I have come to realize that when living in a NYC apartment, you usually give up one thing to get another…compromise. You give up THE location to have more space or give up space to live in THE location.
I love my apartment. I love how easy it is to get places. (I am in Queens & it is closer for me to get to many places I go to than when I was on the Upper East Side in Manhattan!). I love that I have many friends that live right in the neighborhood & upstairs. I love that I have 2 grocery stores (& I mean REAL grocery stores) just minutes away. I love that I can see the sky clearly when I get outta the subway. I love that I live on a cute tree lined street. I love that I have the best Greek restaurant just 10 blocks from me. I love that I have a REAL kitchen, living room, bedroom, closet, & bathroom. I have given up “location, location, location” to live in a great apartment, in a great neighborhood, by myself (something that is quite rare in NYC unless you’re a rich rich man or wanna live in a box).
All of this said, I have to say…I would give it all up if I didn’t have to deal with the WACKO! that lives below me. I live on the first floor & the landlord’s sister lives down stairs, yes…in the basement. Our building is a ‘family business’. Although, I have been told by the landlord that his sister “is a leech” (you can probably all guess what that means…) & he does not really like to deal with her. But because he runs the building & it is owned by his father, I guess my landlord is willing to deal. Well, I am at the end of my rope with this lady. Let me tell ya a little bit about her…examples:
**When I was moving in she came into my apartment (uninvited) & said “I hope we’re not going to have any trouble” …uh, no! I’m not a drug dealer!
**she told my boyfriend (who she knows & has seen many times) that it was ‘not nice’ for him to sit outside on our little front lawn on a beautiful spring day we were having. (NOT NICE!? What!?)
**on New Years she told my friends upstairs that they were being too loud (just minutes after midnight! On NEW YEARS!)
**I was listening to my music in the middle of the day, at quite a reasonable level, & she came upstairs & asked me to turn it down. I was not having a dance party or anything, I was listening to music.
**when my mom & sister were visiting we were getting ready to leave my apartment & as we were walking around the apartment she banged on her ceiling, my floor…cus we were too loud. We were just walking.
**that same weekend my mom & sister were visiting we were coming home & she heard us coming home & came upstairs to see who was coming into ‘her’ building. (um, sometimes people have friends & family come over!).
The walls in my building from are quite thin & you can hear the people above or below you walking around, talking, watching tv, even flushing the toilet. I can often hear the people upstairs from me walking around or talking & I can hear the lady below me talking & watching her TV too...but this is what happens when you live your life, these are things people do. & you WILL hear these things in a thin wall building.
Last night was the worst...I just got back from a really great relaxing weekend in VT & came home to a hot apartment. So, I immediately turned on the fan in my room (a quiet rotating fan) to cool down. Since it was late, I was trying to be respectfully quiet as I dragged my bag into my room & unpacked...opening & closing dresser drawers, putting my bag away, etc. At about midnight I hear a knock at my door & hear the voice of the lady downstairs “Megan, it’s Vesna!” “CRAP!” I think..."what the heck does she want...I was totally quiet!!!"
I opened the door & she says “do you have a fan on or something?”
"Yes” I say.
“well, can you please turn it off or put a book under it or something? It sounds like a something is hammering & it is quite loud”
I give her a look of are you freaking serious? You’ve got to be kidding me!
& then politely complied “yes, sure, goodnight”
I close the door & I am furious!
A fan, A FAN!!!!! Is now too loud for her! What will it be next?!! Me breathing & taking a shower & cooking dinner & opening the fridge & LIVING MY LIFE!
Wow.
I love my apartment & have the best of both worlds with location & amount of space, but compromised thin walls for all of it & now...this ‘leech’ has GOT to stop.
I should tell her that she needs to stop snoring cus I can hear her in her bed below me when I’m trying to get to sleep.
