In my year as a nomad, I have had many different living arrangements.
I started the year co-habitating with my ex, and then moved to a huge, old-fashioned studio with frig from 1956.
From there I spent three months living out of a suitcase in Spain and Italy.
When I returned, I lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment in a 6-floor walk-up (amazing calves to prove it!).
And now I am onto my best gig yet... almost.
I now live in a doorman building, with an elevator on West 9th street. I am cat-sitting for friends who are away for 6 weeks. Its been interesting adopting their lifestyle.
When I walk into the building everyday, the doorman greets me.
When I return from the gym or running, they ask how my workout was.
When I have a package, they notify me.
Its almost like having a roommate, but still getting to live alone. Its a nice 'try-on' for now.
After two weeks of living this way, I don't know that 'doorman life' is for me.
When I am grumpy or half-awake in the morning, I don't want to be cheerful... or have a chipper 'good morning' to remind me that I am not so chipper...yet.
When I order in, I don't want to have to give a restaurant review in the morning or evening.
When I have friends visit, I don't want comments.
And when I have mail or packages, I want to receive them on my own time, not have someone standing over me to see my reaction.
Having a doorman is very much like having a roommate... and for me, this year is all about living ALONE.
Even in a private building, its hard to find your privacy... no matter how much money you pay.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Help. Its waiting just out your front door!
This morning I was obnoxiously late for work. I got in at 10:30AM. Late. Tardy. Setting a bad example. Yes, I know.
But we had a rooftop party last night at the office that I was incharge of, so I had good reason to come to work late this morning. Although this was not the reason.
I had serious warddrobe issues this morning. A new dress I bought a few weeks ago needed to be adjusted, and I had forgotten about it... plus, I thought I could jimmy it myself. No such luck on the last part.
From bobby pins to safety pins to changing accessories, nothing was going to make this look better. So what did I do?
I grabbed my stuff for work and ran out the door....
...around the corner and into Meurice's, a tailor shop. In five minutes, after disrobing, throwing him my dress through the curtain and saying "fix this!", I was once again headed to work but in a dress that fit.
I may find NYC frustrating, but the ease of getting things done? Priceless.
But we had a rooftop party last night at the office that I was incharge of, so I had good reason to come to work late this morning. Although this was not the reason.
I had serious warddrobe issues this morning. A new dress I bought a few weeks ago needed to be adjusted, and I had forgotten about it... plus, I thought I could jimmy it myself. No such luck on the last part.
From bobby pins to safety pins to changing accessories, nothing was going to make this look better. So what did I do?
I grabbed my stuff for work and ran out the door....
...around the corner and into Meurice's, a tailor shop. In five minutes, after disrobing, throwing him my dress through the curtain and saying "fix this!", I was once again headed to work but in a dress that fit.
I may find NYC frustrating, but the ease of getting things done? Priceless.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Flakes of Friendship
Having lived in NYC for seven years, I have built a small circle of friends that I trust. They are like my family in some ways, as they are who I turn to in almost every situation. Being from the South, my family here is small as there are not that many Southerners here... at least compared to those raised up north.
My friends from New York have circles, upon circles of friends. That is what happens when you never leave home. Your high school friends, college friends, work friends, etc. all end up in the same place. So you have a ton of friends... but what does that really mean?
Last night I learned exactly what it means. Someone that I have called friend for quite sometime, put me in my place by telling me through both actions and words that she did not value me as a person, and that even though she had hurt my feelings, she would never apologize. She was simply too proud. And too self-centered to see beyond her two feet. And for her, being from New York, she has a ton of other 'mes' to replace 'me' with. She doesn't need me. And she quickly proved I don't need her. She is not my friend. And to erase a multi-year friendship so quickly, I probably wasn't hers either.
I was disappointed at first, saddened a little once I got over my anger, but do I honestly want people like that in my life?
Within 12 hours of this first friendship episode, I was dealing with another NYCer with a severe ego issue. And as the second person proved he was never a friend, nor capable of being one, I realized when it comes to friendships, this place is pretty screwed up.
New York may be huge and monstrous, but when it comes to quality people, good luck finding them in this monstrosity. Magnifying glass, please!
My friends from New York have circles, upon circles of friends. That is what happens when you never leave home. Your high school friends, college friends, work friends, etc. all end up in the same place. So you have a ton of friends... but what does that really mean?
