A fresh start (again)

Sometimes you've already got lemonade, and life gives you vodka to go with it. And sparklers. And a pony. 

Sometimes you're all snug and cosy in a great little apartment, then you happen across what can only be described as a once in a lifetime housing opportunity. There was no reason to us to move, except, ya know...  

This. 

Back in the fall, my random internet wandering stumbled upon a couple preparing to leave this gem of an apartment - the entire second floor of a former shipbuilder's mansion in the historic Mt. Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore. 

One visit and we were in, hook line and sinker. The former entertaining floor was repurposed into apartment living- 3 main rooms, a kitchen, and bathroom. Marble fireplaces. Elaborate plaster molded ceilings. TWO chandeliers. The only answer was, YES! Let's live in a ballroom. 

(our TV lives above this fireplace)

Packing up, especially when you feel like you've just settled down, is a little bit crazy. But if I've learned anything over the last year, it's that a change can do good. We were looking for a place with a little bit more room (when you both work from home, it's hard to take phone calls when the desks are back to back), and a neighborhood that was more our style.

Moving from one city to another is always a bit of a crapshoot. It's really hard to judge a city's neighborhood character based on a weekend visit, no matter how much internet research one does. We lucked into a great spot when we first moved to Baltimore... but it wasn't 'our' spot.

Fell's Point is incredibly fun, historical, and vibrant... but also a little crazy. Every weekend (and most weeknights), the streets are filled with people having a great time (and letting us know about it through the window.) It was a great introduction to the city, but for the most part, my partying days are over. I really missed meeting people from the neighborhood - and it was hard to do with so many coming in from the suburbs to have a good time. Not bad! Just not for me.

Mt. Vernon, on the other hand, is a little quieter. Still very centrally located - and even more walkable/closer to transit than Fells! It's right by the highways, the train station, and a short walk down to the harbor. The houses are all older and absolutely gorgeous, and the *first* Washington Monument (suck it, DC!) is right outside our window, located on a little park. People sit on stoops and walk their dogs. And say hi to each other. It's kind of amazing.

I wish there had been a site like Urban Compass out there for Baltimore when we were trying to figure out what neighborhood to settle in. It's only for NYC (for now), but the site gives a feel for a lot of popular boroughs of New York, and what to expect if you move there. From Chelsea (diverse, fast-paced, for foodies) to Park Slope (elegant, for families, serene) and everywhere in between, you can find the right fit for you - and an apartment in the area! Pretty perfect. Now, expand please! Cincinnati and Baltimore need a service like yours.

SO ANYWAY...

Here's a few more shots of our place. I'm excited for a fresh start, a new year, in a new neighborhood. More room means plenty of space for guests- come on over and visit us, already! We've already had a few people over, but the goal is to host a NYE 2015 party filled to the brim with friends we made this year.

The kitchen - huge built in pantry that I recovered with contact paper (may revisit in a future post). Gas stove! And plenty of room for dance parties. If you're into that sort of thing.

This is the view when you first walk in. I am an extremely amateur photographer, and would love someone who knows what they're doing to come and take real pictures sometime. 

It's difficult to furnish a ballroom. I've been spray painting a lot of things gold. The trick is to find the balance between the art, furniture and accessories we own to feel grounded in the space, not randomly just stuck there - without filling it to the brim with new things. Odds are any future place will not have 18' ceilings. 

The kittens are pretty happy with the new digs. They like climbing on things.

Click through the slideshow to see the rest of the setup. Better yet, come see it in person. 

Thanks, Urban Compass, for inspiring me to write this post! I didn't get paid, just asked nicely - and I needed the motivation. So now you know. 

Nesting

No, sorry, no babies on the way. But five months in and our little apartment is really starting to feel like home. We did some cleaning on Sunday, and the late afternoon sun coming in through the windows makes the place even more warm and homey. We haven't had many visitors yet - want to take a peek around? 

The apartment is fairly spacious - 1200 sq feet, one bedroom, one bath. We are lucky that the space is so wide - most Baltimore homes are very narrow - anywhere from 11-18 feet wide is the standard. 

But located above the shop means a bit more room - both in the stairwell and in the main living space. Thank goodness!

The living area is divided up with everyone's favorite Expedit shelves. The walls were painted before we arrived, and we kept the red theme going throughout the room with curtains, my reading chair, and other accents. Our office space is on the other side of the bookcase - just enough visual separation, since we both work from home. 

It's been fun playing "yours, mine and ours" with our furniture, artwork, and other knickknacks. We've made great use of trunks and shelving to squeeze every ounce of storage out of the space. It's nice to have empty shelves - room to grow. Look, ma! Everything has a home. 

