January Retrospective

Since November we have been living in Cobble Hill , Brooklyn , this is the apartment we have done the house swap with , with Danielle. Its  2 flights up a back apartment that faces south west , which means we get the sun all day , so even if its -3 outside we are always toasty warm ,basking in the sun like lions.

We live on one of the 2 main shopping/ restaurant streets , so easy to pop out for strawberries any time of the day or night. Right at out front door is the Chocolate shop , next to that the Cobble Hill Movie Theatre and just across the road  Union Market a combination deli , fruit and veggie , fish, meat and bread market and beer.  We are a hop skip and a jump away from the sub way , Kirsty only has to catch 1 train -the F train- to get to school in mid town Manhattan.

The view from the 6x6 meter kitchen , living , dining  room window. We are surrounded by all these apartments it  reminds me of Hitchcock's Rear Window , no bodies in suitcases yet, I'll keep you posted.

A week after returning from Mexico we had a big snow - view from bedroom window- , 19 inches overnight , NY had a snow day  - the 8th since 1987- which meant kids didn't go to school and a lot of businesses didn't open. It was the most glorious day, I took myself off to Central park.

Our hood , the side streets are lined with classic brown stone apartment buildings , 15 minutes walk from the Brooklyn Bridge. Down Town Brooklyn as the old time locals call Cobble Hill was one of the first  Brooklyn suburbs , populated in the early days by the Irish.

Slush a few days later. Even tho it's cold  I love living in the snowy times , its such a novelty.

I had to give way to these guys as I made my way around the lake - other side of the fence - on the Snow Day at Central Park.  The Park was chocker with people enjoying  the snow . Wouldn't it be great if every so often on a lovely sunny midweek day in NZ the powers that be said ok you guys no work today , out you go and have some fun.