the movers and the shakers
I'm sitting on my couch in my apartment. Both of those objects are mine for but a few hours longer. Aside from the couch and the TV (which has the Open on), everything else is an unholy mess. Boxes are everywhere, and in a few hours United will come by to load up the sum total of the stuff I felt was worth keeping after 5 years of living in Ocean Beach.
While rifling through the backs of closets and cabinets these past few frantic days, I've come across a ton of stuff Will left behind when he so abruptly moved out 3 years ago. Most of it is stuff I can't bring myself to chuck (cookware) but wouldn't ever keep. My solution is just to leave it and maybe the next tenant will want it. The same thinking goes for all the cleansers and bleach that the movers absolutely will not transport (and which I don't want to lug along in my already-stuffed car). I'll estimate that I've thrown away several hundred pounds worth of junk in the past 24 hours. I've also given away for free several smallish pieces of IKEA furniture that weren't worth bringing along to New York. After the movers are done I'll have the rest of the day to pack my car, take care of some last errands, and spend the evening with Don. Early tomorrow I hit the road, and hopefully I'll be in Pinehurst a few days after that.
I spent last weekend in Brooklyn with my cousin Matt to scout out apartments. Most of the places I saw were brokered, which means on top of the rent I'd owe a 12% broker's fee (due in one lump sum at the start of the lease). So a $2000 / month apartment comes with a $240 / mo. times 12 mo. = $2880 broker's fee, due the moment I sign the lease. On top of the first and last month's rent and security deposit (usually another month's worth). That is, $2880 + $6000, due immediately. Fun!
I saw about ten places -- only one was outside Brooklyn, and that was a luxury rental tower in FiDi (Financial District) that had been recommended to me by a few employees at JSC. The tower was nice but quite pricey. Also, it was in Manhattan (duh), and I had already signed a contract with United to deliver my crap to Brooklyn.
Of the places I saw in Brooklyn, most were smaller and more expensive than my OB place. This, I expected. But some were outrageously small, and some were outrageously expensive. In the end I submitted an offer for a nice 1-BR in Brooklyn Heights. I didn't get it. My second choice was a small 4th-floor walk-up in Brooklyn Heights. When I saw it it was in the midst of a severe updating, but showed potential. That's the apartment I got, and I really hope it winds up not sucking. I'm set to move in on the 25th.
Okay, break time's over. Back to cleaning, throwing things away, filling those last random boxes, and otherwise keeping busy. There's no order at this point to what I'm doing, but the thinking is as long as I keep doing something, eventually I'll get done.
While rifling through the backs of closets and cabinets these past few frantic days, I've come across a ton of stuff Will left behind when he so abruptly moved out 3 years ago. Most of it is stuff I can't bring myself to chuck (cookware) but wouldn't ever keep. My solution is just to leave it and maybe the next tenant will want it. The same thinking goes for all the cleansers and bleach that the movers absolutely will not transport (and which I don't want to lug along in my already-stuffed car). I'll estimate that I've thrown away several hundred pounds worth of junk in the past 24 hours. I've also given away for free several smallish pieces of IKEA furniture that weren't worth bringing along to New York. After the movers are done I'll have the rest of the day to pack my car, take care of some last errands, and spend the evening with Don. Early tomorrow I hit the road, and hopefully I'll be in Pinehurst a few days after that.
I spent last weekend in Brooklyn with my cousin Matt to scout out apartments. Most of the places I saw were brokered, which means on top of the rent I'd owe a 12% broker's fee (due in one lump sum at the start of the lease). So a $2000 / month apartment comes with a $240 / mo. times 12 mo. = $2880 broker's fee, due the moment I sign the lease. On top of the first and last month's rent and security deposit (usually another month's worth). That is, $2880 + $6000, due immediately. Fun!
I saw about ten places -- only one was outside Brooklyn, and that was a luxury rental tower in FiDi (Financial District) that had been recommended to me by a few employees at JSC. The tower was nice but quite pricey. Also, it was in Manhattan (duh), and I had already signed a contract with United to deliver my crap to Brooklyn.
Of the places I saw in Brooklyn, most were smaller and more expensive than my OB place. This, I expected. But some were outrageously small, and some were outrageously expensive. In the end I submitted an offer for a nice 1-BR in Brooklyn Heights. I didn't get it. My second choice was a small 4th-floor walk-up in Brooklyn Heights. When I saw it it was in the midst of a severe updating, but showed potential. That's the apartment I got, and I really hope it winds up not sucking. I'm set to move in on the 25th.
Okay, break time's over. Back to cleaning, throwing things away, filling those last random boxes, and otherwise keeping busy. There's no order at this point to what I'm doing, but the thinking is as long as I keep doing something, eventually I'll get done.