I'm 90% sure I'm going to move. I return to apartment searching so much wiser than last time I embarked. I really hope that the rental market will quiet down a bit. Hard to say right now though. In preparation I dusted off my old bookmarks and came up with 11 tips for your first New York City apartment hunt...
1. Unless you're looking for a really expensive apartment or don't have time to search for your own apartment, brokers are useless*.
While very useful for apartment purchases, brokers are such an unneeded middleman in the rental process. So why do renters still use them? The biggest reason is because they have access to the NYC realty database -- the registry that lists all available apartments for rent in the city at any given time. You can't access the registry unless you're a licensed real estate agent, so us normal folks are SOL. Another reason is that building management companies don't want to or don't have time to show an apartment to perspective renters. It's time consuming, it's a pain in the ass and the management companies just want the apartment rented already. For many building management companies it was less expensive during the boom to hire a third-party broker then it was to retain a full-time in house broker. Trends are slow to change and it's renters, not buildings paying broker's fees right now for the most part.
If you do view broker apartments, and hey I did my first time around, don't let them push you around. They're going to tell you the apartment is in high demand and pressure you to make a decision on the spot. Don't get pressured into a decision -- there will always be another great apartment. Try to stay as rational as possible (admittedly, I made an emotional decision my first time around). Negotiate their fee before you commit to an apartment.
The first time you talk to a broker they are going to make you come to their office and fill out an informational form. They almost never take you straight to the apartment. In fact half the time their ads are just teasers to get you into their offices -- the apartment listed doesn't actually exist.
*However, if you can find a broker employed by a management company that charges the mgmt company fees and not you, I say go for it. What do you have to lose?
2. It is possible to find an awesome apartment without a broker.
OK, so 70% of available apartments in NYC are broker-listed. Guess what, though? That leaves 30% that are not. I don't know what that works out to in terms of hard numbers but I think it's safe to say thousands of apartments rent on a yearly basis without a broker. Some are referrals (hey, I'm moving out of my apartment and I know you want to live on the UES, want to take over my lease?); some are through owner/management company advertising and some are through aggregate services (i.e. nybits or mlsupdate123). For me, the bad news was that if a management company had enough money to advertise their apartments on the subway or a website like Curbed it was probably out of my price range anyway. The good news is that owners/management companies still use tried and true tactics like putting a sign on the building. Seriously. Walk around a neighborhood like the Lower East Side or the East Village and you will see plenty of apartment available signs.
Web sites are a bit more of a crapshoot. Sites like Craigslist have a for rent by owner section, but many of the apartments listed actually have broker fees cleverly hidden. Or worse, there are many scam listings. Other sites like rent direct have an equal number of success stories as scam claims and require a fee to sign up. You can protect yourself though. If something looks too good to be true, it is too good to be true. If every 1Br apartment you see in Union Square costs $2400 but all of a sudden you see 1 $1650 apartment, be very wary.
To be successful without a broker, you either need to be very willing to compromise or very patient. If you aren't too tied down to a certain location or amenities or if you have a flexible move-in date and can wait until the right apartment opens up you are more likely to be successful without a broker.
3. Know the basics about the process.
Most brokers and management companies will require a deposit right away when you say you want to rent an apartment. Never give them more than $500 cash -- it could always be a scam and you don't want to lose everything. Ask for a receipt and make sure the deposit is refundable. Almost every building will run at least a credit check on you, which you have to pay for. It's around $75 per person and will be done for everyone on the lease, including guarantors. When you pay your security at your lease signing, it must be a cashier's check. It CANNOT be a personal check, a money order or a credit card charge. Cash is also not usually accepted. Be very wary of anyone asking for cash security deposits.
Likewise, be wary of shares with strangers. One common scam in recent years is people "renting out rooms" and for one month security deposit. Then you and five other people show up on move-in day, all for the same room, and realize you got shafted. The scammer has long since disappeared with your money. (I read about this in the Village Voice, but can't find the article link. To be updated if I can locate it.)
Most landlords require you to make 40x the rent. So if an apartment is $2000/month you need to make at least $80,000 annually before taxes. Some landlords accept guarantors, which are like co-signers on loans. If you cannot pay your rent, the landlord can go after your guarantor for the money. And go after them (and you!) landlords will. Family members are preferred and they need to make much higher salaries, sometimes as high as 80x the rent. Some landlords will not accept out of state guarantors.
Some buildings have rules about which days you can move in/out on. Make sure to coordinate with your management company as necessary. No need to start off on the wrong foot. Also check building policies on pets, quiet hours and the like. Co-ops will have stricter rules than rental buildings.
4. Things like which floor you live on, your exposure and how many windows you have matter.
Ever heard the term pre-war vs. post-war? Before I moved to NYC, I thought it boiled down to pre-war meaning old and post-war meaning new. But it's so much more than that. Pre-war buildings tend to have much thicker walls and concrete floors. What does that mean? Less neighbor noise. Believe me when I say it can make the difference between sanity and calling the cops. Post-war buildings tend to have more amenities like gyms, open floorplans and floor to ceiling windows. But they also have thinner walls and less soundproofing. Families tend to live in pre-war buildings, especially families with youngins. Pre-war buildings tend to be on the west side (UWS mostly).
