Tag Archives: New York City

I spent a year living in the city, from July 2010 to July 2011

How to Live in New York City

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Move here when you’re 18 or 22, maybe even 24. Come from somewhere else-the north, south, west, Xanadu- and come to realize that everyone living in New York is a transplant. Even the ones who grew up on the Upper East Side end up moving into a place downtown, which, as you’ll soon discover, is like moving to a different city.

Discover the cruel and bizarre world of New York City real estate. End up spending an obscene amount of money on something called a broker’s fee, first and last month’s rent and a security deposit. Cry a little bit in the leasing office but remind yourself that you’re so happy to be here.

Picture hearing a man playing the saxophone outside your bedroom window. End up hearing a lot of sirens instead. Figure it’s okay because it’s New York and you’re still so happy to be here.

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Certain moments of living in the city will always stick out to you. Buying plums from a fruit vendor on 34th street and eating three of them on a long walk, the day you spent in bed with your best friend watching Tyra Banks, the amazing rooftop party you attended on a sweltering hot day in July. These memories might seem insignificant but they were all moments when you looked around the city and felt like you were a part of it all.

When you leave the city, you probably won’t come back. Eventually your life in New York will seem so far away and sometimes you’ll even wonder if it really happened. Don’t worry. It did.

Ryan O’Connell — How to Live in New York City (via Michelle)

This week’s highlights

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This past week on the East Coast was tremendous fun, and it was all due to the great people I had the fortune to spend time with. Some highlights:

  • Ken’s wonderful hospitality, and knowledge of the best place on the Oregon Coast to get smoked oysters. I can’t wait until winter break.
  • Coworking with Jeremy, Jason, and Serdar in the WaPo newsroom. I wish them the best of luck solving campaign finance this year.
  • Tuesday Night Drinking Club with Greg, Will, Aaron and everyone else.
  • Finally getting pizza at Roberta’s with Cody, Kate, Albert and Amy. Kate’s grilled pizza is more deserving of two stars from the New York Times.
  • Codeworking with Evan at Chartbeat. Automatticians are a rare breed of awesome.
  • A couple of long runs along the East River, almost as cool as the Westside Highway.
  • The most competitive game of Catan I’ve played yet, with Albert, David, and Ashwin. I learned the defining point of the game is who’s the best trader. Watch out for David’s poker face.
  • Hacking on OkCandidate with Albert at Times Open. Props to him for sticking it out; I look forward to hearing how it finished up.

Now, an overnight flight to Madrid where Michelle awaits. See you on the other side.

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Wow, what an amazingly satisfying dinner at Applewood. Even though it’s only a block away from my old place, this evening was our first time. Michelle and I split zesty calamari for an appetizer. I had an excellent quinoa and grilled summer vegetables entree, and she had fresh Atlantic bass over a great squash risotto. For dessert, we had buttermilk panna cotta. The service was superb and, although somewhat pricey, I highly recommend it.