Welcome back!

I know, I know, we've been gone a while. Things have been a bit crazy, and also a little uneventful, if you can believe it! We're getting more settled into our apartment, have gotten more of our stuff in the mail, and are starting to relax a bit. Since our little "mishap" with the apartment, we've fixed the windows, been fingerprinted...

and have moved on. We're safe! :) We promise! We're even getting the other gate installed on our window on Saturday.

Before the excitement of that Thursday afternoon, we headed down to the Lower East Side to visit The Doughnut Plant. Bobby Flay has a show on Food Network where he finds the best of the best and challenges them to a "Throwdown." This guy supposedly had the best doughnuts, so we had to go!


We had peach with a fresh peach glaze, tres leches (the winning doughnut from the show), peanut butter and jelly, blackout, coconut, and Valrhona chocolate. They were GOOD and we're going back soon.

What we had planned the day our apartment security was breached was a trip to Central Park. Needless to say, that got postponed, but only until the next day. We wandered around for a while, thought we had gone pretty far into the park, only to realize that we had only covered about 1/3 of it, if that. It's really an amazing place with a lot of interesting people, and all kinds of things to discover.


This is the Bethesda Fountain, and just south of it is The Mall, which you can see on the DVD cover of When Harry Met Sally.


This is the Loeb Boathouse where people with lots of money can eat and get married. It's also on The Lake where you can rent canoes and paddle around, but not on a Sunday because you will stand in line FOREVER.


Here is Kendra standing on a bridge, over The Lake, with the Upper West Side in the background. We live on the Upper East Side. We don't go west. At least not yet...that's unfamiliar territory.


Here we have Belvedere Lake as seen from Belvedere Castle. Just beyond that is the Great Lawn. That's about as far north as we've gone. For a little perspective, Central Park starts at 59th Street and ends up at 110th street. The Great Lawn is just above 80th Street, and we haven't even gone all the way to the West side yet. 843 ares is a lot of land in the middle of this huge city. It's great.

The other day, we decided to go meet some Friends. Kind of.

It's the Friends apartment building! I was very excited to find this since I'm kind of in love with that show. It's in a quiet, cute little area of the West Village. There's a cafe on the ground floor, but it's not Central Perk. We're planning on seeing other famous spots from our favorite shows (or even running into a taping of some) but are still trying to find the others.

Our most recent outing from today was a bit more intense; We went down to the World Trade Center site. There's still not much going on there but construction, you can't really see anything unless they've opened the fence to let a truck in or out, but it's still worth seeing. There is a visitor center set up, and you can take guided walking tours, but we decided we wouldn't be able to handle that. Instead we walked around the outside of the construction fence and peeked in when we had a chance.


The buildings in the background are on the opposite end of the site. They have posters on them (you can almost make them out) that show what the new WTC site is going to look like when it's finished in 2012. It will be interesting to see once it's all done.

Instead of going into the visitor center we found a memorial just around the corner. It was beautifully done and pretty big. There are a lot of pictures, so hopefully you can get the idea.










That's what we've been up to for the past few weeks! Hopefully you'll see that we're doing great, having fun, and that will now live in a stronghold; no one is getting in here again!

Challenged, but not broken

Some of you have heard by now, and others have not, but on Thursday of last week, Colleen and I had our apartment broken into and some of our things stolen: both of our computers, my iPod and speakers, and some other assorted things. It was sometime in the afternoon, during the 4 hours we were gone from the apartment. We are safe, glad it happened when we weren't there, and have fixed the problem.

We had no idea that our windows opened from the top as well as the bottom, meaning that the windows with the a/c units could still open from the top down. Whoever broke in did so by sliding the top of the window down and "spider-manning" it in as the poilce officer said. Had we known they opened both ways, we would have blocked it. But now we know, and the windows are secured to prevent further issues. The police were called, an evidence collection team came and found a print on my drawer, so I was fully finger printed for comparison. Sort of exciting, I guess. We are just grateful to now be safe, and discovered our weakness before the rest of our stuff had even arrived. We are pretty sure whoever broke in was disappointed by our mostly-empty apartment. Plus both of our computers are old and have very short battery life, so maybe they should have gone for someone else's stuff. Only problem is that now we no longer have computers. I may go get one today, but in the meanwhile, no pictures will be posted (as we don't have any anymore) and blog entries may be delayed. Also, Colleen is now challenged with applying for jobs with no computer, so wish her luck and hook her up with any connections you may have in this fabulous city. Yes, we still think it is fabulous.

The good news is that it got us to secure those windows, as well as get another deadbolt installed on our front door, something we have been meaning to do. Not that that is how they got in, but it is a very important safety measure we needed to address. We now lovingly refer to our apartment as the "crime scene". So please, don't be scared for us, we are fine, and hope you come brave a visit - we're thinking of making "I survived the crime scene" T-shirts, so be sure to give us your shirt size before arrival. (=

These are a few of our favorite things...

