6/30/09
The apartment hunt, day 2: conclusions.
Here are the results of today's apartment-hunting:
1) Grand Avenue apartment
Sarah and I were total strangers to the neighborhood, since it's a bit farther east than the scenester-central hub of Williamsburg that we're used to (ie, the stretch of North 6th Street between Driggs Avenue and those god-awful condos). But we're really glad that we got a chance to check it out - because it was awesome. Half of the places we saw were typical, family-oriented neighborhood shops (dollar stores, grocery stores, laundromats, and so on) and the other half were total hipster joints (cute tapas restaurants, trendy bars, and organic coffeeshops). It was definitely a blend of two very different communities, but it worked in a funny sort of way. In any case, it seemed like a fun and eclectic place to live.
The apartment itself was good, but not great. The building seemed nice (we appreciated the functioning intercom system and noted its potential function as a deterent for murderers), and the girls who live there now said that the management was really accomodating and nice. Still, the apartment was pretty cramped and severely lacking in windows (I think we saw maybe one? Two?). So that's a big maybe, but not off the list for good. And the trip was totally worthwhile for the sake of checking out the neighborhood and realizing how much it kicks ass.
2) Bedford apartment
We knew this place had to be cheap for a reason - either it was a scam, or it was hideous enough to completely nullify its ideal location.
Turns out it was the latter.
This apartment made absolutely no sense. The bathroom was the size of a postage stamp and shared a wall with the kitchen, which actually only had one wall (it pretty much just sat on the end of up a miniscule hallway, which led to the first bedroom). Then there was a winding staircase that headed downstairs (it was a "duplex"). The basement contained a strange room that might have been intended as a living room and a bedroom that could not have fit a bed because it was under the staircase and therefore shaped like a pyramid. This, plus the fact that the guy renting it out wasn't even there (I called him to see if he was in the area and to ask whether he wanted to meet in person - he said no) pretty much convinced us that this was the sketchiest apartment in the world.
So our tally for the day was one maybe and one big no. But it was still a worthwhile day of neighborhood exploration (and it concluded with some yummy Thai food), so I'm counting it as a success.
1) Grand Avenue apartment
Sarah and I were total strangers to the neighborhood, since it's a bit farther east than the scenester-central hub of Williamsburg that we're used to (ie, the stretch of North 6th Street between Driggs Avenue and those god-awful condos). But we're really glad that we got a chance to check it out - because it was awesome. Half of the places we saw were typical, family-oriented neighborhood shops (dollar stores, grocery stores, laundromats, and so on) and the other half were total hipster joints (cute tapas restaurants, trendy bars, and organic coffeeshops). It was definitely a blend of two very different communities, but it worked in a funny sort of way. In any case, it seemed like a fun and eclectic place to live.
The apartment itself was good, but not great. The building seemed nice (we appreciated the functioning intercom system and noted its potential function as a deterent for murderers), and the girls who live there now said that the management was really accomodating and nice. Still, the apartment was pretty cramped and severely lacking in windows (I think we saw maybe one? Two?). So that's a big maybe, but not off the list for good. And the trip was totally worthwhile for the sake of checking out the neighborhood and realizing how much it kicks ass.
2) Bedford apartment
We knew this place had to be cheap for a reason - either it was a scam, or it was hideous enough to completely nullify its ideal location.
Turns out it was the latter.
This apartment made absolutely no sense. The bathroom was the size of a postage stamp and shared a wall with the kitchen, which actually only had one wall (it pretty much just sat on the end of up a miniscule hallway, which led to the first bedroom). Then there was a winding staircase that headed downstairs (it was a "duplex"). The basement contained a strange room that might have been intended as a living room and a bedroom that could not have fit a bed because it was under the staircase and therefore shaped like a pyramid. This, plus the fact that the guy renting it out wasn't even there (I called him to see if he was in the area and to ask whether he wanted to meet in person - he said no) pretty much convinced us that this was the sketchiest apartment in the world.
So our tally for the day was one maybe and one big no. But it was still a worthwhile day of neighborhood exploration (and it concluded with some yummy Thai food), so I'm counting it as a success.
6/29/09
Another small victory.
This weekend, my dad thought the toaster broke. So we went out and bought a new toaster. When we got back home, the toaster was working again. Guess who has a new toaster for her apartment.
