The Weekend

I picked up the keys to our new apartment today! Joe and I went over there this afternoon to take some fragile items. It's smaller than I remembered. We'll definitely be heading to Ikea soon to get a wardrobe. The closet space is seriously lacking. It's cute though, and has more square footage and rooms than we have now, and we'll be closer to so many more shops and restaurants. I'm particularly excited about the Tasti D Lite around the corner. I discovered their samoa cookie flavor today and it rocked my world.

We have a really busy weekend planned. We have to finish packing. Joe is a TA and has to grade 60 final exams. Saturday night, I'm going out with girlfriends for dinner and dancing. On Sunday, we're hosting a picnic brunch in Central Park. The movers come early Monday morning.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Here's Joe in our favorite picnic spot. It's where we'll be brunching on Sunday.

Summer Travel

I'm planning a few upcoming trips that Joe and I are really excited about! He doesn't start working until July, so we plan to travel as much as possible until then.

On May 24th, we're going to Texas. We'll fly into DFW to see family for a couple of days, and then drive to Round Rock to meet my new cousin, Elise Sophia Wood. From there, we're going to College Station for the wedding of our friends, Chris and Laura. Then, we're spending a few days in Austin, where some of our friends from Columbia will be joining us.

The first week in June, we're traveling to Greece! We'll be in Santorini for four nights, and then spend three nights in Athens. In Santorini, we're staying in Oia at Oia's Sunset. Our friends will be in Santorini at the same time, which I'm so excited about! I still need to book our hotel in Athens.



The third week in June, we're going to Boston, Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. We rented a car. It takes about four hours to drive from NYC to Boston. I love that New York is so close to so many great places! We'll be spending one night in Boston and then driving to Cape Cod. We'll be spending three nights in Provincetown, at The Inn at Cook Street. We'll take the ferry over to Martha's Vineyard and spend a day there.



Our fourth and final trip in June is to the Catskills in upstate New York. We're renting a car and driving to Catskill, New York, which is about two hours from NYC. We're staying at The Kaaterskill. I read about The Kaaterskill on this blog. We're staying in The Church suite. It looks amazing! We plan to do some hiking at Kaaterskill Falls, and explore the nearby towns of Woodstock and Saugerties.

Oh Geez

We've had yet another trying day in our quest to find an apartment. We were all set to sign the lease this afternoon. Joe went to the bank to get two certified checks and we went to the broker's office. When we got there, she informed us that the listing had mistakenly said that pets were allowed. We told her that was a deal breaker for us, since we are determined to finally get the dog we've wanted for years. She called the landlord again, and they said it was definitely not possible for us to have a dog in that apartment. Joe left to take the certified checks back to the bank, and I went with the broker to see more apartments. After seeing two truly terrible, depressing apartments, the owner of the apartment we want called the broker back, and said they were considering taking us with a dog. I went home and negotiations ensued. Later, I get the call that they'll take us with a $1,500 pet deposit. So, back to the bank I went to get another 2 certified checks. Joe and I are meeting the broker tonight at 7:30 to sign the papers. I'm so glad that it all worked out in the end. The two horrible apartments I saw this afternoon cemented the feeling that we're getting a good apartment. When we went to the Columbia housing office to turn in our notice to vacate, we got the good news that we only have to pay for our current apartment up to the day we turn in the keys. That means we only have overlapping rent for four days. I just booked a mover for Monday, May 3rd. I can't wait to move and get settled into our new home!

Moving On

It's Joe's last week of classes. I can't believe that business school is almost over! It's been such an amazing experience, and we've both learned so much. I'm sad for it to end. Since we're staying in New York, I'm mostly sad about the fact that I won't have as much time with Joe. I'm also sad to see many of our friends move away. It's they who have made the CBS experience so special. I'll miss the happy hours and social events, too.

Fortunately, there is an upside to school ending. Joe's going back to work. That means (more) money and (good) health benefits! We'll be able to expand our family soon, and we're both very excited about that! I'm glad that we got a two bedroom apartment, and have room to grow! Also, Joe doesn't start work until mid-July. That gives us time to travel.

Today, we're signing the lease for the new apartment. We had to start the lease on May 1st, and we'll be moving in on May 3rd or 4th. I've already started purging as much stuff as possible. I'm also making daily trips to the basement to get moving boxes.

I need some suggestions for my new bathroom. It's my least favorite part of the new apartment. There's no storage, and I dislike the colors. If it was your bathroom, what color would you do for the shower curtain, rugs and towels?