Last night I learned exactly what it means. Someone that I have called friend for quite sometime, put me in my place by telling me through both actions and words that she did not value me as a person, and that even though she had hurt my feelings, she would never apologize. She was simply too proud. And too self-centered to see beyond her two feet. And for her, being from New York, she has a ton of other 'mes' to replace 'me' with. She doesn't need me. And she quickly proved I don't need her. She is not my friend. And to erase a multi-year friendship so quickly, I probably wasn't hers either.
I was disappointed at first, saddened a little once I got over my anger, but do I honestly want people like that in my life?
Within 12 hours of this first friendship episode, I was dealing with another NYCer with a severe ego issue. And as the second person proved he was never a friend, nor capable of being one, I realized when it comes to friendships, this place is pretty screwed up.
New York may be huge and monstrous, but when it comes to quality people, good luck finding them in this monstrosity. Magnifying glass, please!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
WITCHES!
Even though its mid-July - signaling summer time - there are many in the city who just don't get with the summer time spirit and colorize their wardrobe.
On my way to Spanish class tonight, I counted six girls dressed in all black -- black sun dress and black flats. How boring!
Black is so depressing. I perused my closet when I got home to discover I have two black dresses. One is for formal occassions, and the other is a tank dress that I fun-up with colorful accessories. Why don't more people do that?
New York can be a dreary place as it is? Why drearify it even more with menacing clothes?
Have fun, New York! Add some color!
On my way to Spanish class tonight, I counted six girls dressed in all black -- black sun dress and black flats. How boring!
Black is so depressing. I perused my closet when I got home to discover I have two black dresses. One is for formal occassions, and the other is a tank dress that I fun-up with colorful accessories. Why don't more people do that?
New York can be a dreary place as it is? Why drearify it even more with menacing clothes?
Have fun, New York! Add some color!
10-S
This morning I was up at 5:30AM... on purpose. Coffee was brewing at 5:33, and I was out the door by 5:45AM.
I was not headed to work. Or the gym. I was headed to play tennis. Who plays tennis at 5:45AM you may be wondering? And the answer is not me. I was waking up at 5:30AM to go and wait for a tennis court and hoped to be playing by 7AM. But I was waking up super-early, knowing full well that there was a very good chance that I may not get a court until 8AM or later. Crazy, right?
Everyone in NYC plays tennis. Unfortunately, in a city of 6 million people (not including the burroughs) there are only 45 tennis courts. So in order to play you either have to pay hundreds of dollars to join at Central Park, and each time pay $15 for an hour, or wake-up at crazy hours (ie., 5:30AM) to play for free.
When I was in Georgia this weekend I would run at our city park, and each time I ran past the 15 courts the small town of Cartersville has only 1-2 courts would be taken.
Such an imbalanced world we live in... Although, there is a feeling of accomplishment knowing that this morning I was one of the lucky ones that got on a court, played for an hour, and had time to grab coffee with a friend before work. Game. Set. Match!
I was not headed to work. Or the gym. I was headed to play tennis. Who plays tennis at 5:45AM you may be wondering? And the answer is not me. I was waking up at 5:30AM to go and wait for a tennis court and hoped to be playing by 7AM. But I was waking up super-early, knowing full well that there was a very good chance that I may not get a court until 8AM or later. Crazy, right?
Everyone in NYC plays tennis. Unfortunately, in a city of 6 million people (not including the burroughs) there are only 45 tennis courts. So in order to play you either have to pay hundreds of dollars to join at Central Park, and each time pay $15 for an hour, or wake-up at crazy hours (ie., 5:30AM) to play for free.
When I was in Georgia this weekend I would run at our city park, and each time I ran past the 15 courts the small town of Cartersville has only 1-2 courts would be taken.
Such an imbalanced world we live in... Although, there is a feeling of accomplishment knowing that this morning I was one of the lucky ones that got on a court, played for an hour, and had time to grab coffee with a friend before work. Game. Set. Match!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Brother, can you spare a dime... or at least pull up your pants?
By choice I live in the West Village. Its quaint compared to midtown. 'Single' compared to the Upper East Side. Quiet compared to the East Village. And cute and cozy compared to Soho. Its the place I like to be most.
Being a 'village brat' as I often refer to myself, means a few things more than simply liking my neighborhood.
It means I will live in an apartment the size of a shoebox. It means I will have to question if any guy 'checking me out' is more interested in potential designer labels I might be wearing than spending time with me as most likely he is gay. It means that I will constantly be seen as a 'nark' when strolling through Washington Square Park near the chess boards by the pot dealers. And it also means that situations like trying to buy a cup of coffee can become... should I say lively?
