All Sounds Considered

Last night, after dinner (frozen-chicken-patty-parmesan and macaroni pasta) there was a half hour or so where Will and I just sat on the couch playing our respective hand-held gaming devices. No TV, no music, no computer. Of course there was the sound of my clicking away on an ancient game boy trying to win Tetris, and Will's stylus scraping as he worked through Brain Age calculations on his DS. But for the most part it was quieter than usual... almost silent.

And it was nice to hear all the sounds of our apartment and the city outside. The steady gurgle of our goldfish's tank. The rattling of our loose windows in the slight wind. The laughter and gossip of people walking by. The whoosh of cars and the heavy revving of buses. And occasionally distant thunder, after large flashes of lightning that outlined Pennsylvania Hospital with a white glow.

One of the immediate things I loved about our apartment was the front windows. We have very high ceilings, and we're the first apartment in the building so we look right out onto the street through high, wide windows. It's something I've always imagined my dream dwelling would have... wonderful, large windows to let in a lot of light and provide a fabulous view. When we're lucky enough to be home during the day, we get just that. And it's just as exciting at night watching people all dressed up and walking to bars with their friends, or strolling holding hands with their sweethearts, or even just seeing the headlights of cars as they roll along Pine Street.

In the city you're never alone, and the sounds and sights from our apartment confirm that. There are constantly people moving, joking, rushing to be somewhere... there's always an open bar or grocery store or taxi cab... a potential dangerous situation or reverential moment.

And that's just one of the many reasons I LOVE living in Philly.