Day Trip to Woodbury Common

On Sunday, I went to the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets with three girlfriends. We rented a car and drove to the mall, about an hour from NYC. The outlet mall is huge and has pretty much any outlet store you would want. We had the best luck at the J Crew, Banana Republic, Crate & Barrel and William Sonoma outlets. On the way back to NYC, we stopped at Target and Home Goods. That made two trips to Target in less than a month! Exciting for us New Yorkers! It was my first trip to the outlet mall, but I'm definitely going back! I just need to get an NYC driver's license first. My California license expired in September. So did Joe's. We plan to take some East Coast road trips this summer, so getting driver's licenses are on our to do list.

Adventures in NYC Apartment Hunting

Yesterday, I went to see six or seven more apartments on the Upper West Side. Out of those, there's only one that I liked. It was a solid second favorite to my top pick at 68th and Columbus. I went to see the apartment on Columbus again today after work, took measurements, and decided we'd proceed forward with an application on that apartment. I bought bombolinis from the bakery around the corner to celebrate. When I got home, I received an email from the broker saying that someone else had put in an application today and is signing the lease tomorrow. I was totally heartbroken.

So... we're going this afternoon to put in an application on the other apartment I liked at 94th and Broadway. There are definitely some advantages to this apartment. It's on the second floor and there's an elevator. It's definitely more quiet and peaceful there. The kitchen is separate from the living area. The living area is larger, and our furniture will fit well. All rooms have lovely french doors that really open the place up. We may even have room to entertain! It's right around the corner from an entrance to the 96th street subway station and that's an express train. It's also less expensive than the other place.

Here are some photos









Now I'm going to eat a pistachio bombolini. I think I deserve it! This process has been hellish!

Last CBS Happy Hour

Joe's time at Columbia Business School is quickly coming to an end. There's only one week of classes left. This past year and a half have gone by so incredibly fast!

Tonight was our last CBS Happy Hour.





These photos are from our first CBS Happy Hour

Spring in NYC

Spring is my favorite time in New York. Living here, I appreciate the different seasons more than ever. It feels fantastic to thaw out after the long, harsh winter. The weather is awesome these days and it's lovely to see the trees and flowers blooming!

Here are some photos I took over the weekend in Central Park and Carl Schurz Park.

The Search Continues...

I'm meeting with a broker again tomorrow to see more apartments on the Upper West Side. I've seen around ten so far, and I saw one place yesterday that I really like.

Here are some pictures of the current top pick:



The kitchen is really small


It's a corner apartment, so there are lots of windows and the views are nice


Central Park is at the end of the street



The Pros:
* Ideal location - it's in my favorite part of the Upper West Side - one block from Central Park, one block from Magnolia Bakery, one block from our favorite movie theater, very close to my favorite stores, very close to the subway, 5 minute walk to work for me, 25 minute walk to work for Joe

*Very bright with lots of windows

*Two bedrooms - space for a guest room/office now and a nursery later

*Bathroom and kitchen have been recently updated - It would be awesome to have a dishwasher again

The Cons:
*It's on the fourth floor of a walk-up - Sounds bad, but we currently live in a third floor apartment and almost always take the stairs

*No laundry in the building - but there's a laundromat one block away, we only do laundry once every two weeks and drop off service is cheap here

*The living room and kitchen are small - The kitchen is not separate from the living area - Not sure we'd fit our dining table

After sleeping on it last night, I really want this apartment. I stopped to see the building again on my way to work. Oh, and I think I've been getting signs that it's the right place. I was walking in the park this morning, thinking about the apartment, and I walked past three people with UT shirts on. It gave me a happy feeling like I was on the right track. After work, I saw Victor Garber near the apartment and tonight I was watching Seinfeld and Jerry goes to a restaurant that's right next to the apartment. You can see it in the picture above. It's the place with the yellow awning.

I'm seeing more apartments tomorrow and we hope to make our decision by tomorrow night. Stay tuned!

The Downside of Living in Manhattan

I began my apartment search in earnest today, and was in for a big reality check. I walked into a broker's office this afternoon to inquire about two bedroom apartments on the Upper West Side. I wasn't really planning to see any apartments today, but they said they had a few I could see this afternoon. I ended up seeing four apartments. It was a sad, depressing experience. All four apartments have one bedroom, and cost more than we were hoping to spend on a two bedroom apartment. It wouldn't have been so bad if they had been nice apartments, but they weren't. Two of the apartments had kitchens the size of a hotel kitchenette. I'm talking a mini fridge and a two burner stove on one wall of the living room. Another was somehow classified as a one bedroom, but I'm not sure why, because the bedroom opened up into the living room with no door, and the "bedroom" area had no windows. Another apartment, while otherwise nice, had a bedroom so small that we'd have to position our queen size bed sideways against the wall for it to fit. Ugh! I should have taken some pictures, but I was in too much shock to remember. I shouldn't have gone in alone. I needed moral support. Joe had class this afternoon. I think it was made worse by the fact that I was imagining bringing our (unborn, yet to be conceived) baby home there. It made me very sad. I'm praying that Thursday goes better. I'm going to see more apartments and a friend is going to come with me. I'm trying to stay positive!

