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Thursday, December 10, 2009

my hood

I am getting settled here to life in the Big Apple. And I have to tell you that I love it. The city is so full of life and energy, not to mention the interesting people that are everywhere! I think I have a hermit recluse that lives in the next-door apartment. He lets his papers stack up for at least a week. Then I've caught him peeking out his door to scoop the papers in. You know my goal is to find out what is going on in there! I'll keep you posted.

Finding an apartment in the city that fit our family's needs and budget was challenging. There were days during our search where I found a dark corner and soothed myself by rocking back and forth on the floor. But by the grace of God, we found a great place. I just love it. It's tiny. All 1200 square feet of it, but it's in a lovely location on the Upper East Side. And it's on the 31st floor of our building which means we have spectacular views.

I thought I'd show you around my hood today. (Click on any pictures to make them larger.) First of all, when I say Upper East Side some of you may think I'm living on the snazzy side. I don't live on the snazzy side. I live on the stroller side. It's very family-friendly and I really like it here. The snazzy side would require quite the bankroll (new money) or a pedigree (old money) and I have neither.

Here's a picture of the front of my building.



Did you know I can get fresh fruit outside my door every morning?



Here's the view from our living room.



See those two twin buildings there? I'll zoom in.



That's the other side of central park.

And guess what I have across the street from me?



Starbucks. I have made friends with that place.

View from my bedroom. I've always wanted a water view! I just thought waves would be involved instead of concrete.



View from my kitchen. I think you can call it a kitchen. Maybe it's more like a closet with appliances. But it does have a window and for that I am grateful.



And at night. It's all just glorious.



I love New York.

18 comments:

Debbie Padilla said...

Oh, that is so beautiful Michelle! Thank you for sharing. In spite of your apartment being small it all still sounds and looks glamorous;) So happy for you.

Tammy Molnar said...

wow what amazing views! thanks for sharing. hope you and the fam are doing brilliant!

Beth Wiley said...

Love the new place!!!! I'm sure with your decorating skills the inside is adorable as well! I'm a bit jealous that all you have to do is walk across the street for a gingerbread latte! of course...maybe walking across the street is harder than in any normal town...busy with cars I assume:)

Lacy said...

Love it all especially the fruit stand. I bet you can get flowers on the street too! always wanted that!

Priscilla (also credited as Prissi or Cilla) said...

Holy Cow... I worked right next door to that starbucks for awhile!!!!!

Jen said...

I am so jealous. First of all you are living in NYC.....second of all you have great views and the best part? YOU HAVE STARBUCKS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET!!!! Your building looks wonderful. It would take me awhile to get used to looking out my living room window and there are no trees. I would def. adjust though. I wish I could talk Craig into moving there but he won't budge. So I will have to come visit NYC. Thanks for the pics and I can't wait to see more.

Heidi Jo Comes said...

now show us the apartment! i love the views...and i am secretly jealous, although i imagined myself and maybe husband living that life....not so much with five kids. but i am thrilled to read and view it through you!

Michawn said...

i'm sure i've introduced myself before. i've followed you since 'everyday mom.' we have mutual friends.

but, i thought of you alot this weekend. please believe me when i say that i'm not scary. ;)

we were visiting nyc...me for the first time. i loved it. we are also a family of six...can't imagine getting the call to move there. i could definitely get used to it, but can't imagine the logistics of it all. the opportunities there though!! wow. anything you could ever want to do or see or be...it all seems possible there.

of course, we just arrived here on furlough from brazil. maybe that explains my awe with new york city and the options galore. :) but seriously...what an amazing place to live!! what incredible opportunities there for your children. just incredible.

so glad that you are keeping us posted. and i love that you keep it really real. thanks for your blog.

Charlene said...

Love it! I am in Queens right now...about to go to the airport. had I been here a little longer, I would have stopped by...and caught up??? It makes me laugh that I feel like I know you because of all the connections, but I bet we have never had a real conversation! HA!

Just Mom said...

That view is breathtaking -- and of course, I'm talking about the view of Starbucks. ;-D

I visited New York City once and had a wonderful time, despite the fact that my luggage never made it and went instead to Dallas.

Sohailah said...

Excellent views - what are your cross streets? And where are your kids going to school? I think you said you found some GREAT public options. Woo HOO for that!

Lisa H said...

This all looks pretty exciting! I'm not a big fan change necessarily, but I do find change to be pretty exciting...and I love new places to explore. I'm sure you have many great things to learn about your new neighborhood and city. Hope you all are settling in and finding a new sense of normal around there. :)

RHONYC said...

super-congrats on your great apartment! I love the 'stay calm...' poster in your bedroom...it's a real riot.

you have it all, girl! creative career, lovely home, gorgeous, fun-lookin' fam.

eat your heart out Victoria Beckham!

lol :-)

Anonymous said...

Can I just say I love your blog!? Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us!

Anonymous said...

i stumbled upon your blog and just wanted to say thank you, im currently in the navy but am planning to move out to the city when i get out and seeing these pictures and reading of your experiences makes me that more excited. I understand it is a tough city, and expensive but seeing you make the change with such style and grace is very inspiring. again thanks and congrats on you great family and womderful apartment, will definitely check your blog out in the future, love the pics

Pat Steer (Gaelen) said...

Michelle - I stumbled on your blog, following a post from apartmenttherapy that was mentioned by Kairol Rosenthal - ok, not a direct route. But I just read it, cover to cover, and now I'm hooked. Enjoy the neighborhood; those East River views and nightscapes can be soothing and challenging at the same time. Keep Lily from darting into traffic after pigeons. And have fun; I'll be reading more and through you, staying in touch with the city between my own visits. Have a special, magic first holiday in NYC!

Anonymous said...

Kudos to you and your family for making the BIG move to NYC and loving it. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY but alas, move to CA some 30 years ago. I still miss the hustle and bustle of NY and, believe it or not, the SNOW! Best Wishes and Happy New Year :-)
Coni Valentine, a former NYer

claire said...

I just found your blog and the pictures on this post have made me even more desperate to return to NYC asap!! Oh those views................
We are in the UK and made our first trip to NY in November...I loved it...not one negative for our whole trip except not enough time to see what we wanted to see....
What a great experience for you and your family....will be reading with envy ;)
x

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