Kendra here. (= Happy Saturday!

Sorry we've been dark for a little while - things have been a bit hectic to say the least...We're slowly but surely getting settled. It's funny how things you take for granted as being so easy to do (ie, run to Target to pick something up) become a whole day trip and multiple subway connections later. Yep, that's right - we braved our first trip to the Target in Brooklyn. The nice part is that the mall it is in is attached to the subway station. The problem is that that subway station is HUGE! We were wandering up and down stairs around that place forever just trying to find the surface. But many hours later we had successfully done Target, and managed to only purchase what we could carry. I think that's the hardest part: you no longer have a whole car to load with your findings - you have your 2 hands or you get a cart. Since we have not yet purchased a hand cart, we're stuck with what we can carry. And somehow we always end up on the subway back right at rush hour, which means everyone around us hates our giant bags as much as we do. Whoops.

Pictures aren't available right now, but we thought we'd compile a little list of our "favorite" things in NYC so far:
- Looking for rats in the subway - they run around on the tracks periodically and it helps distract you from how darn hot it is down there before your nice, air-conditioned train shows up. The bad: Waiting for the R train and seeing well over a dozen rats coming out of a hole in the wall ON THE PLATFORM. Especially when the biggest rat we've ever seen was running straight for us. We immediately scurried to the other end of the platform. Yuck!

- Walking down the street, enjoying the cool afternoon air, and walking by the guy peeing between cars in daylight. But the best was the evening there was a mom telling her little boy it was ok, just go on that car there, no one will see you. Way to go mom, teach them at a young age.

- So you hear it all the time: people in New York are soooo rude. Well, so far, people have been fine. Tourists make walking down the street a little more difficult, but for the most part, everyday people are nice. We found where the rude ones are hiding - in retail stores. Of all the shopping we have done, there have been 3 sales employees who have been friendly (2 of which were at Home Depot, where I think it is a pre-req to being hired). And one of them just moved here from San Diego as well, so I don't think he counts. Maybe someday we'll get over the lack of customer service skills in this city, but really it is just sad.

- The birds, pigeons in particular. They all fly quite close to you, making us both duck our heads when one is coming. For the most part, this is not actually necessary because these birds know where they are going, and want to avoid you as much as you hope they do. However, we encountered a pigeon who had a malfunctioning GPS system: after narrowly missing a collision with our heads, it flew directly into the wheel well of a taxi with a very loud thunk. Whoops. I think it survived, and hopefully walked everywhere for the rest of the day.

I think these are the oddities that make city life so fun. We're certainly taking them in and getting a good laugh.

Sorry if we aren't very good at returning calls so far, but we appreciate the phone calls, messages, emails and comments left. Everyone is so incredibly supportive and excited for us. It's nice when we have our more challenging days to know how much love and support we have. We feel bad, because people call us, all excited, "What are you doing???!!!?" This happened yesterday when I talked to my sister, Nicole. I asked if she would be disappointed to hear we were sitting on the couch watching Jeopardy. Her response was priceless: "That's not disappointing! You are watching Jeopardy on the couch in YOUR apartment in NEW YORK!" Hah. I guess living here means not always being so exciting, but the physical location of NYC adds a level of interest. We're happy to keep sharing the mundane, if you keep finding it interesting. We'll get better at updating more frequently again, we promise. And pictures to follow in a bit - we spent the afternoon at Central Park yesterday, and it is stunning. I can't get over the sheer size of it! Hope all is fabulous with you. (=



NYC Factoid of the day: Most vertical windows in this city open from the bottom...and the top! Did you know that? We certainly didn't...live and learn, right?

Starting to Feel Like Home

We have our apartment! And after many hours on Craigslist, and two (incomplete) trips to Ikea, it's beginning to feel like we actually have a home! All we need now is our stuff...and for it all to fit.

Want to know what a New York apartment looks like?

Here is our bedroom and closet (which is actually pretty big...and we'll need it!)


Our lovely windows in the bedroom


Kendra standing in the kitchen, with half the living room in the foreground (we didn't get too many pictures of the empty place)



One of Kendra's favorite things to do here is to make friends with Craigslist sellers, since we still don't really know anyone else yet (looking for apartments and jobs doesn't leave much room in the social calendar). We sold all our furniture in San Diego, so we're starting over with everything. We search for sale items on the Upper East Side that we want/need, and then we stop by, pick up our new furnishings, and roll them down the street on the fold-up dolly. It's really fun!

That's me with our TWO air conditioners for $75


Kendra and our $20 microwave


And an Ikea chair with matching ottoman, the only thing we had to sit on at the time.



We moved all this in one day and we included in Ikea trip. The closest Ikea is in Brooklyn and they have their own ferry (a NYC water taxi really, but it's a ferry) that takes you straight to Ikea's own dock.