Want to live on the first floor? Maybe you'll be lucky like me and have access to a private backyard, but maybe you'll also be lucky enough to have mice like me. Live near the water? Be prepared for water bugs. Live above a restaurant? It's potential for rats and cockroaches, hooray! You'll have less light in your apartment on low floors and probably anti-theft window guards which let in less light. It will also be cold in the winter on low floors. Up high you'll have more light but it will be sweltering both in the summer and in the winter when all the heat rises to you. If you live on a middle floor you should be considerate of your neighbors below and hope for the same from your neighbors above.
Also, FYI, apartments usually get larger as you move upstairs. So studios down low, then 1 BRs above them and so on. One way to try to cheat the noise factor is to rent a smaller apartment below a larger one or vice versa. This cuts down on the chance of your living area being directly above/below your neighbors, but does add the possibility of Junior's playroom being right above your bedroom.
If your apartment faces north, you will get very little direct sunlight. You may as well call your apartment the Batcave. The double whammy is a northern exposure with a building right against yours. Hope you like artificial light! Southern exposures, conversely, get tons of sun and can be blindingly hot in the early evening. Eastern exposures are sunny in the morning and dark later and Western exposures are the opposite (shocker, I know). Many people in NYC have apartments with a full wall (or walls) of windows, and many people do not put coverings on them. You can see everything that goes on whether you want to or not. Get used to it. Studios often have only one window in them. If you need to do a window A/C unit, that one window becomes a half-window. It sucks.
Last thoughts for this section: living on side streets is quiter than living on Avenues. If you live on a main thoroughfare like 79th St you will always have ambient noise like car horns. Apartments in the rear of the building are generally quieter. Apartments in the front of the building generally have better views.
5. Learn your real estate terms.
I've hit on this before, but it's worthwhile to learn how to translate apartment ads. An apartment described as "charming" is tiny. If it's described as "in a great location near x, y, z chic neighborhood" it's tiny and old and possibly gross. A Jr. 1 bedroom doesn't actually have a separate bedroom -- it's usually an alcove studio (L-shaped) or has french doors separating the sleeping and main areas. Convertible likewise means that it doesn't have permanent walls, so a convertible 3 BR is actually a 2 BR that could be made into a 3 BR if you put up a wall of some temporary kind (tenants can't legally add permanent walls to rental apartments). A Juliet balcony isn't big enough for you to actually go outside onto; it's basically decorative. A garden level apartment is below street level. Loft apartments doesn't usually mean one big open area like it would in other cities. In NYC loft usually means a raised sleeping area that you access via a ladder. No, I'm not kidding.
Rent-controlled apartments' rent never increases. At this point you will not find a rent-controlled apartment on your own. End of story. Rent stabilized apartments' rent can only be raised a certain percentage per year. The percentage is decided annually by the NYC Rent Guidelines Board.
6. Educate yourself about utilities, leases and the like.
All apartments in Manhattan include water and heat in their monthly rate (or at least, they should legally). Boroughs are a toss-up. You usually have to pay for your own electricity, gas (for cooking), cable, etc. Your landlord will usually provide an A/C unit. Many buildings do not have laundry facilities. Buildings have to be specially zoned to have a washer/dryer in the apartment. If there is no drain by the washer/dryer, it is illegal! RUN, don't walk the heck outta there.
You are only required to put down one month security and your first month's rent when you sign a lease for an apartment in Manhattan. Landlords may ask for more but you should refuse to pay any additional security fees.
Read your lease carefully. I cannot say this enough! Check for clauses about landlord entry, legal fees, damage fees and the like. It is so worth paying a lawyer $200 to review your lease to protect yourself. Security deposits are often lost because landlords invoke some dumb lease clause. You DO NOT have to sign the lease the landlord gives you. You are allowed to challenge anything that makes you uncomfortable. Once you sign that's it so read it carefully and get unfair clauses removed before you sign.
Do you know your tenant rights? Yeah, me neither. Not something that really gets handed out to you when you move in. But the city does have a couple of websites devoted to the matter. The NYC Affordable Housing Resource Center has information about public housing and what to do if you lack basic services like heat or hot water. The NYC Rent Guidelines Board decides on the rent increase for rent-stabilized apartments in the city. Renters hate them, landlords hate them...it's a no-win situation.
7. Explore the neighborhood you're considering before you check out listings.
Do you like carrying groceries 10 blocks? Me neither! So I'm pretty damn lucky that I have a nice grocery store 2 blocks away. Know what else sucks? Hauling your laundry 8 blocks to the nearest laundromat or laundry service. And it's so much fun walking 7 blocks to nearest subway station when it's 15 degrees outside and icy. If you enjoy loud pulsing beats every night til 2 AM then by all means take that apartment above the nightclub. Hey, living across the street from a school is great for concentrating during the day! That scaffolding outside the building next door to the one you're considering renting in couldn't mean construction noise, could it? Nah! Are you excited about the 2nd Ave subway line? Me too, but I sure wouldn't want to live on 2nd Ave on the Upper East Side right now. If you live on a low floor in a building above a subway line, your apartment just might shake every time a train goes by.
It's also worthwhile to research each neighborhood as a whole. Want a neighborhood that's quiet at night? Don't live in Soho. Want to be close to many of the cities' museums? Try the Upper East Side. Worried your neighborhood will be dead after hours? Don't live in midtown.
8. You DO NOT need a car in Manhattan. You DO NOT want a car in Manhattan, Sell it before you move here.
Your car insurance will triple if you park your car in Manhattan. It has a better than 50% chance of being broken into. It will cost the same amount as your rent to park your car for one month. Alternate side parking rules are nightmarish. Good luck fighting an NYC ticket.
