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I moved into a doorman building in Kips Bay last year. From the day I moved in, Iāve never locked the door to my apartment. Thereās 500 apartments in my half of the complex, and I figure that between the doorman and the sheer number of options, any prospective thief would be apprehended long before finding my unlocked door. I canāt describe the freedom that I feel from not having to carry keys around with me. My favorite part in Sex, Lies and Videotape is where James Spaderās character talks about the freedom that he has from having all his possessions in his car, and how he only has one key. I feel like Iāve one upped him, and it feels incredible.
Jan 27, 2023
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šmy partner and i were presented with the opportunity to move into a friendās slightly larger and more amenitied apartment up the block, but weād have to break our lease to do so lol
listed our apartment on facebook marketplace to see if anyone was interested in signing the lease so we could move, essentially just putting out feelers and seeing what happened. did not expect to receive dozens upon dozens of messages! i scheduled tours and showed like six people around, all of whom were like where can i sign! and i called our landlord twice.
met with the landlord of the new place and got the paperworkā¦.. truly in the final stepsā¦. only to get home and realize, you know what,,, weāre staying here! and it was literally such a relief to say it.
did it take hundreds of messages from people begging for me to leave my apartment to truly viscerally process that iāve got a good thing? perhaps!
but i think it was more that i had been in a scarcity mindset of like, āwhen we move and i have more space iāll be able toā¦ make the art i want; really feel at home; feel more comfortable; etc.ā and when i really dug into those feelings about it, i simply knew that my home right now presents a growth opportunity to work creatively with the space i have.
didnāt want to admit to myself that i was in that space of forcing things because i initially just wanted to move so badly, i was literally bypassing my felt experience and like, true reactions.
i also felt like it fell into our laps and was this once-in-a-lifetime thing. but really trying to now reinforce that a two bedroom w a dishwasher, balcony, and some bedrooms that look out onto the neighborsā walls is not inimitable. and i want to approach this process from a space where im resourced and generally tranquil.
so iām happy and i ām not moving and im going to buy myself an $8 latte this morning to celebrate!!!!
listed our apartment on facebook marketplace to see if anyone was interested in signing the lease so we could move, essentially just putting out feelers and seeing what happened. did not expect to receive dozens upon dozens of messages! i scheduled tours and showed like six people around, all of whom were like where can i sign! and i called our landlord twice.
met with the landlord of the new place and got the paperworkā¦.. truly in the final stepsā¦. only to get home and realize, you know what,,, weāre staying here! and it was literally such a relief to say it.
did it take hundreds of messages from people begging for me to leave my apartment to truly viscerally process that iāve got a good thing? perhaps!
but i think it was more that i had been in a scarcity mindset of like, āwhen we move and i have more space iāll be able toā¦ make the art i want; really feel at home; feel more comfortable; etc.ā and when i really dug into those feelings about it, i simply knew that my home right now presents a growth opportunity to work creatively with the space i have.
didnāt want to admit to myself that i was in that space of forcing things because i initially just wanted to move so badly, i was literally bypassing my felt experience and like, true reactions.
i also felt like it fell into our laps and was this once-in-a-lifetime thing. but really trying to now reinforce that a two bedroom w a dishwasher, balcony, and some bedrooms that look out onto the neighborsā walls is not inimitable. and i want to approach this process from a space where im resourced and generally tranquil.
so iām happy and i ām not moving and im going to buy myself an $8 latte this morning to celebrate!!!!
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š§„Living in New York means spending a pretty penny on rent, but that also means hopefully living in a neighborhood you enjoy or a home/room you can really make your own. I think it can be hard to feel like youāre not missing out on all of the goings on in your city, but really enjoying your home and just relaxing, watching some tv, reading, or going for a walk around your neighborhood (basically backyard) are all free and let you take advantage of the money you have to spend every month.
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šIām happy renting my little place that lacks all those things, but a man can dream!
Over the past year or so Iāve been able to get some nice furniture, and prints from my favorite photographers. And itās almost always quiet here. And the rent is affordable. Itās quite great here, in fact!
Over the past year or so Iāve been able to get some nice furniture, and prints from my favorite photographers. And itās almost always quiet here. And the rent is affordable. Itās quite great here, in fact!
Top Recs from @vish
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š„ŖMy office used to be above Barneys at 660 Madison Avenue. I used to have lunch at Viand 2-3 times a week at least. I love all Diners, especially ones in New York, but Viand is different. Itās from a long fading tradition of NYC coffee shops - super narrow, with a bar on one side and 2 seater booths on the other. Thereās no bathroom which is shocking to the hordes of tourists who find their way to it after seeing the windows at Bergdorf Goodman or going ice skating in Central Park. Itās also cash only, and their ATM has a $3.00 fee. The thing that separates Viand from other diners is the food. Their versions of everything you know are the best. Theyāre known for their full turkey dinner, which Iāve gotten on Christmas Day before going to Grace Church downtown for their Candlelit Eucharist. Their cheeseburger deluxe is perfect, tuna melt - perfect, Chef Salad - Perfect, BLT - perfect, blueberry muffin on the grill - perfect. Itās also amazingly expensive and I gasp every time I get the bill because it usually means that I have to get more money out at the expensive ATM. The prices keep all the riff raff out, which means that you can always find a seat, and whatās $25 for a perfect sandwich and a coke?
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šI get sick of reading on vacation, and frankly, it seems wrong to stare at pages all day when youāre somewhere fun. For the past few years, my girlfriend and I have rented a house on a Greek Island. Before I leave NYC, I call an art store in Athens and have them stretch a few canvases for me. When I arrive, I pick them up along with some oil paints, turpentine, and some other supplies and go straight to the ferry. At the house, I set up an easel out of ladder and some wood, in a cave next door to the house that has an amazing view of an azure sea cove below. The cave offers some welcome shade from the blazing Greek sunshine, and it feels great to paint pictures in the open air. The cave makes it private, but the opening to the Aegean Sea makes it not feel claustrophobic. The paintings are usually dry by the time we leave, and I got this old lady down the street to hold my supplies until the next summer when I return. I once saw pictures of Julien Schnabelās Montauk studio which is basically a gigantic deck with three huge walls and no ceiling, which was kind of my inspiration for trying this. Painting takes longer than sketching in a little book, and itās more physical than photographs. Every time you look at the paintings, youāll remember the place where you did them. Everyone should try it.
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šEarlier this year I started getting 7-day home delivery of the NY Post. In my building, someone delivers it to my actual apartment door every morning around 5AM. I usually wake up, get the paper, and then I read it in bed before doing anything else. The covers are always perfect, and I love the reporting from Queens and Long Island. The Post is the only paper whoās doing daily coverage of the University of Idaho murders, which I find fascinating. The only thing I hate about the Post is their Gossip Columnist, Cindy Adams. Sheās a total bitch, and I find it completely patronizing when she signs off with āOnly in New York, kidsā¦only in New Yorkā. I suppose thatās what insane people like about her, but I will always be partial to the far superior Liz Smith.