NYC or Bust!

One of the hardest things about deciding what to do in NYC, is not actually finding something to do, it is choosing what to do. The amount of things that are going on in the city on any given day can be a bit overwhelming. There are times when I have not been able to decide and have actually settled for a pizza and movie at home only out of pure frustration. Throughout the summer there are outdoor movies, concerts, art shows, street fairs, plays, dance performances, and much more. I have compiled a list of websites that are a good place to start, though definitely not an exhaustive list, of places to look. Most of the websites I have included offer mainly free activities (no admission) as most of us who are new to NYC probably do not have a lot of money to spend on entertainment (plus why should you if you don’t have to?)

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So the renewal lease for our apartment came in the mail the other day. While there are many upsides to our apartment, there are also downsides.

Location wise, we are in a decent area. While our immediate neighborhood is pretty quiet and doesn’t not have a whole lot going on, we are close to a lot. Being in Western Queens give us easy access to Manhattan and we are within 10 - 15 blocks of everything we need. Our place is less than a block from the subway — it doesn’t get much better than that.

We like our building. All of the people who live there (at least those we have met) are friendly. For the most part it is quiet at night so we can actually sleep. Well, except for the lady who live above us who rearranges her furniture at least 3 nights a week at like 1 am.

On the downside our place in tiny. We really had to adjust from living in our seemingly huge apartment in Milwaukee, to something the size of a closet. I never thought I would be sleeping in a lofted bed and have to use a step ladder to go to bed when I was this age. I guess that is the price you pay to live in NYC.

Overall we have decided to stay where we are for another year. We really do not have the time or the patience to go out and look for a new place and then have to deal with the whole broker, broker fee, security deposit, first months rent thing again. Not to mention having to figure out the logistics of moving all of our stuff when we do not have a vehicle…

At this point I am just hoping a bigger apartment in our building opens up sometime soon. It would be so nice to actually have a bedroom, kitchen and a living room again instead of a bedlivkitroom!

So there is one thing that I have definitely still not gotten used to about NYC, time goes FAST! We have been here for over 10 months and I can hardly believe it. Since I haven’t posted in a while I guess I will give a basic update.

Maz and I have both found jobs. He, lucky for him, found his right away. In November and December I worked for a coat checking company checking coats at fancy hotels for a bunch of holiday parties. Not exactly the most thrilling job (and I had to wear a vest and bow tie) but at least the pay decent. Finally in February I got a job with a non-profit doing research and program evaluation. This has taken up most of my time, especially since I get to travel about one a month. So far I have gotten to go to Providence, RI, Washington DC, and Boston. In the upcoming months I think I am going to Dallas, Denver, and somewhere in North Carolina. The traveling is one of the upsides of the job. The downside is that most of the time I have to work from home. A lot of people have said that I am lucky to be able to work from home, but I personally would prefer to actually go to work… not just roll out of bed and be at work. Especially since our apartment is the size of a closet. Either way I am glad that I found a job.

Besides working, Maz and I have been spending most of our time exploring the city. Often we just pick a neighborhood and walk. It is incredible to live in a city where you can do this! There is always something different to see and something going on. So far we have wandered many Manhattan neighborhoods, some in Brooklyn, and some in Queens. Anybody know of any good places in Brooklyn and Queens to just wander for a day or evening?

Maz and I have gotten quite a few questions lately and I thought I would answer them all in a post for everyone to see rather than e-mail responses to individuals… (more…)

After we found our apartment in NYC we went back to Wisconsin and had about 3 weeks to pack and get back to New York. Unfortunately, neither Maz nor I were very proactive on this part. I realize moving is never easy, but PLAN AHEAD. We had already gotten rid of a lot of our stuff, but we still had a lot left to pack and take or get ready to store and still had to get it to NYC. (more…)