"Silver Lining"
Now for the more cheery part!
Our apartment is really quite a find, I feel. Though it is small, it is very bright and has a lot of character (only natural for a building at least 75 years old). I cannot wait till we can gradually decorate it and make it more home-y. As far as convenience is concerned, that was the real selling point. It is so easy to get to and from the city. There are many laundromats, colorful produce markets, discount and nice stores, banks, medical facilities merely steps away. There are lovely cafes of all kinds everywhere you look. A lot of establishments are open late to 24 hours which is always a bonus. I know it is not Manhattan (pooh-pooh it if you like), but what I really like about Astoria is that it has a lot more visible sky than Manhattan, but it has that ecclectic, urban feel to balance things out. We were there on Halloween when families were taking the little kiddos out all day long, and the leaves had changed colors. It appears to be as safe a neighborhood as you can find anywhere else. Obviously, I will be cautious anywhere I go, but I did not feel that I was in a seedy part of town at all.
Our broker was the most wonderful, interesting woman. She comes from Bulgaria and her voice is reminiscent of Julia Child (with an accent)! While it is charmingly humorous when she mixes up pronunciations or American sayings ("You will have time for see-sighting now, yes?"), the respect she has garnered in the community, which she knows like the back of her hand, is inspiring. She came to the U.S. about 17 years ago, having grown up under communist rule. She had been an engineer, a good one, and had to start all over again. She has seen a lot of hardship, but is incredibly positive. She was so patient and dedicated to helping us from the time we contacted her over a month ago through this weekend. She works on the same block as our place, so I feel comforted by that. Our landlords have been equally nice so far and I really hope they will like us as tenants also!
Now for the more cheery part!
Our apartment is really quite a find, I feel. Though it is small, it is very bright and has a lot of character (only natural for a building at least 75 years old). I cannot wait till we can gradually decorate it and make it more home-y. As far as convenience is concerned, that was the real selling point. It is so easy to get to and from the city. There are many laundromats, colorful produce markets, discount and nice stores, banks, medical facilities merely steps away. There are lovely cafes of all kinds everywhere you look. A lot of establishments are open late to 24 hours which is always a bonus. I know it is not Manhattan (pooh-pooh it if you like), but what I really like about Astoria is that it has a lot more visible sky than Manhattan, but it has that ecclectic, urban feel to balance things out. We were there on Halloween when families were taking the little kiddos out all day long, and the leaves had changed colors. It appears to be as safe a neighborhood as you can find anywhere else. Obviously, I will be cautious anywhere I go, but I did not feel that I was in a seedy part of town at all.
Our broker was the most wonderful, interesting woman. She comes from Bulgaria and her voice is reminiscent of Julia Child (with an accent)! While it is charmingly humorous when she mixes up pronunciations or American sayings ("You will have time for see-sighting now, yes?"), the respect she has garnered in the community, which she knows like the back of her hand, is inspiring. She came to the U.S. about 17 years ago, having grown up under communist rule. She had been an engineer, a good one, and had to start all over again. She has seen a lot of hardship, but is incredibly positive. She was so patient and dedicated to helping us from the time we contacted her over a month ago through this weekend. She works on the same block as our place, so I feel comforted by that. Our landlords have been equally nice so far and I really hope they will like us as tenants also!
Our last night there, we did get a little time to visit my friends (one of the coolest couples I know) who live on the Upper West Side. Before we even made it to their floor, their adorable rescue beagle came to greet us on the steps! They have been so helpful and I have a lot to learn from them both. Luckily I was able to eat something decent by then because we went to Land Thai!
What am I going to do next? Believe me, I have so many lists going it would make your head spin. Let's just say that I will update as things unroll. I am going to attempt to take one thing off the list at a time.
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