I remember Felipe as such a sweet man: always telling me to be careful on my bicycle, offering me coffee in the morning, always with a smile even when I could tell by the bags under his eyes that he was exhausted. I visited him maybe once last year, and he remembered me, to my delight. I hope that he's moved on to something nice even with this recession, and that his family gets to spend more time with him (one of his daughters would hang around the shop on weekends).
I'm happy to report, though, that not all that I saw on my old block was discouraging; in fact, I saw something quite exciting-- an art gallery in a space that had been mostly vacant the entire time I lived there!
The current exhibit has been up since July 15th and closes on Sunday, August 15th. Will have to make sure I check it out. It's called
Indeed.
My time at the Da Capo buildings was one of the most fruitful, exhilarating times of my (admittedly short) life. From carrying my heavy 1970s Schwinn up three flights of stairs (voluntarily) to taking in the Downtown skyline from the rooftop (which was, technically, prohibited) to the sound of the Blue Line through my windows to the sweet Dorian who shared my home. I wonder who lives there now. And I wonder what it would be like to make my home there again.
