Moving from Paris to New York is an adventure. I have to say goodbye to the daily routines that I have just established in Paris such as when to do what and where. Adieu my freshly baked baguettes, adieu my metro Abbesses, adieu aroma of café and boulangerie-patisserie... Saying goodbye is a painful process and the best way to get over it is to quickly develop a new routine in a new place. With the experience in Paris, I find it not hard to develop a new living pattern in NYC. Here's my first week report:
Since WholeFoods is 2mins' walk from my home, it almost becomes my dining hall. The salad bar has a variety of salads as well as hot food (rice, noodle, meat...) and soup. I usually get a box of mix-and-match food and bring it up to the dining area on the second floor. Eating while looking at the busy Union Square is the first pleasant moment I find in the city. This is something that you cannot find in Paris because eating on the terrace only gives you a street view, whereas sitting upstairs gives you a vantage point for watching the city at dusk.
Union Square farmers market
On friday, I took advantage of the nice weather and went to the Washington Square Park. Walking along 4th street, I saw NYU flags waving, city-tour buses passing by and students coming out of the Stern School building. I've always imagined a college life without campus - taking metro to and from the class, studying at a café with real people (non-students) sitting next to you. I can't decide which college life is better because I do enjoy both.
I sat on a park bench in front of the fountain, green tea latté in my hand. (This is very important!! My obsession with green tea latté finally got cured!!) A nice half an hour spent, and I thought I was in Paris for a second.
Fountain, arc, pigeons...
After leaving the park, I went to explore the Meatpacking district. If the Haut-Marais is the boboland in Paris, Meatpacking district is definitely the counterpart in NYC. Less touristic than SOHO, this area is full of hidden gems: boutiques, european style cafés, specialty restaurants... Agréable!
During the weekend, I spent two mornings having brunch and reading at Pret-a-Manger. The city doesn't wake up until 10 a.m and I feel like there's only jogging couples, shopkeepers and me in the city. How wonderful is that!
My latest discovery is that it's better to go uptown or out of town in the weekend because I have a low tolerance for noise.
So this is what I've found in the first week. Developing a routine is really what makes a difference between visiting and living in a city and I enjoy it :)
