Our first visit to New York
was awesome. We left on Saturday, July 31st (9am) through Tuesday, August 3rd (1pm).
The Summary: We had a great time, got tons of info, are revisiting once more to finalize everything, and then decide on when to make the move.
The Trip (Note: This is a long blog!):
What a city! Our hotel (Hotel Pennsylvania- warning: bad flash site) was across from Madison Square Garden/Penn Station. My big interview was above it all in the Two Penn Building.
On the first day, we didn't even plan. We just started walking. We actually walked from our hotel through Times Square, then all the way to Central Park, winding through the streets, just looking! We saw Rockefeller Center, Trump Tower, and lots of beautiful churches and architecture. The skies were beautiful, but it was pretty hot- we finally stopped at the Oak Bar across from Central Park, where we paid $24 for two beers and a soda (the bar was connected to the famous Plaza Hotel). Then after spending 3-4 hours of walking, we took a subway back to our hotel....it took a whole five minutes.
That night, we went for a few drinks at "Joe O's", an Irish bar and restaurant next to our hotel. We made friends with the bartender, Darren. He was born in Dublin, but moved to America when we was in his early 20's. He absolutely loves New York! He told us about the areas he had lived in New York over the last 10 years, and gave us lots of info to research. He also told us about Bleeker Street (see Dave's blog). We met up with Darren again the next night.
Man, there are just TONS AND TONS AND TONS of little Mom 'n Pop shops to eat for cheap, little arts stores and specialty shops. We were out walking and found this little print shop hidden away on a side street; they had wall-to-wall pulp fiction comics book postcards, just like the ones we have lined up in our bathroom! Awesome! They were 12 for $7 (can't beat that!). We also found an amazing Tibetan restaurant in the Village called Shangrila. From the street, it looks like an ordinary food stop, but inside, it's another world. After a long day of walking, it was more than perfect. Maybe ten tables, one waitress, everyone speaking at a very low level. Meditation music massaging your brain...and noodle bowls with a beer. Ahhh.
We visited New Jersey the next day and saw a three apartments. One was super expensive- which we knew they would be (Liberty Towers). One was a cool apartment; a little less pricey and it was in a super-primpy area (Towers of Newport). Almost too nice, but it's a possibility.
The third was a too-perfect corporate apartment complex. Fluffy carpeting and white walls, just like the ones I used to rent here in Florida. Yuck. Maybe we're being too picky...but not really. I mean, we want a good price and some room to turn around, but we don't want to feel like we're back in Florida, either. At least, not for our first New York apartment. Next time we'll look at apartments in the city. That should give us a good gage.
We took the ferry over to the Financial District, where we went and saw "Ground Zero". You would have no idea that it was more than a typical construction site if it weren't for the surrounding buildings with massive damage around the top part of them....oh yeah, and the group of tables set up along the main fence, trying to sell tourists World Trade Center memorabilia. Dave and I refused to buy any New York trinkets with the Twin Towers on it. We're not from New York. They are no longer there. It didn't feel right.
We also went to the Empire State Building that night- it was very commercialized, very unorganized and took FOREVER to get to the top, but it was worth it! 86 floors up! Woohoo!
The next morning, we learned that there were terrorist threats on two of the buildings in the financial district. You wouldn’t even know it walking through the streets. I guess you can't stop living every time you hear a threat. Everyone was out, walking around, talking, laughing, shopping, going about their business. I even forgot all about it until I saw my first machine gun- there were two soldiers in fatigues in Penn Station. Just as a precaution, but was that weird!
I went to my first interview that morning. It was for a competing Publisher, so it was kind of odd. What a beautiful office, though (and a great view to match)! They said they definitely wanted me and that they were going to discuss where I would fit (the positions are set up totally different there). Within 2 hours, sure enough, they called me and asked if I could come back in to meet with their senior designers. It went all right...I was surprised how dry the interview was. Which brings me to the one thing that I found odd...the design department was very quiet. No goofy, creative, fun stuff up on anyone's cubicle walls, either. No laughing or talking...it seemed...not right. They asked me to send them samples, so I should know more in the next few weeks. I'm not sure of how I feel exactly. I'm still going to try other places in the meantime.
That night, we met up with our old Orlando friend, Doug. He had moved there in March, and we were so excited to see each other! We couldn't wait to hear how he liked everything. We met up with him on Bleeker Street at "Kenny's Castaway". He's lost a ton of weight!!! He looks great! I guess it's all that walking around (another incentive to moving there!). We lounged around at "Madam XX's", then went to CBGBs and then The Living Room (where Nora Jones got her start). WOW. The music going on in there was just...surreal. I will be visiting The Living Room quite often. I’d love to play there myself!
On the last morning, I had set up a second interview with a different company, but it ended up getting cancelled because of a deadline emergency, but asked me to call them when I revisit. I'm actually glad was cancelled though, since we took a bus to the airport- we wouldn't have made it on time if I had to squeeze an interview in, too!
Overall, it felt normal to walk through the streets. Not overwhelming at all! People weren't shoving you out of he way, or snubbing you on the subway. The New York attitude has a bad rap- like they're loud and pushy. They are very "no nonsense. In fact, I almost prefer it. No one is beating around the bush, but they're not crass, either. Everyone we asked questions to had a straight but friendly answer. It's like everyone there is a giant family, all in the same boat. We met so many cool people on that trip it was awesome! Even sitting in the subway, a couple asked us to name a comedy we had seen recently, because they wanted to rent a movie and couldn't decide. We told them "Office Space", and they were ecstatic. We ran into a lot of people like that. It's kind of like working for one huge company. It's like you all belong to the same workplace, you pass in the halls and make small talk like you've seen each other walking around before, and maybe you'd even share a tidbit or two about new places you discovered.
