Magnolia trees in bloom

Spring has hit New York full force, and for the first time today I am comfortably wearing short sleeves outdoors. Yesterday I ate lunch in Washington Square Park and watched the world go by. That cliche is true in New York as it hasn't been in most places I've lived, which is what makes me wish that I had just a little longer to stay here and engage in it. Kyle and I have had lots of conversations about the ideal place to live. He is of course more inclined toward trees, and although I agree that an urban area is never as beautiful as a natural one, I am fascinated by the mix of people and food that one never finds in a rural setting.

Our neighborhood is predominantly Polish. The kids hanging out on the street corner, the old men in the park, the young blonde cashiers in the Associated Grocery store all speak in Polish. Restaurants offer Pierogies and blintzes, and the donut shop serves up softball sized, jelly-filled, powdered sugar donuts (I don't actually know if that has anything to do with the Polish, but they are unlike any I've ever seen before). North of us live predominently Latinos, and South of us Broadway divides the Dominicans from the Hasitic Jews. The city is multicultural, but not very mixed. People seem to live around, but not exactly with each other. I wonder if the segregation is a bad thing, whether it promotes tension and rivaliries between people, or a good thing because each neighborhood maintains a distinctive character. The answer is probably both.

Behind our house the magnolia tree is about ready to explode into bloom. The neon tips of new leaves are poking out toward the sun, the streets are suddenly filled with people who are tired of being indoors. Unfortunately I spend a lot of time dreaming about it from behind my computer screen, but I find little ways to try and enjoy it.

HAPPY SPRING!