Much of that was back and forth to New York for a summer gig. The company rented us an apartment in Cobble Hill, which I highly recommend if you ever get the chance.
Literally a block from our apartment was La Casita, a yarn store and wine bar with a small cafe.
When I travel I tend to get quickly overwhelmed with a lot of people (hellooo New York). So when I can I usually take a few hours to head to a local yarn store. I have several reasons for this:
- It is a great way to check out the public transportation. I am a public transport nut.
- I hate going someplace I may never go again and only seeing the lobby of a Marriott. We have those here.
- Yarn stores are always in that section of town. The one with real local coffee shops and book stores. You get a real sense of place.
- Each store is different. I know, they fundamentally all sell string, but you learn so much about a place from these little visits.
And I have seen some things I never would have other wise. In Dallas I happened across a Quinceañera where all the girls were escorted in on horseback. BTW that was not happening in the lobby of the convention center. In LA I got to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time since I visited my brother in Tokyo. In Denver I learned that public transportation was not full of the habitually sober. It is a great way to quickly get a feel for a city.
SO this past fall we made a trek back up to NY for Maker Faire. We got the chance to stop by Cobble Hill again for the afternoon. Here is the window display from that trip:
If you are ever in Brooklyn and need some string this is the best yarn store I found there. I know, I know, Purl Soho is only a subway how away. And it is worth going too, but I really prefer La Casita. The selection is amazing, and they serve sake in the cafe, which is perfect for keeping the mister occupied and mellow while yarn is happening.