It was like going to an amusement park: long lines, so crowded, and they have their own transportation! We spent a while in Ikea (about 3.5 hours) and made sure we picked out everything we wanted to get later. That was Sunday. On Tuesday Kendra's cousin, Tyler, helped us out with a ZipCar (they describe it as car borrowing) and we made one more trip to get our beds, a table, bookcase, rugs, and a few other thing we couldn't take home on the subway. We are starting to understand how people move in New York: Once...that's it.

Here's the Zip Car all packed...


...and me in the back seat!



So after many days of shopping, carrying big bags onto the subway at rush hour, and one dropped television, our apartment is furnished! Well, almost...we still need our boxes from San Diego...but it looks like someone actually lives at our new home. Very exciting!

Here's our bedroom with our cute rug that we're going to try and keep clean


Our Ikea chair and sofa bed so when we have visitors they'll have a place to sleep (and the mattress still has the plastic on it, so it was a safe Craigslist buy)


We got this 32" TV from Craigslist for $65 and as we were bringing it into the building, we dropped/set it down on the curb because it's so heavy

We're thinking it's a little too big, but it will do for now...and it's smaller than the 42" TV that Kendra originally wanted

And our miniature kitchen! The microwave had to go on top of the cabinets, and we also got a kitchen cart for some added counter space, since it's almost non-existant.



That's where we are now. Waiting for our things to arrive and thinking of ways to make it all fit. We're doing well for only being here two weeks. It's been a great move so far.

Putting Down Roots

Well it may have felt like hell on earth, but the search is over - we got an apartment! It's a 1 bedroom on the Upper East Side, but we're thinking the bedroom will be large enough for 2 twin beds, and with a large living room. It's on the first floor, but at the back of the building so it looks out over a garden area about a story up (so it feels more like the second floor). And it is on the best street! So classic New York - tree-lined, and surrounded by brownstones. Ours isn't as cute from outside, but at least the street itself is cute. Very close to the subway, which will be nice when the cold and rain really hit. No laundry in the building, but there is a laundry service right outside the door: it's perfect! You drop off your dirty laundry and pick it back up all clean and folded. Not a bad deal.

We signed the lease yesterday (after an interview with the management company!) and get to pick up the keys in the morning! So exciting, and such a relief to have that challenge behind us. We had some very low points where we wanted to give up, having felt like we had seen every 1 bedroom on the Upper East Side, but we persevered and made it! Now it's onto furniture accumulation, but that will seem like a breeze after the torture of apartment hunting.

And the other great news is that I got a job! I got my official offer from Cornell Medical School to work in a cancer research lab with pediatric oncologists. I have a meeting with HR on Monday, but I should be all set! Such a relief, and I think I will learn a lot. My specific role in the lab is working with various brain cancers, and the research sounds very new and very interesting. My dad compares it to going to grad school, with how much I will learn from this. And whether I end up pursuing medicine or research or not, this will be an incredible experience. So wish me luck and I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Pictures of the apartment to come - stay posted!

Although we love our new city...

...we have found Hell on Earth. If you've ever wondered, "hmm...I wonder what Hell on Earth is like" we have the answer: Looking for an apartment in Manhattan, in August, with no job, and an out-of-state guarantor.

You call people about apartment postings, and when they hear that you've just moved here and are "in between jobs" they act like you're nuts! Then they ask if you plan on getting a job, you joke with them and say "Well, no I was just going to see what happens" and they don't seem to think that's too funny.

And the apartments go so fast! The minute you say you'll take it, someone else was a minute before you and it's already long gone.

I think the most frustrating part is that with jobs, Kendra and I would be making enough to get an apartment without a guarantor (also known as a co-signer because, that's right, we don't have jobs) but even having a guarantor from California doesn't do too much good. Apparently they use the mob out here to get their money and they don't like fly across the country if need be. We had one woman tell us that a guarantor from out-of-state "doesn't help us at all" and we finally had to give an in-state name and address for papers to be served should we not pay our rent.

One apartment we liked wanted SIX references each, on letterhead, and signed, just to get started in the approval process.

If finding an apartment is Hell, then Brokers are the devil. Basically, a broker has magic keys that, once you decide on an apartment, BAM! they get $3000! If you use a broker, which is hard to get around since everyone and their mom has a license, they get 15% of your first year's rent. It's unbelievable and should be illegal.

And it's SO HOT! 85 degrees yesterday but the humidity makes it feel like 90 and you're walking up 6 flights of stairs that you SWEAR you've already seen because it's the 30th apartment you've been to in the same area. Don't you wish you had moved with us?!

We're not complaining though because we know this is going to be the hardest part, it's just too unbelievable not to share. As we were heading to one appointment yesterday, we stopped and noticed the Empire State building and that calmed us down a bit. Some things have been really difficult so far, but then we look up and see these amazing things and we realize why we moved. We wanted to really experience this city and we are doing that, and have been since we arrived last Thursday.

Don't worry! We're doing fine, and things are only going to get better! Our new motto for right now is, "You're only allowed to Panic! at the Disco"