Max and I have lived in the city for four months now, so I thought I would share an update on our journey. We moved into our apartment in the heat of the summer but on a day when it downpoured. Luckily we had hired professional movers this time around, for it would have been a nightmare if the two of us had to not only drive a U-Haul into the city, but also find parking, and then unload a one-bedroom-worth of furniture and boxes. Hiring movers is not inexpensive, but it was one of the best joint decisions we made for our new life. Our movers were gracious, patient, and clearly experienced for they came prepared with not only one, but three changes of clothes ready. They started loading up the truck at 9am in New Haven and finished unloading everything into our New York City apartment by 6pm. To thank them, in addition to a generous tip, we gifted one of the movers our nearly brand-new window AC unit which we did not need anymore and another mover a printer/scanner/copier unit, along with a portable car battery charger (a lifesaver for idle cars after a long vacation). We said goodbye to our movers and hello our new life in the “city that never sleeps.”
Welcome to our cozy abode! It took some time to make this space our own. Some four months later, we still haven’t finished hanging up paintings or found a home for our many wardrobe moving boxes! These concrete walls are really stubborn for drilling holes with a manual screwdriver and I find it a shame to recycle/throw away perfectly reusable moving supplies!. As you can tell, I love IKEA and there is no shame in this! Sure, I’d love to own all my furniture from West Elm (we splurged on this Axel Sofa and we don’t regret the $$$ we invested! It was a true “adult” move for us and we are still proud of this!), but this is not really practical when you are living on a department stipend (and when your fiancé is on a fellowship training salary). We kept all but our old futon (it was time to move on from college years!) to the city, and I spent some time designing the layout of the space prior to the physical move. I think it has made a difference in terms of transforming the space into a more mature one. What do you think? Full disclosure: this photo was taken on a well-lit day before we had guests over, so I had just cleaned!
It’s funny, but I remember that I could barely sleep that night. I would randomly catch myself smiling from ear to ear from the thought of having the opportunity to live in Manhattan for at least the next three years. To some extent, it was a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to live in a big city--the thought of exploring places by foot and never running out of things to do and see excited me tremendously. As an avid wanderer, I could not wait to get lost exploring the cobblestone streets in SoHo, sit for hours in the disheveled-factory-turned-hipster coffee houses in Brooklyn, and walk across the many picturesque bridges in Central Park. I am still slowly making my way through the city and its boroughs, not wanting to leave any stone unturned. I’ve barely scratched the surface of New York City (you can follow along my journey on Instagram), but I have a few years left to continue to discover new experiences and uncover hidden gems.
There are many aspects of New York City that I love, but for whatever reason, the touristy sites never attracted me. Of course, I’m not yet at the point in which I would consider myself a resident, but there is proof that Max and I have reached non-tourist status: on several occasions already, we have been approached by actual tourists and/or non-residents who wanted directions. In my opinion, that is one of the biggest compliments you can receive as a new resident. Since that first compliment, I’ve been doing my homework, ensuring that I know my Metro system cold in case I get asked more advanced directions. Hey, I have a reputation to uphold!
In this post, I will be sharing some of my first impressions of the city. To keep things simple, here are 10 items, presented in no particular order:
1. Apartment costs are higher. That is no surprise by any means. In getting ready to move, Max and I vaccinated ourselves, so to speak, against the extra expenses we would have to endure for our Manhattan zip code. To our pleasant surprise, however, our apartment rent was partially subsidized by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Max’s employer. That saved us about $1000 each month, which is a big deal for us. Another pleasant surprise was that our water/sewer expenses would also be covered. A final bonus has been that our neighbors love to blast the AC in the summer and the heater on colder days, so we rarely needed to adjust our thermostat. In the end, expenses have been more manageable than we had originally thought.
