Well, we up and moved. 

We officially purchased our home in the Elysian Valley area of Los Angeles on December 27, 2016, while we were standing in Andy's parents' living room in New Jersey, and we packed up our Hancock Park apartment and relocated on January 14.  Nearly a month has gone by and we're still finding ourselves partially amidst boxes, with bare walls and windows and only about half of the seating the house requires.

Buying a home - there's so much to say on this topic.  We were warned that we would face three months of discovering all of the house's "skeletons."  Thus far this includes some faulty wiring in the kitchen and hot water heater, older plumbing than anticipated, a washer/dryer area constructed too small for any purchasable washer/dryer, and an epic gopher infestation.  The war continues.  We're trying to find moments of quiet and coziness within the madness. 

Turns out it takes time to make a house into a home.

While the house remains a project, the neighborhood is providing pleasant places to discover.  Colloquially known as "Frog Town," we now live on the East Side of Los Angeles, which provides us easy access to some areas we've otherwise left largely unexplored (Chinatown, Downtown, Glassell and Highland Parks, Atwater Village, Silverlake and Echo Park and the hidden gem that is Elysian Park). 

Two years ago, Elysian Valley was named one of LA's  "Hottest Neighborhoods," (they even write "Portlandia" here) though it has remained largely undeveloped in terms of businesses, partly due to a very active community organization.  The last year has shown some growth, however, including places like Elysian and Frogtown Brewery, which we have yet to investigate, as well as Salazar, which we already love.  We're on a first name basis with the married owners of Wax Paper, and make regular caffeine stops at Spoke (when it isn't raining). 

The bike path is currently under construction during much of the week, but we keep poking our heads out to shoot video as the river is periodically raging in the rainstorms.  We have yet to get ourselves acquainted with the local community garden or Women's Creative Center or the local Pilates studio or curated maker and vintage shop The Left Bank, but there's time.

We're looking forward to the annual Art Walk in August, musical series at Clockshop, as well the upcoming opening of the big La Colombe roastery, part of the reason that Eater LA is predicting 2017 is the year Frogtown is "overrun with restaurants" (fine by us - better restaurants than condos).