I moved into my first apartment, a top floor walk up in Bologna, in 2004. It had a tiny sliver of a balcony, big enough to prender un espresso, with a view of the Margarita gardens-and of my many neighbors’ own espresso habits. The following year I rented a place with some girlfriends in Providence. We nicknamed it the Beach House, as the living quarters were on the top floor. Its view was of the Ben & Jerry’s next door, which turned out to be equally fascinating people watching. I realized today that I’ve always lived on the top floor of every building I’ve rented in (and yes, always a walk up) — until now.
