Anna, Editorial Assistant

This weekend, I found myself unexpectedly pounding the pavement in search of a new apartment to rent. I finally decided on one that is about 3.5 miles from my new apartment--but a world away from my old neighborhood, which is always loud and bustling and where the employees at the corner coffee shop all know my name and sometime sign for my packages. This new neighborhood is quieter, a little more settled, much closer to Central Park, and much more anonymous. Once I had made my decision, I ended up walking back to my old apartment. I kept meaning to get on the bus, but I never got around to it. I loved seeing the fabric of the city weave together, to see how the buildings, the stores, the feeling of the streets seemed to change every 10 blocks or so. It was late afternoon, the trees were budding, there were a bunch of teenagers congregating outside the movie theater, sidewalk cafes were filling up with groups of friends or couples on dates, buses were awkwardly heaving down the avenues, dog leashes were getting tangled into each other, and I loved the luxury of taking the time to notice these details to make me feel at home.