We had to fill out a ton of paperwork, compile financial statements, letters of business and personal references, and on and on, just to be considered for an interview with the co-op board (this is for the Chelsea apartment). I guess this was good practice for us in case we stumble upon more co-op buildings. Other Chelsea apartments we looked at today were just depressing; they were tiny as expected and some just had views of the brick walls. We are not exaggerating when we say they looked like Medieval dungeons, except smaller.
We enthusiastically loved an East Village apartment which we looked at today located across the street from the Russian and Turkish Baths. It was definitely the quintessential New York Brownstone. The apartment was on a fantastic street, the apartment itself was adorable with exposed brick walls, hardwood floors, a good layout, and it definitely had flavor. The broker liked us but it does come with some fees, including a one-month broker's fee, which hikes up the $2,050 rent to almost $2,300/mo. We can't believe our luck that we have about three great options to choose from right now, granted they're expensive and we have to go through some hurdles, but hey it's New York. You pay to live in one of the most interesting and exciting cities in the world.
As you can tell, in between our adventures in NYC rental hell, we always make time for food. It is hard not to eat in this city. Everywhere you turn, there's some sort of food or snack beckoning you. It also gives us a place to sit down in air conditioning and rest our feet between appointments. We did this at The Crooked Tree Creperie, Cafe, and Restaurant on 110 St. Marks Place. We would pay $4 for this sugar, butter, and lemon crepe anytime:
One of the best Root Beers we've tasted in a long time (although Dad's is equally good).
The NYC subways are FAST! The L train brought us back to Williamsburg from E. Village in 5 minutes!
