After trekking an hour to the Upper East Side every morning at 6:45am to arrive at school on time, one would assume I would learn to love that neighborhood. And I did. The neighborhood in which my school was located was primarily residential as well as a popular, sometimes pricey restaurant and shopping area. My high school, Marymount School, was three town houses situated directly across the street from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was also a mere few steps away from the entrance to Central Park. Around the corner on Madison Avenue was my classmates and my favorite deli, City Market. On Lexington Avenue was the fairly priced pizzeria, Mimi’s. Also on Lexington Avenue were the easily accessible 4, 5, and 6 trains. The retail stores, such as H&M, restaurants, including the heavenly Shake Shack, Barnes & Noble, and cinemas located on 86th street between Lexington and 3rd avenue were the traditional social rendezvous spots.
Although an Upper East Side school may seem like a typical scenario for a Gossip Girl episode, this neighborhood is special to me because it is where I matured, learned, and gained my independence. It was a privilege to be able to enter the MET after school at whim and, in turn, gain a better appreciation for art. In addition, I learned to navigate the trains and buses to and from my home in Brooklyn to Manhattan. Also, unlike in my neighborhood, most conveniences, such as public transport, the grocery store, restaurants, the movie theater, or diners, were all within walking distance. Such a neighborhood helped me value such amenities and take advantage of the culture and history just across the street.
