For now, we have no news one way or the other about the vacant apartment, and having the hallway space to ourselves has been really nice, echos or no. I'm sure our own place will feel just a little bit more cramped when new neighbors do arrive, whoever they are. I just hope they're as nice as our last ones.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Neighbors
Our apartment, tucked away as it is, has thin walls and close neighbors. We've gotten knocks on our door from time to time, asking us politely but firmly to quiet down , and we've probably heard a bit more of our neighbor's lives unfolding than they would care to imagine (erotic moans and sob-filled conversations among them). Our immediate neighbors (the apartment just across from us), though, a really nice young couple that we got to know fairly well, were pregnant this summer, and searching frantically for a house and a more settled life than the city could offer them. They moved out in a hurry. The door remains open, and we've ventured in a few times, comparing our kitchen appliances to theirs (they have a newer dishwasher!), and the shade of bathtub (both a 1970s thick yellow that would probably symbolize death in some very thin and very dark avant-guard novel). It's strange to hear the echo of our own movements ricocheting around the vacant, hard spaces, as we climb the steps and unlock the door to our home. We chatter sometimes about who might end up in that apartment. Noisy college students (our apartment has its fair share)? A nice young couple ? An older widow, moving back into the city for the convenience? My husband saw our landlord showing the place to a man with a baby a couple of weeks ago, and came home a bit kerfuffled. What if they move in and the baby cries all the time? We'll hear everything. A family can't live in that place! It's too small! I smiled sheepishly, and responded Better than beer-pong at 3 in the morning. And with that I realized that my college days are really over - I now prefer the company of calm, family folks over crazy drinkers who are stirring up shenanigans at all hours. I can see myself marching out to the hall in my bathrobe, swearing and scowling, and asking them with a curmudgeonly squint Do you know what time it is?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I have a real fondness for wandering about in vacated spaces. It all looks so small without people and things, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteIt's true, it does look small! It seems so much more contained and closed. They painted over the walls with a fresh coat of white, too - our neighbors had the walls painted nice, soft reds. It feels so different.
ReplyDeleteOur neighbors just moved out, too! It's always worrisome because you don't know who will move in next. Let us know who moves in!
ReplyDeleteOh man. Our first place in Philly, we heard our neighbors all the time, and I called the police on them a few times for domestic violence. Not a good situation. In our second place, the apartment above us must have had about 8 kids in a 1-bedroom apartment, and they ran around CONSTANTLY. Even at like 3 a.m.! Thankfully our place here is pretty quiet. I hope you get nice, quiet neighbors!
ReplyDeleteBryan and Alyssa - I'll definitely update when somebody moves in. I almost put 'if somebody moves in', which shows my wishful thinking.
ReplyDeleteStephanie - What horrible experiences!! I hope we never have to resort to calling the police. I'm glad NY is treating you better in the neighbor department- sounds like you paid your dues.