From Experiment to Permanent: Calling New York Home

I have a Saturday afternoon routine in my small neighborhood in North Greenpoint, Brooklyn. There’s a coffee shop by the train station—sitting on a main stretch of road across from my favorite bar and leading to a quaint, local favorite bookshop—that makes killer cappuccinos. It’s a large shop, with a spacious bar and charming baristas. During the weekdays and weekends alike it attracts locals who want to get some work done with the luxury of an almost-perfect coffee and a playlist that will make you wish you had a broader iTunes library. It smells of steamed milk and toasted bread and espresso.

I spend my afternoons as one of the locals, typing and highlighting, reading and dissecting. And whether I’m working on a freelance piece or catching up on reading for work, this coffee shop makes me feel like I’ve made a home for myself in this big, bustling town.

And I have. Six months after I drug my oversized suitcase to my one-month sublet in Harlem, I’ve found a long-term apartment in a neighborhood that I’m more than thrilled to call home. And I couldn’t be happier to be here.

To the future, wherever it may be and however it may go. May we all make bold decisions that force us to grow everyday. And may we never shy away from what makes us better, stronger, more decisive. May these decisions lead us to find what we ultimately want for ourselves—our purest dreams, our truest passions, and our deepest loves. May we never settle for anything other than the very best.