May 18, 2006

Rooms


I've been biting my tongue to keep from bragging about an apartment we had not yet secured, but alas, I think I can finally spill about it now (we're supposed to receive the leasing paperwork and subsequently will be heading to the bank to purchase 2 giant cashiers checks or money orders to overnight back to the management company!) In other words, We found an apartment! It's amazing how breezy it was, considering we were first teetering on the slippery slope of paying a monstrous broker fee, and then, by extreme smooth operation we managed to locate a company who does let brokers show their properties, yet if you see a property of theirs without a broker, consider yourself lucky and amazingly successful and you've saved yourself roughly 4-5 thousand dollars (the near-necessity for a broker applies primarily to out-of-towners moving in; I imagine a New Yorker moving within the city might have better opportunity to find something broker fee-free). There are hitches, for example, there is no telling how much our already-overpriced rent could increase within the next year. Much of our furniture does not anticipate finding its way to New York City, because of the simple fact of limited space. Our kitchen lacks a dishwasher and its cabinets are scanty. The stove is not full size, but this is to be expected, according to my experienced friend LC (the Richmond LC) and her boyfriend, who lived in the Upper East Side for a while themselves. The living room may be the highlight, and if our bulky television fits on one wall, if our futon can be placed strategically to leave room for our round dining table, we may just be alright. The second bedroom is actually a glorified closet. We will likely position the desk in this room, but possibly nothing more. Craig believes a dresser and perhaps our love seat could also be tucked in this room, but I'm going to guess that the size of the room is no more than 8x8, which, frankly, isn't all that roomy. Other positives include exposed brick and hardwood floors, and ample overhead storage (which Craig and I have already discussed must remain tidy, unlike some of the occupied units we viewed on our tour, which showcased tacky marked up boxes shoved haphazardly above, and miscellaneous shoved atop and between the boxes: a really unsightly way to visibly store items that cannot be hidden from plain view). I am slightly disappointed to learn that our location is between 1st and 2nd versus 2nd and 3rd, as I'd previously remembered it to be, but overall we didn't do too badly in the least. A rather unsettling thought occurred to me last night, which is that our piece of corner furniture on which our spare television sits may not fit into our bedroom anywhere (one entire wall is all accordian closet, which definitely puts a damper on the room's arrangement possibilities). Nevermind whether I came to any conclusions or not, the corner piece is coming with us anyway (it was a gift from my parents when I moved to St. Louis several years ago and it doubles as a messy book collection accent, meaning, I house piles of meticulously-disheveled books on its shelving with lack of better places to put all those books, and the appearance of the purposeful unorganization has grown on me). Other notable characteristics of our new apartment include its 2nd floor location, versus the string of 5th floor units we toured (sans elevators in any of the buildings), the fact that we do not face the street, which may alleviate a few decibels of city noise, and I suppose the very best feature of our apartment might just be...that it's New York City! I feel so blessed to have this opportunity. I've indicated this before in so many words, but there is no way I'd want to experience this with anyone in the world other than Craig. He's been so supportive, endlessly kind to me. And when we were in New York together, hunting for a home, eyeing rooms and imagining our belongings filling new spaces, it felt so completely natural. It felt right. Being there feels as good as I felt in St. Louis: like being home, a constant flow of everydayness all around that is soothing while we attempt to make the most of everyday moments. Of course, several obstacles remain. But the closer we get, the higher my spirit lifts. I can't wait!*I also want to take this opportunity, in words that would not ever be enough to do these women justice, to thank my wonderful book club friends HH, GR and LC. We met Tuesday to discuss H's selection, A Lady, First (autobiography of Letitia Baldrige, who acted as Jackie Kennedy's social secretary, among other incredible positions in her yet ongoing professional career). Those women have taught me just how relevant reading is to our lives, and furthermore, how completely important it is to have smart women in your circle with which to discuss books. They've also shown me, in hundreds of more ways than one, how to be a friend and how to have a friend: the value of appreciation, the quality of esteem. I loved knowing these women and I can only hope that our communication, following the move, does not weaken or lose its vivacity or velocity. GR and I already promised to be pen-pals, like the old days, two women penning letters of exciting adventure to one another. I will duly stay in good touch with H and L. And they're permitting me to remain an honorary member of book club from afar! -our next read is Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro (I am so excited to read this book!) Here, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you women eternally for your friendships. I will carry them with me always. Love, KB.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS!!
XOXO
G

12:12 PM  

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