Thanks mom and dad.
Thanks mom and dad.
Great things from Julie and Ben.
My cousin Julie and her fiance Ben are made of magic. Reasons are as follows:
1) They are having a stoop sale this weekend and giving me dibs. Therefore, I will not have the least furnished apartment in the world come August 1.
2) Ben is a networking machine and is finding me some legit freelance jobs. This is way better than surfing Craigslist for creative gigs.
Apartment furnishings and employment. Two great things.
1) They are having a stoop sale this weekend and giving me dibs. Therefore, I will not have the least furnished apartment in the world come August 1.
2) Ben is a networking machine and is finding me some legit freelance jobs. This is way better than surfing Craigslist for creative gigs.
Apartment furnishings and employment. Two great things.
The apartment hunt, day 2
Today is an exciting day. It is day two of the apartment hunt. And this time, Sarah and I are actually going to look at apartments.
We've got two stops in Williamsburg - one place by the Grand Street L train stop and another near the Bedford stop. The first apartment seems pretty legit - we talked to the current residents on the phone, and they seem like real people (as opposed to Craigslist con artists). The rent is definitely at the very top of our price range, but the location is perfect (right on the L, so I can get directly to Pratt's Chelsea campus without having to transfer). So, we're excited to check it out.
The second apartment might be a hoax. As in, it's way too perfect to cost as little as it costs. The location is nothing short of ideal - right in the middle of the best part of Williamsburg, and pretty much on top of the L train. That, plus the fact that the Craigslist post was written in garbled semi-English with lots of capital letters and asterixes, makes me think that it's probably a total scam. But, there's no harm in checking it out. So I guess we will.
Results to follow after our Williamsburg adventure. Stay tuned.
We've got two stops in Williamsburg - one place by the Grand Street L train stop and another near the Bedford stop. The first apartment seems pretty legit - we talked to the current residents on the phone, and they seem like real people (as opposed to Craigslist con artists). The rent is definitely at the very top of our price range, but the location is perfect (right on the L, so I can get directly to Pratt's Chelsea campus without having to transfer). So, we're excited to check it out.
The second apartment might be a hoax. As in, it's way too perfect to cost as little as it costs. The location is nothing short of ideal - right in the middle of the best part of Williamsburg, and pretty much on top of the L train. That, plus the fact that the Craigslist post was written in garbled semi-English with lots of capital letters and asterixes, makes me think that it's probably a total scam. But, there's no harm in checking it out. So I guess we will.
Results to follow after our Williamsburg adventure. Stay tuned.
Thanks, Pratt.
This morning, I received an email from the Pratt GradComD Office. It read:
Wow. Thanks a lot, Pratt. Thanks for the heads-up. Thanks for rejecting my first application for housing, telling me not to worry because you could totally find additional housing in a different dorm, and then saying "oh nevermind" and rejecting my application for housing again. Thanks for having absolutely zero resources for those of us who weren't given graduate housing - no helpful information about the neighborhood, no message boards or ways of communicating with other students, nothing whatsoever about off-campus housing on your super over-designed and therefore un-navigable university website. Just an email warning us that there are scammers out there looking to fuck with broke-ass grad students who were just dropped on their faces by the Office of Residential Life and Housing.
Thanks.
Dear Incoming Student,Then it linked to that same article from last week's New York Times real estate section.
For those of you who will be moving to NYC to attend the Graduate Communications Design program in Fall 2009, we thought this article might be helpful as you navigate the rental market looking for a place to live. Please be aware of scams, especially on Craig's List.
Wow. Thanks a lot, Pratt. Thanks for the heads-up. Thanks for rejecting my first application for housing, telling me not to worry because you could totally find additional housing in a different dorm, and then saying "oh nevermind" and rejecting my application for housing again. Thanks for having absolutely zero resources for those of us who weren't given graduate housing - no helpful information about the neighborhood, no message boards or ways of communicating with other students, nothing whatsoever about off-campus housing on your super over-designed and therefore un-navigable university website. Just an email warning us that there are scammers out there looking to fuck with broke-ass grad students who were just dropped on their faces by the Office of Residential Life and Housing.
Thanks.
6/28/09
At least my parents have my back.
