But we did it. We got an apartment in New York City in one day. It's a two bedroom, in Harlem (141 and Broadway, or Morningside Heights) and it has a dishwasher. Yes, it does and I'm not at all lying.
Getting it was a complete accident. We had arranged to see a no fee apartment with a woman who was a no fee broker, Mabel Ivory (again, not lying) and she didn't know that the building didn't allow pets. She felt bad and was a nice Midwesterner and so went out of her way to show us an okay apartment in the most hideous 100000 unit building in Mah-hah-ah. Peeyoooo. So then she felt even worse and took us to another broker, a FEE broker. Joe and I were not happy about this, but she seemed to think he had all the answers. He was not in his office when we got there, so we waited. Joe went and got us French Vanilla coffees from Dunkin' Donuts. We regrouped, and all of sudden, this large man who worked there (not the man we were waiting for) said "Uh, we got this place across the street, it's two bedrooms, it's in your price range, it has all new appliances and a dishwasher and bamboo floors and it was completely renovated last year. It's huge." !!! We impatiently waited for our guy to come back, and when he did, I said, "so your fee is xx?" He said, "Who told you that?! I guess I'll honor that." Wink. But then couldn't track down the owner to let us in to see it. So he said, "We could go look in the windows." Oy, really? This is not a selling point, but dishwasher.
So we practically run across the street and do peer in the windows. "Is it as big as I said?" the man asks. "Uh, no. It isn't." I reply. "Oh," he replies, adding, "the bamboo floors must have been in the one upstairs." In a few minutes, we get inside. It's cute. Very cute. Everything is new and shiny and clean. Joe and I are running around the apartment with our two brokers, going "Ooh! Ahh!" and the like. We're sold. I have some minor concerns about it being on the first floor facing the street, but no big whoop. Then it hits me. I take another round through the place, which in my head is now "our place." No closets. Not a single one. Not a single one. That's weird, right? But not a deal breaker.
So now our broker tells us, well, we have to file an application, we need this document and that document and these forms of id and references and DNA and our first born child, and we produce a folder containing all of that. I'm sorry I gave away a grandchild, Mom and Dad, but I'm sure you understand. We filed at the office, and waited, breath bated, until today at 1pm. Now it IS our apartment, and I will be going to Ikea to get us some wardrobes.
Check out the pic of Joe modeling our full size appliances! As usual, just click on them to see the big version. From the top: the living room, view of the hall which takes us to the small back bedroom, view down the hall into the back bedroom, the back bedroom looking out to the hallway, the kitchen and the front bedroom which will likely be the office/library.
I know what you're thinking: box, box, box, box with cables, box with radiator. Whee. But to me, it's as close to my childhood fantasy of an Upper West Side apartment with a library and a fireplace. It's mine! It's going to be fabulous! Check back in in about 3 weeks for the transformation. You'll see.
