A week after apartment search day 1...

...I have keys in my hand. 4 of the 7 keys (the rest go to my roommate, Renee) unlock the many doors of my new NYC apartment. I'm presuming that the more keys you have, the more expensive rent is...just a hunch. I started out with 3 roommates, a map of specifically where I wanted to live, and a list of brokers. 20 or so apartment views later, I ended up with 2 roommates, a totally different area, a lot less money and sore muscles from walking and sleeping on the floor. I found a great apartment after the 1st day. I started the application process and the next day met one of my roommates, Patrick. I showed him the place and he really liked it, too [read previous post]. After a couple days of trying to lasso all my roommate's info together for the application (this was a lot of info), I thought we'd be signing the lease any day. Then I got not a call, but a series of text messages from Patrick saying "he'd have to find another place." There was no real explanation and I was shocked and stranded--still trying to figure everything out here by myself. It had already been exhausting trying to find the right place, and now half way through the process, I was minus one. I told him to call me and we'd talk it through and try to work it out, even if it was a problem with his guarantor submitting information. Instead, I got a text saying "I'm out." I had to start all over from the beginning unless I could salvage the deal and find a 3rd roommate fast. I advertised the room to all City Year corps members, but most didn't want to pay the almost $700 a month per person. My next plan was to look for a 2 bedroom apartment. I viewed several 2 bedrooms with not too much luck. Everything seemed overpriced for an uncomfortable looking apartment, although I did get to practice Spanish a bit with the Super (the guy showing me apartments knew none, oddly enough). Mom had found a sublet for a year from one lady in a different area, and so I decided to look at that. The set up looked really good and the price (considering NYC) seemed fair. Not without bumps (I could go on further but I'll spare you), I sealed the deal, leaving my sweaty palms with the keys. I get to move in tomorrow and Mom, Pete and Miss Rube are coming Sunday with the rest of my belongings. Everything is still not completely settled with the broker. There are a lot of conniving people who try to get your money in every fashion possible. My unexperienced 22 year old self has been trying to do the best she can, but my mom is the super-heroine if there ever was one. She deserves an award for threatening to "even call the mayor of NYC." We'll just leave it at that. She's good at standing up for herself, me and others. I, on the other hand, seem better at standing up for others when I'm not the one in the range of fire. Guess she had to learn young as the only girl with 5 brothers. Hopefully, I can learn from her and this whole experience.
Not every minute of my time here has been work and tears. I've had some fun times, too. I met several people at the hostel who I wish lived in NYC. They are really great people, interesting and very friendly, but they're all off to their respective lands. I invite them all back to the Big Apple any time. We did a pub crawl one night, followed by two nights of clubbing at a couple of the biggest and best clubs I have ever been to--Webster Hall and Pacha.
Everyone is alive and awake here at 3:30am. Walking with my Australian friend, Hamish, we noticed how fresh and excited everyone looked. There aren't too many blubbering drunks around who are yelling and screaming just for the fun of it (which can be seen in St. Louis outside the corner bars every weekend night). He told me, he too, was surprised people weren't looking "dodgy" at this hour and I laughed and said "dodgy?" Well yeah...he said, "like sketchy or in this case drunk." We went on to discuss if you could shorten dodgy to dodge like you can shorten sketchy to sketch. The conclusion was no. Nothing like late night conversations about foreign language/colloquialisms and customs during a long walk to find the subway. Did you know you can get food here around the clock? How convenient. To all my UNCG readers, remember all those times we got hungry at 10:30pm and everything was closed save the Jimmy John's? You can only eat so many cold sandwiches.
Something that I miss here is a "local" coffee shop. Maybe I was overwhelmed by the abundance of them while visiting Portland or maybe I don't know NYC, yet in terms of joe. While I'm not the biggest coffee drinker, I like it once and a while along with chai tea lattes and pastries. Plus, they are great places just to relax. Starbucks is on every block and sometimes there are 2 right across from each other. While coffee is good there, you just don't have a cozy atmosphere like your neighborhood cuppajoe go-to and prices are ridiculous. Likewise, people don't know your name, finding a seat is either impossible or uncomfortable and I can't find any free wi-fi! (side note: I did see Kelsey Grammar of Frasier in one near Rockefeller Center while taking a bathroom break. We were within arms distance and we both looked each other in the eyes and I smiled. (P.S Starbucks is great for cheap toilets!) If someone can tell me the name of a coffee shop that fits my "local" description please pass the word along because I have a feeling that once winter time comes, I'm going to need something hot that doesn't come in "tall", "grande" and "venti" for $5.