One empty box - the kitties like to curl up and put themselves away. We got the "K"at Hinge over Memorial Day - Eventually the goal is to rewire and light it up! But for now it looks pretty rad just on its own. 

With the windows open there's always a free show of some sort happening in the public square below. Every day there's something new- we've seen a marriage proposal, playground games, crab fests, musicians and buskers, and plenty of folks just walking around, enjoying the neighborhood. Every evening one or more bars live band music floats through the window. 

The wood ceilings are really unique, and the kitchen skylight brings light deep into the space. It's nice to rely so much on daylight during the summer. 

Art on the wall, bourbon on the bar, Sinatra on the record player. 

The white beadboard accents the red wall, giving it a modern, clean feel. 

We brought as much of Cincinnati as we could with us - and memories of all the people we love. Last time I was in town I picked up this Rookwood Tile for Keith - it's the same tile that is at the stadium; a tribute to our hometown team. 

We took the doors off the kitchen cabinets for a more open feel and easier access. It's nice to be able to easily get what I need as I whirl around the kitchen, creating delicious chaos as I go. The backsplash was already installed (thanks previous renters!), and between the two of us we were able to stock a fairly well equipped kitchen. My most favorite thing right now are the glass storage containers - an heirloom from a family friend who owned a glass factory.

The ceiling of the apartment slopes front to back, and the height in the bedroom is easily 17 or 18 feet. I had to crouch way down just to get this picture! I went back to IKEA not once, not twice, but four separate times to get the white wood Hemnes nightstands - they don't keep many in stock. His and hers lamps bring warmth into the room. Though the front gets rowdy with people on the square, it's amazingly quiet in the back. Most nights I sleep like a baby. 

More Ohio love - my friend Emily made the little pillow for me when I graduated college. Moved from red to orange in the bedroom - I found the comforter (it has LEAVES, not flowers, despite what some people think...) on sale at Target. It's a good compromise- colorful, but not overly feminine. 

This little vignette reminds us why we're here in the first place every time we walk out the door. Keith got a bunch of amazing abstract art from an Art Academy student who worked for him a long time ago, and we've incorporated it as much as we can into the apartment. 

Check out the rest of the pictures below. Hope you can come by for a real visit sometime soon!

Created with flickr slideshow.

Haiku

I wrote most of this while driving through the night on Saturday.

A final farewell

Velvet Hammer East Coast Team

A toast! Not fired!

Everything was packed

And clean, right before Hannah

Arrived. Thank goodness. 

A simple way to 

See who really likes you is

To ask 'help me move?'

I nearly killed my

Cats - attempted sedation. 

Can you drool to death?

Henry and LB 

Stopped crying and cuddled me

The whole trip. Da fuq?

I hope they don't pee

All over the house -revenge  

For leaving Aunt Liz. 

I was overwhelmed

At the number of people

Who came to Neon's. 

A beautiful blur

Of friends, laughter, drinks, tears, hugs. 

My heart overflows.

I did not expect 

To cry as much as I did

This city changed my life. 

We've been driving for

Nearly ten hours. The day

Is breaking as we

Approach our new home. 

I am not afraid of what's 

Ahead in my life. 

What's next in Fell's Point?

Only one way to find out.

A new adventure.

Ohio, I'm leaving. Ohio... I'm gone?

 The moment I've been anxiously awaiting for months is now arriving at the end of a short week. Months fly by, even when the hours and days seem to stretch on. Moving Day is almost here. I made a list of people to see (and places to eat) back in January - every thing and one is nearly checked off the list.

By delaying departure until mid-March I was able to squeeze a lot of Cincinnati into a short amount of time. Loving on people, being able to wrap up experiences that defined so much of me for so long. Choir concerts, tutoring, fitness training, political parties, and even Bockfest - one of the liveliest, loveliest weekends in OTR - have all happened. It's been awesome to overcommit for just a little while longer.

I've made a promise - to myself and my guy - to not get involved *too much* in Baltimore for at least six months. Just teaching classes (hopefully), joining an inter mural sport, and perhaps the neighborhood association. No need to conquer the scene or flood the calendar with commitments. Beginning in B'more will be quieter and slower than the pace I've been used to - which is probably for the better.

It's been a delight to savor the mundane details around Cincy - trying to take the time to appreciate and enjoy all the quirks that make Queen City majestic. The men sharing Swisher Sweets and stories on the sidewalk outside the barbershop downstairs. The way the sun catches on the buildings as winter twilights give way to spring evenings. Smiling at strangers and friends/acquaintances alike - we've been sharing this neighborhood for a while now - community is contagious.

