My neighborhood, as in many parts of Brooklyn, New York is experiencing an economic boom. Wonderful news for some, but for others, less so.

If you wish to buy a box of cereal on your way home, you’ll need to walk a few more blocks to the supermarket. The shop that has been on your corner for the past 20 years has just closed. The funky joint that you stopped in for a beer, pizza and some live music has recently shut its doors too. The cute, albeit, expensive cafe and bakery is gone. And the green grocer, where you bought your flowers and plants, packed up before you had time to say goodbye.

I am missing the faces and places I came to know and rely on. Their absence chips away at the unique emblems of this community; it is unlikely a mom and pop will be moving in. All of these storefronts remain vacant to date.

Renters are inadequately protected from owners who seek unbridled profits.

The hardware store on Flatbush Avenue, displaying for decades an array of antique tools, each with its own esthetic elegance, has just placed a For Rent sign in its window.

I suspect it is just a matter of time before the traditional Chinese Laundry moves on to less expensive digs; perhaps I will be doing the same.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post! Welcome to the tales of a woman solo traveler and thoughts to make today the start of something new. I hope you find information and inspiration in the text and images and join me in my quest for growth, wonderment and self-improvement