No, this isn’t a repeat of an earlier post from last year (that was “From Manhattan to Brooklyn”).

I moved in early December from Ditmas Park in Brooklyn to Manhattan’s East Village – a bohemian neighborhood full of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars, perhaps more bars per block than any neighborhood in the world.

I thought moving to Brooklyn back in May would make me snobby. No way! Moving to Manhattan was what did it. Mainly because I’m truly proud of where I live now – I’m convinced that the East Village is the greatest neighborhood in all of NYC. Sure, my room is a shoebox, but I’m hardly ever there – and why would I be, when I have the city at my feet? It’s fantastic.

The rent in Manhattan is sky high, but the benefits I gain from living here are priceless. Peace of mind, the feeling of inclusivity, and proximity to all the things I love. Manhattan really does have it all. I love it here. If I’m ever feeling uninspired, I can just take a walk outside, breathe in the city life, and I feel ready to take on the world again.

It’s also great being so close to any sort of writing or publishing events I wish to attend – like I said, everything is in Manhattan. And, on the weekends, I can be a tourist in my own city, exploring all the places I’ve never been.

It’s an easy 15-minute walk to Union Square, where I work. I’ve developed a nice habit of writing in my office lounge after hours. The place empties out pretty well once the clock strikes five, so I have it mostly to myself. Yes, I’ve neglected the blog, unfortunately, due to other priorities – though it feels good to be writing a post again.

I think the best way to sum up the effect of my move is to say this: my life was a solid 7/10 when I lived in Brooklyn. And now life in Manhattan is a steady 9/10. Really spectacular. It’s a change I knew I needed. And I’m proud of myself for having researched all the neighborhoods to find the right one for me and looking up hundreds of apartments on Craigslist to find just the right one (finding an apartment in NYC is a ridiculously difficult task, nothing like other cities I’ve lived in).

All in all, I am very satisfied with my move. It’s hard to quantify it. In other cities, a move might not be so important, but in NYC the neighborhoods are all so different and a few miles in any direction can add or subtract half an hour from your commute.

In summary, life is good, and once I’ve got my fiction writing under my belt like I want it, the blog writing will come back up to speed as well.

Peace and joy to you all.