This is our first new apartment together so I’m super excited to decorate it. I thought that we were too old to buy Ikea furniture but when I got their recent catalog, I was surprised at how many nice things they have! Seriously how can they sell things for so cheap? We’re definitely going to have to make a trek out to one.
Maybe buy some of these kitchen wall organizers to put above the stove. I think the metal looks a lot cleaner.
From Gothamist:
Today marks the first day of National Museum Month. This means, amongst other things, that it’s the first day of Bank of America’s Museums on Us! program. This program allows free access to 56 cultural institutions (19 in New York) – and to this day stands as the only nice thing that BOA has ever done for us cardholders.
Here’s the deal: if you are a Bank of America or MBNA cardholder, you will be able to get in to some museums admission free, all month (with one guest). The New York museums are: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, El Museo del Barrio, International Center of Photography, Museum of Moving Image, P.S.1 Contemporary Arts Center, Rubin Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum, The Jewish Museum, The New York Botanical Garden. In case you’re in the mood for a roadtrip, check out the full list of museums on the program, here (they’re all over the Northeast).
Wow sweet! I have a B of A and an MBNA card. Looks like Mr. Bee and I are headed to a lot of museums this month! 
Just scheduled our internet/cable tv installation with Time Warner. They’re having an internet special so it’s $78.00 for the first six months of cable modem/250 cable channels then $99.00 afterwards.
We’re moving this Saturday and we haven’t even started packing!!! 
Phew but at least we’ll have internet – they’re coming Saturday to install it.
I love love love the Container Store. Moving to Chelsea was a serious option because of Bed Bath and Beyond and the Container Store!
As I’ve mentioned before, we have virtually no closet space but we do have tall ceilings so we have to think vertical. I’m definitely going to use the Container Store’s Elfa shelving systems – in the bathroom, in the kitchen, and maybe even a desk. It looks clean, is fully customizable and is very affordable.
I was considering getting this Taka Trunk from Crate and Barrel ($499) because we really need a lot of storage solutions, but thought it might be too overwhelming of a piece for our small living room.
Tons of storage space inside. We could put remotes into that little drawer on the bottom.
Target is having a huge free shipping sale so I’ve been browsing the site. They actually have a lot of nice furniture pieces. I’d like to get a coffee table that has some storage space in it.
This Havana Coffee Table is only $179.99.
Foldout Coffee Table – $199.99. Could foldup to a side table even.
Apothecary Cocktail Table – $149.99. This would be nicer in a darker color.
I’d like to get a little island like this for more counter space. White Cart with Granite Top – $259.99
We have to buy a sofa, living room rug, tv stand, desk, custom shelves, bed… so much to do!
I was craving steak tonight but was too lazy to get dressed up so Mr. Bee and I went to the Knickerbocker Bar and Grill just south of Union Square. It’s a really laid back place.
Mr. Bee had already had dinner so he just ordered a salad. I ordered the t-bone (their specialty) which came with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach.
Extremely generous portion of steak and sides for only $37! It’s not an awesome steak, but it’s a good steak.
My favorite NY steakhouses:
1. Striphouse (best ribeye and side dishes)
2. MarkJoseph (great service)
3. Del Frisco’s (amazing service)
I’m also a fan of Ruth’s Chris – I’ve been to many different locations and sometimes it’s great, sometimes not so great. Morton’s is also good. Wasn’t too impressed with Keens Steakhouse. I’ve never been to Peter Luger to tell you the truth – they’re famous for their porterhouse and I’m more of a ribeye fan myself. I’m determined to try all the great steaks in NY cuz I’m a consummate carnivore.
What’s your favorite steakhouse?
I went rollerskating today. Yep skating and not blading – people look at me funny when I roll by in my hot pink skates. Since we’re moving next week, I thought I’d enjoy the rest of the time I have in Battery Park. The best part about living here has definitely been the park along the Hudson – Mr. Bee and I have enjoyed many leisurely walks here.
I thought I’d do a pros and cons list of living in Battery Park in case anyone was interested in living here.
