Queens is catching on

So we now have a Doughnut Plant nine blocks from my home. How crazy is that? The Falchi Building on the other side of the boulevard between 31st Place and 31st Street is now beckoning the cool kids from across the river and it seems Queens is the new hot thing. As if I needed more proof, the New York Times ran another fluff piece on Sunnyside last week, prompting many commentators in Sunnymoms to bemoan the changing face of the neighborhood. Most of what it boils down to is the renter/owner divide of rising real estate prices. While it's true some owners bought small and now cannot afford to upgrade, it's more likely that renters here who had a good deal (ourselves included) will quickly find that fading as landlords boost rents and make it almost impossible to stay in a place we've lived and loved well before it was cool. And maybe because Sunnyside has been my only home in New York, and my first home since Kansas City that I've lived in for 10 years straight, I'm prone to a little defensiveness about my old guard status. To many, being here a decade is nothing and I know that. But more and more, I see the newbies parading around (seriously, what was with the duo at SGP all decked out with their Canada Goose jackets, leather boots and Williamsburg bag?) and it's disheartening. Yes, I want more bars and restaurants and investment in Sunnyside, but at what price? I love this sleepy little community with just enough life to keep us content as we raise our kids in one of the best places in New York City. For how long is the question. 

Thrown in the questions over Nacho's job future and possible choice of cities to work from and sometimes my head is positively spinning about all of this. It also doesn't help that I feel the girls would really love a yard and dog and some of the benefits of a more suburban life. When we host family and friends, it would also be amazing to actually have a third bedroom. Oh, to dream! But for now, I guess we are making the most of where we're at and what we have. So in that vein, we took Abuela out for brunch at Butcher Bar in Astoria on Saturday and then for a quick spin around the waterfront at Hunters Point South. It was a somewhat chilly afternoon with highs in the low 40s and the wind blowing a bit near the East River.  Most of the snow that fell on Friday was melted, but still the air felt more wintry than I'd like. I'm so over this season. Let spring come in, please!  Hopefully it will happen later this week as things warm up. I know April is just around the corner but really, I'm ready. I need a good string of warm days to kick this mental fog. So please hurry up.