Random differences, but important nonetheless

While driving through southern Indiana this afternoon, I really took in the atmosphere. The greenery, the wildlife and the realization that I would soon be trading it for very different surroundings. The biggest difference, though, will be that I was in fact driving.

Due to the high price of parking a vehicle in NYC and the impossible driving course that is Manhattan, I will not be taking my car to the city. Apparently I will need to learn the subway routes and get accustomed to seeing rats on the tracks. (I saw two in my four day visit earlier this month!) Transportation will most likely be the most challenging change for me during my transition. No longer will the term "railroaded" be used in my vocabulary as I'm sure the New York natives have never heard of the term. The coasting of my Ford Escape behind a John Deere on a back road will soon become the abrupt stop-and-go of a taxi behind a Maserati.

Now to completely change the subject...

I had the opportunity of attending karaoke at a local restaurant this week where I realized there is something about the Midwestern feel that I'm really going to miss. As I watched the 60-year-old man dressed in plaid sing Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me" while incorporating hand gestures to the line "Picture this we were both butt naked..." (you know the rest), I paused to really see the charm of it all. Where else can you get this kind of sheer entertainment that makes you feel so uncomfortable because the performer is so comfortable? Not Broadway! Only in a small town of Indiana will you see these characters who butcher every country song in the books and feel as if they truly are Keith Urban or Tim McGraw putting on a concert.

Similarities will be few, but I'm ready for the "new."

Beautiful people

It is no wonder New York City is known for the fittest, most fashionable, beautiful people in the world- the town is made to accommodate this lifestyle! First, you’ll notice that every street from the Upper East to the Upper West side is lined with shops. Shopping for shoes, clothes and not mention the mother of all Tiffany & Co. stores downtown.

So once you’ve successfully dressed to impress, it’s on to getting into shape. A trend you’ll notice at each restaurant, from local cafés to Sbarro, is that calories are listed beside each entrée item regardless of how large the count may be. So, you may think twice before indulging in that extra breadstick knowing it is in fact another 250 calories. This may be why the streets seem to be lined with modelesque men and women every day. This also may be why Indiana consistently ranks in the top 15 fattest states in America, according to some online poles, while New York remains at the bottom of the totem pole closer to 40^th. The need to take public transportation also keeps New Yorkers walking and exercising, as well.

Manicures and pedicures are frequented often too because of the extremely low prices. How low you ask? A full manicure and pedicure is $19 for both at most places I have seen! It is no wonder every person keeps their hands and feet fully primped when it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to maintain them!

Relaxation is the key to not being stressed out and thus preventing the effects of aging. Good thing New York City has a massage parlor on every block so the population remains stress-free and thus, beautiful. Other states may want to take a lesson from this New York trend and start whipping their citizens into shape!

The city helps you look your best better than those states in the Midwest!

Learning the rules

There are many lessons that a New Yorker must learn when tackling the city for the first time. Luckily Alex and I had the privilege of touring the city with a native city slicker, our real-estate agent, Joe, and we got the rundown as to the proper mannerisms of NYC.

We experienced a very rainy day during one of our apartment hunting trips which taught us lesson number one- you must have a durable, wind-proof, rain-proof, fire-proof and any other proof umbrella if you want to maximize its efficiency in the city. When Joe met us with his large and in charge golfing umbrella, we knew that cheapo one we bought at the local CVS wasn’t going to cut it. As we both huddled under this umbrella while maintaining a mix of grace and speed down the street, we soon experienced the tourist faux pas of a faulty umbrella. The wind was unforgiving and our umbrella flipped inside out multiple times leaving us wet, but educated. We will invest in some strong umbrellas upon our arrival for good.