Pros
Cons
I’ll add more as I think of them. It seems like there are a lot of pros, but to me the cons actually outweigh the pros. And though we’re moving into a tiny West Village apartment, I’m excited because I love the neighborhood. I’ll be able to take my laptop to nearby cafes and work, have a huge selection of restaurants and nightlife, be much closer to the subway, and live within walking distance to two friends!
Living in Battery Park seriously stifles my creativity because there’s nothing and no one around here! Sometimes I won’t leave the house at all for 5 straight days. While walking around in Union Square recently I had an epiphany… and I started this blog. I need to be in the center of the city! Besides, we’re not going to live here forever and I want to take advantage of all the city has to offer. 
I’m a horrific shopaholic – I love buying clothes, office supplies, books, pet supplies, food, anything and everything. But Mr. Bee has never criticized my spending tendencies. 
Still over the past 6 months, I have seriously cut back on all shopping.
~~~
Me: I bought this blanket for 50% off! I saved so much money!
Mr. Bee: But you spent money too so you actually spaved!
~~~
Me: I need to buy winter boots.
Mr. Bee: What about the boots you bought last year?
Me: But they’re last season’s boots!
Mr. Bee: Is that bad?
Me: 
(for the record I did not buy new boots)
~~~
Me: I haven’t bought any new clothes or shoes since last November!
Mr. Bee: You love to tell me this.
Me: I don’t think you understand what a miraculous feat this is! Whenever I tell girls that I haven’t shopped in that long, they all let out an audible gasp. It’s positively inconceivable!
And truly, I am still amazed that I have not bought any clothes or shoes since November.
I’ve blogged about my man maid on my personal blog before. He just gave me a call to say hello, so I thought I’d share him with you guys. Awhile back the cleaning company that he was with told me that he was moving out of the country. I was utterly devastated. 
But turns out that he’s actually working on his own now. I’ve had female maids in the past, but I prefer my man maid because he’s stronger – he pulls out my stove and refrigerator and cleans behind it, moves furniture, gets up on ladders and scrubs the bathroom walls… He’s the best maid I’ve ever had plus he’s also a handyman! At $20 an hour he can’t be beat (I usually give at least 25% tip cuz it’s hard work!).
Think you don’t need a maid? Neither did I. But he does everything I don’t want to – floors, bathrooms, inside the refrigerator, etc. He gets the house extra sparkling before in-laws come to visit. 
Or maybe you just need him once in awhile for a deep cleaning (that’s what I usually do). He does my entire apartment in 4 hours (right now I live in a large 2 bedroom) - that’s less than I’d spend on a night on the town. I’d rather stay in and spend that money on having a clean home.
Son Son
860-212-6991
Tell him Bee referred you.
Oh yah you’ll need you own cleaning supplies. This is what I’d recommend you have:
From today’s Manhattan User’s Guide:
If you’re looking for an apartment in Manhattan, check out Listing Square. The listings are posted directly by landlords so there are no broker fees or fees to use the site. I checked it out and it’s easy to navigate, has lots of details about the apartments, exact locations, pictures, etc. But it doesn’t have as many listings as Rent-Direct – the service we used to find our apartment.
Craigslist was a nightmare to navigate with misleading posts and multiple posts for the same apartment, so Rent-Direct worked well for us. Was it worth it? Well we did find a place relatively quickly but there was a LOT of competition. We’d show up to an open house and there’d be 20-30 people there – although maybe it was because we were looking at small buildings in highly coveted areas of the Village. But overall we did have a good experience using Rent-Direct – and it beats paying broker fees!
What I learned from the search:
Show up with a credit report, 2 pay stubs, 2 bank statements, and a letter of employment. Most places require your annual income to be 40-45x the monthly rent. If you make less, you’ll need a tri-state guarantor that makes 75x (or more) the monthly rent. Even more if they don’t reside in the tri-state area. This won’t guarantee you a place, but it never hurts to have a leg up on the competition – in most cases the apartments we looked at were rented out in one day! We didn’t get the first apartment we applied for, but we did get the second.
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