A house in German Village. It was all brick, big big old trees that kept is in shade. The streets, the sidewalks, everything was brick or cobblestone. I had the back half of a large bulding. You'd open the wrought iron gated fence and walk down the brick walkway. In the fall the leaves would be crisp and make lots of noise. In the winter, the snow was silent. The summer it was cool under the shade.
Before having "exposed brick" walls was even cool, this place had them. Big ceilings, a loft above held off by an iron gated fence, iron staircase. The front room had a window seat that overlooked the backyard, canopied by a huge old maple tree. The girl in front had the front porch, but I had the entire back patio.
The kitchen was small, but there was only me there so that made no difference. it had a small eating area that I bought (my first!) tall glass table with big bar height chairs.
I decorated from Pier One, Pottery Barn, and random things and places I found out and about. I pulled up some flooring and replaced the tiles. The windows reached all the way up the roof, almost 2 floors, and I left them curtainless to watch the sky.
My favorite time of the year in general, Autumn, was by far the best there. The leaves would turn these insanely gorgeous colors and then fall to the ground. The air was turning crisp and smelled often like burnt wood. People would put out these hanging black metal candle things that were cut out of pumpkin faces and at light would cast little glowing pools of light as you walked along, kicking leaves.
The houses are all close together. Kind of tall and narrow, a bit like the painted ladies of San Francisco, but a decidely more stoic, old world feel. Most of them had been updated and modernized by rich people moving into the "quaint" area.
When you walked, you could peer into everyone's houses because you were so close to them. I used to like to peek quickly and see what kinds of decorating people did to these grand old homes.
There was one lady who had tons and tons of glass figurines. If I was early enough to walk while the sun was setting the whole front room tinkled, almost like it was on fire with light. Another elderly lady collected big mugs and steins. She had an entire wall filled with them. A couple had turned one house almost retro modern with splashy disco colors and elegant, clean lines. Minimal over all except for the spots of lime green they placed strategically to surprise you.
Most people's curtains were drawn, so I really only saw anything above them, walls, ceilings, pictures, light fixtures.
Lots of christmas lights and trees in the holiday season. That was always nice when it was cold out. The houses were close and with the trees it never got windy there so was never unbearably cold.
I could walk for hours in German Village. It's the coolest place I've ever lived.