Brooklyn Archives - Moments of Musing

10 Brooklyn Murals (Not in DUMBO)

Filed Under: Brooklyn, brooklyn murals, murals // January 28, 2019

Hey there! So if you’ve been around for a while, you know I love colorful murals! Luckily, there is no shortage in New York City. Brooklyn has more than its fare share but I feel like the ones in DUMBO get all the love. That’s why I figured I’d share others from different, (mostly) less touristy Brooklyn neighborhoods:

murals, brooklyn, brooklyn murals, nyc murals

I’d have to say the first (by Jason Naylor) and the last are my favorite! Which is your favorite?

5 on Friday: City Life Faves

Filed Under: 5 on Friday, Brooklyn, city life // March 16, 2018

Happy Friday! When my husband and I decided to move our family from Brooklyn to Long Island, we didn’t really think twice. That’s mainly because Brooklyn real estate is pricey and because we, especially my husband, we’re excited to raise our kids in the suburbs.

Admittedly, while I am happy with our decision to move from the city to the burbs, it has been quite the adjustment and there are still some things I miss about city life (overcrowdedness and constantly being in a rush not included):

Walkability:

In Brooklyn, we had SIDEWALKS. Now, we have limited sidewalks so our walks are spent partly in the street. We lived around the corner from so many stores, a few blocks from the train and a playground. Up the block from us was “the avenue.” That’s what people in the city call avenues that have stores and such. There were bodegas (similar to delis), pizzerias, take out restaurants, a diner, a library and so on.

Murals

I have grown really fond of wall art and murals. It’s a neat way to dress up plain neighborhood walls, and it seems they’ve become more popular. Even my parents’ residential neighborhood has a couple murals!

Family

Everyone in my family still lives in Brooklyn so we often find ourselves back there visiting them or attending events for special occasions. I wish they made the move with us… my husband and I are still working on convincing my parents 😉

Public transportation

I don’t love the MTA. It’s constantly delayed, overcrowded and dirty but it is very efficient, runs pretty frequently and relatively inexpensive. The LIRR is nicer but it is a lot more expensive and runs less often.

Liveliness

As of now (this could change come summer), I feel like Brooklyn is more upbeat and lively. That could be because there is a constant hustle and bustle. I also feel like I saw my neighbors more in the city because a lot were walking around and such. Now, everyone drives so neighbors come and go about their business with little interaction.

As I said, this is not to say I don’t enjoy living in the suburbs becaus I do! Check back next week for my favorite things (so far) about living outside of the city.

Where I’m Meant to Be

Filed Under: Brooklyn, home, life, wanderlust // August 14, 2017

I was born, raised, and currently live in Brooklyn, NYC.

In between all my years as a Brooklynite, however, I have lived in/on:

State College, PA

Barcelona, SP

Oahu, HI

Chicago, IL

I have traveled to countries and continents I had never even imagined traveling to when I was younger (i.e. China and Brazil). I truly consider myself fortunate to have been afforded the opportunities I have had as a young adult.

So, where am I going with all of this?

Well, sometimes I don’t feel like I belong where I am… or in any place really. And this feeling is not new. It is far from it. In college, I was homesick at times. In Barcelona, I wanted to be at my college sometimes. In Chicago, I missed NYC. And now that I’m back in NYC, I miss Chicago. And yet,

I still read my college and Chicago newspapers, and sometimes I think it’s because I miss those places so much. Recently, though, I realized that while I might miss other places, I don’t necessarily want to live there anymore.

I am where I belong, r i g h t n o w.

For good? Who knows. No one can tell the future. But certainly, for now.

Every now and again, I get bursts of love for NYC… its diversity, and endless options for food and activities. It makes me want to enjoy where we are more. Because where we are works for our family situation better than any other place we could be at the moment. So, for now (or forever, because like I said, who knows), we’ll vacation to places we daydream about, and return to the place we call home.

After all, wherever my loves are is home. Because to me, home is more of a feeling than anything else.

Love where you live

Filed Under: Brooklyn, home // February 21, 2017

After reading this post by Chelsea last week, the part about loving where you live stayed with me. My husband and I often discuss where we’ve lived and whether we are where we truly want to be. He is used to moving around every few years since he was in the military. I have lived in a bunch of places (Penn State, Barcelona, Chicago, Hawaii) but home is and always has been NYC.

So when we talk about whether we should stay here or move to a hotter city by the beach, or whether we should stay put, it’s always a debate. I often ask myself: Am I happy here? Do I love where I live? The short, easy answer: Yes. And while it’s more complicated that that, I think holding onto what I do love is most important.

Because what good would it be to dwell on the negatives? After all, no matter where I’ve lived there have been things I didn’t like. At Penn State, I couldn’t find Spanish food ingredients. In Barcelona, I was the most homesick I’ve ever been, which I suppose is normal after moving to a foreign city I’d never before visited. In Hawaii, I felt so far away and isolated from the rest of the world. In Chicago, I was lonely without my husband (for a year) but then still really missed my family and best friends when he did join me… I did love each of those places more than I disliked any one thing, though, so there’s that.

No matter where I’ve been (whether it be a a physical place or a stage in life),I’ve learned that loving where I am makes me happy to be there. Now that I’m a mom, having and giving off positive energy is more important than ever. I wouldn’t want my child(ren) to resent where we live based on fleeting negative opinions of mine.

Basically, we’re here, I love that we are, and I really do want to appreciate it (especially, because I know “the grass is always greener on the other side” rings true). So after reading Chelsea’s post, I did some thinking and realized I need to be outside and exploring parts of the city I like more. I was pretty intentional this weekend about our plans. We took advantage of the nice weather and we spent time exploring outside at the park and in DUMBO, a super cute (and recently popular) area in Brooklyn with a view of Manhattan.

And let me tell you, it made me fall in love with the city we call home all over again.

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