Postal Carriers

On my way to a post office today--just a few steps outside my apartment building, I asked this nice lady mail carrier if she, by chance, had any Change of Address forms with her. She did! I didn't  have to walk all the way to 35th Street! And she let me take her picture. She told me she used to be a Girl Scout, and therefore was always prepared.

Doormen

The doormen in my building wear a suit and tie to work. They are always friendly and attentive. . . like a good waiter at an expensive restaurant.

You want your shirts back by Tuesday, "No problem." You have a problem with your AC? He'll send someone up right away. They make an effort to greet you by name. They are never grumpy. They will converse with you if you like, or simply look up and nod if you are in a hurry.

I am surprised to find myself wanting to take them with me to my new building. I'll miss these guys.

Renny

Danny

The Things You Miss

There is so much to look at our your window here that it's easy to miss the obvious. For example, remember that $4 water taxi I recently discovered? Apparently it's been chugging up and down the river right outside my bedroom window the whole time we've lived here.

More on DUMBO

This photo is of the inside of a coffee shop in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). Many trendy small eateries in New York lean toward this interior motif, I've noticed. Call it, perhaps, "industrial barn." The idea is they don't want you to know it, but they spent a huge amount of money making this look like they just barely opened the place and are planning to remodel soon.

It's very comforting with all those warm browns and "don't worry about that spill" attitude.

 Here the shop owner has gone to extremes with grape vines and evergreen branches to decorate for Christmas. It really catches your eye and hints there is something unique inside. I didn't go in, however, because I couldn't tell if it was a shop or a residence.

Look at the circular concrete ledges and the smaller blocks toward to back that create steps to the upper level of this DUMBO bookstore.

 

This pointy cupcake can be had at One Girl Cookie. I brought home some amazing homemade granola for my husband--I know, cupcake for me; granola for him!




























Here is the interior of the place--another industrial barn look with exposed brick, funky wire lighting and high ceilings.

DUMBO!

DUMBO stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge. It's located in Queens where old factories and warehouses from the 1800s have been converted into galleries, playhouses and expensive apartments.  

I took the East River Ferry there yesterday. It only took 15 minutes to get there from the 34th Street dock where the ferry originates. I was amazed--because there were three stops in-between. For $4 you can stay on the ferry until it lights at Wall Street and begins it's loop back to 34th Street.

I enjoyed a BLT at a place called Al Mar and some lentil soup. The sandwich was made with organic bacon and had plenty of thinly sliced tomatoes (a failure of many BLTs). The waiter was kind enough to orient me towards the "micro" shops nearby, but it was a very quiet afternoon in DUMBO, and the shops' inventories were low. I'm sure on a warm sunny Saturday, it's quite the place to be.

 

All That for $4?!

The realtor for our new apartment in Long Island City told us about the East River Ferry. For $4 (Let me spell that out just in case you ever wanted to take a boat tour around Manhattan--FOUR DOLLARS AND NO CENTS) you can hop on board this express water taxi and in 6 (I feel the need to spell that out, too--SIX) minutes be on a Manhattan sidewalk.

Yesterday I took the Ferry from the Manhattan side on 34th Street and rode it five "stops" down river where I hopped off and got myself a BLT in DUMBO (See my next entry for more on this).

A nice feature about this is you don't have to have a ticket, just hand the ferry operator $4, and you're good to go!

 This is a large ferry, but it's a speed demon!

 Take your gloves off inside the cabin--it's heated!

 Crossing under the Manhattan Bridge

 Commerce along side the ferry.

Heading to Queens

One thing we weren't prepared for when we moved to New York City was the volatility of rent.

Many of my husband's associates have purchased a home here even though they plan only to stay a 3-5 years. One-year leases are the norm, and when that year is up, you can bet the rent will not stay the same or get any lower.

We're moving across the East River to Long Island City in Queens. It's essentially one subway stop away, yet the rent is much more reasonable (for New York, that is.  . . there is nothing reasonable about rent in New York City!)

As I type this entry, I can see our new apartment from my dining room window.