i went to visit NYC in December...and as soon as i flew in over Manhattan i knew this is where i needed to be. simply put, i fell in love with this city! growing up in the Midwest, the skyline of the city is so much grander than anything around Minnesota. i suppose i was swept away like any typical tourist, however i also would like to think it was something more. there was definately a feeling of "home" and belonging, a strange connection to this unknown landscape.
Brooklyn. when i thought of Brooklyn i used to think of a dirty, rundown area, definately not home. however i was pleasantly surprised when i first arrived in Carroll Gardens. i think growing up in Minnesota tainted my view of what "Brooklyn life" would be like. it is nothing like what i was antcipating. i love Brooklyn! it's very home-y, not homie, and there are lots of trees, gardens, and parks filled with families, children and doggies!
my neighborhood is sprinkled with shops, cafes, bakeries, and boutiques. i can walk to the local grocery supermarket, support small family businesses like Sue's, i'm only a short trip to the gym, body elite, and i can pick up all drugstore needs at the local CVS. everything i need is a stone's throw away. the only thing missing is target! that is a bus ride or short train ride away...and definately not the same as back home. the shelves are almost always bare and they are most likely sold out of what you are most certainly shopping for. it is a stressful and chaotic trip rather than the peaceful, relaxing retreat you go to for familiarity. alas, that is my only complaint thus far about my new york living...so that's not too bad.
Brooklyn. when i thought of Brooklyn i used to think of a dirty, rundown area, definately not home. however i was pleasantly surprised when i first arrived in Carroll Gardens. i think growing up in Minnesota tainted my view of what "Brooklyn life" would be like. it is nothing like what i was antcipating. i love Brooklyn! it's very home-y, not homie, and there are lots of trees, gardens, and parks filled with families, children and doggies!
my neighborhood is sprinkled with shops, cafes, bakeries, and boutiques. i can walk to the local grocery supermarket, support small family businesses like Sue's, i'm only a short trip to the gym, body elite, and i can pick up all drugstore needs at the local CVS. everything i need is a stone's throw away. the only thing missing is target! that is a bus ride or short train ride away...and definately not the same as back home. the shelves are almost always bare and they are most likely sold out of what you are most certainly shopping for. it is a stressful and chaotic trip rather than the peaceful, relaxing retreat you go to for familiarity. alas, that is my only complaint thus far about my new york living...so that's not too bad.
my new york adventure is off to a great start. i love exploring each of the unique shops and neighborhoods of brooklyn. i have made a point to go out and see the city of manhattan and i enjoy venturing out on my own and getting myself lost among the various bourroughs. so far i have wandered around the cobblestone streets of soho, walked up and down the avenues of the upper east side, and moseyed about greenwich village, east and west. so far the tourist-y trips i've taken are: the top of the rock, a broadway show, the met, chinatown purse vendors, grand central station, the Friend's apartment, gray's papaya hot dog stand, and dinner in little italy. i have many more stops to make and summer will be more condusive for city exploration...this is all for now! xoxo andrea
