November 05, 2009

Choruses

Here we go...thus commences the transition from one neighborhood to another in this remarkable beloved City! Well, I say "thus" but I really mean in two days. We have a lot of work to do prior to that, and today I learned that I am to commute effective tomorrow to Brooklyn for work, to which I look very, very forward, for reasons I won't name. And so I decided that while I wait for Craig to arrive home tonight, before launching into box-packing and strolling down memory lane and what not, that I'd like to sing a chorus to my Upper East Side, my charmed tree-lined streets, the bustle, the shops, the eateries, the strollers, the dogs on leashes, and so forth. Upper East Side, you are in my heart forever!
  • I'll never forget the night we arrived, how Lauren introduced us to Jeff over dinner at Cilantro, how uncanny it was that Jeff lived mere streets away and how Craig and I both fell for him just about immediately upon meeting him (Craig had already fallen for Lauren when the two met way back in time, during one of our NYC visits) and how having these two amazing friends and their amazing friends in our lives has permanently emblazoned love and warmth on our New York City lives.
  • Craig and I battled one entire month in an apartment with nothing but a 7" DVD player, an air mattress, a Purdue tailgating chair (maybe two) and a few boxes of miscellaneous items, and luckily, a laptop borrowed from aforementioned Jeff, and each other. I'm surprised we never did throw one another from the 9th floor windows! Ha.
  • 316 E. 92nd Street...the tiniest L-shaped apartment, its brick walls, wood floors, barely-there kitchen, fridge shorter than me, second bedroom hardly the size of a walk-in closet, and every single memory we made living there.
  • Moving ourselves to 306, buildings away, to grab some street view! Great light, but noise! Sirens, cars honking at each other on 92nd Street, shouts from nearby bar backyard garden areas, computer too close to the television for me to get ample work done! (though I loved being able to gaze over at Craig whenever!) and a kitchen so small that we couldn't even be in it at the same time!
  • The nights. The food. Nina's Argentinian Pizzeria will always rest right in the core of my heart, for so many countless nights of good food, kisses from Gracie, waves on the street from Marcello, the small spinach salad Craig and I would order to share, topped with halved furiously red grape tomatoes, goat cheese, balsamic and olive oil, their pizza ordered many many a night both at 316 and 306, the way Jose always exuberantly asked, "What's happening, guys? Craig, how are you??" with the widest smile on his face...and more, and more.
  • Yura Cafe, now Corner Cafe, and their unbeatable brunch. I say unbeatable, and I do mean it. The light fixtures in the place are steel colanders. How cute is that? And in lieu of fried potatoes and toast on the side, they serve a dollop of mashed potatoes topped with white melted cheese and a tiny corn muffin. Their omelets are the best.
  • The Bullpen. No words for it. Except, maybe, thank you, Jara, for being one of the most fun bartenders in the Universe of bartenders! And the way she'd always cry out, "CRAIG!" like from some Friday movie from a hundred years ago. Jara, you rock girl!
  • The 4/5, the madness of it. The thick crowds of people shoving, while nicely, against one another to get where they want to be. Up the stairs, down the stairs, onto the subway, off the subway. We're not moving off of the Lex line, which is nice. But I will be the judge after some time down by Union Square as to whether it's more of a madhouse there than here! :)
  • Oh, gosh, how could I not have yet named this: walking to Central Park. Walking to and arriving in, in less than 20 minutes, Central Park, the country's most glorious expanse of urban foliage, sprawling grounds, sunbathers, softball players, strollers (again with the strollers! I love it!) and everything else under a blazing sun one might imagine! Oh, to have easy access to the Literary Mall there. And to emerge from the Park as one might emerge from a Wonder Land, refreshed, at ease and in sync with the City.
  • 2nd Avenue up this far north in the City, in general. When I surface from the subway at night, I hurry as quickly as I can to 2nd Avenue, even waiting at lights if need be, because I have such a massive crush on 2nd Avenue up here. And because of that, my heart breaks a little more each day when I witness more of the subway construction project. Oh, how I hope this Ave survives that chaos. Please! I love you dearly, 2nd Ave!
  • Familiar faces. Everywhere I frequent, I see them. We smile at one another. We know each other. We don't "know" each other other than in the sense that we're all in this together, but it's nice. It's peaceful. It's neighborly.
  • I'd go on. And maybe I will return for more Ode to the UES. I could go into extensive lists, stories, reasons for loving where we've lived since summer 2006. For now, Craig has arrived home (sorry this remains part of the bulleted list!) and I promised him Taco Bar night, so I must get cranking. Dearest Neighborhood, I do heart you, and will forever! Love, your resident for some bit of time.

0 Comments:

<< Home