Where we live now

Welcome to west 115th street! 

First of all I should say this is very much a 'before' post as we still have a LOT of work to do to make this place feel really like home. So, this is what I see from where I sit now. Lovely wood floors, nice new sofa but apologies for that 'coffee table'.

But I already love this place. As someone who thrives on little routines I think I was made for New York apartment living. I get super excited checking our mail box in the entrance hall using the tiny little key, I relish turning the secret lock in the lift to go to the basement (bins, recycling and laundry), I even quite enjoy having to go the basement to do laundry with our special pre-paid swipe card (this may not last).

And just to up the 'we're living in a sitcom' vibe we have a 'super'. He's called Dennis (and he actually wears a bomber jacket with his name across the lapel) and spends his day in his office in the basement surrounded by model trucks and his little white dog. He and his team are all very friendly and helpful. So different to how it would be in the UK! They even spent this morning decorating our hallways with Christmas and Hanukkah decorations.

In our lift (elevator) on the way up to our lovely new flat (apartment).

I think I could happily spend all day leaning out of these windows watching New York happen right in front of me. 

Look left to Riverside park (you can just see the river and then New Jersey in the distance)

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Look right to Broadway

Oh and the laptop is on the floor because we haven't got a wireless router yet. So this is our 'office' for now. Oreo cookies are an office essential I say.

Our bedroom is small but has great storage.

Kitchen is big but feels a bit cold and institutional. Obviously we need to get a dining table and put some things up on the walls but any other tips for cheering up a large, white, strip-lit kitchen gratefully received.

Thank goodness the boxes we shipped arrived yesterday so we finally have some stuff (including some much needed kitchenwares). Opening them up was kind of like Christmas come early. 

 I'm definitely looking forward to a few months of flea market trawling to find some great things for this apartment.