http://www.observer.com/2009/real-estate/paul-krugman-gets-new-place-hang-his-hat-and-nobel#
I listen to and watch their renovation from my $30 ikea home office desk and from my bedroom window can even see the super slick toto toilet they’ve added when the contractors leave the door open. they’ve even added a window in a room that used to be a bathroom. Impressive.
for the past 18 months or more, the apartment across the way has been vacant. this is not a rear window situation. In spite of generations of grand east side apartments, my sweet husband and I have made different choices and don’t live in a classic seven overlooking a park. we live in an apartment we love and are lucky to have, but what we look out on are other people’s windows.
At first, we would close the shades or pull drapes after dark. but over the seven years we've been lucky enough to live here, as with anything, we got used to the idea that we could always see into other people’s houses and sort of filtered out the view or lack thereof. during one phase we purposely watched the staff in one of the front apartment like TV (well, in fairness to my sweet husband he had nothing to do with that, it was the girls and me). The floor below my girls' room is occupied by a kitchen that belongs to my gym friend Herb. I had yet to connect him to the apartment in question during the hours we spent watching a cook in those windows as if it was a new cable show. I had the amiable gym chat with this nice older man every time I saw him – he had an original approach to tv while exercising and watched movies on tnt while on the elliptical (what better than casablanca to keep you moving?). Then, one night, POW, the nice man from the gym walked in to the kitchen. All of the sudden I felt like a voyeur. I confessed the next time I saw him in the gym and he laughed. We’ve been friends ever since. Just the other day, Herb made change for me so that I could pay a cab who’s credit card machine was on the fritz and left the $3 he “owed” me as a result of this in an envelope for me with the doorman. Now, that’s a neighbor.
Just now, I turned on the TV to find something stupid to watch while relaxing with a beer after a long week. Pandora was still playing “Justin bieber radio” off of the receiver and I danced with my Milo, our dog before settling in to a wife swap between a goth family and hockey freaks. Once I know that Paul and Anita are over there, thinking their brilliant thoughts in their Danish modern apartment in the shell of our prewar building, and at least for the first few months after they move in, possibly looking over at me, will I do that?
We’ll see.
I listen to and watch their renovation from my $30 ikea home office desk and from my bedroom window can even see the super slick toto toilet they’ve added when the contractors leave the door open. they’ve even added a window in a room that used to be a bathroom. Impressive.
for the past 18 months or more, the apartment across the way has been vacant. this is not a rear window situation. In spite of generations of grand east side apartments, my sweet husband and I have made different choices and don’t live in a classic seven overlooking a park. we live in an apartment we love and are lucky to have, but what we look out on are other people’s windows.
At first, we would close the shades or pull drapes after dark. but over the seven years we've been lucky enough to live here, as with anything, we got used to the idea that we could always see into other people’s houses and sort of filtered out the view or lack thereof. during one phase we purposely watched the staff in one of the front apartment like TV (well, in fairness to my sweet husband he had nothing to do with that, it was the girls and me). The floor below my girls' room is occupied by a kitchen that belongs to my gym friend Herb. I had yet to connect him to the apartment in question during the hours we spent watching a cook in those windows as if it was a new cable show. I had the amiable gym chat with this nice older man every time I saw him – he had an original approach to tv while exercising and watched movies on tnt while on the elliptical (what better than casablanca to keep you moving?). Then, one night, POW, the nice man from the gym walked in to the kitchen. All of the sudden I felt like a voyeur. I confessed the next time I saw him in the gym and he laughed. We’ve been friends ever since. Just the other day, Herb made change for me so that I could pay a cab who’s credit card machine was on the fritz and left the $3 he “owed” me as a result of this in an envelope for me with the doorman. Now, that’s a neighbor.
Just now, I turned on the TV to find something stupid to watch while relaxing with a beer after a long week. Pandora was still playing “Justin bieber radio” off of the receiver and I danced with my Milo, our dog before settling in to a wife swap between a goth family and hockey freaks. Once I know that Paul and Anita are over there, thinking their brilliant thoughts in their Danish modern apartment in the shell of our prewar building, and at least for the first few months after they move in, possibly looking over at me, will I do that?
We’ll see.
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