The apartment hunt goes on

So finding an apartment in New York City really is as hard as they say it is.

I'll confess, I'm being a little fussy with my apartment search (aren't I always?), but I can't believe had starkly different things are up here compared to Florida. Not only are the apartments half the size of those back home, but they're often double, even triple the price.

Now I'm not completely naive, I know this is NYC and things are different up here, but I can't believe that people actually charge $2,400 for a 400 square foot studio. My closet in Gainesville was about that size. Sheesh.

So today I went out with my pal Sharon (she's my no-fee broker) to look at apartments. We started in Washington Heights, which is where I'll be teaching in the fall. Washington Heights is a flavor-filled neighborhood with a lot of culture. I liked the apartment she showed me, but I have some reservations about living that far north on Manhattan and that close to work. To be honest, I don't want my students to follow me home! HA.

Next, we hopped on the train and went down to Harlem. The area was nice, but the layout of the apartment was funky. There was a sitting room attached to the bedroom by a narrow, five-foot-long hallway that seemed awkwardly out of place. The bedroom was also barely big enough for a twin-sized bed. Sigh. On we went.

Finally, we ended up in the Upper West Side. I had never ventured to this part of the city before and immediately fell in love with it. Not only were we a block from Central Park, but the area seemed safe, well kept and the apartments decent. I may have found on nearby that I like. I'll keep you posted on the apartment hunt.