2 posts tagged “brooklyn”
So I have a friend from work. A lovely friend who lives in a great apartment in Park Slope. She's moving soon and her great apartment in a fantastic neighborhood is up for grabs, and it's feasible that Todd and I could afford it. We were looking at smaller apartments in much worse neighborhoods just a few months ago that cost just as much as what my friend is currently paying for her place. And to top it off we were seriously considering them.
Now the apartment is smaller than my current one by about 100 square feet. Truthfully though, we don't use that 100 that would be missing. There is a second bedroom that we could easily fit our monster desks into and there are closets galore and oh, did I mention the dishwasher? Oh yes.... a dish! washer! There are bay windows in the bedroom along with exposed brick and his and hers closets. And well, it could be lovely. There aren't any beautiful details like we have here, the moldings are functional at best and there is no carved woodwork nor wedding-cake-medallions on the ceiling. But still, a good apartment in a great neighborhood a stones throw from places I'd actually want to go. It's a fourth floor walk-up, but again at least there's no one above us stomping around.
Is it worth it to move one floor up and 50 blocks over? Is it worth it to pay another 400 a month (at least)? I am lazy, I like our building, our neighbors, our moldings and space. I like not moving. Especially after that dramatic couple of months when we were living on the edge of having to move, but never knowing for sure.
Would moving to a new, "better" neighborhood change my lifestyle. Currently I do not go out often. We rarely go out to eat or for drinks. We don't even go out for coffee. There are very few places within walking distance to do so. We could continue on here, making our own coffee and making special trips to go out- or to get food we actually want to eat (Sunset Park is known for it's awful supermarkets). But would moving to Park Slope and paying more mean we'd be surrounded with things we couldn't afford to do? Do I not go out because there's no where to go, or because I choose not to?
I like to think that by taking my friend's apartment I'd be a new person. I'd take my laptop to the community garden a block away and write and surf the net using the free wi-fi from the cafe next door. I might take yoga classes or finally learn to knit (moving miraculously graces one with the ability to knit, no?). That thirty minutes a day I'd shave off my commute would really open up endless possibilities for new hobbies and new adventures. I fear that by moving there the shopping would end and money would be tight and packing would be a bitch. Also I worry that I'll regret leaving this apartment, which is silly since we rent and we will eventually leave this temporary home.
What to do? What to do?
It seems that for months now, I've assumed that the neighbors across the street had parrots. I've heard the endless squawking of what I've thought were parrots ever since it's been nice enough to keep the windows open.
Today I was in the bedroom and distinctly heard the squawking coming from the backyard. I asked Todd what kind of bird could make that noise... and he, ever the audobon member, said a loud one...
And then we saw it.... a flutter of green wings against the overgrown pine trees in the back... Todd told me to go get my camera. I drunkenly obeyed.