The Summary: We had a great time, got tons of info, are revisiting once more to finalize everything, and then decide on when to make the move.
The Trip (Note: This is a long blog!):
What a city! Our hotel (Hotel Pennsylvania- warning: bad flash site) was across from Madison Square Garden/Penn Station. My big interview was above it all in the Two Penn Building.
On the first day, we didn't even plan. We just started walking. We actually walked from our hotel through Times Square, then all the way to Central Park, winding through the streets, just looking! We saw Rockefeller Center, Trump Tower, and lots of beautiful churches and architecture. The skies were beautiful, but it was pretty hot- we finally stopped at the Oak Bar across from Central Park, where we paid $24 for two beers and a soda (the bar was connected to the famous Plaza Hotel). Then after spending 3-4 hours of walking, we took a subway back to our hotel....it took a whole five minutes.
That night, we went for a few drinks at "Joe O's", an Irish bar and restaurant next to our hotel. We made friends with the bartender, Darren. He was born in Dublin, but moved to America when we was in his early 20's. He absolutely loves New York! He told us about the areas he had lived in New York over the last 10 years, and gave us lots of info to research. He also told us about Bleeker Street (see Dave's blog). We met up with Darren again the next night.
Man, there are just TONS AND TONS AND TONS of little Mom 'n Pop shops to eat for cheap, little arts stores and specialty shops. We were out walking and found this little print shop hidden away on a side street; they had wall-to-wall pulp fiction comics book postcards, just like the ones we have lined up in our bathroom! Awesome! They were 12 for $7 (can't beat that!). We also found an amazing Tibetan restaurant in the Village called Shangrila. From the street, it looks like an ordinary food stop, but inside, it's another world. After a long day of walking, it was more than perfect. Maybe ten tables, one waitress, everyone speaking at a very low level. Meditation music massaging your brain...and noodle bowls with a beer. Ahhh.
We visited New Jersey the next day and saw a three apartments. One was super expensive- which we knew they would be (Liberty Towers). One was a cool apartment; a little less pricey and it was in a super-primpy area (Towers of Newport). Almost too nice, but it's a possibility.
The third was a too-perfect corporate apartment complex. Fluffy carpeting and white walls, just like the ones I used to rent here in Florida. Yuck. Maybe we're being too picky...but not really. I mean, we want a good price and some room to turn around, but we don't want to feel like we're back in Florida, either. At least, not for our first New York apartment. Next time we'll look at apartments in the city. That should give us a good gage.
We took the ferry over to the Financial District, where we went and saw "Ground Zero". You would have no idea that it was more than a typical construction site if it weren't for the surrounding buildings with massive damage around the top part of them....oh yeah, and the group of tables set up along the main fence, trying to sell tourists World Trade Center memorabilia. Dave and I refused to buy any New York trinkets with the Twin Towers on it. We're not from New York. They are no longer there. It didn't feel right.
We also went to the Empire State Building that night- it was very commercialized, very unorganized and took FOREVER to get to the top, but it was worth it! 86 floors up! Woohoo!
The next morning, we learned that there were terrorist threats on two of the buildings in the financial district. You wouldn’t even know it walking through the streets. I guess you can't stop living every time you hear a threat. Everyone was out, walking around, talking, laughing, shopping, going about their business. I even forgot all about it until I saw my first machine gun- there were two soldiers in fatigues in Penn Station. Just as a precaution, but was that weird!
I went to my first interview that morning. It was for a competing Publisher, so it was kind of odd. What a beautiful office, though (and a great view to match)! They said they definitely wanted me and that they were going to discuss where I would fit (the positions are set up totally different there). Within 2 hours, sure enough, they called me and asked if I could come back in to meet with their senior designers. It went all right...I was surprised how dry the interview was. Which brings me to the one thing that I found odd...the design department was very quiet. No goofy, creative, fun stuff up on anyone's cubicle walls, either. No laughing or talking...it seemed...not right. They asked me to send them samples, so I should know more in the next few weeks. I'm not sure of how I feel exactly. I'm still going to try other places in the meantime.
That night, we met up with our old Orlando friend, Doug. He had moved there in March, and we were so excited to see each other! We couldn't wait to hear how he liked everything. We met up with him on Bleeker Street at "Kenny's Castaway". He's lost a ton of weight!!! He looks great! I guess it's all that walking around (another incentive to moving there!). We lounged around at "Madam XX's", then went to CBGBs and then The Living Room (where Nora Jones got her start). WOW. The music going on in there was just...surreal. I will be visiting The Living Room quite often. I’d love to play there myself!
On the last morning, I had set up a second interview with a different company, but it ended up getting cancelled because of a deadline emergency, but asked me to call them when I revisit. I'm actually glad was cancelled though, since we took a bus to the airport- we wouldn't have made it on time if I had to squeeze an interview in, too!
Overall, it felt normal to walk through the streets. Not overwhelming at all! People weren't shoving you out of he way, or snubbing you on the subway. The New York attitude has a bad rap- like they're loud and pushy. They are very "no nonsense. In fact, I almost prefer it. No one is beating around the bush, but they're not crass, either. Everyone we asked questions to had a straight but friendly answer. It's like everyone there is a giant family, all in the same boat. We met so many cool people on that trip it was awesome! Even sitting in the subway, a couple asked us to name a comedy we had seen recently, because they wanted to rent a movie and couldn't decide. We told them "Office Space", and they were ecstatic. We ran into a lot of people like that. It's kind of like working for one huge company. It's like you all belong to the same workplace, you pass in the halls and make small talk like you've seen each other walking around before, and maybe you'd even share a tidbit or two about new places you discovered.
posted by Robots and Cupcakes @ 1:00 PM
<< Home