week #34

Why, hello blog. Sorry I've taken such a hiatus. Many apologies for my lack of new things of late. But I was just in NYC yesterday and today searching for an apartment (umm, new thing), so I have many new things to tell of. In fact, this post may get too wordy and philosophical. I just re-read Eat, Pray, Love, so I'm pretty sure that's the cause of anything that gets too deep.

Anyway, yesterday, I woke up at 4 a.m. -- an ungodly hour for anyone for sure, but especially for someone who works the night shift and didn't hit the hay until well after midnight. So I arrive in New York mid morning, with a list of apartments to see and a second tier list of people to call to set up appointments for later if the #1s don't pan out. How much detail do you want here? I'll go into my depressing day… but if you want the gist, just skip down 4 paragraphs.

The first two places were in Morningside/Harlem. This is not an area I'm too familiar with, but according to the ad, it's just steps away from Columbia University. Columbia was gorgeous. I walked around the campus for a while, and man, I could picture myself living there for sure. When I finally got to the business of heading over to the apartments, my heart slowly sank. "Steps from Columbia" actually meant about 10 blocks and 4 streets in the wrong direction. The apartment wasn't a total dump, but I just couldn't stomach spending $1200 a month, to live in a shack in a sketchy neighborhood. I wasn't too worried though, because, this was only my first stop, I had others lined up.

Well, #3 was a closet. I know, I know, it's New York City, ALL apartments are a closet. But, no, this place literally was a closet. I don't think I could have fit my queen size bed and had room for anything else, including clothes. Three strike outs off the bat and I was starting to get nervous. Then when I got to #4, it seemed to have already been rented "just that morning."

It was now time to start calling my B-list. After that though, I got a number of "Apartment's gone" -- clicks, and also left a few voice mails for people. I set up two more appointments out in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, which can be dodgy I know, but was hoping these places would be in good areas, but no such luck. I actually skipped the appointments I had set up with the owners, because there was no way I was living in that area. So I headed back to my hotel room to regroup, recheck craigslist, and break down and finally call a broker or two. I found that the favorite tactic of the broker is to post an apartment for $1250, but upon calling, tell you "sorry, that apartment is gone, but I have one for $1400 in that neighborhood."

I was thoroughly defeated at this point. I mean, really, really questioning whether New York wanted me. I knew this was going to be hard, but I didn't think it would be as soul crushing as this. A friend of mine from Cleveland was helping me search the web for places to try, and sent me a link to an ad for a roommate. A call, text, and visit later that night, and TADA -- I have a place to live in Hoboken, N.J. for at least the next 4 months. What a sense of relief. (Roommate also equals new thing (discounting college of course.))

So I got a place to live. Hoboken is pretty cool. The roommate seems pretty great (she texted me this morning and called me "roomie"). And my mojo was coming back. I AM going to kick this city's ass, thank you very much. So, since I was officially going to become a resident, I thought I'd use my last chance as a tourist to take one of those double decker bus tours (also new). It was fun, interesting, relaxing, and a great way to see the city and get a tan -- or in my case, a sunburn. I went to Times Square. I did some shopping at Century 21 (new). I had some really fantastic sushi near Wall Street. I visited ground zero for the first time ever, which was pretty awe inspiring.

*moment of silence*

Then, when my feet were aching and I couldn't stand acting like a tourist anymore, I hopped a subway train and a bus (I am so proud of my bus-taking abilities) back to LGA. And now, I'm writing this on the plane back to Cleveland. I'm just drafting this up, to be posted when I get back to my apartment, because typing on your computer on the plane makes you look big and important. I'm doing work here people, not reading some smut novel like the rest of you schmucks. Oh, time to power down, we're coming in for a landing. Hopefully I'll be back to regular blogging from here on out. I actually think I might end up doing more than regular blogging, because there is so much to do in New York. I can't wait to get there. I can't wait to do anything and everything!