Until next time,
.S.

Day 3

Day 3. One of these days, it's not going to be so easy to count how many days I've been here. I've come to the conclusion that I'm pretty lucky to have this experience of living here. I've always wanted to but never thought how it could be possible. I'm starting to feel more accustomed to the city. The trains are getting easier to understand, the layout of streets are becoming more second nature (at least of the upper west side where I've been spending most of my time) and I don't have to walk around all the time with a map in my hands.

Yesterday was an exhausting day of looking for apartments ending with rain, tired feet and one place that I want. I met with 2 brokers, going back and forth from downtown/chelsea back to the Upper West Side 140s. Originally, I wanted to live in Morningside Heights (around 125th, but apartments down there are even more expensive and smaller). The place I like is on Convent in between 142nd and 143rd. Technically, it's called Hamilton Heights and it's in between Morningside and Washington Heights. The street is quiet, tree lined and the apartment has 2 bathrooms, an elevator, and new appliances. A couple blocks away are the bustling streets, Amsterdam Ave and Broadway, which supply various fruit and vegetable markets, flower shops, bars and restaurants and businesses run by hispanics. (I will get a chance to practice my Spanish!). Despite the hefty price and fees, everything comes down to the max price we originally wanted to pay. All we need now is for the landlord/company to accept our application. It's a very long and involved process. I hope everything goes smoothly from here on out with the apartment. I really really don't want to do this again.

Today, I met one of my roommates. He went to the broker with me in the morning and then I showed him the place and the area. He approved. I knew I had good taste. I'll be glad when everything is settled and I've got the keys in my hand.
After we looked at the place, we went our separate ways and I got off on 103rd and Broadway to get a bite to eat. I don't know what is recommended or what the locals like, but I decided to go for a big slice of pizza at this place called Hot and Toasty bakery and cafe. It was delicious. Maybe I was just really hungry--but the fresh tomato and basil pizza washed down with a orange n' cream soda really hit the spot.

I'm going to relax a little while and then tonight I'm going out with some people in the hostel to a hip club called Webster Hall East 11th Street. We get a $1 cover, although the drinks are supposed to be expensive. Whatever. I just like dancing. I don't need a 13$ drink to make me happy. I also had the opportunity to go to a Quincinera 80s theme party of a friend who is in City Year with me. How often do I have 2 options in one night--let alone any?! Rhetorical question.

That's all for now from the City that never sleeps (which has been myself for the past week).
-S-

New York City Girl--It's Official

Okay...so I've only been in NYC for a couple hours and only in my hostel for a half hour, but I already feel the need to shout out my happiness of being here. I took the M60 bus from LaGuardia for $2.25 and got a brief taste of the city through the streets of Astoria Queens, Harlem and the Upper West Side. Crazy drivers, taxis, and people everywhere, vendors selling ice cream and shaved ice in little dixie cups and cut up mangos on every corner to quench the thirst of New Yorkers on a 79 degree day. So many people everywhere and the noise of the city are music to my ears and art to my eyes.
I was trying to walk East to my hostel and had no idea which way East was and a friendly New Yorker--yes. FRIENDLY. helped me out and pointed the direction without me even asking. I guess the suitcase, sleeping bag on my back, laptop case on one shoulder clued him in to the fact that I was an out of towner. Hopefully not for long. I plan to know the subway system and streets like the back of my hand soon.

I'm sitting in my hostel--"Jazz on the Park" (right on the edge of Central Park), listening to an eclectic mix of Euro-pop in their cafe area with free wi-fi. Tonight I meet with my friend, Stephanie, who is in City Year with me. We've only communicated via email and texts, so we are both excited to be finally meeting each other. After I check in here at 3, I think I'll take a walk around and explore.

Until my next post,
Stella