If I've been a little quiet over the last couple days, it's because I'm getting ready to move -- in fact, I start dragging my shit over to the new place tonight, and will be shuttling back and forth over the next few days until I get settled. Goodbye Silver Lake, hello "North University Park."
Oh well... I always felt a little embarrassed telling people I was staying in Silver Lake, because it's kinda unimaginative and kinda over and and and. When I was looking at potential sublets, there was a place I really wanted on the Glendale/Eagle Rock border that was right on the 81, but the woman renting it changed her mind and raised the rent another $100/mo. I inquired about a few more listings and was getting impatient with the process when this deal fell into my lap -- a studio in a well-kept building with fine upstanding neighbors, reasonable rent for the area, near shopping, on a bus line, close to downtown -- and yes, in the dreaded Silver Lake, but in the groovy Neutra part of SL, not the Sunset-scumbag part.
And it's been good, mostly. My lowest points here were the three times I was divebombed from behind by the same crow for walking too close to his baby's nest (sorry dude, the sidewalk is narrow), and getting a little paranoid when I found out my downstairs neighbor's apartment got robbed (some other dwellings in the area were hit too; the thieves were mainly interested in electronics and computers). Also not thrilled about the homeless person who rummages around the dumpster for recyclables at the same time every night (2:30 AM; I know because I'm usually awake), but this happened at my place in Brooklyn too and I bet it happens in most street-accessible urban buildings, so I shrug it off as a part of city life.
I was down by my new digs this morning, picking up my keys, and the first thing I saw when I got over to the keymaster (er... the Customer Service Center on Portland St.) was a GIANT RAT darting out from the bushes and running across the street towards the intersection where my future home stands. CAN'T. FUCKING. WAIT.
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