Take today for instance...I needed coffee -- both immediately, and for my apartment -- so I took a short field trip from the office to Puerto Rico Importing Company on Bleecker Street. They sell coffee by the pound and have a coffee counter in the back. While the barista ground up a pound of Aggie's blend, I visited the counter in back. There was a tall, black man in line, and he was doing some sort of jig as he waited for his coffee. Maybe it was more of a fancy shuffle... or two step... whatever the name of his dance, when he turned around his pants were falling down in front revealing half of his briefs.
He was wearing a belt all right, but had missed half of his belt-loops, causing a big 'swoop' of fabric in front while the back held on tight.
I was startled to say the least, almost reminiscent of the time I found I guy on my doorstep doing God knows what...
But I digress. The guy at the coffee counter tried to chat as we both doctored our coffees the way we prefer. Something about talking to a man wearing half of his pants was disturbing to me. And as he asked for money to get another coffee I bolted. Paid for the ground coffee at the front counter and left ASAP.
As I wandered back down Downing Street, past the townhouses and expensive restaurants, I had to laugh. As only in Manhattan can millionaires and vagrants and southern girls like me co-exist within feet of each other and carry out their days like normal. All dancing to their own beat, laughing to their own tune, and wondering what kind of crazy thing we are each going to witness next.
Being a 'village brat' as I often refer to myself, means a few things more than simply liking my neighborhood.
It means I will live in an apartment the size of a shoebox. It means I will have to question if any guy 'checking me out' is more interested in potential designer labels I might be wearing than spending time with me as most likely he is gay. It means that I will constantly be seen as a 'nark' when strolling through Washington Square Park near the chess boards by the pot dealers. And it also means that situations like trying to buy a cup of coffee can become... should I say lively?
Take today for instance...I needed coffee -- both immediately, and for my apartment -- so I took a short field trip from the office to Puerto Rico Importing Company on Bleecker Street. They sell coffee by the pound and have a coffee counter in the back. While the barista ground up a pound of Aggie's blend, I visited the counter in back. There was a tall, black man in line, and he was doing some sort of jig as he waited for his coffee. Maybe it was more of a fancy shuffle... or two step... whatever the name of his dance, when he turned around his pants were falling down in front revealing half of his briefs.
He was wearing a belt all right, but had missed half of his belt-loops, causing a big 'swoop' of fabric in front while the back held on tight.
I was startled to say the least, almost reminiscent of the time I found I guy on my doorstep doing God knows what...
But I digress. The guy at the coffee counter tried to chat as we both doctored our coffees the way we prefer. Something about talking to a man wearing half of his pants was disturbing to me. And as he asked for money to get another coffee I bolted. Paid for the ground coffee at the front counter and left ASAP.
As I wandered back down Downing Street, past the townhouses and expensive restaurants, I had to laugh. As only in Manhattan can millionaires and vagrants and southern girls like me co-exist within feet of each other and carry out their days like normal. All dancing to their own beat, laughing to their own tune, and wondering what kind of crazy thing we are each going to witness next.
F
Circles & Cycles
2009 has brought an interesting friendship landscape to my life. Ending a serious, 3-year relationship meant that I had to end a number of friendships as well, and the year began with me and about a dozen people I care about.
In the Spring I went off chasing a dream of floating around Europe with only my passport, a small duffle, two contacts in Spain and no reservations. From that trip abroad new friendships sprung up, new connections in life were formed and when I returned I discovered by trust and faith in people was largely linked to those in Europe and not NYC where I choose to be.
Summer had brought more new faces. People I had never met before that were met in random incidents. Some I met in my travels and are quickly becoming fun 'gal pals'. Contacts from those I met abroad are getting in touch and becoming part of my new circle of people I count on and trust. Faces I had seen many times, had conversations with, and yet it wasn't until now that the conversation turned to relating.
While not unique to Manhattan, I am sure, it is true that here you can reinvent yourself in a moments notice. Change your address and you inherit a ton of new faces in neighbors, deli owners, laundry ladies, etc. Change your job and your life become filled with fresh new people that do what you do. Meet a new love and suddenly you have more people to hang out with -- not just your beaux.
Change here is not hard to come by. Living in tiny boxes (ie., apartments) ensures that more of our time will be spent outside. Spending time outdoors brings street traffic and a ton of new faces to encounter. Any one of these could end up being your new best friend, new boyfriend or the neighbor that you think is a bit looney.
Its here that interaction is inevitable, and such interaction leads to a new life...constantly, always revolving, always changing, always on the move. While becoming more and better is indeed a plus, I do think sometimes --even in Manhattan -- we all want the world to stop moving so we can enjoy this moment a little longer. But the song is true. In a New York minute, everything can change. And in New York, the world just doesn't stop. Ever.
