NEW YORK CITY BABY!!!!
So, here I am. New York City!!! This is going to be a long one my friends, so get comfortable.
Lets see.....where to start? The trip into the city was more or less uneventful. Then, there was the move into my apartmet. Or maybe I should say....my closet. Seriously, I've stayed in hotel rooms that were bigger. Ok, so, I'm in my NYC studio apartment located on Christopher Street in Greenwich village. Now, for my Chicago friends, think of Christopher Street as the NY version of Boys Town. For the rest of you....well, you get the idea.
Ok, so, my apt is SMALL, I can live with that. It's also filthy (the apt broker told me that it was clean and ready for me to move in. I guess the NYC version of clean includes dust bunnies the size of actual bunnies, and mini blinds that are grey instead of white. ew.) Anyhow, I can live with both of these. I can even live with seeing the guys that look more like a girl than I do! But, what I can't and won't live with is a neighborhood where there is prostitution and drugs. Seriously!! The park that was about 2 blocks away on the river is where all the gay (seriously!) gangsta wanna-be's would gather from the Bronx, Brooklyn, etc. When the park closes, they wander up Christopher street with nothing better to do than be little hoodlums. Three (count 'em three!) police officers (NY's finest!!) are telling us that I should not be walking down the street alone after dark. That this neighborhood is having some real problems. Specifically, the aforementioned gangsta wanna-be's who don't have anything better to do than cause problems. So, I get on the phone to my company. It's Sunday, so I know nothing can be done right then, but, I wanted to be at the top of the priority list. On Monday, I finally call my recruiter, who knows NOTHING about my housing issues. Seriously, they didn't pass ANY of it along. Ok, so I go through the whole spiel again. She promises to look into it. The apt broker, who apparently is a moron, says to my recruiter "well, this is New York. No one should walk alone after dark". What an idiot. I am as single as single can get. Who in the world am I supposed to walk with after dark?!?!?!? I'm not living here. Find me a new place to live. Now.
Of course, they are telling me it will take 1 or 2 weeks. Well, absolutely NOT!!! I'm not living in this place one day longer than I have to. Because we all know what's going to happen. Two weeks later, I'll get a phone call that housing is still "working on it". Hooey. I finally threaten to break my contract (a first for me, let me tell ya), and go home. They finally agree to place me on a temporary stipend, and I can find temporary lodging until they can find me another apt. Now, where does one find temporary housing in NYC for $83/day?
Enter into the story my friend from Chicago, Dan. Dan just moved back to the east coast, and is currently crashing at his parents residence in New Jersey. His parents have an apt "in the city". With my housing drama came an offer of staying in this apt until my company came through. Woo-Hoo! Hooray for Dan's parents!!! So, here I am at Club Meltz. In New York City. I still can't belive I'm living here. It blows me away. I'm even starting to figure out the subway system. Although, everytime I head Uptown, I get the Billy Joel song "Uptown Girl" stuck in my head. Twisted, I know.
I also had my first brush with a celebrity: Will Smith is filming here. I've got him on video, AND I got his autograph. This city is so cool.
More later, with pictures.
Jules
Lets see.....where to start? The trip into the city was more or less uneventful. Then, there was the move into my apartmet. Or maybe I should say....my closet. Seriously, I've stayed in hotel rooms that were bigger. Ok, so, I'm in my NYC studio apartment located on Christopher Street in Greenwich village. Now, for my Chicago friends, think of Christopher Street as the NY version of Boys Town. For the rest of you....well, you get the idea.
Ok, so, my apt is SMALL, I can live with that. It's also filthy (the apt broker told me that it was clean and ready for me to move in. I guess the NYC version of clean includes dust bunnies the size of actual bunnies, and mini blinds that are grey instead of white. ew.) Anyhow, I can live with both of these. I can even live with seeing the guys that look more like a girl than I do! But, what I can't and won't live with is a neighborhood where there is prostitution and drugs. Seriously!! The park that was about 2 blocks away on the river is where all the gay (seriously!) gangsta wanna-be's would gather from the Bronx, Brooklyn, etc. When the park closes, they wander up Christopher street with nothing better to do than be little hoodlums. Three (count 'em three!) police officers (NY's finest!!) are telling us that I should not be walking down the street alone after dark. That this neighborhood is having some real problems. Specifically, the aforementioned gangsta wanna-be's who don't have anything better to do than cause problems. So, I get on the phone to my company. It's Sunday, so I know nothing can be done right then, but, I wanted to be at the top of the priority list. On Monday, I finally call my recruiter, who knows NOTHING about my housing issues. Seriously, they didn't pass ANY of it along. Ok, so I go through the whole spiel again. She promises to look into it. The apt broker, who apparently is a moron, says to my recruiter "well, this is New York. No one should walk alone after dark". What an idiot. I am as single as single can get. Who in the world am I supposed to walk with after dark?!?!?!? I'm not living here. Find me a new place to live. Now.
Of course, they are telling me it will take 1 or 2 weeks. Well, absolutely NOT!!! I'm not living in this place one day longer than I have to. Because we all know what's going to happen. Two weeks later, I'll get a phone call that housing is still "working on it". Hooey. I finally threaten to break my contract (a first for me, let me tell ya), and go home. They finally agree to place me on a temporary stipend, and I can find temporary lodging until they can find me another apt. Now, where does one find temporary housing in NYC for $83/day?
Enter into the story my friend from Chicago, Dan. Dan just moved back to the east coast, and is currently crashing at his parents residence in New Jersey. His parents have an apt "in the city". With my housing drama came an offer of staying in this apt until my company came through. Woo-Hoo! Hooray for Dan's parents!!! So, here I am at Club Meltz. In New York City. I still can't belive I'm living here. It blows me away. I'm even starting to figure out the subway system. Although, everytime I head Uptown, I get the Billy Joel song "Uptown Girl" stuck in my head. Twisted, I know.
I also had my first brush with a celebrity: Will Smith is filming here. I've got him on video, AND I got his autograph. This city is so cool.
More later, with pictures.
Jules
posted by Julie at 1:25 PM
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