I heart...

Maybe its the spring weather, and finally starting to feel settled after seven months, but this week I looked around and thought "What a lovely place to live."

A couple weeks ago New York Magazine's cover story was about "Best Places to Live in New York" -- ranking the top 50 based on specific live-ability factors. I began reading the story, knowing that the list would likely conjure up fierce neighborhood pride (and letters) among readers who could never imagine themselves, say, leaving the East Village for the Upper West Side. Of course why you like, or don't like, where you live is ultimately a very personal, individual matter based on your own list of live-ability priorities, which changes. I was enjoying reading the list when I discovered Brooklyn Heights listed as #6!

At the end of the article was their readers poll on where they would like to live, if money were no object (The West Village is where 30% of New Yorkers chose), as where as assessing who is happiest (Cobble Hill/Boerum Hill followed by Tribeca and the Upper West Side). The quotes were amusing on 'what you love most about your neighborhood': "This is where the New Yorkers who run the world live"/Upper East Side; "Fewer yuppies than the Slope"/Windsor Terrace; "The weirdos"/Red Hook...

So while one man's trash is one man's treasure, and New York certainly can be a rough place to live, its also interesting to think about being content where you are instead of always wishing to be in a better place...

Most of the times I find myself going out in Manhattan, but have discovered over the past few months I really enjoy living in Brooklyn Heights, based on my own live-ability factors. The other night I went out with Stacy and some of her friends to Noodle Pudding, an Italian restaurant I really like in North Brooklyn Heights, and a couple of the women were reading the new book "The Heights" written by Peter Hedges, who was the author of 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape', and screenwriter for 'About a Boy'. The Daily News highlights the book - "...Tim and Kate Welch are average New Yorkers trying to stay above water while surrounded by the neighborhood bankers, lawyers and hedge fund managers...", while discussing the setting of this small hamlet of 22,000 where many renowned authors - Truman Capote, Arthur Miller, W. H. Auden, Norman Mailer, Thomas Wolfe - once called home. After reading the book it really does give you a sense of place and the inner workings of life in the small community here.

With 'just moved here' eyes, yesterday morning a friend and I walked down the Promenade down the hill past the dog park to the waterfront of Dumbo. We got a latte and croissant at a delicious french bakery, and visited the newly opened Pier 1 of the Brooklyn Bridge Park. It was beautiful...

Then, for the first time, visited Sahais on Atlantic Avenue, a specialty food importer that has been around for over 50 years. Sahais is pretty old school Brooklyn, though a fascinating place. I purchased the best French Provencal olives and humus I've ever tried, and walked home smelling the Jamaican blue mountain coffee beans in my bag mixing with the enchanting smell of a bunch of freshly cut spring lilacs.

I know I have been like the New Yorkers in the poll, and for a few rough months this winter, was certainly questioning why I moved and was wishing I was somewhere else. Who knows what's around the bend but I think I finally remembered why I moved here this week, and its good to feel content, and grateful, and sometimes even amazed...

...to watch ships passing in the night, under kaleidoscope skies...