I woke up today to find that my parents had left me an article on the dining room table (next to a post-it note reminding me to call Dr. Goldberg about my wisdom teeth). The article, from this week's real estate section, tells the tales of novice apartment-hunters who get totally screwed by real estate douchebags looking to make some cash off stupid people. Apparently, bogus application fees are big in the world of real estate fraud:
“Sometimes,” said Mr. Malin of Citi Habitats, “you meet someone at a building and they say they’re having trouble getting into the apartment that was in the listing, so they show you something else in the building and they get you all excited about the one you can’t get into, and ask you for cash on the spot without even a credit check or application.”
One of the most widespread and frequently undetected hustles involves collecting nonrefundable application fees from prospective renters.
The grifters “have the keys to a vacant apartment and hold an open house there, not intending to rent to anyone,” said Bob Brooks, an agent at Century 21 NY Metro. “It’s usually a crazy deal, like a one-bedroom on Greenwich Street for $1,750 that should really be $3,100. So they get a hundred application fees because everyone who sees it, wants it. Application fees could be $50 to $250, but I’ve definitely heard of clients giving $500, or $1,000 or even a month’s rent in cash.”
Sketchy keys-for-cash schemes are popular on Craigslist:
Carried out online where almost all rental transactions begin these days, this ploy separates would-be renters from their money before they so much as set foot inside a dwelling. In this scheme, information and pictures from legitimate rental or sales listings are lifted from other sites and reposted under another name at an eye-poppingly low rent.
“It’s bad enough when another real estate agent takes one of my exclusives and uses the pictures to suck in clients,” said Sabrina Seidner, a vice president at Nest Seekers International whose listing of her own co-op apartment in Inwood was purloined last month. “But when they use it to hurt people and prey on their need for a hot deal, it gives you a bad feeling.”
In her case, someone claiming to have relocated to London advertised Ms. Seidner’s one-bedroom apartment on Craigslist. At least one prospective renter was induced to fill out an application and send personal information before becoming suspicious of a request for a $200 deposit to borrow the keys.
“Two people who contacted me about it had Googled the address of my apartment and found it listed for sale,” Ms. Seidner said.
And then there are people who just totally suck and take your money:
Another young subtenant, Autumn Marie Griffin, 26, discovered she was being scammed only after she had been renting an apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, for two years. Although she had felt initial misgivings about the man and woman she sublet from, she shook them off. Her wake-up call was an eviction notice.
“Basically, the man my roommate and I had been subletting from had been pocketing the rent for almost the whole time,” said Ms. Griffin, a publicist. Their landlord, whose rent was actually a quarter of the $1,150 he was charging them, had forged the building manager’s signature on the sublease the women had signed.
Lesson learned - it's a cruel world out there. But part of me doesn't pity these victims as much as I think I'm supposed to. Sure, I bet there people out there getting screwed in ways that no one could have predicted - and I feel for them. But a lot of the people in this article really had it coming. I mean, Park Avenue apartments for $1,300 a month? Putting down money on an apartment you haven't even seen? Meeting someone at 2 in the morning so they can sweatily explain to you that you can't move in yet and then ask you for more cash? Am I a total asshole to think that these people got ripped off because they were idiots? I completely understand that I know next to nothing about real estate, but what was lacking here was just common sense.
Anyway, I don't think the moral of the story is that Craigslist is evil - it's that Craigslist is evil if you are stupid and not evil if you are smart. Apparently my parents think I am likely to do something completely idiodic, like put down a deposit on an apartment I've never seen before or go meet with fake landlords in the middle of the night.
It's good to know they trust me.
A note on my future roommate.
Sarah and I met at sleepaway camp 10 years ago. We were 12 years old and looked like this (check out Sarah's braces and my exposed training bra):
Sometimes we did really dorky camp things, and then we looked like this:
We've survived canoe mishaps and camping disasters and lived together in cabins in the middle of Maine. Keeping it together in Brooklyn will be a piece of cake.
Sometimes we did really dorky camp things, and then we looked like this:
We've survived canoe mishaps and camping disasters and lived together in cabins in the middle of Maine. Keeping it together in Brooklyn will be a piece of cake.
6/27/09
The apartment hunt, day 1.
I'm going to go ahead and mark yesterday as day one of the apartment hunt. This is very significant (that's why it's in big bold letters).
