After settling into our temporary apartment in East Harlem, and getting settled in at work, we slowly started apartment hunting. We had three months to get to know the city (ha!), get to know the neighbourhoods and find our perfect apartment. Apartment hunting in any city, on any continent can be a drag. That’s a fact, but apartment hunting in NYC was a whole other ball game!
Firstly, rent in NYC is ridiculously high, and regularly ranks amongst some of the top highest rentals in the country! Secondly, space is a rare commodity here. Thirdly the rental market moves quick. Basically, what this meant for us was that finding an affordable apartment, in an area we liked, with a reasonable amount of space before our short-term lease ran out was a bit like a game of Survivor- Outwit.Outlast.Outplay.
Neighbourhood was one of the biggest considerations for me because I am a home body, I love spending time at home so whatever neighbourhood I ended up in, had to be one I was comfortable in. Having lived in the cultural hub that is Spanish Harlem in Manhattan, I was ready for something a little more slow-paced, but with character. So, we turned to BROOKLYN!
Brooklyn is a sprawling borough that has so much character and life, it’s incredible. Depending on which part of Brooklyn you stay in, you could have an easy commute (more on the transit system another day!), and live near the cutest cafés and parks. We settled in a quiet part of Brooklyn that has its fair share of trendy bars, restaurants and cafés, a lovely park not too far away and a relatively easy commute into Manhattan (when the subway is running without a glitch).
It’s been six months of living in our Brooklyn apartment and it’s been great. I walk past at least six cute coffee shops and cafe’s on my way to the train. My favourite thing though, has to be catching the sunset at one of the two waterfront parks that’s right by our home. How stunning?
