Notes from me to you

"New York remains what it has always been: a city of ebb and flow, a city of constant shifts of population and economics, a city of virtually no rest. It is harsh, dirty, and dangerous, it is whimsical and fanciful, it is beautiful and soaring - it is not one or another of these things but all of them, all at once, and to fail to accept this paradox is to deny the reality of city existence." -Paul Goldberger




Ok, its official.. I can finally join the list of those who "heart NYC" It comes a surprise to me, as well! I've always appreciated rural, small-town, community life, even more so after moving from metropolis to metropolis. However, my affinity for cities, especially the city of all American cities, has been more like that of an acquired taste.




In fact, distaste used to reside on my palate of judging urbania when I thought of the Big Apple- too crowded, too dirty, too much. It wasn't until I'd lived in Baltimore for nearly a year, that I could even fathom the "charm" of cities so big and old and disorganized. The understanding came to me slowly, but now I can't seem to get enough of the grit, busyness, energy, architecture.



On my latest date with NYC, my dear friend Sheena and I wandered around Greenwich all afternoon in search of a wine bar (that was open in the early afternoon). This led to stumbling upon an intricate jewelry store smaller than most modern bathrooms, beautiful old churches, sculptures, funny eclectic shops, old Irish pubs, strangely named establishments, a lovely Italian restaurant with great wine (and coolly charmed service), which then led also to a fun and unexpected evening of Guinness, pizzeria, espresso and dessert with our lovely Italiano tender of the bar. :)




The next two days were of similar form.. I was with my very best friend from college with whom I can always be just me, just silly, goofy, sometimes annoyingly giddy and over-analyzing me.. our friendship is perhaps what makes being in NY so comfortable and fantastic. We strolled through busy streets, thrift shops, stores, and more.. then spent the next day in Central Park. That day it was rainy but still, amazing. We were on the runners path for a while and the fog drifted gently around the middle of the buildings hiding the rooftops from our site. Yet, despite the gray skies, the trees with its fall-colored leaves painted the most beautiful picture- a perfect backdrop for a couple getting married, in the rain, with only a pastor and a photographer (and random passerbys) to witness. In the spirit of New York, the groom wore a gray sweater, pants and a tie while she wore an ivory dress with red heels. What a wonderful, simple thing to witness.



So, My Dear New York.. thank you for hosting a once again lovely visit.. for being ever-inspiring, the best.. and the worst of hosts, comforting yet aloof. I couldn't be more thankful for the opportunities I've had to get to know you and to spend time with you, your people, your craziness.. Someday maybe I'll even make you my home in you and my livelihood in one of our lively neighborhoods.. a little cafe with espresso by me and cakes by Sarah... a dream..