nyc experiment: week one

My husband and I are on day seven of a 90 day experiment of living in New York CIty. We have lived in the same house in the Bay Area for over twenty years and during Covid we decided to do this because we felt like we were a little stuck. We wanted to go to new restaurants, walk everywhere, take the subway and make ourselves a little uncomfortable. I promised my friends and family in California that I would regularly publish my thoughts on the progress of this experiment (also being called our fall study away, mid-life crisis and semester “abroad”). 

We rented a 1,000 square foot, furnished apartment in the West Village. We are two blocks from Washington Square Park, less than ten minutes from the Hudson River Park and two minutes to the subway. We have our 95 pound lab with us and we are learning the geography by walking her multiple times per day. 

Our first week consisted of seeing three couples we know from the Bay Area, having dinner with old friends at their apartment in Brooklyn and also playing pickleball in Montclair, NJ with college friends. I have been getting a number of texts asking how it is going and my typical response is that we are having a lot of fun but also managing minor discomforts. Figuring out how to unpack three months of our gear was complex and required multiple Amazon purchases of the same stuff we recently bought for our kids’ dorm rooms (storage cubes, extra hangers, shower caddy, clothes drying rack, power strip, etc.)

Other than unpacking, we have been learning the subway, using Citi bikes (never thought I would ride a bike in NYC), trying to find the best $8 cup of coffee and working hard not to be overwhelmed by all of the newness. We are spending a lot of  time together noticing the difference between NYC and the suburbs of the Bay Area and have the following initial observations: 

* So far, we don’t miss our cars or any of the things we left behind in our closets. I am compromised by my tiny bathroom where I have to put on make-up while seated on the toilet. I am also missing ample storage space – the apartment has only one dresser with four narrow drawers and two small closets – as well as having a TV in our bedroom and an automatic ice maker.

* Having a doorman is very cool. There are four guys who rotate in the doorman role at our building and they are all very nice, helpful and friendly. I do think that it is an ideal job if you prefer to be very high 24 hours a day.

* Dog etiquette in NYC is exceptional. Dogs rarely interact with other dogs on the street and dog owners usually maneuver around other dogs such that each dog has an ample amount of personal space. This might sound unfriendly but is incredibly civilized. 

* We have more restaurant recommendations than I can possibly use. We are aiming to try five restaurants a week for twelve weeks for a total of 60 total different restaurants while we are here. My google sheet now lists about 80 different restaurants. We have already had five exceptional meals that made us realize how starved we are for good food in the suburbs.

* It is incredibly refreshing to walk around and see so many different people wearing so many different styles, Good news for all of my tennis friends: the tennis dress is very much in style for off-court wear. Also, fashion sneakers can be worn with literally any outfit. The “nap dress” was clearly the breakout hit of the summer on the east coast.

* Our building has about 80 apartments and two elevators. We have only been in the elevator with other people two times and have never seen any of our neighbors who live on our floor. We have also not yet been to the gay bar on the first floor of our building and that is a priority for week two.

* Without a home gym, we are back at Barry’s and are also sampling other gyms for weights and yoga. Here, just like at home, we believe we were the oldest people in the Barry’s class last Friday. If you have any gym suggestions, please send them along.   

* I have had at least three or four moments when I panicked, started to think that this was completely crazy and contemplated pulling the ripcord. Luckily, my husband was able to talk me off the ledge and the feelings passed. Also, adding a few accessories and a cheap, good looking, faux leather chair to the functional, uninspired apartment decor has also settled me down.