New York Bucket List

While having lunch with friends a few days ago, someone asked the question, "What's on your New York bucket list?" In other words, what are the things I still need/want to do before I leave New York. It got me thinking more about the things that are still on my NYC to do list.

Here are a few.

See Wicked. Everyone raves about this show, and I absolutely love the song, "Defying Gravity". I've tried three times now to get tickets through the front row ticket lottery, and have failed. I think I'm going to have to suck it up and pay full price. Anyone want to go?



Go to an outdoor movie screening. In the summer, there are free movies shown in the parks. I wanted to go to one last summer, but never got around to it. This summer, I'm doing it.



Spend a day in Central Park with a child, visiting the Zoo and the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre. I'm in Central Park all the time, but these are two things that I'd feel strange doing without a kid in tow.

Afternoon tea at the Palm Court in The Plaza. It's scheduled to reopen TODAY after being closed over a year for renovations.



See a jazz show at the Village Vanguard.

Spend a weekend in the Hamptons.

Good Times at Columbia Business School

Click on the link below to view photos of Joe's cluster at Columbia Business School. I make several appearances, too. ;)

Ziggy Zaggy Ziggy Zaggy

Sex and the City 2

West 120th Street

When Joe and I moved to New York in December of 2008 for him to attend Columbia Business School, we were very excited to move into our Columbia-owned apartment. International students get priority over American students and there are lots of international students at Columbia. Luckily, a few weeks before school started and before we had signed a lease on another apartment, we got the good news that we were being offered a Columbia apartment. We happily accepted the apartment, sight unseen. We weren't quite sure what we'd end up with, but we were very pleased when we arrived! I love our little one bedroom apartment on West 120th Street! It may be the smallest home I've ever had (aside from the dorm room I shared with Mandy freshman year), but it's my favorite. I really love our street! It's so awesome, in fact, that the NYC bus tours drive along it.

Here's a tour.

The east end of our street borders Morningside Park.


The west end of our street borders Riverside Park.


The Columbia University campus borders the south side of our street.


Teacher's College, The Union Theological Seminary and The Riverside Church are on the north side of the street.






I feel very lucky to live on West 120th and see so much beauty! It puts a smile on my face every day. Joe is graduating next month and we'll be moving into a new apartment. It will be exciting to live in a new neighborhood, but I will undoubtedly always have a very special place in my heart for my first home in New York.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Today was beautiful with temperatures reaching into the low eighties. Along with two friends, I set out to visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for the first time. On the way there, we stopped at Century 21. I picked up this cute little dress (mine is orange).



After some shopping, we headed over to Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is in Park Slope, next to the Brooklyn Museum. With admission at $4.00 (with a student ID), it's a bargain. The cherry blossom and magnolia trees were in full bloom and quite lovely.




The tulips were also in full bloom.




On the way home, we made a brief stop at the Atlantic Avenue Target. Trips to Target have become more rare and exciting since moving to NYC, since it's kind of a trek to get there.

It was a great afternoon with the girls, and it made me want to visit the larger New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx very soon.

I Want This

I love this poster! It will definitely be hanging on one of the walls in my new apartment.

Spring Dresses

One of my favorite things about spring is wearing dresses again. For the past week, it's been in the seventies and eighties in NYC, which is absolutely perfect weather for wearing a dress.

Here are a few beauties I've added to my closet over the past few weeks.

These two are Liberty of London for Target.





This dress is from Anthropologie. I'll be wearing it to Joe's graduation from Columbia next month. I saw this dress online and fell in love. When I went to the store, there was one left and it was in my size. AND it was on sale. I took it as a sign that the dress was meant to be mine. It's called the New York, New York dress, and it features spring tulips in Rockefeller Center and one of Olmstead's lovely Central Park bridges.

Subway Token Necklace

Since seeing the movie Julie and Julia, I've wanted one of the NYC subway token charms that Amy Adams wears. Today I went to the MTA store in Grand Central Station and bought one. I'm loving it!