Is the Grass Greener Across the River?

Enjoying a mint chip gelato cone from Eataly

As hip as Brooklyn is, if I could afford to live anywhere in New York, I'd probably choose the Flatiron District. I'm obsessed with this neighborhood. It's easy to navigate, near multiple subway lines, and has some of my favorite places (e.g., Fishs Eddy, Maison Kayser, Whisk, 305 Fitness). The architecture in Flatiron is stunning,  with a healthy mix of cast-iron, glass, and red brick.

One of the gorgeous cast-iron buildings of Flatiron

Most importantly, Flatiron has Madison Square Park, one of my favorite parks on Manhattan. Anyone who loves French bulldogs as much as I do could easily spend hours sitting here, as this park is extremely popular with [the owners of] Frenchies. One time, Anthony and I were lounging on some benches in the park and found ourselves surrounded by three Frenchies, each a different color: white, tan, and dark brown. As I came up with a name for each one (Béchamel, Caramel, and Chocolate?), Brandon Stanton, the photographer of Humans of New York, suddenly appeared and chatted with the lucky dog owners. Anthony was a little sad that Brandon didn't photograph us, but it's hard to compete with a trio of Frenchies.

Lucky legs

Madison Square Park happens to be right across the street from Eataly, a monstrous upscale market from Italy that offers everything from gourmet pasta, to colorful tupperware, to a rooftop beer garden. My go-to places in Eataly are the Gelateria and the Nutella Bar. Yes, a Nutella Bar. The nutella crêpes are unbelievable. The gelato here isn't as good as at Grom, another Italian chain that's recently expanded to New York, but Eataly definitely isn't a bad substitute.

For a few months every year, Flatiron hosts an outdoor culinary pop-up market called Madison Square Eats. Some of the city's most popular restaurants bring food to the public, and diners can either sit on one of the bright blue chairs in front of the Flatiron Building, or right in the park while enjoying the many rotating art installations.

Anthony drinks coconut juice from Pig & Khao's pop-up shop at Madison Square Eats

Ivan Navarro's "This Land is Your Land," a site- specific installation of three water towers that reference immigration experiences through neon reflections on mirrored walls inside the water towers

With all the Frenchies and dining options, it only made sense that Anthony decided to propose to me at Madison Square Park. The proposal happened on Memorial Day, after a luau-themed brunch at The Dutch in Soho. We sat down on one of the grassy lawns in the park, surrounded by dozens of people who also wanted to both cool off and soak up the much-needed sun after four months of winter. We people-watched, laughed at the ridiculous children ruining around, and took selfies with my phone. Eventually, Anthony convinced me to switch from snapping photos to capturing video. After I switched the setting on my phone, Anthony took out a small white box containing a gorgeous black Tahitian pearl engagement ring and proposed, just as I started recording us.

I'm engaged!

Flatiron feels like home to me, even though I've never lived there and probably never will. Yet, when such personal events - both significant and insignificant - have occurred in this beautiful neighborhood, it's hard not to have a soft spot for the place and feel some claim over it.