Back to the beginning: Moving to NYC for 1 month.

So, as I've written before, Jeff and I met in NYC, lived in NYC, and then subsequently moved out of NYC a couple years ago.  We still live very close by as the train is a 10 minute walk or 3 minute bike ride from our home and the train itself only takes 35 minutes to get there.  Nonetheless, I still crave living there just a little bit. To not have to race for a train after happy hour or work is a beautiful thing.  This is why Jeff and I have decided to make the move back to NYC...for the month of October. 

In the past, living in Manhattan was AMAZING and TERRIBLE.  Period.  

It was amazing because of the vibe, the inspiration, the lower east side, the east village, the restaurants, the bars, the FOOD, the street noise, the people, the subway, and the never-ending list of things to do.  I loved just being there.  Walking down Orchard Street or sitting, perched on a bench on Avenue A with a bagel and cream cheese, people-watching.

However, things were not 100 percent rosy 100 percent of the time.  The apartment aspect was tough.  Whether you spend 1000 or 3000 a month, it's always pretty trying.  My first apartment was only 950/monthly and a dream come true for a recent college grad. I could live in Hells Kitchen, close to my work for under 1k a month? I'll take it! So I did...BUT, it was also an illegal sublet which basically meant that I had to hide from the landlady who lived in the building housing only 10 apartments for 4 months. Not fun. Also, I'm pretty sure the place was haunted. Oh, and it was above the subway, with my only windows positioned at a bus stop.  Buses run 24 hours a day. I did not sleep for 4 months.  

My second apartment was the best one.  It was a 3 bedroom in a hi-rise with a doorman and a roof deck.  I had 2 roommates and Jeff was actually one of them for a few months.  The only downside at all was the sharing a TV/living room/kitchen/fridge/bathroom/everything fairly between 3 people.  Not stepping on anyone's toes was like an olympic event in that place.  Also, I apparently did not take any pictures of this place in the 1.5 years that I lived here. Annoying!

Whoa. Bad hair day.

What a slob! But please note: this was a huge bedroom for me at the time.

My third apartment (just over 2k) should have been great since it was mine and Jeff's first home together.  And it was in the lower east side, an awesome neighborhood.  It really would have been great other than our drug-addicted, abusive next door neighbors who screamed and made up ALL day, every day.  I seriously don't think they even worked.  They also chain smoked cigarettes which would have been fine, if it didn't billow through our intercom into our apartment. Nasty. Ultimately, that did not even break us.  What did, was the no dog policy.  We wanted a dog!

Also considered "big" in NYC.

Our mini office. With a window looking onto a brick wall.

A very New York Christmas

Couch was replaced by bar stools shortly after this photo was taken.

The hallway that separated us from our wacky neighbors.

That brings me to our 4th (dog-friendly!) apartment.  This place was so darn spacious.  Something we had never dreamed we'd have. Right in the east village, with a view.  Not an easy thing to acquire in that part of town since there aren't many tall buildings.  But of course, it wasn't all peachy.  There was a problem. A HUGE one.  The apartment. was infested. with mice.  Nothing could stop them from coming in and honestly, it drove me mad.  It was awful, petrifying and disgusting.  They drove Remy insane, as well, and they made me want to throw up on the regular.  We didn't even make it to the end of that lease.  We needed to get OUT.  

Our last place was supposed to solve all of our problems. It had a HUGE outdoor deck, so that we could feel free and not boxed up.  It had an upstairs office, separated from our downstairs mini kitchen, mini living room, mini bedroom and bath.  It was also on the 5th floor of a walk-up building.  Hellooo exercise!  This place was clean, renovated and actually pretty awesome.  The only real setback was that we were too darn big for it.  Remy had no place to run or play and the freedom deck was not as amazing as we'd hoped.  It faced inwards and kinda felt like a jail.  Oh, and I could hear my neighbors burp. Thanks, paper-thin-walls. 

I do think that if we'd never gotten Remy (our lives would be awful) we would probably still be in the city.  There are TONS of normal not-pet -friendly apartments that would have worked for us.  But I'm glad we didn't live that life.  Remy is our everything and our house and town that we live in now is unreal, amazing. Ultimately, I'm thankful that things went the way they did but I still can't wait for our month back in time.  Back to when we lived in a tiny space. In a walk-up building. Surrounded by restaurants and a bajillion people.  This one month trip is going to be so amazing and I can't wait!

xoxo
L