New Jersey - New York and Austin, TX

Jersey City, NJ for first part of the week for an internal training meeting of our team.  We were brushing up on skills and getting to know each other better through Myers Briggs testing (turns out I'm an ESTJ) and discovering each of our Top Five Strengths.  Mine are:

What this means to my teammates on our sales team is I'm really good at Influencing and Relationship-Building, I have some Execution Skills, and have to work hard at Strategic Thinking.

Part of the team building skill was hopping the Path Train over to the Meatpacking District in Manhattan and stopping by the Chelsea Pier (overlooking the Hudson River) for dinner and then to the sports complex for some bowling.  My score was a pretty low 77, but poor Dave only came in at 69 (he's one of the "strategic thinkers"). 

The food was pretty good and I learned a little about the Meatpacking District while I was there.  It was after the Civil War that the area started to become less residential and more industrial and "marketplace" like.  By 1900, the area was home to 250 slaughterhouses and packing plants, and by the 1920's it became even more tightly focused on meatpacking and related activities.  By the '70's and '80's it had turned in to the gay and transgender hot spot, and in the late 1990's it went through a transformation again bringing it to it's more modern day and fashionable appearance.

One of the really cool things I learned about the neighborhood is Gansevoort Street which is the original footpath that led from Sapohanikan, which was a native American trading station, to the inland to the east, is within one degree to the spring and autumnal equinoxes (I would love to see this).  It's not known whether it was by accident or design but it's an impressive view during those times of the year.

The Chelsea Market in the district is where the original Nabisco factory complex was located and where the Oreo Cookie was invented and produced. Today the building also houses retail and office space as well as broadcasting companies, media and technology, like YouTube which offices on the 5th floor.

 

Riding the Path Train to Manhattan - I had never seen such a crush of humanity as I did that night riding the train back.

View from my hotel room of Freedom Tower on the footprint of the original World Trade Center.


Then home to Charleston for a day to unpack, work, work, work, and repack before heading to Austin, TX.  So I'm sitting at my desk at home for the day and I look out the window and see this guy "pruning" my Queen Ann palm.  I love working from home!

 

And I caught up on the I'On message board while in town too:
 "Pet & Critter Alert"  is the topic - "Alligator in Westlake"
There is an alligator in Westlake and someone has been called to remedy.
Careful with your dogs and kitties...

  OK, then on to Austin.  I'm new enough relocating from TX to still feel a bit excited when going back to Texas soil and Austin is a particularly fun place to visit. 

 

 On the way home from Austin we stopped for lunch at the Wok & Roll -



they had a buffet and Oreo Cookies were one of the items you could get - well that takes us full circle to end the week.  Speaking of Oreos, check out the latest and greatest.  

 

http://www.oreo.com/default.aspx?RUN_ID=d60dfb965d564b1bad79bcb4&R_REF=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn-ssl.vidible.tv%2Fprod%2Fplayer%2Fswf%2Flatest%2Fplayer-fw.swf&AG_TXN=bf718662-4e5b-11e5-904d-fb2882277a39

I'On neighborhood in Mt Pleasant, SC

I've been fascinated with the I'On neighborhood ever since I first saw it this past May and where I subsequently purchased a home in July.  It's located approximately 3 miles east of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, which is what connects Charleston and Mount Pleasant, and it's adjacent to East

Cooper Montessori Charter School, the first public charter Montessori school in the state (perhaps where J & G babies might go?)
 / 32.81
The community was founded and planned in 1995 and is an example of new urbanism.  It was controversial when proposed with initial plans for a diverse village of over 1,200 units including multifamily homes and apartments, but to overcome a legal contest with the town of Mt Pleasant (which took a ruling by the SC Supreme Court to settle) there was a compromise in the planning process and eventually about 800 single family homes, a village square, churches and shops were built.  The first child born while living in I'On has just turned 16 and is driving, making some of the original residents shake their head in wonder.

The story of the land as far back as I can find goes; that in 1697 David Maybank II acquired 200 acres along Hobcaw Creek from the Lords Proprietors.  Maybank was a carpenter and built a house on the site which he named Hobcaw Plantation.  The plantation passed to his daughter Susannah and her husband Capt. Jacob Bond who was a planter and member of the Commons House of Assembly.  An interesting footnote in 1819 is one of the Bond family members hosted President James Monroe and Secretary of State John C. Calhoun at the plantation.  After Bond's death it passed to his daughter Rebecca.  Rebecca married James Read and they had a son Dr William Read who was a deputy surgeon general in the Continental Army.  Jacob's eldest daughter Elizabeth married Richard I'On.

The community today takes its name from Jacob Bond I'On (son of Richard and Elizabeth - and named after her Father) and who also became the first mayor of the town of Sullivan's Island.  

Current pictures (2 blocks from my house) of the area surrounding where the original plantation house sat. 

There was a close relationship between the Jacob Bond family and the owners of the nearby colonial shipyards.  The plantation's live oaks and longleaf pines were used to build ships.  East and west roads follow the route of the original road from Mathis Ferry Rd to the shipyard and are still lined with some of the oak trees. 

Later uses of the land took place when in 1938 The Shelmore Oyster Products Company bought the plantation.  The company's goal was to "shell more and sell more" oysters.  The land became a farm that produced vegetables for area markets.  They also canned locally grown tomatoes and okra.  Farming on this site was an important economical source for the area until the mid twentieth century when the industrial boom, world wars and other factors came in to play returning the land to scrub and forest until 1995 when current development began.   The neighborhood today is bordered by street names like Mathis Ferry, Shipyard, Perseverance, and Shelmore (my street) from it's early roots.