In the Spring I went off chasing a dream of floating around Europe with only my passport, a small duffle, two contacts in Spain and no reservations. From that trip abroad new friendships sprung up, new connections in life were formed and when I returned I discovered by trust and faith in people was largely linked to those in Europe and not NYC where I choose to be.
Summer had brought more new faces. People I had never met before that were met in random incidents. Some I met in my travels and are quickly becoming fun 'gal pals'. Contacts from those I met abroad are getting in touch and becoming part of my new circle of people I count on and trust. Faces I had seen many times, had conversations with, and yet it wasn't until now that the conversation turned to relating.
While not unique to Manhattan, I am sure, it is true that here you can reinvent yourself in a moments notice. Change your address and you inherit a ton of new faces in neighbors, deli owners, laundry ladies, etc. Change your job and your life become filled with fresh new people that do what you do. Meet a new love and suddenly you have more people to hang out with -- not just your beaux.
Change here is not hard to come by. Living in tiny boxes (ie., apartments) ensures that more of our time will be spent outside. Spending time outdoors brings street traffic and a ton of new faces to encounter. Any one of these could end up being your new best friend, new boyfriend or the neighbor that you think is a bit looney.
Its here that interaction is inevitable, and such interaction leads to a new life...constantly, always revolving, always changing, always on the move. While becoming more and better is indeed a plus, I do think sometimes --even in Manhattan -- we all want the world to stop moving so we can enjoy this moment a little longer. But the song is true. In a New York minute, everything can change. And in New York, the world just doesn't stop. Ever.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Memos from Manhattan
I arrived in a taxi from the airport to my front door this morning. Well, almost. The taxi driver seemed a bit confused on how to find West 4th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, and after an extended ride down the East River, I decided to let him off easy and asked to get out at the corner of W4th and 6th Avenue. Shouldn't all cabdrivers know where they are going? Shouldn't there be a test they have to pass to prove they know the quickest route from burough to burough and street to street?
Once inside my building I began my daily workout of heaving an oversized suitcase up six flights of stairs. I do this six-floor-walk-up everyday. Usually I only have a tote bag with my gym clothes and my purse, and that is all. Today I had a tote, and my purse and this oversized suitcase. Getting home from a trip in Manhattan was never easy...especially on the top-floor of a walk-up building in the West Village.
Upon reaching the 4th floor of the building, I noticed my Greek neighbors had their door open again. "Letting air out" they call it. What exactly are they airing out? The door stays open all day, and sometimes at night too. Ultimate trust? or ultimately wack-o?
Its these strange idiosyncracies that spurred the idea to begin this blog about the things I notice in my Manhattan life. The truth is, things happen in New York City that would never happen anywhere else. Why? Because social codes are thrown out the window as all of us who live on this island have decided that alone we are a population of one in our own individual species. Because of this, we are allowed to act strangely -- or at least when seen through the eyes of others.
So my stories here will be about the zany and humorous things I find along the streets of Manhattan and slowly make their way to my memoirs, but not first without a stop to the notes, make that memos, I make to myself to remind myself that I am not the crazy one. When I re-read the memos that I find laying around of what I witnessed and didn't want to forget as moments slipped past, I believe again that no man is truly an island, and I begin to wonder if there is a sane person left on this one.
Once inside my building I began my daily workout of heaving an oversized suitcase up six flights of stairs. I do this six-floor-walk-up everyday. Usually I only have a tote bag with my gym clothes and my purse, and that is all. Today I had a tote, and my purse and this oversized suitcase. Getting home from a trip in Manhattan was never easy...especially on the top-floor of a walk-up building in the West Village.
Upon reaching the 4th floor of the building, I noticed my Greek neighbors had their door open again. "Letting air out" they call it. What exactly are they airing out? The door stays open all day, and sometimes at night too. Ultimate trust? or ultimately wack-o?
Its these strange idiosyncracies that spurred the idea to begin this blog about the things I notice in my Manhattan life. The truth is, things happen in New York City that would never happen anywhere else. Why? Because social codes are thrown out the window as all of us who live on this island have decided that alone we are a population of one in our own individual species. Because of this, we are allowed to act strangely -- or at least when seen through the eyes of others.
So my stories here will be about the zany and humorous things I find along the streets of Manhattan and slowly make their way to my memoirs, but not first without a stop to the notes, make that memos, I make to myself to remind myself that I am not the crazy one. When I re-read the memos that I find laying around of what I witnessed and didn't want to forget as moments slipped past, I believe again that no man is truly an island, and I begin to wonder if there is a sane person left on this one.
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