There's one perfect fit and sugar this one is it...

Hanging with Molly & Andrew has been the best evs.  Being downstairs neighbors is super fun and also extremely convenient.  There doesn't have to be a lot of plan making when any of us can pop up or down for a 20 minute cruise through facebook and glass of wine.

Its also been super crazy nice for Ed and I to let go of the reigns a little and be led around a city.  We have a lot of months of research and planning under our belts, and a lot to come.  But for these few weeks, its great to have someone else say "here are some cool options for today."

So, quicky overviews of radical neighborhoods we probably would have missed without our hostess with the mostestest.

Shimokitazawa - the 4 of us had humongous burgers accompanied by humongous beers and meandered the streets our first weekend here.  Every ilk of food nerd seems to have a staked a claim in this hood, so Ed felt among kin-folk.  There's the artisanal egg people, the insane-o barista guy, the organic donut folks...  Plus a ton of great vintage stores, design shops and boutiques, and one thousand fab looking restaurants nestled in a warren of windy, pretty streets.  When we go back on our own we will definitely be lost, but we're looking forward to it.

Naka-meguro - Molly took us here one hung over Sunday afternoon and we ended up having a "snack" (you guys know with Ed there's really no such thing) and wondering along the Meguro river until after dark.  High-end independent shops and twinkly cafes are sprinkled along the river, which is apparently the happs during cherry blossom season.  Seemingly every time Ed and I go on a long walk we run into Naka-meguro.  Which I wouldn't mind at all, except that the stores there are like kryptonite.  One boutique, in particular, hocks high end denim and one-of-a-kind, hand trimmed, quilted jackets lined with shearling.  I refrained from crying on them only so I could stay in the store and keep touching.  You know, I'm trying to be fulfilled without material things these days, just enjoying my tech weave.  Which is really working out great.

Koenji - Just yesterday, the 3 of us headed to Koenji for lunch and wandering.  Koenji may be the neighborhood where punk rock is at its most relevant; there is no shortage of live music clubs, hard rock bars, and the requisite stores selling stretchy plaid pants and studded things.  The good townsfolk seemingly try to counterbalance the scene by piping bouncy music sung by children into the streets through speakers mounted on the lamp posts.

Since Ed and I hadn't yet experienced the taco rice phenomenon, Molly took us to the twee-est, cutest of tree houses to enjoy it.  Taco rice comes on a large plate and is composed of the following layers (bottom to top): rice, ground beef, shredded cabbage, scrambled egg, cheese, salsa, tomatoes, mayo, avocado, heart attack, deliciousness.  There's green stuff, so it was counted as salad to justify the stop we made at the independent donut shop in post.  We ate one dipped in burnt caramel that was so mind-blowing I momentarily thought about burning my Mister Donut frequent fatty card.  Alas, cooler heads prevailed.  Koenji's motto should be: your diet isn't welcome here.  Or: We love the Clash. 

Kichijōji - aka kookygeorgey, because I can't remember the name ever.  This area has all the hipsterosity of the others but also a huge, beautiful park, and obscenely good lighting.  There's a big lake with swan boats, a couple of temples, a scary clown making balloon animals, and a LOT of cute dogs for me to harass.  We also hit a roof bar there around sun set, a rare phenomenon in a place where people haven't really latched on to the outdoor bar concept. 

The time is absolutely flying, but we're having a blast.  We both are so excited 'cuz we're reunited hey-hey.