It’s a balmy, overcast day here in the city. Particularly calm and pleasant for this time of year, yet somehow it feels ominous, like the deep breath before a long dive into winter. I guess it is about that time though. Fall has turned out to keep me plenty busy already. So busy in fact that I figured I’d do a whirlwind back tracking session now to allow for a bit and focus on more recent events in upcoming posts. And so, without further ado, here it is: My summer in one thousand words or less.
May started off with a bang. I got to see Aidan graduate from Michigan with two degrees (and hear a commencement speech given by President Obama!). I also got in another bike adventure, putting in a solid 35 miles during the trek from Inwood to Far Rockaway Beach. The brisk spring air was invigorating, but also deceiving – the sunburn I got wasn’t spring-like at all. My legs are STILL retaining the oh-so-sexy mid-thigh bike short tan line. Everyone was sympathetic at the BBQ I attended afterwards out in Brooklyn (the scrumptious meal and homemade marshmallows were a good consolation too). I also flew home for Memorial Day weekend and thoroughly surprised my mom and sister for their shared birthday. Besides getting to share in the celebration, I got to catch up with neighbors and friends at all the graduation parties, which made it an extra fun time.
When I got back to New York after all the burgers and cake, I got some more good news: Once my internship with A.R.T./New York was finished, Carl wanted to hire me on full time! I was thrilled at the prospect of steady work in my industry, especially with such great people. So in mid-June, once the A.R.T./New York Gala (the event my internship was designed around) was finished, having gone off beautifully without a hitch, I said goodbye and began what is now my full time job with Eleven Entertainment and Ambassador Theatre Group.
But the next round of excitement wasn’t far off. With Aidan finally graduated and ready to move to the city, it was time to tackle, yet again, the nefarious beast that is New York city apartment hunting. Even though I (finally) had a steady job, we wanted to be cautious about our price range – Aidan hadn’t received any programming offers yet, and dance can be just as fickle as theatre when it comes to steady pay. So we threw a wide net, looking at Inwood, Brooklyn, and the Upper West Side as possibilities. Our wants seemed pretty reasonable: a place in a safe neighborhood that was close to a subway (preferably the A, C, E) that had enough room for two people live in relative comfort. But this IS New York we’re talking about, so to be on the safe side, we booked several appointments with different brokers.
And by several I mean seventeen.
In one day.
Armed with bikes, diligent notes, directions, and a few farmer’s market muffins, we began our quest early on a Saturday morning. We saw every sort of place imaginable… duplexes, new renovations, bad new renovations, garden levels, elevator buildings, walk-ups, brownstones. We took lots of notes and snapped pictures of our favorites to help us keep track. But by midday, we were pretty convinced that we would stay in Inwood, just a few blocks from where I’d been living. The amount of space you get for your money made the apartments up there the best value by far. And besides, I already knew it very well.
By that time, our quest had taken us to Brooklyn, where we’d be seeing the rest of the apartments. This sprawling outer borough (home to 2.5 million New Yorkers) is just as varied and culturally rich as its Manhattan sister, and it boasts neighborhoods just as distinct and varied. Our first stop wasn’t too far out though – just one subway stop away from Manhattan, picturesque Brooklyn Heights definitely fit the location bill. And as we rode up a tree-lined street towards our appointment, passing rows of cafes and snug 1800’s brownstones, the old world charm of the neighborhood began to work its magic. In fairness, it’s hard NOT to be taken in by sun-dappled lanes and lovely promenades – but trust me, we weren’t complaining.
Not large by any standards, the apartment we viewed was still comfortable and very well laid out. The kitchen was gorgeous, and there was also a surprising amount of closet space. And then, there was the roof deck; Offering a sweeping, unobstructed panorama of lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge, the view was both breathtaking and mundane – you have, after all, seen it on hundreds of postcards from NYC. It was a little outside of our conservative price range though, so we trekked on to our other showings.
But try as we might, this little one bedroom on Cranberry Street continued to haunt us. It became our point of comparison through the remainder of our search, and our wistful “If only…” as we put down the deposit on a new building in Inwood. Then, that very afternoon, full of relief at having secured a residence, we got the good news – Aidan had three job offers! And, what’s more, they were offering enough that our Cranberry Street dream could actually work. We sprang into action, retracting our deposit (amazingly, we got it all back) and starting the new application process.
A month later, we moved into our first apartment together, happily assuming the title of Brooklynites.
August was a blur. After our busy move-in on the first (using a Zipcar pickup named “Thunder”) I dove right into MCC Theatre’s Freshplay festival, where I was working as a production assistant. With that in the evenings, and my new full time job during the day, it make for some long hours. Aidan was busy as well, balancing dance auditions with his job at American Express Publishing, where he works on the website for Food and Wine Magazine. We barely had time to unpack! But we did manage to make a short trip to Philadelphia, where we visited with my Aunt Linda, her family and my grandparents. It was only for short time, but it was nice to catch up with everyone and get out of the city for a bit. Of course, by the time I got back the MCC festival was finished, and I was already itching for a new project of my own. Luckily for me, my fellow Michigan alum Seth had a new play he was looking to get up. We submitted it to a festival at Manhattan Repertory Theatre – and got in! With September right around the corner, it was nice to have the familiar rhythm of auditions and rehearsals to look forward to. So nice, in fact, that I think I’ll leave you with it too.
