What I loved most about my recent trip to New York City was the discovery of neighborhoods! There was such a diversity of neighborhoods—all within an easy walk or bus ride. I wasn’t so much blown away by the skyscrapers and the fancy stores and glamour of the city as by the little Italian shop that had the best parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar and the little rice pudding café that had only rice pudding, but the creamiest, best, rice pudding I’ve ever had outside of home. Chinatown was like a little piece of another country and the fresh produce in the neighborhood groceries, especially Eli’s, was amazing. It’s rather fascinating to imagine going home every day with all those neighborhoods, rich and poor, ethnic and glitzy—skyscrapers and saltwater—all around. I’ve always lived in the country—it’s my home—it’s beautiful and my first choice for where to wake up in the morning, but while I’m sitting on my deck watching the leaves change over fields and mountain this fall and the snow drift in from the west this winter, I’ll think about all those people in all those neighborhoods up there in New York City.