To the lake.

Shorewood is adorable. It's full name is actually "the Village of Shorewood," and it really does feel like a little village. Dotted with coffee shops, restaurants, and grocery stores, everything we need is basically within walking distance.

A view of our apartment building - more shots of inside will be posted once the apartment is finished! 

What makes our new neighborhood even more charming, though, is its proximity to the lake. Our old apartment in Minneapolis was really close to the Mississippi River, and we'd often walk down St. Anthony Main and cross the Stone Arch Bridge. I do miss the downtown skyline, the views from the bridge over the river, and the familiarity of East Hennepin. Here, though, the walk to Lake Michigan takes us down tree-lined streets where we pass by gorgeous old houses. People are always out for strolls, walking with their dogs (it seems like everyone has a dog) or with their sleepy babies lounging in their strollers. It's really lovely, and a welcome change from all the student housing that surrounded us in Minneapolis.

Atwater Beach is just a short walk from our apartment. Following our street down seven or eight blocks, you come to a big grassy knoll with a playground that overlooks Lake Michigan. How fun would this have been as a kid, to have such a cool place to play with these incredible views? 

It's so peaceful; we've spent an afternoon at the beach already. As lovely as these views are in the summertime, I can only imagine that it's going to be absolutely beautiful in the fall. I can't wait to see all the leaves change! But for now, we'll enjoy this last day of August (how can that be?!) just as it is.

~N.