Besides the logistical nightmares, it's totally unneccessary to have a car in Manhattan. Everybody delivers; the subway and bus systems are comprehensive and if you need a car to get out of the city services like Zipcar are great rental solutions. There are taxis if you need to satiate your vehicular cruising needs.
One more reason: it takes 1 hour to get from East 77th St to West 21st St by car anytime between 8 AM and noon, or 5 PM to 7 PM. I know from experience.
9. It takes forever to get your cable/internet hooked up.
Whether you choose Time Warner or Verizon FiOS, it will probably take at least a month to get everything hooked up correctly. In the summer peak moving season it takes a month just to get an appointment. Both companies are notorious for missing installation appointments, not having the proper equipment when they do come or installing things incorrectly. Most of their technicians do a great job I'm sure but bad stories spread much faster than good ones. I personally have two hellish Time Warner stories.
Once installed, your signal will suck sometimes for no reason. Lines across your screen, channels randomly fritzing out, your Internet connection crawling at high-peak hours or overnight. Your only action is to pray to the gods of the Internets for your fiber/cable to return. If you call customer service at either company, they will instruct you to unplug your unit, wait 30 seconds, then plug it back in. If that doesn't work they have to schedule a repair appointment...which the technician will arrive for with no information about what the problem is.
10. Become handy, because your Super/management company are going to be slow to fix anything.
Luckily my Super is very attentive so this is not actually a problem for me (my non-Super is a different story). But for most of my friends, broken fridges, leaky pipes and anything else that doesn't work will usually sit for as long as possible before the landlord actually takes care of it. Sometimes it's a matter of laziness, sometimes of ignorance, sometimes of business. It is always miserable for you, the tenant. BFF M had her fridge break, so she lost $50 worth of groceries. Her management company fixed it two weeks later but it broke a week after that and she lost another $50 in groceries. During your search it's a good idea to ask where the Super lives (in your building is preferable). If you live in a doorman building you're more likely to have a dedicated maintenace crew in your building as well.
11. Don't blow all your money on rent.
One of my biggest delimas was setting a budget. In NYC it's easy to blow 60% of your income on rent, especially if you're just out of school. So how much do you need to make to live in Manhattan? I would say at least $50,000 anually to have any semblance of comfort. I do have friends who do it for less but they are taking a huge risk or living 8 people in a 4 BR apartment, and who wants to live like that? Part of living in the city is experiencing the culture. Sure, lots of cool stuff is free but lots of cool stuff is so not free. You will spend more than you think when you live here. Either learn to control yourself or budget accordingly.
When you are making your budget, consider the following:
- transportation costs (Metrocard, taxi fares, etc.)
- health insurance costs
- taxes (live in NYC? your income gets taxed by both the city and the state)
- 401k/IRA/savings
- groceries (food is expensive in Manhattan) and eating out (ditto)
- utilities like electricity
- cable/internet/etc
- gym memberships
- other basic needs
- disposable income for clothing, concerts, going out, etc.
- delivery and tip fund
Subtract all or some of those things from your monthly income after taxes. That gives you an idea of what you can afford.
Additional resources if you're thinking about moving to NYC:
Wired New York City forums (very long thread at this point, but still very valuable)
Tips on apartment hunting from Columbia University
Ben Popken's thoughts on moving to NYC without going broke
New York Magazine's real estate section (though they seem to have taken down their neighborhood guide, which was awesome)
The New York Times' community guides (click on neighborhood in the community data links for more info)
OnNYturf (find a business near a subway station)
Google Maps
Flavorpill
Review sites:
Yahoo Local
Yelp
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Open House New York: Take 2
This past weekend was Open House New York (OHNY). This was my second time participating in the program and once again I completely missed any advertising for it until the day before. It was friend A who got me into gear this year. Each year, the program opens up several commercial and private interest sites (apartments, studios, businesses, etc.) to the public for two days. Some places require reservations for tours while others are open to the public during certain hours.
And just like last year, I missed out on several sites I would have loved to see. The High Line? Not even close. Not only did I miss the deadline to enter the lottery for a tour spot (!!) but I heard that they had something like 5,000 requests for 700 available spaces. Tom Otterness studio? Totally booked -- try the 14th St/8th Ave subway station instead. 7 World Trade Center? Maybe next year.
Still, I wasn't dissuaded from finding other spots to see. A and I decided to go the Broadway Penthouse, the Grand Mason Lodge, PS260 and the Chrysler Building (which I saw last year, but I never get sick of deco). Our plan was to meet at Broadway Penthouse on Saturday morning at 8:45 AM and work our way uptown.
These wood tables were a
It was raining on Saturday but I was too excited to care. I got down to Great Jones St around 8:55 (pretty good for me!) where A was queued up 3rd in line. We were the second group to go up. I learned later that we came at the right time. Not only did we get a full tour from someone from the architecture firm but I learned the site cancelled for Sunday. The place was very modern and had recently been featured in the New York Times. My favorite part was the living room, which had pillows made to look like rocks and pebbles. Minimalism has never been my style though and the place was so sparse. Not a kid-friendly place. Whether it was jealousy or shock I'm not sure, but I was kind of upset walking around. It just seemed like so...lifeless to me. It had tons of cool features but it had no personal touches. No photos or anything that says life. Maybe they were taken down beforehand? Nonetheless, I appreciate that the owner was willing to open it to the public.
The bathroom sink (yes, it's a sink
made out of wood -- teak) was
surrounded by real foliage.
