The Neighborhood

My flat is on the 4th floor of the building to the left

Here's a glance at my flat and it's surroundings.
We are blessed to live in a great area of the city- it is convenient (located right downtown and close to the straight-shot 50cent taxi to school), and in a safe and secure building. The 4th floor apartment with the windows belongs to the girls (Caitlin and Jackie) while mine and Shanae's apartment is on the other side. We do not get the sunshine bursting through our windows in the morning, but our apartment is much cooler on hot days, making it an even trade.



On the first floor (which is considered floor 0), there is an office front- graphic design? Our landlord lives on the floor below us and I have yet to meet the other tenants.

Directly diagonal across the street is a very popular bakery where supposably the best chocolate croissants in the city can be purchased for a mere $0.40! I, however, have yet to delight in such a treat- but plan on it either once my stomach gets better adjusted or I just can't wait any longer and give in.




Right around the corner from the bakery is this handy market- Albi. There are quite a few in the city and although the selection is limited, it comes in quite handy.

With the taxis lined up on the left of the street- what a perfect location for a casino? I have yet to step inside but there are several of these scattered around, one even tucked between a cafe and a grocery store downtown. I'm not sure what the odds are here but there is a fancy BMW parked out just waiting to be won.


In the other direction, down the hill, are several shops and things. Lately there has been firewood collecting/stacking going on- makes me miss home. I'll have to befriend someone with a fireplace- although something tells me the fireplaces in Pristina are not like they are in colonial New England.

Just a little further down the street, we come to one of the main roads in the city, Agame Ramadani. There are no house addresses and few labeled street names, so directions work by landmarks mostly. Another great thing about our apartment local is being close to The House of Sport. Do not be fooled by the large mural on the outside, the store itself is one room- smaller than our apartment. However, the store does have a couple racks of higher quality clothing and a shelf of active footwear. 


In general Pristina is like any city- lots of businesses, people out and about getting coffee or walking the streets... lots of traffic- especially during the peak hours. While there is this developing, modern side of Pristina, these photos really only show a piece of the puzzle that makes up Kosovo. Stay tuned as I uncover more about this fascinating new country.

Shanae and I on a typical school night (aka- me as I write this blog).