I was fortunate to run into a young man beginning his graduate studies at NYU who lived just a couple of blocks from the previously mentioned MGM Grand. We had met before but whilst at a dinner hosted by Wenarto during my break back in Seattle, we determined that both of us wanted to move out of our then troubling housing nightmares and decided to make a concerted effort to find a place.
Well- he found a gem, an unfinished loft in trendy, artsy Williamsburg full of possibilities. The leasing agent, Saul, was very kind and worked with us with the deposit, agreed to let us renovate however we want and discounted our rent. We got the apartment a couple of weeks later and began the task of moving.
Here we are with our things moved into the empty space, designing what would be our 3 br apartment.
The next weekend we had lumber delivered to begin construction, with of course, Eddie's help.
After moving in all of our stuff into the wee hours of the morning and spending two long days bringing 2X4's, tools, sheetrock, and plywood up 5 flights of stairs, this picture of Raef says it all.
One other note: Everyone complains about driving in NY. Luckily my training dealing with idiots in Seattle when it rains had prepared me for almost anything. So the few times I had driven, I had no idea what everyone was complaining about. Then I got a rental truck and it all became too clear.
After spending 30 minutes and 10 bucks (a dollar a mile) just to get from the rental center to a freeway entrance, I realized I had to pull a U-turn to get on the ramp. There was a turn around but there was also a sign saying, "No trucks." I had a moving van. Did I qualify as a truck? Luckily, there was a police officer directing traffic in the turn around. Within 20 seconds of rolling down my window and sticking my head out of it, the police officer cut me off mid-question and yelled, "Just F'n go!!!!" Thank you NYPD.
Then as I was merging with traffic to get on the freeway and in to the tunnel en route to Brooklyn, I was flagged around my two more of NY's finest in blue. They directed me to pull over and while demanding my id, papers, and rental agreement (and inspecting the back of my empty van) they asked if I had not seen the sign for trucks to stop at that truck stop.... Now I qualify as a truck? Now mind you, the trucks now sandwiching me in were 18 wheelers, dwarfing me in a sea of traffic.
So after they verbally reprimanded me for not stopping, they sent me on my way. In the tunnel, I had a new horror. The lane was about 2 inches wider than the van. The speed limit: 30 mph. So imagine my terrified panic when a cab appeared in my mirror racing at least 70 behind me. He then began flashing his lights and honking non-stop while I tried to focus on keeping the van in the lane in the tunnel and holding in my rage.
After finally getting to the toll booth to cross over into Brooklyn (yeah, thanks a lot Iphone ;-() I was pushed by the surrounding cars into the EZ Pass lane unable to get into the cash only lane due to the courteous nature of NY drivers (although I suspect they all took driver's ed in New Jersey). I waved down another boy in blue and was greeted with a "what in the hell do you think you are doing?" I explained I couldn't get into another lane and can I just give him the $5 to get through the booth. "First it is $15." While waiting for the "second" I stared at the $5 toll sign in front of me. I realized it was $5 for the toll and $10 for him to let me through.
He took the money and reminded me I didn't have an EZ Pass. Thanks buddy.
3 panic attacks later of getting through Brooklyn, being cut off 100 times, and remembering that I was yelled at by 4 police officers, I finally arrived at my old apartment, and understood why driving in NY simply... sucks.
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