My roommate-to-be Sarah and I have been browsing Craigslist for a week or so already, but yesterday was the first day we actually left our homes in the search for housing options. Since our actual goal for the day was to explore neighborhoods in order to get a sense of where to eventually go apartment-hunting, I guess we didn't really go apartment-hunting per se. Maybe it was more like neighborhood-hunting than apartment-hunting. But, since we were still hunting for something, I'm still calling it day one of the apartment hunt.
We began our journey in Williamsburg - a place that we both love, probably because we're a pair of overbearingly obnoxious hipsters just like all the other artsy-fartsy college grads looking to solidify their counter-culture lifestyles by relocating to a gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood. Getting out of the L train at Bedford Avenue, we took a walk down North 6th Street and came across a small real estate office advertising some affordable places in the area. Assuming that no harm could come from stopping in, we decided to see what they had on the market.
Wrong.
As it turns out, real estate agents are psychotic and believe that everyone in the world is stupid. This is why, after explaining that we were interested in finding a 2-bedroom apartment for less than $1600 a month where both dogs and cats are allowed, some crazy real estate lady drove us to a 1-bedroom in Greenpoint going for $1650 with a strict no-pet policy. She claimed that the walk-in closet could be used as a second bedroom. When Sarah gently reminded her that this particular apartment actually fit zero of the criteria we had previously mentioned, she drove us back to the office, gave us her card, and said she'd call if anything came up.
Taking matters into our own hands, Sarah and I decided it was time for happy hour. At the bar, we made a three-part list of future apartment furnishings: 1) things I can jack from my family, 2) things she can jack from her family, and 3) things we'll need to buy. At the moment, the most useful things I can provide are a Bruce Springsteen poster, a collapsible chair, and an espresso machine. Maybe some forks. But Sarah has a martini shaker and a cast-iron skillet, so I think we're off to a good start.
Once we finished our discounted drinks, we decided to scope out Clinton Hill. It was pouring rain when we got out of the G train at Clinton and Washington, which really didn't work with our super-cute summer outfits - so we walked a few blocks to the Classon Avenue stop, decided that Clinton Hill was cool, and went home. My parents made us dinner and then we went down to Alphabet City and got shitfaced.
I'm sure we'll have a place in no time.
My roommate-to-be Sarah and I have been browsing Craigslist for a week or so already, but yesterday was the first day we actually left our homes in the search for housing options. Since our actual goal for the day was to explore neighborhoods in order to get a sense of where to eventually go apartment-hunting, I guess we didn't really go apartment-hunting per se. Maybe it was more like neighborhood-hunting than apartment-hunting. But, since we were still hunting for something, I'm still calling it day one of the apartment hunt.
We began our journey in Williamsburg - a place that we both love, probably because we're a pair of overbearingly obnoxious hipsters just like all the other artsy-fartsy college grads looking to solidify their counter-culture lifestyles by relocating to a gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood. Getting out of the L train at Bedford Avenue, we took a walk down North 6th Street and came across a small real estate office advertising some affordable places in the area. Assuming that no harm could come from stopping in, we decided to see what they had on the market.
Wrong.
As it turns out, real estate agents are psychotic and believe that everyone in the world is stupid. This is why, after explaining that we were interested in finding a 2-bedroom apartment for less than $1600 a month where both dogs and cats are allowed, some crazy real estate lady drove us to a 1-bedroom in Greenpoint going for $1650 with a strict no-pet policy. She claimed that the walk-in closet could be used as a second bedroom. When Sarah gently reminded her that this particular apartment actually fit zero of the criteria we had previously mentioned, she drove us back to the office, gave us her card, and said she'd call if anything came up.
Taking matters into our own hands, Sarah and I decided it was time for happy hour. At the bar, we made a three-part list of future apartment furnishings: 1) things I can jack from my family, 2) things she can jack from her family, and 3) things we'll need to buy. At the moment, the most useful things I can provide are a Bruce Springsteen poster, a collapsible chair, and an espresso machine. Maybe some forks. But Sarah has a martini shaker and a cast-iron skillet, so I think we're off to a good start.
Once we finished our discounted drinks, we decided to scope out Clinton Hill. It was pouring rain when we got out of the G train at Clinton and Washington, which really didn't work with our super-cute summer outfits - so we walked a few blocks to the Classon Avenue stop, decided that Clinton Hill was cool, and went home. My parents made us dinner and then we went down to Alphabet City and got shitfaced.
