That About Sums It Up

"Who are we,
if not a combination of
experiences, information,
books we have read,
things imagined?
Each life is
an encyclopedia, a library,
an inventory of objects,
a series of styles, and
everything can be constantly
reshuffled and reordered
in every conceivable way."

-by Italo Calvino

What Really Happens 9 to 5...

Today's big question: Do I have too many single friends or are my friends tired of me being single? Yesterday I was gchatting and here are some links sent to me with a note of urgency attached to them:

urgent link # 1
urgent link #2
urgent link #3

Or is this just the inevitable outcome of making a pact with a friend confirming that we'll have boyfriends by July 4th? By the way this pact wouldn't have come into creation if our work lives were more mentally stimulating and creatively challenging. We are forced into these banal desk jobs to compete with the growing level of unemployment, which leave us with too much time to analyze other parts of our lives. So really, I blame the economy for my being single.

Cheers to the weekend!

Uh! Common Tale...

To: Me 

What the f-ck do I do when I graduate?

 From: Friend/Soon-t0-be Grad

***

To: Friend/Soon-t0-be Grad

I ask myself every day a very similar question, "What am I doing with my life, it's been a year since I graduated." LOL I know you hate the question but what are your plans, moving back home or right to NYC? Couple of things to help you out:

My advice to you is don't sell out early doing something you know in your gut isn't right just because it looks right. You know? Wait for the better opportunity that makes sense to YOU even if money is tight. But know that the difference between the perfect opportunity and the right opportunity is large because the perfect opportunity doesn't exist. 

Upon graduation, keep an open mind and don't be afraid to do research. Don't get locked into one idea of where you want to live and what you want to be doing while shutting out everything else. Explore options. I know everyone says that and it's a very broad phrase. But it means take time to look and ask about what others did after they graduated- it may inspire you to do something you hadn't thought of doing before. Also don't be afraid to take time off. So again, my advice is to do what feels right to you and not what you feel you should be doing or where you should be living.

It took me a whole year to learn the difference between what I felt I should be doing and what I want to be doing. But it was something I had to learn on my own and no one could fully explain to me. 

Also, mistakes happen. The sooner you make your first big one and get over it, the better.

From: Me

In A Really State

The only conundrum bigger than finding New York City love is finding New York City real estate. Whether you're buying, selling or renting, diving into the deep shark tank of real estate is messy and never simple. Instead of match.com, there is craigslist.com, and replacing modern day matchmakers are the smooth talking brokers who will go to great lengths to find you a new walk up...to walk up but also make sure you're best friends with the super before signing the lease. The brokers are all just as charming as your favorite neighborhood dive-bar bartender who knows your unique mixed drink by heart. They will make you forget about the 15% of the annual rent they pocket from you as they convince you that the apartment was reincarnated pre-war just for you. You'll find yourself crushing hard on them just as you crushed on the stranger who caught your eye for fifteen minutes on the downtown F-train.

But just like finding a relationship in the City, finding a new apartment isn't easy and there's no guidebook. The best advice I can give is to ask advice from everyone you know. And also, before you even punch in the C on craigslist.com and do your apartment search, inhale deeply and accept the fact that $700/month rent-stabilized one bedroom-apartments with walk in closets for hundreds of shoes on the upper east side DO NOT EXIST. Also do yourself a favor, and stop watching Will and Grace, Friends, Gossip Girl, and Sex and the City several months before you decide to move to New York. You will arrive with a much clearer head.

Here are a couple articles on the apartment search in the big apple:

Article 1
Article 2
Article 3

Something else to remember when looking at the real estate market- things happen fast...very fast. Most people do carry all of their paperwork and checkbook when looking for apartments, because good apartments don't last...and in most cases neither do the bad ones. I don't know if there are more available apartments in NY, more people looking for apartments or more moving companies...but which ever part is weighted the most, it's a fight every first of the month to get the best deal in the best neighborhood.

But when it comes to what's the most important thing to look for when jumping head first into the market, we all know the answer: location, location, location. And only people living in New York who have seen the real estate jungle first hand know that even through all the grunt, grime, and paperwork and hits to your checking account- no matter where your apartment is in New York, as long as you're in this state, you've found the right spot.