The apartment

I remember my first studio apartment.

The bathroom purple

the living room in green and white stripes

kitchen in sunny bright yellow

It was built in 1901-1913

The buildings still stand today.

I lived there for 6 years,

a small space in the big city

for young professionals like me

who came to New York from various parts of the country

It was there that many started out

for over 100 years it provided a home

to those who lived and worked in New York City

Next to it is another building

built between 1901-1912, an unusual residence specifically for single women.

The League, which was founded in 1901 to encourage young women of privilege

to engage in charitable work, supported and supervised the social-service project,

called the Junior League Hotel for Working Women.

Across my old apartment complex was a park overlooking the river

In front of the park was the Cherokee apartment

It was built in 1912 as a residence for people with tuberculosis and their families

It has triple-hung floor-to-ceiling windows, French balconies,

winding open stairwells, and interior courtyards,

designed at the turn of the century to provide an airy and healthful environment for sick residents.

As I lived, walked and played in the the city , I marveled at the diversity

Some architecture I find timeless,

some I want to ignore

some I wish did not exist ,

Some I wish it should be transformed

Some I wish they maintain and preserve

some, make me stop and pause, hold my breath

designs that are so spectacular,

sustainable and in harmony with nature

As I walk in the city,

I wonder what do people dream