Finally, a Fabulous Flat

It looks like we’ve found a place. We’ve gone through the initial paperwork and are waiting for the final contract to be signed, so it COULD still fall apart, I suppose, but let’s hope not. This is an apartment that, in estate agent lingo, “ticks all our boxes” and is a “crackin’ flat.” It really is spectacular, and I can hardly believe our good luck in snagging it. The best part (or, the best bit, as the Brits would say) is a massive wraparound terrace providing 360-degree views of London. We’re rather high up (11th floor) for the neighborhood and we can see everything: Tower Bridge right below us, St. Paul’s in the distance, the gigantic Eye down by the river. See below for a couple of shots I took from the terrace.
      These pictures don’t do it justice. When I first showed Dan the listing, he didn’t even want to visit because the flat looked so boring. It is, in fact, stunning. We can’t wait to share it with visitors, who will be very comfortable in the guest room, I think.
      The reason that we can afford this amazing place is that it’s in the neighborhood of Bermondsey, which is up and coming, rather than posh and established. Here’s a map (we’re located in an interior courtyard near the intersection of Long Lane and Bermondsey Street). It’s a neighborhood where leather tanning traditionally took place, and today it has a crafty, on-the-verge, West Village vibe. There’s a glassblowing studio a couple of blocks away. The Zandra Rhodes textile museum (colorful building below) is nearby (currently undergoing refurbishment and reopening with workshops in textile and jewelry design, which I am looking forward to). It's a quick walk to Borough Market and to Shad Thames. Today, Dan discovered an Italian market across the street that offers up the parmesan and ciabatta that it is hard (for Dan, at least) to live without.
      Here are a couple of shots of the neighborhood streets:



From our balcony: Tower Bridge. Can you see it? It looks tiny here but, in reality, it looms up in front of us.

From our balcony: the Gherkin and other City buildings. Again, the picture doesn't really capture the grandeur of the skyline. Sorry about that.