The Hunt, Part VI (Wonkyness, Not OK)...

Well now that it has been a week since I put in an application on the apartment I fell in love with, I feel as though I have been left at the alter with no explanation. Absolutely nothing has come of my application, and I must move on. But before doing so, I hadn't shared one primary detail (I so very much didn't want to jinx it) about this place and why I so very much wanted it. That detail was location. Location in this case was worth more than the apartment (although is was quite nice), and the sole reason I was willing to pay an extra hundred bucks over my budget. The apartment was located in Greenwich Village, just south of 14th Street and just west of Sixth Avenue. I would have been within walking distance of the world (as well as Whole Foods and Trader Joes), and had easy access to several neighborhoods. Quite simply, It was located in Magic Land. It would have been my ultimate Carry Bradshaw apartment, and I would likely have stayed there for years to come. Unfortunately, apartments in my price range in this area are a very rare breed, and I have had to let go of my fantasy of living in Magic Land for now. Maybe someday...

So, Yesterday I met up with Marcus and we went to look at a nicely priced ($1,500) unit on West 56th St near 9th Avenue. The block was not one of the more attractive ones in Hell's Kitchen, but that is to be expected. The apartment was a fourth floor walk up two room studio. As we were walking there, Marcus got a call about getting the keys to another place he had been working on since the previous day and he had the chance to get them in just a few minutes. So basically, we had a very brief time to look at the apartment on W56th, and my walk through produced two memories. The stairs in the building were weirdly out of alignment (coming home at 3AM, it could be difficult to navigate them, photo above) and the shower was large but kinda icky.

After a quick walk through at the place on 56th, we rushed back to the office a few blocks away where Marcus got keys to an apartment on Columbus Ave between 82nd and 83rd. Apparently this place was popular as we had two other agents go up on the train with us, and there was another person waiting to see it when we got there. So the five of us ascended the stairs to a third floor unit and when the door opened, it was beautiful! The main room had very high ceilings with a white painted brick wall (which I like), it was almost loft like. As I went back to investigate the bathroom and closet situation, I discovered to my amazement a real bedroom! Yes a bedroom about 10x12 in size with a window and a closet. WOW!!! Of course I signaled to Marcus that this was a keeper, and we headed downstairs as quickly as we could to call in and get the ball rolling. Marcus made the call, and before we got to the corner, he got a call back, the unit was gone. No surprise with a rent of $1,650. It was at least 500 square feet.

Well, once again, we just missed a place. We headed back to the office to check for more listings, and basically came up with nothing. I decided to head out to lunch, Marcus said he would keep looking, and that was that.

I went to lunch, and kept thinking about the first place I had seen and about the location and price. The location is pretty good, near trains, near the park, near all the 9th Avenue restaurants, and at $1,500, it really might be workable. If only I could remember the details. I decided I wanted to see it again, and this time I wanted a second opinion. I called my best buddy (and host) and he said he could be there by 6:20, I called Marcus and he said he would arrange to be there as well. I walked the neighborhood for an hour or so to get a feel for it. At first I wasn't sure about the block, there were some folks hanging around that made me question the block, like many other Manhattan blocks, just because it looks kinda scary doesn't mean it is.

Stefan (his real name) meet Marcus and I at 6:20 on the dot, and we proceeded to walk up to the fourth floor. Now I actually had the time to look the place over more closely. The shower was still icky, but I could probably have dealt with that... Same thing with the ickyness in the kitchen. The deal breaker was that while standing at the back of the apartment looking toward the windows, it became clear that the wonkyness of the stairs (photo above) leading up to the place translated into floors that were literally twisted. One side of the room tilted one way, the other side tilted the other way, a bucket of water would flow in an "S" shape. Not good. I began to have an uneasiness about the place and the real fear that the building could/would collapse made clear that I don't want to live there. I told Marcus I would sleep on it, and call him in the AM.

So, there we have it, nearly two weeks, and a dozen apartments... And still no home. I have the luxury of flexibility in my schedule, I don't know what I would do if I were working and trying to find a place.

So today, I am looking again... October first is next week. I will keep you posted as the saga continues.