1) A "greasy spoon" diner - for the occassional big, fatty, sampler-platter style weekend breakfast (Now simply a guilty pleasure rather than the hangover cure of my college days.)
2) A good sushi bar - for sushi, obvi.
3) A running trail - which doesn't have to be an actual trail, just a safe loop with nice ambiance and hopefully some shade.
4) A library - I mean, I'm a librarian.
5) A tailor - for hemming everything to fit my
Checking everything off this list can take a long time. Like me, you can be somewhere for years before experiencing the thrill of the find.
I had a bag of clothes that needed alterations sitting on my closet floor for literally a year until my friend Keekes recently recommended a good tailor. And oh, what a tailor he is! Not only does he do exquisite work at reasonable prices. He embodies the particularly wonderful je nes sais pas that I want for my tailoring experience -- or whatever the Italian equivalent of that is. When I walked in, I just about did a happy dance. The shop is tiny and old, with ancient but well maintained sewing machines in the workroom, bustling along with a sing-song whir. The tailor himself is a sweet older gentleman -- complete with a handlebar mustache! His movements are swift and proficient, and his thick Italian accent is a lovely bonus to the aura. Do I really need to fully understand what he's saying when he is obviously so competent? The answer is no. He is like your grandpa if your grandpa is a happy and gentle soul, has impeccable taste, makes delicious homemade pasta sauce, and plays bocci on the weekends -- in other words, very lovable.
I am so glad I didn't cave and go back to the crappy lady at the dry cleaners down the street. I didn't expect to find the quintessential master tailor in the middle of South Carolina, but I'm happy that I did and it's made me feel a little more complete in this place.
I'm sure everyone has different things they look for in a new city -- the little finds that make you feel at home, and I'm curious...what are yours?