Some of my favorite features of the community include the extensive sidewalks, shared public green spaces, lakes, creeks, waterways and trails and the deep water access boat ramp (hmmmm).  I also like the crab docks, outdoor amphitheater, boathouse, Creek Clubhouse (for parties), I'on Club and a dozen small parks.  The streets look so charming because most homes have a deep front porch with ceiling heights of 10+ feet on raised foundations and each on small lots with 3 - 4 houses per acre.  



orange dot is my house
 

 

my front porch

 

 This is one of the early examples of new urbanist traditional neighoborhood developments, others include Seaside and Celebration in Florida and Kentlands in Maryland.

I'On has interesting history and is a beautiful place to call home.



 

Chicago, IL and Houston, TX

Before leaving town this week I took what's starting to be one of my favorite walks in the neighborhood up to Hobcaw Creek and watched the sunrise.  Great way to start the day!

 

 

Then I headed out of town to Chicago for a couple of days and stayed at the usual spot in Rosemont near O'Hare airport.  I love the art work in this Loews hotel.  They are always changing it up and recognizing local artists.

 

Then a quick trip to Houston to check on the house, meet with the boss and pick up Gem.  It was a little bittersweet.  I loved seeing all the places I recognize and have been to a million times and have so many memories of, but it was a bit sad too.  Gem didn't seem to recognize me at first I guess since I've been gone for over 6 weeks but she quickly warmed up and I took her on a walk one more time around the old neighborhood.  The next day we boarded our flight to Charleston and she connected with many of the passengers. 

 

Once in Charleston and at home she took her time to sniff every room and then laid in front of the

 

fireplace as if giving it a thumbs up. 

 

It was a long day for her and she had a lot of sleep to catch up on.

The next day I picked up my bike from the bike shop where I had dropped it off for a tune up and took her for a ride around our new neighborhood.  I can tell she's going to be a rock star here as well.  Everyone that sees her smiles especially when she's sitting in the basket on the front of the bike with her ears blowing in the breeze.  

 

Together again

Jake and Gina came over the night we got home and brought us Chinese food for dinner.  They told me the big news, their baby to be is going to be a boy!  I am so excited about the two grandchildren I am going to have in the coming months.  I know it's going to be life changing and this Charleston house will play a good role in bringing family together. 

 

Newark, NJ, and SAGE

I went to Monroe Township just south of Newark, NJ for a meeting this week.  Upon leaving the rental car area on my way home I noticed one of these - a throw back to an earlier time when I started in the business.  This was how we connected with the Home Office and customers while on the road back then. 

Then back to Charleston and The SAGE group is here!! 

 

I can't believe it's been a year since I participated in the last SAGE meeting and committed to doing this blog.  So much has changed and the most spectacular things I didn't even know to dream about then have happened.

 

We walked the Ravenel Bridge together one morning

 

 

tried out some wonderful restaurants

 

 

walked the I'On community

 

and shopped together for a special wine.  The ladies surprised me with some beautiful wine accoutrements to make enjoying this bottle (and many more) even better.  These are the best friends I could have ever hoped for and I'm looking forward to them coming back January 2016.

 

 

Frank came to town this weekend as well and we played some golf,

 

 

And had a small get together for family with Jake and Gina and Ann Gray and Will.  

 

 

My neighbor Chris stopped by too and she said she'd try to get me into her bookclub.  Ooooh I hope so.  I'm feeling so blessed in life and waiting for two new lives to join our family. 

 

 

 

 

New house New neighborhood . . . Missing Gem for now

My first full week in new house in Charleston, SC.  I'm babysitting Delilah (Gem would be jealous - she's still in Houston but has a plane ticket to fly here on 8/14) and D's doing a great job keeping me company in the mean time.  

This week was all about beginning to put some of the finishing touches on the "shanty" and planning for house guests.  I even did a bit of yard work as I inspected the grounds and am trying to learn the different plants, trees and shrubs that are in the yard.  I had the I'On welcoming committee (seriously) stop by to welcome me.  They brought a gift bag with a number of items including a directory and bumper sticker, which they assured me everyone gets one of, and showed me how to sign up for the online newsletter. 

One of the coolest things I discovered is a bit of the history of I'On Village which I'll have to blog about at another time when I have more of the story. 

I did begin to explore the neighborhood and learned there are a couple of trails that cover an 8 mile area. 

One of the sites along the trail is the Rookery Wildlife Refuge with two observation towers. 

 

 

With a beautiful view of the creek surrounding the property.

 

 

Then I met up with a customer one morning at one of the local favorite restaurants - this is southern cooking at it's finest, Page's Okra Grill, and they had one of the old fashioned joggling boards that I've never seen anywhere else but Charleston.  I learned on a house tour a couple of years ago that these were once used for courting; the couple would start by sitting on either end and if they liked each other they would eventually be joggled (bounced) toward the middle.

 

Then back to the I'On neighborhood, it has many gorgeous paths to walk

 

 

And encouragement to offer along the way

 

And even great shops to stop by, that are only a block from my house, which I happened to do one day and met the owner Melinda whose been here since I'On was first created. 

 

 The neighborhood and people have been charming, exactly what you'd expect and I really think I'm going to like living here.  Can't wait for Gem to arrive.