2. City living has some nice perks too. We live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in a doorman building, which is common in New York City, but not a living arrangement that either of us had experience with. That means, there is always a kind gentleman there to open the door and greet us as leave for the day, and to welcome us back when we return to the apartment. It is incredibly nice. We have several doormen, actually, each running a different shift. I have my personal favorite but I’ll keep that to myself (not that any of them know about me and my blog). The doormen also help with sorting through packages and delivering them, notify us of visitors (who have to sign in), and unlock doors when we lock ourselves out (correction: when I lock myself out by accident). Our building has an elevator since there are 19 floors. This is a true luxury in the city, I have learned. I rarely use the elevator, but it is nice to have it for those lazy days, or grocery days. We have two main elevators, along with a service elevator, which our movers used so as to not interfere with traffic. There is also a small fitness room, but to be honest, Max and I have never used it and we probably won’t either. Who are we kidding? The washer and dryer on every floor is a really nice treat. My favorite part is that the machines are card-operated, not coin-operated, so I no longer have to hog quarters the way I did back in college. I paid for a laundry card and can always refill it downstairs at this machine. It is a lifesaver, truly.
3. Public transportation is hit or miss. On most days, I love the public transportation system in New York City. I have an unlimited 30-day pass that I refill every month for $121, which allows me access to all the subway trains, local buses, select bus services (SBS bus), and the F line tram. If time is not a concern, the whole city is available to me without the need for a car. As a former commuter (I drove approximately two hours each day when I taught in Connecticut), I do not miss driving, getting gas every 4.5 days, parallel parking in New Haven, or paying for car maintenance. On some days, I realize having a car is quite nice. Those days are when I’m carrying loads of grocery bags and walking for 13 mins to get back to the apartment, when I want to buy a unique furniture piece at a Housing Works thrift store, and when I want to escape the city for a short while. Yes, there are Uber, Lyft, Via (this is new to me!), ZipCars, and other rental companies, but the costs add up, and being on a student budget, spending extra money for luxury is not on my agenda. It takes me approximately 40 minutes on a good day to get to Teachers College. On a bad day, it takes over an hour, and sometimes I end up walking when the buses are late or the subway trains are stuck downtown. That can be frustrating because it is time lost that I could spend getting work done. There is supposed to be WiFi on subways and buses, but I haven’t found that to be the case. It is very hit or miss.
4. Coffee houses are fantastic but often very crowded. If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know that I love my coffee houses. I like to discover new ones across the city, and when I find one I love, I return often, especially when a loyalty card is involved. When I’m at a coffee house, I spend hours there, reading, writing, thinking, and people-watching. I did more of the latter during my first weeks in the city because I had more time. Nowadays, I go to read and to work on papers. I have found that I am much happier and relaxed when I get work done in coffee houses rather than campus libraries. There is less intimidation off-campus, and I can get intimidated and overwhelmed easily so I do what I think is best for me. There are several chains of coffee houses that I love that I never had back in Connecticut: Birch Coffee, Think Coffee, Joe Coffee, and Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee. Starbucks is intentionally left out of this list because I do not found it unique of an experience. Finding a good coffee house takes work because a small cozy one might not have enough seats; this can be disappointing after a 40-minute trek. The ones with excellent coffee might not have WiFi, or there is internet but there are barely any power outlets, or the worst offender, there is everything except for a restroom. Really? That sends a strong signal. There is a coffee house in my neighborhood that has everything going for it, but part of me wants to keep it secret because I want my window seat! :) If you are curious, go to my Instagram page-- I’ve been there numerous times this week. You won’t miss it.
5. People watching is oh-so-fun. There is no better place to people-watch than in a metropol. There is every type of person imaginable and it can be an enriching experience observing people’s mannerism, listening to their exchanges, and even engaging in dialogue when they are open to it. Max avoids taking the buses when he can, but I love them. Some of the most interesting and kind-hearted people are those I find taking public transportation. They come from all walks of life and it is fascinating to watch when these lives intersect.