And just like last year, I missed out on several sites I would have loved to see. The High Line? Not even close. Not only did I miss the deadline to enter the lottery for a tour spot (!!) but I heard that they had something like 5,000 requests for 700 available spaces. Tom Otterness studio? Totally booked -- try the 14th St/8th Ave subway station instead. 7 World Trade Center? Maybe next year.
Still, I wasn't dissuaded from finding other spots to see. A and I decided to go the Broadway Penthouse, the Grand Mason Lodge, PS260 and the Chrysler Building (which I saw last year, but I never get sick of deco). Our plan was to meet at Broadway Penthouse on Saturday morning at 8:45 AM and work our way uptown.
These wood tables were a cool accent in the Broadway penthouse.
It was raining on Saturday but I was too excited to care. I got down to Great Jones St around 8:55 (pretty good for me!) where A was queued up 3rd in line. We were the second group to go up. I learned later that we came at the right time. Not only did we get a full tour from someone from the architecture firm but I learned the site cancelled for Sunday. The place was very modern and had recently been featured in the New York Times. My favorite part was the living room, which had pillows made to look like rocks and pebbles. Minimalism has never been my style though and the place was so sparse. Not a kid-friendly place. Whether it was jealousy or shock I'm not sure, but I was kind of upset walking around. It just seemed like so...lifeless to me. It had tons of cool features but it had no personal touches. No photos or anything that says life. Maybe they were taken down beforehand? Nonetheless, I appreciate that the owner was willing to open it to the public.
The bathroom sink (yes, it's a sinkmade out of wood -- teak) was
surrounded by real foliage.
The roof had a tiered garden, which the architects said the owner wanted to use to bring natural surrounds to the urbanscape. That at least spoke to me a bit.
The 2nd floor hallway at
The Grand Lodge of Masons.
From there, it was up to 23rd and 6th and the Grand Lodge of Masons. Admittedly, I was a bit confused about who the Masons are exactly. Was it Masons in the sense of working with stone? (Yes, historically.) Was it like a union? (Not really.) The Masons are a fraternity of sorts and as they explained it they're committed to bettering themselves and charitable efforts. The building is non-descrept from outside -- I know I have passed by at probably 100 times without realizing what was inside. And how cool it was; 12 floors of ornately decorated meeting rooms each set up to reflect the Temple of Solomon and by that reflect their code of morality. Our tour guides were a hoot. Each made sure to mention that Félix Chávez had restored each room over four years in 1986. And my compliments to him because each room we saw was truly beautiful.
The Tiffany skylights in the Grand Hall.
The coolest room on that tour was the Grand Hall, which was so big I couldn't capture it one photo. Our guides told us an anecdote that the Tiffany ceiling skylights inspired the Titanic designers to use the same skylights in the great ballroom. I don't know if this is true...cool story either way!
From there we headed to P.S. 260. Not actually a school. It was a video editing company meant to be young, hip and cool...and man if you've seen one of these companies (or worked for one as I have) you've really seen them all. They are awesome to work for but a bit pretentious from the outside looking in. Also kind of shitty that no one was outside as the rest of the locations had -- and there was no way to buzz up. Luckily someone who worked there happened to arrive at the same time as we did and let us up. A and I quickly breezed through the office. We were mostly interested in the rooftop view. They recently shot an episode of "Lipstick Jungle" up there. Oddly enough, I was visiting a friend who lives next to the Empire State Building for a party on his rooftop deck that night and we saw them filming (the lighting for the shoot completely fucked with the light on our night photos and I was repeatedly cursing them). Anyway, the deck was pretty cool. The view to the north was just alright but the view south was to die for. Straight shot to the Flatiron Building.
Ahoy, Daily Bugle!
The 2nd floor hallway atThe Grand Lodge of Masons.
From there, it was up to 23rd and 6th and the Grand Lodge of Masons. Admittedly, I was a bit confused about who the Masons are exactly. Was it Masons in the sense of working with stone? (Yes, historically.) Was it like a union? (Not really.) The Masons are a fraternity of sorts and as they explained it they're committed to bettering themselves and charitable efforts. The building is non-descrept from outside -- I know I have passed by at probably 100 times without realizing what was inside. And how cool it was; 12 floors of ornately decorated meeting rooms each set up to reflect the Temple of Solomon and by that reflect their code of morality. Our tour guides were a hoot. Each made sure to mention that Félix Chávez had restored each room over four years in 1986. And my compliments to him because each room we saw was truly beautiful.
The Tiffany skylights in the Grand Hall.The coolest room on that tour was the Grand Hall, which was so big I couldn't capture it one photo. Our guides told us an anecdote that the Tiffany ceiling skylights inspired the Titanic designers to use the same skylights in the great ballroom. I don't know if this is true...cool story either way!
From there we headed to P.S. 260. Not actually a school. It was a video editing company meant to be young, hip and cool...and man if you've seen one of these companies (or worked for one as I have) you've really seen them all. They are awesome to work for but a bit pretentious from the outside looking in. Also kind of shitty that no one was outside as the rest of the locations had -- and there was no way to buzz up. Luckily someone who worked there happened to arrive at the same time as we did and let us up. A and I quickly breezed through the office. We were mostly interested in the rooftop view. They recently shot an episode of "Lipstick Jungle" up there. Oddly enough, I was visiting a friend who lives next to the Empire State Building for a party on his rooftop deck that night and we saw them filming (the lighting for the shoot completely fucked with the light on our night photos and I was repeatedly cursing them). Anyway, the deck was pretty cool. The view to the north was just alright but the view south was to die for. Straight shot to the Flatiron Building.
