I guess, first I'll start with explaining that the reason I'm here a week before the program starts on June 3 is to look for an apartment. My roommate Drew met me out here in New York so that we could start apartment searching. We had about 8 showings on Monday (two of which were repeat apartments...oops!) But I guess that's what happens when you call numbers from Craigslist and multiple people have access to the same apartment. But we learned our lesson from that.
I really don't feel like writing out all the hulabaloo we've gone through with the apartment searching except that 1) It has taken up the vast majority of our time so far here in NYC and 2) We have an application in on an apartment and we are waiting to hear back! Pictures will be posted later if we happen to get it. Fingers crossed!
Other than that, I just have to say that I've been to NYC before, and I knew it was big...well, all I explored last time was Manhattan. Right now I'm staying in Brooklyn and my goodness, NYC is BBBBBIIIIIGGGGG. You think you leave enough time for subway travel, but really, you should DOUBLE that time you think will be enough, because seriously if you leave only an hour to travel between lower Manhattan and upper Manhattan you are NOT going to make it in an hour. That's lesson #1 I've learned.
As for the subway system....*grab hair at scalp, pull, and scream*. SERIOUSLY. THEY COULD NOT HAVE MADE IT MORE CONFUSING. Why couldn't they model after Paris's or DC's subway system? There is so many exceptions for the late nights and weekends too. How does one remember everything about it?! Beats me. Subway Map, be prepared to become my best friend for 15 months.
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| ...yup. This may not look bad, but once you zoom in, man...IT'S THE BIGGEST PUZZLE I'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN TO SOLVE. |
On my very little down-time, I've so far completed our first homework assignment for the online seminar I'm enrolled in, and Drew and I went to go see the new WTC building and Times Square. A couple of the people who were showing us apartments gave us some tips on places to eat (that were student affordable too). I also got to have lunch with my friend BG on Tuesday, and I had a really really REALLY good BLT. If you come to visit me, I am taking you to the little pub where I had that BLT. On Wednesday we checked out where Macy's was and ate at a little bar and grill...this is where I discovered 8% tax...bummer. But the food was pretty good. A bit overpriced, but then again, everything is NYC is going to be overpriced according to a Midwesterner like me!
I also took the liberty of looking up where the Packer bars are in NYC. There is NO WAY I'm going to go the whole season without being able to watch a Packer game! I also need a Badger bar. I will learn by heart how to get to these magical places.
I guess that's it for now. I absolutely love the hustle and bustle of the city. In a nutshell, every day I am reminded of a single scene from the movie Madagascar. Do you remember when Alex dreams of steaks in the zoo? Well, I'm talking about right before that, when the zookeepers turned on the ambiance sound of crickets chirping and other "nature sounds", Alex says "They forgot to turn off the ambiance again!" and so Marty kicks the speaker which turns off the ambiance, and what you hear is: honk-crash-screechingtires-weeeeeoooooweeeeoooooambulence-hooooooonnnnnnnkkkkkkkkkfiretruck-etc. etc. (I've been trying for 20 minutes to find a video or something that goes along with this side effect. Nothing does really. Except this I guess.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CslD_6L4oTs
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