Last Friday I had the immense pleasure of being taken to Magnolia, the Greenwich Village bakery made famous by Sex and the City – I was actually rendered speechless by the perfection of this tiny little cupcake…never before have I eaten a cake so light with such perfect vanilla icing…I have found my new addiction, expect me to be 2 stone heavier on my return to the UK.
Archive for March 3, 2008
So here we are…
Three weeks into our big New York adventure and, despite the initial nightmares (the loss of a couple of suitcases and trying to check into the wrong hotel, miles away from our actual accommodation), things are going pretty well!
Alex has been working and seems to be settling into the American office way of life…I’ve been on a few exploring expeditions but it has been pretty cold so I haven’t really done as much as I should have!
We have found an apartment and have been very lucky with our landlord – he is the most kind and helpful person who has done things like take Alex and I out for a meal and even provided us with a US mobile phone. The flat is located in the Fort Greene area of Brooklyn – a small, diverse, kitsch little neighbourhood with a large amount of young/arty residents. This is largely due to the presence of the Pratt Institue of Art (notable ex students include singer/songwriter Patti Smith, Disney animator Eric Goldberg and the guy who created the concept of the Pillsbury Doughboy!). Also nearby is the Steiner Studio where several major films have had scenes created, such as Spiderman but more importantly where they filmed parts of our favourite comedy – Flight of the Conchords! Add into the mix a seemingly never ending supply of bars and restuarants and it would seem that we have certainly found the ideal place for us to settle down for the next year.
The local architecture is amazing, there are some beautiful buildings around and our apartment is a typical Browstone which is really common in Brooklyn…renowned for their large staircases from the pavement to the 2nd floor, these buildings have been popular with real estate developers who have renovated them, converted into flats and rented them out. This has assisted in the gentrification of many parts of Brooklyn, including Fort Greene.
So overall, aside from missing our friends, family and cats we’re both really happy and looking forward to spending the rest of the year here. The next step is to make some friends and get some kind of social life!
