In And Around Town On The Move - Literally

Things have been pretty hectic here at In and Around Town.  Two weeks ago we were down in the Bahamas enjoying a little fun in the sun (when we weren't dodging some rain) and diving in the beautiful turquoise waters.  This past week, in the midst of having a fantastic Thanksgiving, we have been packing our little hearts out.  That's right: In and Around Town is leaving Beacon Hill and moving to the greener (and bigger) pastures of Charlestown!

Our Beacon Hill condo has been home to me since October 2006, and my first place after law school.  Needless to say, I am very attached!  When I moved in, it was just Holly (the dog) and I, and the 576 square feet, soaring ceilings and 1 bedroom were perfect!  At the time, I did not spend much time in the kitchen, so the small size did not bother me at all (read: lots of take-out!).

First side - I am sure you are admiring the extensive counterspace!

When Nick moved in in the fall of 2010, the condo became a bit more...cozy.  We joked that if we could live together here in harmony, we would be set for life :)  One place we really could not enjoy together was the kitchen.  To say it's a small Boston kitchen is an understatement!  While it had a dishwasher (thank goodness) it really only had one cabinet for food, and many of our kitchen supplies were being stored in a living room cabinet.  If two people were in the kitchen (which naturally meant Holly was also at our side), you could not open anything.  Since we both enjoy cooking, the kitchen in any new place was key.

So much space ;)

When I first moved in I put in the glass shelves, the granite countertops and some new appliances.  I was confused why there was a cook top and wall oven where there normally would have been a single unit.  Turns out, traditional units did not fit in this apartment, so the two piece setup was necessary.  In the small space the glass shelves were life-savers because they held so much, but they required a lot of careful organization.  The magnetic knife strip was another simple way to free up some space from a knife block.

Cook top in action

Having a big kitchen is an obvious luxury.  However, a small kitchen should not discourage anyone from cooking meals with a lot of moving parts or ones that require a few pots and pans.  Nick and I both cooked up a storm in this tiny space.  We just had to stay organized and clean up in between steps, which helped us out at the end (less piled up in the sink, which was nice and deep).  Once you get used to it, it's totally doable.

Having said that, I cannot wait to cook in our new kitchen!  All of our kitchen tools and serving dishes (even the wedding presents still at my mom's) will be able to fit!  There will be plenty of counter space to get dirty and allow double batches of butter cookies to cool.

Beacon Hill has been my home for over 6 years.  I love it here - I know my neighbors, which include the store attendants!  I have nothing but amazing memories from here and would highly recommend Beacon Hill to anyone looking at apartments in Boston.  However, I am excited for the new adventures that Charlestown holds.

Do you have any Charlestown must-tries?