A New York Minute

 It's hard to believe that two years ago today, I boarded an American Airlines one-way trip to NYC!  I took a red eye with an 8 month old bulldog puppy and woke up in Manhattan where Mike was waiting for us in front of our new home....290 3rd Avenue in beautiful Gramercy Park.

Our empty apartment and Winston's first day as a New Yorker

Before moving to New York, both Californians and New Yorkers were convinced a little South Orange County girl wouldn't adjust well to New York and that I would find myself longing for the simple life of Laguna Beach very quickly.  My husband was extremely encouraging, and did everything in his power to make our move as easy and seamless as possible, because it was, after all, his job that transferred our little family to the Big Apple. 

I love New York, but I'd be lying to you if I didn't say that there were some things that were hard for me to adjust to:

1.  First and foremost, was the rent & space.  Mike and I are paying DOUBLE what we paid in LA, for 1/2 the space.  Each of us had walk in closets in LA, and beautiful views of the ocean and the mountains.  So it was no surprise to us that when we moved here, a storage unit was mandatory so compensate for the overflow of my husband's rock star memorabilia. 

2.  Homeless people.  I'm not a prude when it comes to bums....lord knows I've seen my fair share of bums in Venice Beach or along Hollywood Boulevard.  But at least in California, they stay out of the neighborhoods.   It was an adjustment to me to see homeless people on every corner you turn. 

Winston helping with the unending amount of boxes we brought

 3.  Cigarettes.  Californians just do not smoke as much as these New Yorkers.  I am 100% smoke free, but I feel like by the time I walk to work, I've smoked the equivalent of 2 cigarettes, and there is no escaping it.  You can be walking on your merry way, and get a giant plume of smoke blown in your face out of no where.  Bleh...

4.  Lack of "nature".  Sure we have parks, and sure there are beautiful flowers planted all over the city for each of the seasons.  But there is no natural escape in the city...whatever you do, you're still stuck in the concrete jungle.  I know there is smog in LA, but there are still canyons, parks, beaches just minutes away from where ever you are at any given time.  Sometimes I feel like I took for granted how easy it was to just take a hike (figuratively and literally), or how amazing the Pacific Ocean feels on your face.  There are some beautiful nature excursions out here, but it isn't at your fingertips, and it requires much more of an effort. 

 5.  Noise! New York is the City that Never Sleeps....so there is noise all day, every day.  Sirens, construction drilling, buses, people out on the streets, horns, you name it!  I never in my life thought I could be one of those people to sleep with ear plugs...but now I don't know how I'd sleep with out them!

But, within 3 months, I had fallen head over heals with the city that never sleeps. Regardless of whether you're here to stay or just on vacation, there are things about Manhattan that you just have to love!  And these are the things that made it easy as pie to adjust to living in New York. 

1.  Not having a car.  I was skeptical about selling the ol' Beemer.  There is something about having the windows rolled down, with the wind in your hair.  But once I got here, I was THRILLED not to have that added expense.  No car means no paying for gas, no sacrificing shoes/clothes to make sure I pay insurance, no monthly payments, no oil changes, no paying for maintenance, and best of all, NO DRINKING AND DRIVING!  There is always a safe way to party in New York without having to appoint someone as designated driver, and I LOVE that!

2.  Seasons.  I know I've talked about this a lot, but the #1 thing people told me before moving was "you're not going to be able to handle the winter".  Well you know what....I DID handle the winter, and I LOVE the winter.  Sure I didn't have to switch out my clothes every season in California, but I don't mind.  There is something festive every 3 months about the changing of the seasons in New York.  And I can honestly say, the first time I felt like New York was "home" to me, was the first "fall-y" day in 2010.  Seasons are beautiful, and I was missing out on all of that in my life as a Californian.

3.  Summer Fridays.  Yes, I had Summer Friday's in California, but it's a crazy phenomenon here in New York.  Weekends in the summer means that NO ONE stays in the city.  People flock every Friday from Memorial Day through Labor Day, to various coastal escapes including the Hamptons, The Cape, the Shore (yes, that's Jersey), Nantucket, Newport RI, Fire Island, Martha's Vineyard, wherever, just anywhere outside of the steamy confines of the city.  It's the one time of year when all New Yorkers experience the same sense of urgency in condensing a 5 day workweek into 4 days, so that Friday can be a day of travel out to one of the many beach destinations just a train ride away!

4.  Fashion.  I'm not sure if it's the different seasons, but people in New York are fancy paaants!  It's not unusual for me to see more Louboutins than I can count on two hands just during my commute to work.  Maybe it's because I see more people during my walk to work, but I find myself envying more and more pairs of shoes and handbags in my walk to work.  In LA, it's 100% more casual....and jeans are part of the "business casual" dress code.  That's not the case in NY, and both men & women dress to the nines for just a normal day on the job.

5.  Walking.  I walk to and from work every day....which is about 3 miles round trip.  Yes, it might mess up my hair by the time I get to the office, and yes, it's not optimal for shoes, but I've found a way to adjust and I love my walks MUCH more than sitting in AC and traffic.  It gives me time to catch up with people on the phone, it gives me time to enjoy the city before starting my day, and it gives me a little extra exercise before I sit in front of a computer for 10 - 11 hours a day. 

Hooray for another year in the city!!!!

6.  Coffee Carts.  Now this is just silly and small, but there are very few things more delicious than a cup of coffee from a CART (no corporate coffee establishment), where the guy behind the window is just as excited to see you on Tuesday as he was on Monday.  There is something to be said about getting a $2 cup of coffee for free one morning, just because he's happy you're there.  I really felt like a New Yorker the day I called him "my coffee guy".  

7.  Delivery.  You can literally get everything delivered to you in Manhattan.  Takeout, groceries, dry cleaning, booze, medication, even my freakin DOG can be delivered to my house after he comes home from doggee day care.  I've come to appreciate it and my door men every time I have to pull a late night at work, or when Mike is traveling.  Those delivery people are out there rain, snow or shine to make sure you get your goods.  And no...it hasn't made us lazier. :)

So after 2 years of living in Manhattan, Mike and I didn't even think twice before signing another year lease for our Gramercy Park apartment.  The past 2 years have gone by SO fast, we haven't even had time to THINK about living anywhere else.  I thought I'd be counting down the days until our 2 year least was up, but I we signed that paperwork within minutes of received the renewal.  Here is to another year at 290 3rd Ave and our cozy little one bedroom!!!!