Home Sweet Home (Finally!)

What seemed like the impossible has finally occurred. After four weeks of spending all of my free-time searching, enduring numerous deflated "sure-things" and infuriating "bait and switches," we finally have an apartment.













The apartment lies, geographically, right off the intersection of 100th St. and the famous Broadway, in a part of the Upper West Side that is as charming as it is beautiful. For an idea of where that is, consult the above map (you'll need to click on it and make it larger to find specific locations). You'll find familiar landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, the former World Trade Centers, the Empire State Building, and Central Park. Our apartment is located west of Central Park, between Broadway and Riverside Park on 100th. NYU, if you're interested, lies in Lower/Midtown in Greenwich Village and can be pinpointed by finding Washington Square Park with its famous arch.


















The apartment is a prewar alcove studio on the 4th and top floor (which we wanted) with sunny south exposure through two large, bay windows with wood blinds. The fanned ceilings are high, the walls adorned with crown molding, and the hardwood floor intricately decorated. A wall has been erected to create a small bedroom off the entryway with its own windowed skylight, which allows sunlight to suffuse the room all day long. The kitchen is hidden in a recess in the rear of the studio. The bathroom, just gut-renovated, also has a skylight. Unfortunately, there is no fire escape for pretending we have a balcony of sorts.































As for all points of the compass, one block east is the public library. One block west is Riverside Park which abuts the shimmering Hudson River. One or two blocks north are all kinds of restaurants (Indian, Italian, Turkish, French bistros, etc), delis, bars, coffee houses, what was described to me as "the best diner in the city," and a bakery I've been told, is to kill for. Only four blocks to the south is my cousin's apartment, where I've been staying the past several weeks. The subway is a mere three blocks from my front door and a short 20-30 minute ride to NYU. Next door is a massive synagogue and across the street, nearly hidden from our view by a giant oak tree, are more attractive brownstones. A one-way street, 100th is quiet and unmolested.

I truly feel we stumbled on one of the best neighborhoods in the city. Perhaps the best things do come to those who wait, or, in my case, simply can't seem to catch a break. There is just one last catch--hoping my wife, who is still in Colorado with our belongings, likes it when she moves out in a couple weeks.

Once we get moved in, I'll doubtless share some more pictures. Until then, I'm just glad to have a place to lay my head other than a Central Park bench, which was looking more and more likely as the weeks drug by...