6. Dog-walker watching is another form of amusement. There is no shortage of dogs in the Upper East Side. I find this neighborhood to be one of the more residential. In the mornings and afternoon, you see school children walking to and from school, many of them taking public transportation as well. Between 11am and noon is when the dog-walkers are the most active. So far, I have only seen men taking on this job. They usually come in pairs and between the two of them are at least half a dozen dogs of different breeds. It is quite a spectacular sight, especially when they all cross the street. I am a big fan of dogs, but I cannot imagine picking up poop after every single one of them, even if I get paid. I guess I won’t be having kids for some time.
7. If you are a foodie, get ready to indulge, but be prepared with deep pockets. Nothing is cheap in this city, especially if you love to eat quality food. Even my usual medium vanilla chai from Dunkin Donuts is priced differently in the city ($3.59 in New York versus $2.19 in New Haven). There is no shortage of Italian restaurants and noodle shops, even in Upper East Side. My favorite local pizzeria is San Matteo, which serves the closest version of the thin crusted pizza margherita from Napoli, Italia that I will always remember. More Italian is spoken than English in this cozy establishment. Getting a table is tricky, but is worth the wait! As for truly delicious noodle soups and rice dishes in my neighborhood, I love Peng’s Noodle Folk. I would recommend dining in, but take-out is also very good if you eat promptly. The people working in this small eatery are the sweetest. Max and I are regulars and there is no reason why we won’t keep coming back. I love going there for the food, but I also return to support the nice people who run the place. Recently, we’ve been ordering takeout more often than I would like to admit. Over the summer, I would cook nearly every day of the week, but lately with my hectic school/work schedule, that has been impossible. I used to feel guilty but I don’t anymore. As I have figured out through keeping track of expenses, takeout can be just as cost-effective as buying fresh groceries. Like I said, food is not cheap in the city.
8. You need good walking shoes. And don’t wear your best shoes. I made this mistake during the first few days of living in the city. The streets here are some of the dirtiest I have experienced. I still remember the first few weeks of living here and how dirty I would feel after a day of walking around. Somehow, I don’t have this sensation anymore, which means I have acclimated, for better or worse. As an Upper East Sider, I have witnessed dozens of dogs clearing their bowels on the sidewalks. Yes, the sidewalks get hosed down every week or so by the building managements, but I have never seen them use soap. There is also trash everywhere, which I did not expect. It makes sense if you think about how densely populated this small strip of land is. Having said all this, I still love exploring the city on foot, but I always wear my most durable flat shoes, emphasis on flat. As an avid heels-wearer, I have quickly learned that my lifestyle (i.e., walking a lot) is not conducive to wearing heels. They are simply not practical for commuting, and with the unpredictable rain showers, they are not worth ruining. If you are wondering how fashion bloggers do it, well let me tell you that, from what I have witnessed, they wear their nice shoes only for the photos; what you don’t see are their commuting shoes.
9. There are wonderful free “concerts” and musical performances on the weekend in subway stations. It is Saturday evening as I am finishing up on this post and only an hour ago was I enjoying ruly phenomenal jazz improvisations by a couple duet at the Lexington Avenue/59th street station. There is something so magical about these lowkey performances that unite commuters from all walks of life. If you are into more lively performances and don’t mind a crowd, the Times Square station almost always promises these on weekend evenings.
10. There is likely a place for everyone in the city; you just need to put in the time to find it. Before moving here, I was worried about not being able to adjust to the city’s fast-paced rhythm. The words “New York City” would conjure up images of the flashing Times Square at night or the bustling Grand Central Terminal. While these are icons of the city, they provide a very narrow view of what Manhattan and its boroughs have to offer. When I moved here at the end of June, I promised myself that I would make every effort to make this foreign city my home. I was going to traverse the neighborhoods by foot and uncover hidden gems. I was going to seek out all the quiet corners where I can hide out and get lost in my thoughts. Some four months later, the city has not disappointed me. I have only skimmed the surface of the city but the places I have found so far have brought much joy to my life. It is a joy that I try to convey with my daily Instagram posts, which serve the purpose of reminding me of life’s many beautiful gifts.
Thank you for reading this, and for giving my voice a space where it can be heard.
Warm regards,
Catherine