Moving Office
Well, after 7 years, my office in downtown Brussels is moving. It's sort of a bittersweet move. We are really close to the heart of things down here - a few blocks from the heart of the city centre. We are moving to an office park structure off the highway on the way to the airport. Charming.
I will miss being able to step outside and shop Rue Neuve (behind my office block) any time I want. I will miss having lots of lunch choices within a few blocks. I might even miss the bells that peel every quarter of hour outside my window.
There are definitely a lot of things I won't miss though....
Working in an office on the 5th storey walk-up of an old, non air conditioned building
The 6-stop metro journey that seems to take forever - and is stinky - (Of course, they just put new metro trains in this week...)
Being in the red-light district - or as I am apt to say 'Near the boobie bars' (Strangely where The Plaza Hotel and chi chi shops like Hugo Boss are located too...)
The throngs of Gypsies, vagrants and huge gangs of North African youths who troll the shopping district clogging doorways and escalators
Pickpockets in the subway at De Broukere
The grime, cigarette butts and gum on the office doorstep
The long and crazy lines at Inno, Exki and a hundred other shops where the staff goes on break at the busiest times of day
The misconception that this area is up-and-coming.....I agree, it's always changing. But it seems to be regurgitating rather than improving.
If I didn't work on this block, I likely wouldn't ever come down this street. I would stay nearer to the charming Grand Place and the cool restaurants and bars near Place St. Gilles or Place St. Catherine. I certainly don't need to visit all the sex shops near my office and if I did, I would have a hard time deciding which one to go to!! I would never intentionally come down here for shopping. The weekends must be insane with bargain shoppers with multiple baby prams and extended families in tow. The grocery stores are perfect for the urban dwellers - No value packs, short on variety, short on freshness. (Save for the Asian supermarket which is splendid).
Luckily I travel for work quite a bit. Because the daily trudge down here gets pretty glum after a while. A lot of the buildings are impossibly black from soot. Desperate construction is going on every 10th building in an effort to transform this block into a hip area. (Yes, it's a kick ass apartment, but there's still a night shop and an all-nude dance club next door!) In the winter, it's a bit creepy to leave the office late since it's so dark so early. Strange people hovering close to the front door of the office. No one watching the street.
Now, I will be closer to home - as the crow flies. I live in Woluwe and it's just a few blocks to the exit leading to the airport. The new office is located on a slip road across from the dual carriageway that NATO is on. Wind down the slip road, past business hotels and nondescript office parks until you get to our new offices. Should be OK though - I will have a door on my office - (which I don't have now - but then again, I have the whole floor and no one ever comes up to my floor - too far up!!).
So, we will give up lively and crazy and dirty outside our office door for the tranquility of outer-city planned space. Plain little walkways, trees, bushes, grass, car park. Road. I will resort to bringing my lunch to the office (did I just say that???) Carrefour and Ikea and lots of other shops that offer good selection, clean vibrant aisles and freshy fresh fruit and produce are on the way home though!
Here's to the office move! - Downtown is for weekends anyway :-))
posted by Brussels Confidential @ 1:44 PM
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