Home

I have a new home. And a new (unexpected but welcome) roommate. I was nervous about moving into an apartment sight unseen in a town I didn't know, but it turns out, I love it.

It's the perfect urban neighborhood with a lively mix of characters - older Eastern Europeans who sit on their front steps, the men drinking beer from steins and the women chattering in a language I can't place, young families walking their dogs and letting their kids run ahead of them on the sidewalk, and people like me, transplants from some other place who take the bus downtown to work.

I find comfort and familiarity in the constant throbbing noise. There's always the faint sound of traffic rushing a block away, occasional sirens to break the hum, young boys skateboarding down the sidewalk, and dogs barking warnings from backyards. There are plenty of small corner markets, a well-stocked grocery store, a 24-hour CVS and best of all, neighborhood bars on nearly every block. And if I lean over my back deck, I can see the downtown skyline. It's removed from the frenetic pace of downtown (and there's street parking for my car!) but it's still in the thick of city life. It really is pretty great.