Ahoy, Daily Bugle!We could see the new Esplanade clearly and Madison Square Park peeked in from the East. As we left, I told A, "I'll take it."
The Chrysler Building was still awesome just like last year. Go see it! Coolest clock ever in the lobby. Overall, getting an early start was key this year. The weather probably also had something to do with it (on and off rain and cold) but we hit no lines this year. Four places and done before 3 PM. I have to say, though, what the hell is up with the OHNY website? Not only is it so NOT search engine friendly (no meta tags?? spaces in the URLS?? really??) it's also not mobile phone friendly. C'mon guys. People in the 21st century do not carry around tabloid-sized guides. If you want help re-doing your site, call me. I got friends in talented places.
The Chrysler Building was still awesome just like last year. Go see it! Coolest clock ever in the lobby. Overall, getting an early start was key this year. The weather probably also had something to do with it (on and off rain and cold) but we hit no lines this year. Four places and done before 3 PM. I have to say, though, what the hell is up with the OHNY website? Not only is it so NOT search engine friendly (no meta tags?? spaces in the URLS?? really??) it's also not mobile phone friendly. C'mon guys. People in the 21st century do not carry around tabloid-sized guides. If you want help re-doing your site, call me. I got friends in talented places.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
I finally become a New York state resident
I have my priorities. Getting a New York driver's license was not one of them. I still have the license I got on my 21st birthday in Colorado. I didn't update it when I moved back East because I kept my car registered in Colorado for a time and then I just kind of forgot about it. It only occurred to me when I had to show ID to get into a club or my regular bartenders would make fun of me, calling me Mountain Girl.
Actually that isn't totally true. When I first moved back to Connecticut from Colorado I did try to register my car in Connecticut and get a CT license. But the DMV demanded some form that Colorado wouldn't turn over for some reason, so I was screwed. I just gave up -- it was like the DMV didn't want my money. I can't win with the government. I don't even try to rationalize the bureaucracy.
But I really want to vote in November's election so I decided it was finally time to go to the DMV and get a local license. I figured now that I don't have a car it would be relatively simple. In NYC, you can get your license at License X-Press, which is on W 34th St just west of 8th Ave. My first attempt was on the Monday of my off-week. I went in the early afternoon and it was crowded, but not the 12 long lines you picture when you think DMV. They had a number board (now serving A1023 at station 10, etc.) but I didn't see a place to get the numbers so I went to the info desk. The woman gave me two forms to fill out. One was my license transfer request form. The other was a signature form.
I filled both forms out and got into the photo line as instructed. It was the longest line in the place but the wait wasn't too bad...maybe 35 minutes at most. Once at the front I got an eye test and finally I'd made it! I handed over my form and my two forms of government ID (my social security card and my passport).
"Uh oh," said the lady at the counter. Uh oh? That's never a good way to start. "Is this passport expired?" "Yes," I responded. "But it was listed as one of the valid ID forms on the DMV site."
She shook her head no. Not in New York City it's not. Current passports only. Plus, my passport was a green child's passport (it's been awhile since I've traveled abroad, sigh) so that was a double whammy. I wanted to argue, but I didn't. Honestly, I was kind of afraid of getting arrested if I argued. So I left dejectedly. My only option was to get a copy of my birth certificate. Which mean calling the parental units.
Like a teenager I just don't talk to my parents very much. I love them and all, but they are crazier than me. I can only take so much. But call them I did and my Dad agreed to overnight me his copy of my birth certificate. I got it the next day...no thanks to the Post Office, which did everything possible to keep me from getting my overnighted package sent from less than two hours away that I could have driven and picked up and returned to NYC 4 times in the time it took them to find my package...deep breath. See what I mean about not being able to win with the government?
I got back to License X-Press on Thursday and the lines were thankfully much shorter. I was nervous about my birth certificate. I always imagined it as this big form with your mom and dad listed on it, but mine was just a simple officially sealed card the size of, well, a driver's license. But there were no problems this time. I preened a bit in the mirror by the camera station and the lady at the counter took my photo. Then I got a number, paid when my number was called ($42.50, they take cash, personal checks or credit cards) and was told my license would be mailed to me in two weeks. Groan. Does anyone else think that having your driver's license mailed to you is identity theft waiting to happen?
There was nothing I could do but wait. I was anxious to see how my picture would turn out -- my Colorado license actually had a pretty awesome shot I was sad to part with. This past Thursday my NY state license arrived. First of all, it is quite flexible compared to my stiff Colorado license. I feel like I could accidentally break it just taking it out of my wallet. And I could only laugh at my photo, which looks like it was taken from across the room. But I am very excited to officially be a New York State resident. Even if it does mean I can get called in for jury duty.
Actually that isn't totally true. When I first moved back to Connecticut from Colorado I did try to register my car in Connecticut and get a CT license. But the DMV demanded some form that Colorado wouldn't turn over for some reason, so I was screwed. I just gave up -- it was like the DMV didn't want my money. I can't win with the government. I don't even try to rationalize the bureaucracy.
But I really want to vote in November's election so I decided it was finally time to go to the DMV and get a local license. I figured now that I don't have a car it would be relatively simple. In NYC, you can get your license at License X-Press, which is on W 34th St just west of 8th Ave. My first attempt was on the Monday of my off-week. I went in the early afternoon and it was crowded, but not the 12 long lines you picture when you think DMV. They had a number board (now serving A1023 at station 10, etc.) but I didn't see a place to get the numbers so I went to the info desk. The woman gave me two forms to fill out. One was my license transfer request form. The other was a signature form.
