Home Eat Home

The past two weeks have probably been the most hectic and the most exciting weeks of my life. Upon FINALLY receiving a job offer two weeks ago from tomorrow, my life has been running in overdrive. In anticipation of finding an apartment, I first I went home to Massachusetts to pack up all my things here. After a few days, my mom and I returned to New York to meet with a broker. Two of my friends also used this broker in their apartment search and highly recommended him. We managed to see 6 apartments in just a few hours, and 45 minutes later I had an apartment--signed, sealed, and delivered! Based on some horror stories I've heard, I was expecting absolute mayhem, but this was one of the quickest, smoothest processes I've ever dealt with. (Housing at BC was 1 million times worse than this!) So for anyone reading this who is also looking for an apartment in Manhattan, I also HIGHLY recommend this broker. He truly was a miracle worker. (If you want his contact info, just let me know and I'll send it to you).

I'm sure that the only people reading this blog are friends and family, but for safety reasons, I will only say that my new apartment is in Chelsea. I could not be more thrilled by the location. There's a gym and a grocery store 1 block away, and the subway I take to work is literally on my corner. On top of that, Bed Bath & Beyond, The Container Store, Sleepy's, and Best Buy are all within a 2 block radius. This has made my moving-in process sooo much easier. In 3 days I managed to go to Bed Bath & Beyond 3 separate times, and I STILL have things I need to get. Who knew that one person and one tiny apartment would require so much STUFF?! I'm also a compulsive list-maker, so every day I keep adding on little things to buy.

Shopping for a new apartment has been fun, but I cannot wait until everything is all settled. Not only do I want a cozy place to live, but hauling Bed Bath & Beyond shopping bags up 4 flights of stairs (yes, there is no elevator in my building) is NO fun. I really have no idea how my dad and I managed to move all of my stuff up 4 flights of stairs, but I am glad the heavy lifting is over. I'm not sure what I'll do when I have to move out...my dad already said he was not doing that again.

Sweat and chaos aside, the best part of moving into this new place? Having an amazing neighborhood to explore and EAT through! Just a few doors down is Westville. This place was hoppin' with people for Sunday brunch. They pride themselves on using the freshest, local ingredients and serving them up in not-so-healthy ways. The menu changes daily, but the fried plantains with cotija cheese and the seafood potpie specials sound especially delicious.

The other place that I'm dying to go to, along with the rest of Manhattan, is Eataly. Eataly is based on the mega-markets you find all over Europe, and this one specializes in Italian food (obviously). I walked by on Saturday afternoon and had to go in to see what all the fuss is about. The place was absolutely mobbed--lines everywhere, people pushing left and right. But once I caught sight at some of the food, I understood why. There is a separate counter for every type of Italian food you can dream off--cheese, fresh pasta, bread, seafood, meats. A food lover's paradise. Tables are set up all around where people can stand and sample whatever they buy. There are also a few sit down restaurants within the whole complex. It was far too crowded for me to wait in line and try something, so it's a good thing that I live so close--I can walk back anytime to buy some fresh pasta or some gelato :)

I may not have a couch, or a rug, or a trash can in my apartment yet, but at least I have Chelsea. With good food around, that's all I need to feel right at home.