Adventures in NYC apartment hunting

I got back to NYC last Tuesday and lined up a few appointments to view apartments on Friday. Friday turned out to be a really gorgeous day so I cancelled my appointments. Sun tan or a place to live? You can see I've got my priorities straight.

Saturday was an equally gorgeous day and I had to resist the temptation of rooftop tanning with my girlfriend, M. It's only so long before a tanned couch surfer starts to stink on ice! From the pictures I saw I already knew I wanted this apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn (my second appointment) but for $550 a month I knew I had to at least go to my first appointment in Bushwick. I walked 2 blocks from the subway and knew I couldn't live in this neighborhood. I wanted to just turn around and leave but I felt bad for wasting the woman's time and since I was only 4 blocks away I felt obligated to at least show up. She told me the buzzer was broken and gave me her number to call when I reached the apartment. I called, got her voicemail, hung up and got the hell out of there. The woman never even called me back.

That was the first apartment I was seeing and I was already having flashbacks from 3 years ago when I was apartment hunting in Brooklyn. I called one woman and she told me to be careful when I said I would be coming after 6pm. I went to another apartment that smelled and there was a body outline in the bedroom. Another place was an hour outside of Manhattan and I would be sharing the place with 2 gay strippers. I had nothing against their chosen lifestyle and career, the dealbreaker was that my closet would be on a different floor and the place smelled like wet basement. I went to another place where the bedrooms were separated my makeshift dividers. On my way out there were beer bottles and clothes strewn all down the steps as if someone just threw out their cheating boyfriend. "And stay out!"

I was starting to feel hopeless until I missed my stop and got off at Prospect Park. I had to walk a few blocks back to the next apartment I was viewing and fell in love in the neighborhood. People were riding their bikes around, having coffee at a sidewalk cafe, and window shopping on the streets. I started picking up my pace, so excited to see what the apartment would look like. I had a feeling I would love it and as soon as I stepped inside, I did. I fell in love with everything about it.

I would love to say that was the end of my search and I move in at the first of the month but, alas, apartment hunting in NYC is never that easy. You search listings on Craigslist, wait for them to write you back, rush to see the apartment immediately as to not miss out, and 9 times out of 10 the apartment is scary accompanied by equally freaky possible roommates. They are holding the room for a good friend and if she doesn't take it then it's mine. I'm still crossing my fingers but in the meantime I am still stalking craigslists postings.

If anyone knows of a (non-scary) place in Park Slope/Prospect Park/B-burg please send info my way! Thanks!