I filled both forms out and got into the photo line as instructed. It was the longest line in the place but the wait wasn't too bad...maybe 35 minutes at most. Once at the front I got an eye test and finally I'd made it! I handed over my form and my two forms of government ID (my social security card and my passport).
"Uh oh," said the lady at the counter. Uh oh? That's never a good way to start. "Is this passport expired?" "Yes," I responded. "But it was listed as one of the valid ID forms on the DMV site."
She shook her head no. Not in New York City it's not. Current passports only. Plus, my passport was a green child's passport (it's been awhile since I've traveled abroad, sigh) so that was a double whammy. I wanted to argue, but I didn't. Honestly, I was kind of afraid of getting arrested if I argued. So I left dejectedly. My only option was to get a copy of my birth certificate. Which mean calling the parental units.
Like a teenager I just don't talk to my parents very much. I love them and all, but they are crazier than me. I can only take so much. But call them I did and my Dad agreed to overnight me his copy of my birth certificate. I got it the next day...no thanks to the Post Office, which did everything possible to keep me from getting my overnighted package sent from less than two hours away that I could have driven and picked up and returned to NYC 4 times in the time it took them to find my package...deep breath. See what I mean about not being able to win with the government?
I got back to License X-Press on Thursday and the lines were thankfully much shorter. I was nervous about my birth certificate. I always imagined it as this big form with your mom and dad listed on it, but mine was just a simple officially sealed card the size of, well, a driver's license. But there were no problems this time. I preened a bit in the mirror by the camera station and the lady at the counter took my photo. Then I got a number, paid when my number was called ($42.50, they take cash, personal checks or credit cards) and was told my license would be mailed to me in two weeks. Groan. Does anyone else think that having your driver's license mailed to you is identity theft waiting to happen?
There was nothing I could do but wait. I was anxious to see how my picture would turn out -- my Colorado license actually had a pretty awesome shot I was sad to part with. This past Thursday my NY state license arrived. First of all, it is quite flexible compared to my stiff Colorado license. I feel like I could accidentally break it just taking it out of my wallet. And I could only laugh at my photo, which looks like it was taken from across the room. But I am very excited to officially be a New York State resident. Even if it does mean I can get called in for jury duty.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Me vs. ConEd, update
Well, Con-Ed never showed up for their appointment this week. I called my representative from the high bill department and he has not called me back. I have no idea what to even do at this point. I've decided to stew over it this weekend and then take action on Monday. They are really impressing me with how inept they truly are. It's enough to make me want to run for mayor.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Someone forgot to give me the memo about the dress code
Sometimes I wonder if I'm an idiot savant. While I am often oblivious to things going on around me, I occasionally fixate on one thing to an almost obsessive level. Lately I have been focused on what people around me are wearing.
My personal style has been going through a bit of a revamp lately. This past summer I rediscovered skirts. I had been avoiding them due mostly to hating my legs, but advice from a co-worker inspired me to get over it: "Girl, summer in New York is too hot to worry about what the strange people say about your gams." (I don't think she said it quite like that but that's how I prefer to remember it.) And how freeing it was! And oh so much cooler -- temperature-wise -- than jeans. It led me to rediscover casual prep and reconcile my current self with my younger New England days. All of a sudden JCrew and I are best friends again after years of giving each other the silent treatment. I want pretty and ruffly and shiny and I don't care who sees it. I'm inspired by Madison chic crossed with Flatiron flash living on the Upper East Side Prêt-à-Porter. Or something to that effect.
It's led to a more sophisticated me and I kinda like it. Add in new haircut and I'm feeling pretty alright! But now that I've started a job in Soho my fashion conscious has been thrown for a loop once again. Leggings everywhere. Tee shirts and scarves on top. Hair pulled back. Canvas purses. Flats. Ack! Are these people who legitimately live in Soho? Visitors? Students? I have no idea. But I'm feeling overdressed. Nevermind that leggings or matchstick jeans are hell no's for me, I would look ridiculous at 77th St waiting for the 6 train. They remind me of things I would have worn in college during my freshman year when my diet consisted entirely of rice a'roni and breakfast once a week from Edwards Hall. Which is to say I'm neither hip nor young enough to be their target audience. That doesn't stop me from shopping at American Eagle though!
Last week during my week of re-sanity T and I voyaged downtown to check out my new work area. The area had of course completely changed since 2003, which I think is honestly the last time I was on Prince St. There was still shopping everywhere but all of the stores I remembered were gone and there are a lot more chains than I remember. But I wasn't there to shop. I was actually looking for places to try for lunch. T was pointing out places that looked decent but I was too busy taking in the looks and motifs of the people around me. On Prince St I blended in a bit more, but on Spring St I looked like had stumbled off my directions. Even T looked kind of overdone in cargo shorts and a polo. When I voiced this to him he classicly dismissed me as being oversensitive. "No one cares what you are wearing," he hissed. "Stop being ridiculous and just dress however makes you happy."
Two days later on our return visit he wore jeans and a black tee shirt. T never wears jeans. T never wears black tee shirts. I was also guilty as charged in jeans, a slouchy tee and flats. I felt 20. Irrational fears of being late to JT100 flooded my brain. The adjustment isn't about being a follower so much as it is about blending in. Sometimes I want to stand out. But more often I enjoy being part of the mass spilling through the streets. In some strange way it allows you to build a protective bubble of privacy around yourself knowing no one is looking at you. When I want to be seen, you'll know.