The second lesson we learned was taxi-hailing etiquette. As Joe stood on the street watching taxi after taxi pass without lifting his arm to stop one, Alex and I inquired as to why he wasn’t asking one to stop. It turns out, taxis let you know when they are full, off-duty, or available by the lights on the top. No, those aren’t simply to make them seem more cliché, but they in fact do serve a purpose. If both outside lights are on, it means the cab is off duty. So unless your stop happens to be on their way home, you have no chance of getting them to stop. If all the lights are off, the cab already has passengers and this guy too will not stop at your frantically waiving hand. Now, if the center light is on, ding-ding-ding, that is the only instance in which the cab will stop to pick you up. So to make you seem more like a New Yorker, do not wave at every passing cab.

Lesson number three- you must learn every borough, neighborhood and landmark in the city if you want to get around. You’ll notice in the subway system that the signs don’t simply point you North, South, East or West but rather toward specific areas around the city. For example, you need to know if you need to hop on the subway going toward Brighton Beach or the Bronx. So, you better grab a map or memorize the city in order to successfully reach your destination.

There is lots to know if you want to be a pro in NYC.

Changing spaces

Furnishing the odd measurements of a 100-year-old apartment has its ups and downs. Now that I've officially transitioned from the 'throw-everything-together-in-hopes-that-it-matches' college mindset, I'm paying attention to the details so minute as the wood coloring in the side table matching the wood in the entertainment center exactly.


Curtains, now that is the tricky part. Why did they make windows eight feet high and one foot wide in 1900? Perhaps it was so nobody could escape, or they wanted to light the room vertically. Either way, it's annoying to find curtains that fit in 2010!


Now the ups you ask? Well, I am already anticipating hanging stockings on our fireplace that is unusable, but antique and awesome nonetheless. Christmastime will be extraordinary this year with this new addition. And the high ceilings of my new joint make the room seem surprisingly bigger despite its measurements- what a great set up for a tall Christmas tree! Ok, so most of the benefits of this small space won't be reaped until December...


The little details about an NYC apartment as opposed to an Indiana apartment haven't gone unnoticed either. For example, I now have to worry about the size of the dish drying rack, because we don't have a dishwasher, and the mode of transportation of my laundry to and from the nearest cleaners, since we don't have a washer and dryer. Be advised that many appliances that you have taken for granted in Indiana will not be available in your NYC home. Air conditioning-forget about it.

Off we go to decorate and appreciate life in the fast lane!

Not exactly corn fields and Amish folk

As my plane descended into New York City for the first time, I noticed I would soon be trading the flat terrain of the Midwest for the concrete jungle that is The Big Apple- but the landscape is not the only thing that would be changing. In fact, my entire lifestyle learned in 22 years in Indiana would be flipped 180 degrees.

Within 15 minutes of being outside of my terminal at La Guardia, I was bombarded with a little New York wheeling and dealing of cab and limo drivers. I soon realized this was commonplace not only with your choice of transportation, but with cafes, comedy shows and even a 21-minute massage. (Still not quite sure about the math in that one.) As I dodged the continuously honking traffic, clearly disregarding the ”no-honking” law, and the dog-walkers and baby-pushers, I arrived at my hotel on the Upper West Side which was quaint with narrow halls and little space. This is a trend I soon learned is consistent in all real estate.

This trip was devoted to searching for an apartment to begin the final move into Manhattan with my boyfriend, Alex. We began looking at apartments in our price range, and something about the $1800 per month, five-hundred square feet apartments is in fact charming. The negative side of this process, in my opinion, was walking 30 blocks to view these apartments in ballet flats that were all kinds of uncomfortable, not to mention the 90 mile-per-hour pace our real estate agent decided to walk. I didn’t want to act like I wasn’t cut out for the city, so I ignored the blistering beginning to form on the sides of my feet and took to the streets!

It wasn’t until Alex and I took a break to admire the greenery of Central Park that I began to people-watch and noticed that nothing about the shoes worn by the New York natives were attractive. In fact, I saw every variation of Crocs and Keds. Needless to say, the rest of my trip was spent wearing comfy sandals and halfway considering stopping into the Crocs superstore downtown.

The pace is fast and the city is vast, but I think I can get used to this New York state of mind.