Yesterday Sebi and Rob and I went on another 'expotition' in the morning. This time we were checking out an area for Rob's latest research. It used to be infamous for its living conditions and Hobrecht-era tenements. These piled people on top of each other in buildings with up to six courtyards, meaning that some apartments looked out on the garbage cans, coal sheds and livestock kept there. The court (or
hof) was also the playground and yard of the kids who lived there. It was also common to put apartments on the street and businesses in the courtyard like this one, which used to be a brewery. We also saw a pump plant, forge, and a coal shed behind the streetside apartments, and Rob even knows of a dairy that was kept in an urban courtyard. I'm trying to imagine my kids ever going to sleep with the sounds and smells of a herd of cows kept in our building! This building was restored about ten years ago and now houses some nice offices.
This is the building we were after, and I'm showing you its better side. The front of it is painted two-tone purple and is in sad shape. I'm afraid that traipsing around in dark dirty stairwells just reminded me to0 much of some places on my mission. But we saw it and got pictures, including one where I had to climb on Rob's back to take it. He said it was my own fault for marrying a professional trespasser. The resident smoking out his window thought we were pretty entertaining.
We also managed to visit three playgrounds, two markets, a church, a pricey kids' boutique that I love, and a Vietnamese corner store. This is one of my favorite playground attractions: the 'basket of sliders' swing. I always think the kids are going to go flying out of it, but they never do and they love it. It would never happen in the U.S. because of liability.
And this was brilliant! It is a replica of the Berlin Wall (same height and shape), but it's wavy and it's a rock climbing wall for kids. I love it! But pointy-toes shoes are not the best for rock climbing.
Yesterday Sebi and Rob and I went on another 'expotition' in the morning. This time we were checking out an area for Rob's latest research. It used to be infamous for its living conditions and Hobrecht-era tenements. These piled people on top of each other in buildings with up to six courtyards, meaning that some apartments looked out on the garbage cans, coal sheds and livestock kept there. The court (or hof) was also the playground and yard of the kids who lived there. It was also common to put apartments on the street and businesses in the courtyard like this one, which used to be a brewery. We also saw a pump plant, forge, and a coal shed behind the streetside apartments, and Rob even knows of a dairy that was kept in an urban courtyard. I'm trying to imagine my kids ever going to sleep with the sounds and smells of a herd of cows kept in our building! This building was restored about ten years ago and now houses some nice offices.
This is the building we were after, and I'm showing you its better side. The front of it is painted two-tone purple and is in sad shape. I'm afraid that traipsing around in dark dirty stairwells just reminded me to0 much of some places on my mission. But we saw it and got pictures, including one where I had to climb on Rob's back to take it. He said it was my own fault for marrying a professional trespasser. The resident smoking out his window thought we were pretty entertaining.
We also managed to visit three playgrounds, two markets, a church, a pricey kids' boutique that I love, and a Vietnamese corner store. This is one of my favorite playground attractions: the 'basket of sliders' swing. I always think the kids are going to go flying out of it, but they never do and they love it. It would never happen in the U.S. because of liability.
And this was brilliant! It is a replica of the Berlin Wall (same height and shape), but it's wavy and it's a rock climbing wall for kids. I love it! But pointy-toes shoes are not the best for rock climbing.
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