My personal style has been going through a bit of a revamp lately. This past summer I rediscovered skirts. I had been avoiding them due mostly to hating my legs, but advice from a co-worker inspired me to get over it: "Girl, summer in New York is too hot to worry about what the strange people say about your gams." (I don't think she said it quite like that but that's how I prefer to remember it.) And how freeing it was! And oh so much cooler -- temperature-wise -- than jeans. It led me to rediscover casual prep and reconcile my current self with my younger New England days. All of a sudden JCrew and I are best friends again after years of giving each other the silent treatment. I want pretty and ruffly and shiny and I don't care who sees it. I'm inspired by Madison chic crossed with Flatiron flash living on the Upper East Side Prêt-à-Porter. Or something to that effect.
It's led to a more sophisticated me and I kinda like it. Add in new haircut and I'm feeling pretty alright! But now that I've started a job in Soho my fashion conscious has been thrown for a loop once again. Leggings everywhere. Tee shirts and scarves on top. Hair pulled back. Canvas purses. Flats. Ack! Are these people who legitimately live in Soho? Visitors? Students? I have no idea. But I'm feeling overdressed. Nevermind that leggings or matchstick jeans are hell no's for me, I would look ridiculous at 77th St waiting for the 6 train. They remind me of things I would have worn in college during my freshman year when my diet consisted entirely of rice a'roni and breakfast once a week from Edwards Hall. Which is to say I'm neither hip nor young enough to be their target audience. That doesn't stop me from shopping at American Eagle though!
Last week during my week of re-sanity T and I voyaged downtown to check out my new work area. The area had of course completely changed since 2003, which I think is honestly the last time I was on Prince St. There was still shopping everywhere but all of the stores I remembered were gone and there are a lot more chains than I remember. But I wasn't there to shop. I was actually looking for places to try for lunch. T was pointing out places that looked decent but I was too busy taking in the looks and motifs of the people around me. On Prince St I blended in a bit more, but on Spring St I looked like had stumbled off my directions. Even T looked kind of overdone in cargo shorts and a polo. When I voiced this to him he classicly dismissed me as being oversensitive. "No one cares what you are wearing," he hissed. "Stop being ridiculous and just dress however makes you happy."
Two days later on our return visit he wore jeans and a black tee shirt. T never wears jeans. T never wears black tee shirts. I was also guilty as charged in jeans, a slouchy tee and flats. I felt 20. Irrational fears of being late to JT100 flooded my brain. The adjustment isn't about being a follower so much as it is about blending in. Sometimes I want to stand out. But more often I enjoy being part of the mass spilling through the streets. In some strange way it allows you to build a protective bubble of privacy around yourself knowing no one is looking at you. When I want to be seen, you'll know.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Me vs. ConEd, again
I feel like I just can't win with ConEd. Every couple of months it seems like they are out to get me. It wasn't enough for them to screw me out of gas for over a month. It wasn't enough for them to try to trick me into changing my electricity provider to a 3rd party that charges 2-3 times more. And even threatening to shut off our building's common area electricity didn't satiate their need for suffering. No, no, once again they had to come after me.
Each month, my ConEd bill ranges from $50-$65. Sometimes the bills are "estimated usage" and sometimes they are actual meter readings. But always in the same range. This has been the case steadily for over year. So you can imagine my shock when I got a bill this month for $325. This can't be right, I told myself. The explanation was this:
Dear Customer, we know that we have been sending you estimated bills for the past few months. Well we finally read your meter and (chuckle chortle) guess what? It turns out that we underbilled you for the last 4 months. By a lot. Yeah we don't know why you used so much more electricity this year than last year. No, we don't really care why and we don't think it's our mistake. Oh, and we know we already billed you our best guess for those last 4 months but we're gonna go ahead and re-bill you now! Yeah, we can do that. Isn't it great?! It's like your name came up in the screw you lottery this month. It's like winning...for us. And there's really nothing you can do about it. We have no oversight. Go ahead and call your politician whatever person. The Public Service Commission? Drowning in complaints like yours, and for much more money. Call us if you want! We'll just yell at you and tell you you're an idiot.
Should you choose not to pay, we will send the mob after you. Whoops, we mean collections. So just go ahead and pay this bill that makes absolutely no sense. Or else. Whoops, we mean please. And could you please bend over? It makes it that much easier for us to kick you in the ass.
Love,
ConEd xoxxoxoxo
Or in more business-y terms, ConEd said that they were able to read my meter for the first time in 4 months and they are re-billing me for May-September. The new cost? About $121 per month. I LIVE IN A 200 SQUARE FOOT APARTMENT ON THE FIRST FLOOR. I have a northern exposure -- hardly any light. I barely ever have to run my air conditioning. I don't leave anything on while I am gone during the day. My refrigerator is not running all the time. You have got to be kidding me.
The total bill was $454, but they applied the amount I'd been paying on my bills each month. So I'm left owing $325. I was so unbelievably mad. I called my parents; I called T; I called BFF M; I wanted to call the cops for robbery. I emailed the Consumerist tips line but never heard back (I guess even they have bigger fish to fry). I did research and found that I am unfortunately not the only one going through this. Then I called ConEd.
