I saw a woman all natted up for church wearing a white, feather sombrero. Swear to God. It was pretty cool.
There's also a huge African community around us here. I wonder if they are from the same country, or the same tribe. Many of them seem to speak the same language. I hope I don't sound too much like a social scientist here. I don't want to come off like I'm some sort of anthropologist observing the locals. It's just hard not to notice these things.
Anyway, Jasmine is rolled up in a ball, stretching her paws forward under the window in the corner. A soft breeze is blowing through the apartment and it feels great. I worked a double shift yesterday, 15 hours, so am taking it easy today. Mark is at work. That's my number one complaint right now. We have opposite hours. Yuck.
Why couldn't I find a lawyer or engineer?
The tops of the trees outside my front windows make me forget that I'm living in the city sometimes. Then, a stereo blasting horn honking SUV passes and I remember.
I was out in the neighborhood today and I saw a young woman riding a pedi-cab asking passersby if they want to see nearby condos. In other words, she's pedaling a little cart around with a seat in the back for two. If you take the free ride, she brings you to some new highrise that's going up on 123rd St. and 5th Ave.
That's interesting on multiple levels. I mean, I'm pretty damn sure she's got a certain type of person in mind when she asks "Interested in seeing condos today?" It's sort of like one of those old time-share letters but there was no offer of a brand new car (or possibly a grill) if you went with her. All you would get is a look at something beautiful that you couldn't afford. (Adam, don't try to steal this sty idea!)
Peace all,
Tina
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Harlem
When we walked into this apartment, I knew it was the one.
The brightly-lit unit is on the third floor of a brownstone in Harlem. It has hardwood floors, a large bedroom, open kitchen and cozy living room. The three windows on the front take up most of the wall. The two in the bedroom are the same. So a fairly constant breeze blows across the rooms.
The bedroom window leads out onto the roof of the building below us and can be used as a deck. I'm excited to be able to sit outside again without leaving home. Our last apartment, on the Upper East side, had no outdoor space.
Below the deck are the backyards of the houses behind us. They are dotted with large, old trees that provide coverage for them and create an arboretum for me. It's amazing that this extremely urban, highly populated corner of the city could be home to so many birds.
Many neighbors spend weekend afternoons on their front steps, greeting passersby. A clutch of retired men sit along a fence a few doors down on most afternoons. They always say "Hello."
My commute has improved tenfold. It only takes about 20 minutes to take the subway to work from here, as opposed to the 45 plus it took at our last place. The subway is about a block away on Lenox Ave.
Jasmine wasn't too bothered by the move. She woke me with her caterwauling the first couple mornings at dawn, but she's gotten used to it now. Luckily. I was thinking of killing her.
We've been here for just over a week now. So I haven't gotten to see as much of the neighborhood as I'd like. But we joined a gym that's just down the street from the famous Apollo Theatre. Too bad I wasn't living here when James Brown died. Thousands went there to view his body.
Harlem is going through some difficult changes right now.
Properties are getting more expensive elsewhere so people are moving here from downtown. High-rises are springing up on blocks within close proximity to public housing. At the same time, there are few dry-cleaners, restaurants and national-chain grocery stores. This is likely to change.
Most of the people moving into the new buildings make a lot more than Mark and I. Condos on 110th Street _ eight blocks away at Central Park _ are going for ridiculous amounts of money.
Some residents are probably worried that they'll be pushed out, others are probably happy that their property values are going up and that crime has been going down.
It's an interesting place to be right now. Time to explore.
Peace,
Tina
(I'll have photos next time.)
The brightly-lit unit is on the third floor of a brownstone in Harlem. It has hardwood floors, a large bedroom, open kitchen and cozy living room. The three windows on the front take up most of the wall. The two in the bedroom are the same. So a fairly constant breeze blows across the rooms.
The bedroom window leads out onto the roof of the building below us and can be used as a deck. I'm excited to be able to sit outside again without leaving home. Our last apartment, on the Upper East side, had no outdoor space.
Below the deck are the backyards of the houses behind us. They are dotted with large, old trees that provide coverage for them and create an arboretum for me. It's amazing that this extremely urban, highly populated corner of the city could be home to so many birds.
Many neighbors spend weekend afternoons on their front steps, greeting passersby. A clutch of retired men sit along a fence a few doors down on most afternoons. They always say "Hello."
My commute has improved tenfold. It only takes about 20 minutes to take the subway to work from here, as opposed to the 45 plus it took at our last place. The subway is about a block away on Lenox Ave.
Jasmine wasn't too bothered by the move. She woke me with her caterwauling the first couple mornings at dawn, but she's gotten used to it now. Luckily. I was thinking of killing her.
We've been here for just over a week now. So I haven't gotten to see as much of the neighborhood as I'd like. But we joined a gym that's just down the street from the famous Apollo Theatre. Too bad I wasn't living here when James Brown died. Thousands went there to view his body.
Harlem is going through some difficult changes right now.
Properties are getting more expensive elsewhere so people are moving here from downtown. High-rises are springing up on blocks within close proximity to public housing. At the same time, there are few dry-cleaners, restaurants and national-chain grocery stores. This is likely to change.
Most of the people moving into the new buildings make a lot more than Mark and I. Condos on 110th Street _ eight blocks away at Central Park _ are going for ridiculous amounts of money.
Some residents are probably worried that they'll be pushed out, others are probably happy that their property values are going up and that crime has been going down.
It's an interesting place to be right now. Time to explore.
Peace,
Tina
(I'll have photos next time.)
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