Wednesday, June 3, 2009

I love the Marina.

When we started looking at apartments, we didn't consider the Marina. As far as we were concerned, the Marina was exclusively reserved for obnoxious guys in striped shirts and aviator sunglasses, and prissy girls in yoga pants and pearl earrings. Instead, we looked in the Lower Haight, the Mission, and NOPA. You know, the cool neighborhoods. But apparently, it's hard to find an affordable, well-maintained one bedroom with bay windows and a garage in the cool neighborhoods. So, in our desperation to find a pleasant place to live, we turned to the Marina. And fell in love.

Now, we gaze at the Golden Gate Bridge though our bay windows. Foghorns remind us of our proximity to the water as we drift to sleep. The car stays tucked in our garage, since Chestnut Street is just a short walk away, with its impressive array of unnecessarily adorable boutiques, spas, restaurants and bars. And if there's anything Chestnut Street can't provide, it's only a few more blocks to Union Street. Sometimes, as we meander along, observing the impeccably groomed masses with their fluffy, friendly dogs and admiring the gorgeous Art Deco architecture, I wonder how this can possibly be a real place. It’s too perfect, too pretty, too clean. I ride my bike along Marina Boulevard, looking out at the yachts and sailboats, at Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, and I think, even the air is gloriously fresh here, smelling of sea salt and flowers and freshly cut grass. And I consider how lucky I am, to live in a neighborhood so idyllic that simply glancing out my window or strolling down my street is a truly joyful experience. Living in the Marina feels like living in a quaintly delicate watercolor illustration, and I love it.

2 comments:

Steve the Creep said...

I've lived in Los Angeles for the past 5 years, and your post makes me think I picked the wrong city.

Caitlin said...

That's funny, because as much as I love my neighborhood in San Francisco, lately I've been fantasizing about moving to LA.