I had a lovely 45 minute wait time to practice what I wanted to say. I'll just summarize our conversation: he said there was nothing ConEd could do. That was on Saturday. The next day I called back and opened a bill dispute. Today a rep from their "high bill" department called me back. He tried pulling me into an argument, but I kept calm and stood my ground: I am disputing the bill. We scheduled a meter re-read and he recommended I get my Super to check the meter while I unplug everything to see if the meter is still running (if so, something besides my apartment is running to the meter).
There are three possible outcomes: 1 - ConEd discovers the meter was incorrectly read. 2 - Something besides my apartment is running into my electric meter. 3 - I am wrong, ConEd is right and I pay the bill. Update to come after next week's meter reading. What makes me so upset is that ConEd was allowed to send me "estimated bills" on a monthly basis. Why the hell are they allowed to do that? Shouldn't that be, oh I don't know, illegal? And who do I bother who can actually do something about this?
Each month, my ConEd bill ranges from $50-$65. Sometimes the bills are "estimated usage" and sometimes they are actual meter readings. But always in the same range. This has been the case steadily for over year. So you can imagine my shock when I got a bill this month for $325. This can't be right, I told myself. The explanation was this:
Dear Customer, we know that we have been sending you estimated bills for the past few months. Well we finally read your meter and (chuckle chortle) guess what? It turns out that we underbilled you for the last 4 months. By a lot. Yeah we don't know why you used so much more electricity this year than last year. No, we don't really care why and we don't think it's our mistake. Oh, and we know we already billed you our best guess for those last 4 months but we're gonna go ahead and re-bill you now! Yeah, we can do that. Isn't it great?! It's like your name came up in the screw you lottery this month. It's like winning...for us. And there's really nothing you can do about it. We have no oversight. Go ahead and call your politician whatever person. The Public Service Commission? Drowning in complaints like yours, and for much more money. Call us if you want! We'll just yell at you and tell you you're an idiot.
Should you choose not to pay, we will send the mob after you. Whoops, we mean collections. So just go ahead and pay this bill that makes absolutely no sense. Or else. Whoops, we mean please. And could you please bend over? It makes it that much easier for us to kick you in the ass.
Love,
ConEd xoxxoxoxo
Or in more business-y terms, ConEd said that they were able to read my meter for the first time in 4 months and they are re-billing me for May-September. The new cost? About $121 per month. I LIVE IN A 200 SQUARE FOOT APARTMENT ON THE FIRST FLOOR. I have a northern exposure -- hardly any light. I barely ever have to run my air conditioning. I don't leave anything on while I am gone during the day. My refrigerator is not running all the time. You have got to be kidding me.
The total bill was $454, but they applied the amount I'd been paying on my bills each month. So I'm left owing $325. I was so unbelievably mad. I called my parents; I called T; I called BFF M; I wanted to call the cops for robbery. I emailed the Consumerist tips line but never heard back (I guess even they have bigger fish to fry). I did research and found that I am unfortunately not the only one going through this. Then I called ConEd.
I had a lovely 45 minute wait time to practice what I wanted to say. I'll just summarize our conversation: he said there was nothing ConEd could do. That was on Saturday. The next day I called back and opened a bill dispute. Today a rep from their "high bill" department called me back. He tried pulling me into an argument, but I kept calm and stood my ground: I am disputing the bill. We scheduled a meter re-read and he recommended I get my Super to check the meter while I unplug everything to see if the meter is still running (if so, something besides my apartment is running to the meter).
There are three possible outcomes: 1 - ConEd discovers the meter was incorrectly read. 2 - Something besides my apartment is running into my electric meter. 3 - I am wrong, ConEd is right and I pay the bill. Update to come after next week's meter reading. What makes me so upset is that ConEd was allowed to send me "estimated bills" on a monthly basis. Why the hell are they allowed to do that? Shouldn't that be, oh I don't know, illegal? And who do I bother who can actually do something about this?
Metapost: An Interview with Spider-Man
The Summer of Superheroes may have officially ended a couple of days ago but Spider-Man is just now getting in on the action. Maybe he was busy prepping for his big Broadway debut. Sarcastic line about great power and great responsibility goes here.
Time Out New York named Spidey to their New York 40 list and posted a funny interview with the web slinger. I have a special place in my fantastical daydreaming heart for a hero who makes sly quips, is played wonderfully by Tobey Maguire and who doesn't mind breaking the 4th wall across any media platform.
The tip from Popwatch highlights the best question/answer:
What’s the future of New York? What are your hopes, and what needs to happen?
Spider-Man: We definitely need to curb our dependence on incredibly dangerous science experiments taking place right in the middle of the city near raving crackpots who hate me. That’s where I’d start.
He should just be happy that the Large Hadron Collider is 1 - broken and 2 - not in New York City. Because that totally sounds like a supervillian tool to me.
Time Out New York named Spidey to their New York 40 list and posted a funny interview with the web slinger. I have a special place in my fantastical daydreaming heart for a hero who makes sly quips, is played wonderfully by Tobey Maguire and who doesn't mind breaking the 4th wall across any media platform.
The tip from Popwatch highlights the best question/answer:
What’s the future of New York? What are your hopes, and what needs to happen?
Spider-Man: We definitely need to curb our dependence on incredibly dangerous science experiments taking place right in the middle of the city near raving crackpots who hate me. That’s where I’d start.
He should just be happy that the Large Hadron Collider is 1 - broken and 2 - not in New York City. Because that totally sounds like a supervillian tool to me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
