Wherein I start a new series. . .
Things Every Town Needs
or
Things Miss Ruin needs to be able to walk to to make her life worth living. . .
(number one in a series)
I've been thinking a lot about settling, about community, about why I feel so unsettled and out of place here in Madison, NJ. I've been thinking about how I used to hate Baltimore and then, like a romcom, it won me over and I loved it. I've been thinking about all the places I've lived and all the places I've lived within those places. I've been thinking about what it would take to make me happy each time I wrote my return address on an envelope.
To start, I've lived in the following places:
Grand Blanc, MI
Kalamazoo, MI
Chicago, IL
Hull, UK (sort of--remind me to post how I was supposed to get married in Beverly Minster sometime)
Tallahassee, FL
Sarasota, FL
London, UK (in grad school--study abroad)
Frederick, MD
Baltimore, MD
Madison, NJ
(Just as a note, I've only listed places where I actually had a lease.)
So what are the things that I would need (ideally within walking distance) to make me happy? I want a real list that reflects places I really use that really matter to me. So although, it would be nice to have a dentist I can walk to, since I only go twice a year, I can live with getting in the car or getting on the subway to get there. So, I now present the first item on this list (which is in no particular order!). . .
#1 Thing Every Town Needs:
A Locally Owned, Independent Coffee Shop
It may sound cliche, but I'm happier in neighborhoods where I can walk to get a good cup of coffee from people who live in my community and get to know their customers. I need a place where I can grade papers on a Monday afternoon, grab some caffeine before rehearsals, take Miss Hazel for a snack after a morning at the playground, have a light lunch and a business meeting with a collaborator. . . You get the idea. I just feel like communities without one feel soulless, and Starbucks with their trucked in desserts and generic wall art (rather than the rotating work or local artists) is NOT the same. In fact, Starbucks sucks and its presence often signals the kind of neighborhood I'm trying to avoid.
So, that's the first item on my list. . . many more to come, and already I wonder if this neighborhood actually exists in the New York metro area.
or
Things Miss Ruin needs to be able to walk to to make her life worth living. . .
(number one in a series)
I've been thinking a lot about settling, about community, about why I feel so unsettled and out of place here in Madison, NJ. I've been thinking about how I used to hate Baltimore and then, like a romcom, it won me over and I loved it. I've been thinking about all the places I've lived and all the places I've lived within those places. I've been thinking about what it would take to make me happy each time I wrote my return address on an envelope.
To start, I've lived in the following places:
Grand Blanc, MI
Kalamazoo, MI
Chicago, IL
Hull, UK (sort of--remind me to post how I was supposed to get married in Beverly Minster sometime)
Tallahassee, FL
Sarasota, FL
London, UK (in grad school--study abroad)
Frederick, MD
Baltimore, MD
Madison, NJ
(Just as a note, I've only listed places where I actually had a lease.)
So what are the things that I would need (ideally within walking distance) to make me happy? I want a real list that reflects places I really use that really matter to me. So although, it would be nice to have a dentist I can walk to, since I only go twice a year, I can live with getting in the car or getting on the subway to get there. So, I now present the first item on this list (which is in no particular order!). . .
#1 Thing Every Town Needs:
A Locally Owned, Independent Coffee Shop
It may sound cliche, but I'm happier in neighborhoods where I can walk to get a good cup of coffee from people who live in my community and get to know their customers. I need a place where I can grade papers on a Monday afternoon, grab some caffeine before rehearsals, take Miss Hazel for a snack after a morning at the playground, have a light lunch and a business meeting with a collaborator. . . You get the idea. I just feel like communities without one feel soulless, and Starbucks with their trucked in desserts and generic wall art (rather than the rotating work or local artists) is NOT the same. In fact, Starbucks sucks and its presence often signals the kind of neighborhood I'm trying to avoid.
So, that's the first item on my list. . . many more to come, and already I wonder if this neighborhood actually exists in the New York metro area.