LITERANISTA Dialogue on Multicultural Books, Tech & Life

Literanista May 21, 2009

I saw this post Harlem’s Historic Bailey Castle Now $6.5M and it reminded of the days when I walked to school past Pleasant Ave amid abandoned and run-down brownstones and dreamed of one day owning and honoring one of these little narrow casitas. I vividly imagined a top floor bedroom and working space with skylights and a beautiful garden in the back, lush with flowers. Ah, if only I were rich!

Apparently, I’ve always have had a treasure seeker’s eyes (ojos de aguila, my mom would say) because I couple of years ago while on the bus (and this was during the time, W and I were thinking about buying a home in the city) I spotted this beautiful but falling apart house, it was picturesque with turrets and everything but smackdab in the middle of Bronx.

I begged and cajoiled to go find this ‘house.’ I had visions of us owning this beauty, of restoring it together and making it new again. I told friends and family but eventually I forgot about it, forgot the name of the street I had seen it on…only to one day to see the news online in the The NY Times about how a family had bought this 16-room mansion in the Bronx for less than what some 3 bedrooms houses go for – when I saw the great slideshow of the mansion, my jaw dropped. They had bought MY house!

Another place, I have always wanted to live is at 455 Central Park West, a former Victorian cancer hospital that has open terraces along Central Park West and also has turrets.

well, I guess it wasn’t meant to be but some people have all the luck. A girl can dream though can’t she?

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Literanista