I'm sure we'll have a place in no time.
6/25/09
Someday, I will have an income.
Shopping for shoes while at my internship the other day made me realize that spending money while you are not simultaneously earning money leaves you with progressively less money. If you do this long enough, you end up with zero money. And then you are screwed.
Luckily, though, I have two sources of income in addition to this (hopefully) resume-enhancing internship. Well, one source. And that one's only a hypothetical future source. But hear me out.
1) Pratt gave me a scholarship. This means that I will start my graduate career with a few thousand dollars of pocket money to pay for things like rent and food. However, the thing about scholarships (the thing that makes them not like jobs and therefore not real sources of income) is that they run out. Which brings me to ...
2) I took a bartending course, and am now a Certified Bartender with Alcohol Awareness. Being a certified bartender isn't technically a source of income, but it is a hypothetical future source of income. So, provided that I can get a bartending gig before my scholarship money runs out, I should be all set.
And there you have it - a foolproof financial plan. Add some lucrative freelance positions, and I'll be making bank in no time.
Luckily, though, I have two sources of income in addition to this (hopefully) resume-enhancing internship. Well, one source. And that one's only a hypothetical future source. But hear me out.
1) Pratt gave me a scholarship. This means that I will start my graduate career with a few thousand dollars of pocket money to pay for things like rent and food. However, the thing about scholarships (the thing that makes them not like jobs and therefore not real sources of income) is that they run out. Which brings me to ...
2) I took a bartending course, and am now a Certified Bartender with Alcohol Awareness. Being a certified bartender isn't technically a source of income, but it is a hypothetical future source of income. So, provided that I can get a bartending gig before my scholarship money runs out, I should be all set.
And there you have it - a foolproof financial plan. Add some lucrative freelance positions, and I'll be making bank in no time.
It begins.
Hello world! Welcome to my blog. If you're reading this, you're either 1) genuinely interested in the banalities of my life, 2) bored to tears and desperate for some words on a page, or 3) an extremely loyal friend who is about to get major brownie points for taking the time out of your life to sift through my ramblings. Whichever one it is ... thanks for stopping by.
I decided to start this blog because some friends of mine (who shall remain nameless, mostly because I've forgotten which ones they are) suggested that I document my attempts to become a grown-up after graduating from college. I think they meant to imply that I would struggle in the transition from scattered undergrad to self-sufficient adult, and that my sheltered upbringing and general lack of any notion of reality would preclude the development of even the vaguest sense of maturity.
With this, I will have to respectfully disagree. Clearly a recent graduate with a very practical degree, big plans to earn yet another practical degree, many quality housing options, and a host of employment opportunities on the horizon is perfectly capable of initiating a self-sufficient, mature lifestyle.
If you disregard the fact that I currently live with my parents and spend most weekdays at an unpaid internship during which I mostly eat bagels and sign up for Blogger, I think things are looking pretty good. Also disregard the fact that I can't do math and that sometimes I get lost in my own neighborhood because I'm wearing noise-cancelling headphones that prevent me from paying attention to anything other than my awesome jams. Ignoring those details, however ... I think I'm good to go.
I decided to start this blog because some friends of mine (who shall remain nameless, mostly because I've forgotten which ones they are) suggested that I document my attempts to become a grown-up after graduating from college. I think they meant to imply that I would struggle in the transition from scattered undergrad to self-sufficient adult, and that my sheltered upbringing and general lack of any notion of reality would preclude the development of even the vaguest sense of maturity.
With this, I will have to respectfully disagree. Clearly a recent graduate with a very practical degree, big plans to earn yet another practical degree, many quality housing options, and a host of employment opportunities on the horizon is perfectly capable of initiating a self-sufficient, mature lifestyle.
If you disregard the fact that I currently live with my parents and spend most weekdays at an unpaid internship during which I mostly eat bagels and sign up for Blogger, I think things are looking pretty good. Also disregard the fact that I can't do math and that sometimes I get lost in my own neighborhood because I'm wearing noise-cancelling headphones that prevent me from paying attention to anything other than my awesome jams. Ignoring those details, however ... I think I'm good to go.
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