As I was deep in the Narnia of my linen closet, looking for my wall paint to touch up some spots, I found a contraption I bought shortly after I moved to New York, 8 years ago. It’s a storage device to keep your ironing board and iron organized. In New York, where closet space is highly coveted, it was a helpful tool to keep those items up and off closet floor space.
I’ve been living in Bed Stuy brownstones for 7 of those 8 years. Brownstones are unique in their construction and there is an -ishness to the layout and embellishments across most brownstones. Moldings, hardwood floors, large windows and a specific placement of the kitchen, side room, bathroom are common.
I adore the culture and history of brownstones, specifically in Bed Stuy, which is why I have always made efforts to be accountable to my community here. I am an active part of my neighborhood and the neighbors know me, I take care of my block by picking up trash, I organize around issue of gentrification and homophobia in the community. This is the neighborhood I’ve felt most at home in, perhaps in my entire life.
My current brownstone has the usual quirks of a typical brownstone, including some doors that are oversized and some that are smaller than standard. I am blessed enough to have 5 closets all to myself, one of which is a linen closet. The door, however, is in true brownstone fashion, oddly narrow. Therefore, the rack I purchased when I first moved here for my iron and board, are not size appropriate.
I kept it because of forgetfulness, and I’m giving it to a friend who lives in another brownstone, with its own personality and own wider door. Long life the brownstone. Filled with wonderful brown folks.
For those who have been asking how they can continue to be a part of my journey even after this project, you can subscribe to my monthly email newsletter here, where I share life lessons, contemplations of awesomeness and updates on projects such as this 365 Release and much more.
[I created the 365 Release Project to practice non-attachment, letting go and change by giving away 1 thing a day for 1 year. The background, vision and guidelines to the 365 RELEASE project are here. The running list of everything I have released is here.]