Anticipation mingles with sentimental longing and affection as I continue to put things into boxes. I can't begin to count the number of ways I've been blessed by the city - moreso by the people in it. People who've stood up for me and beside me, fighting to make Cincinnati better. People who've given me hope and encouragement, both when my crazy plans have fallen through and when they've (sometimes) succeeded. Mentors and role models. Partners in crime and team mates. Roomies, friends, frenemies, bar buddies, business partners, inspiration and consolation, all. I owe you for the countless drinks, hugs, compliments, love, support, and advice.

You are the ones who shaped my city. You gave me chances and helped me back up when I fell. We've rallied behind causes, started and supported new ventures, and contributed to the success and joy and excitement that the center city is finally experiencing.

I sit here, completely overwhelmed with every Cincinnati experience that has led to today. Were I to list names they would fill a book. This feels like a fucking Oscar speech. Whatever. I am so grateful for you - if you're reading this and thinking "does she mean me?" the answer is yes. Thank you.

Someone once told me that the best ambassadors for Cincinnati are the ones that no longer live here. Us ex-pats can tell the world about how lovely and important it is- which comes as a surprise to so many, but hopefully not for too long.

"You can always come back." It's what we say to those striking out for new ventures, or even to those of us *gasp* thinking about it. And it's true. It's the goal, to boomerang and land butter side up back in the city that stole my heart.

I hope, after all is said and done and settled, that any mark I've made here has been a positive one. I'm going to continue to update here - things I've been ruminating on/doing that haven't had time to be written down - and thoughts and experiences on a new adventure. Hope you stick around for the ride.

Anywhere beside you is a place that I'll call Home.

Today marks eight years, three months and nineteen days since I moved to Cincinnati. Little did I know I'd become besotted with the city, pouring my heart and soul into loving the people and advocating for the region more than most my age. I'm a Cincy guru - giving advice, recommendations and history lessons (oftentimes unsolicited) to anyone who will listen. I've had the opportunity to participate in building a community, in making a home and a name here.

Why on earth would I leave?

One year, six months, and twelve days ago, the third season of the OTR Kickball League began. Team Losantivillians welcomed a new member - a guy who, I later learned, was my neighbor in OTR. The fire escapes of our apartments faced out onto the same street. Nearly a year after that game, I started dating this neighbor of mine.

We enjoyed a great summer full of trips to the park, ball games, pies, and learning more about each other. In September, the unthinkable happened. He got a new job, in a new city - an offer too good to pass up. I had a choice to make.

Baltimore with him is better than Cincinnati without him. 

this is the harbor.

Everything's fallen into place. It's the right decision - a hard decision, to leave the people and home I know so well - and scary, to drop everything and try something new.

My new job is a mobile office - I can work from home in Bmore just as I was in Cincy - and come back every so often to check in. We found a new apartment in a neighborhood that could be Over-the-Rhine's big brother. Fell's Point is historic, renovated, and stuffed to the gills with bars, restaurants, shops, live music, parks close by, and even a little market a block away. To the left is the harbor. To the right is the market. The farmer's market sets up in the square literally fifty feet from the front door.

Snow much fun in Baltimore

 So far, my impression's of Baltimore has been pretty good. People are friendly, there's lots to see and explore. It's a (relatively) inexpensive, water facing, industrial town - about as Cincinnati as the East Coast gets.

Guys, I need to discover what's left of me - my personality, brand.. whatever-  when Cincinnati is taken out. I'm afraid there's not much left over - and that's the part that needs building up. I hope this next chapter will do just that.

So now you know - a lot of you already knew - but it's happening. It's really happening. I'll be unpacking more feelings in subsequent posts, but please know this:

We'll be back.

So. I have 65 days left in Cincinnati. Time to make them count. Wanna hang out? Get a drink? Do something crazy or meaningful or have a chat or make a pie or get dinner or lunch or breakfast or dance or sing or laugh or watch a movie or play games or ANYTHING at all? Let's not put it off. Get in touch.

Reaching new heights

My dear friend Jamie wanted to try something new for her birthday. This past Sunday, we did a trapeze class with Cincinnati Circus Company. They set up a net and trapeze system in Burnet Woods right across from DAAP, so hundreds of people drove by while we got harnessed in and climbed thirty feet in the air to swing from our arms.

not me

Jamie, Lauren, and Kristin all fearlessly climbed to the top and swung upside down from their knees, doing flips, and even swinging by another's hands - circus style!

I am not inclined to be upside down. At all. I can't do a cartwheel. I never signed me up for cheerleading or gymnastics. I got to be the comic relief in our group, managing to ascend the ladder and swing awkwardly by my arms all while praying not to be killed in the myriad of ways that were mentioned in the release form we signed. Someone had to do it.

more my speed

"Go ahead and get your knees up!" called the spotter from the ground. "No freaking way!" was my reply.

I faced my fears, and tried something new. Whatever keeps you fresh!

ouch!