I’m a little under 4 weeks out from my extended stay in Brooklyn this fall. It’s crazy how quickly this came up. It feels like just yesterday I was walking the Brooklyn Promenade and taking in the Manhattan skyline.
This stay is going to be a little different than my last. A little longer, and with a bit more of a goal in mind. So the countdown is on to my NYC extended stay, and here’s the plan.
The Countdown Is On To My NYC Extended Stay
While I thought my month long spring stay in New York City would result in a life changing decision, it didn’t. Instead, it just delayed it all. I don’t really remember why I just decided to book 6 weeks instead of browsing for apartments and finally making that choice. But that’s just what happened.
My guess is I was an emotional wreck as I celebrated the one year anniversary of losing my dog, Pork, and just felt overwhelmed with this decision. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, live in NYC. But I just felt overwhelmed at the time and like it wasn’t time. I had travel plans already and moving in the summer was not what I wanted to do either.
In the spring I wanted to browse apartments, but it never happened. I was busy catching up with friends, meeting with brands, and just living my best life in Brooklyn. Getting a feel for the area was one of the main reasons I wanted to do this in the first place. And while I really got to know where I stayed, there were some places I’d definitely like to still explore.
So I decided I’d come back again in the fall and be way more serious about the apartment hunt and making this big decision. But no, no decision has yet been made. Yet. The more I put it out there though, the more I think it just has to happen.
My friends know that I basically just browse StreetEasy non-stop. My favorite thing to do is send them the most insane and pathetic studios and say “omg can you believe this is $3700?!”. They are 1/3 the size of my condo and don’t even have a dishwasher. It’s mind-blowing, but it’s also New York City, the best city in the world. Something I have to constantly remind myself as I do my apartment browsing for sport.
However, I’ve become extremely familiar with the market and have started to really narrow my neighborhoods down. So it’s time to finally put myself to work a bit in the hunt.
So what’s on my to-do list for New York this fall? Here’s what I plan on doing.
Spend Some Time In New Neighborhoods
I’m staying at the same Airbnb I was at in the spring which was in Cobble Hill. A very beautiful charming, quaint neighborhood. It’s a short distance to Brooklyn Heights and Carrol Gardens which are on either side. I explored all three a lot and fell in love with them. I spent some time in Williamsburg too, not my favorite, but didn’t hate it. And I know a good chunk of Manhattan from many previous visits over the years.
But my plan for fall is to explore a few new to me neighborhoods, and spend full days in ones I’m on the fence about. I want to explore Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, East Village and more of the Upper West Side. Because guess who fell in love with the most expensive neighborhoods in Brooklyn?
This girl.
While Brooklyn Heights or Cobble Hill would be the dream since I fell in love with them, I think for my possible one-year stint, a more affordable neighborhood may be wise. So I plan on really getting to know some new neighborhoods and making a final list of where I’d want to possibly be.
Actually Go On Some Dates
I also swore I’d do this in the spring and didn’t. But I think I’d like to force myself to see new neighborhoods, try new restaurants and meet new people by trying a bit harder on this front. And sadly that means using the apps. Which I hate. But it’s the only way.
When I was browsing Bumble in the spring, it was refreshing to not see a bunch of conservative men holding dead fish they just caught. It was a breath of fresh air honestly. But I just never put in the work to make dates happen.
We’ll change that.
Create A Healthier Routine
I think I got all of my indulgences out by trying every rainbow cookie I could find in New York. Checking off all the bakeries I wanted to try and things that were popular on TikTok. While I still made home cooked meals at the Airbnb, I think I plan on being even more conscious of this. Both for costs and just overall feeling healthy.
I envisioned that I’d do a workout or two, and of course, didn’t. For fall, I plan to use my ClassPass to get in some workouts, and I may join the gym that’s about a 10 minute walk from my Airbnb to get in some weight lifting workouts. With a month-to-month option that’s super cheap, it seems like a good idea for me. The goal is at least two workouts a week.
I’m really excited to be back again and am anxious to see what comes of it all. I feel it deep in my bones that I need to do at least a year in NYC and this is the chance to do it. The costs are staggering and not what I’m used to at all. But people do it! And I can do it.
The one thing I learned while I was there for four weeks was the opportunities that were made more possible by being in the heart of it all. And I think this is encouraging and reassuring. As someone who is self-employed, that is always something that is top of mind when it comes to making a big financial decision like moving to the most expensive city in the world.
I’m also excited for…
A few things I’m also excited about for this go around is the fact that I’ll be able to hit the ground running. There’s no learning curve this time. I know where my grocery stores are, my go-to bagel spot, how to navigate my subway stop and so on.
This will make me feel more settled instantly. I can unpack, head to the store to stock the fridge a bit, and by dinner time I’ll feel like I’m right back home.
I’ll also be spending a holiday with family which I’m truly so excited for. With family all around the city, I’ll be seeing cousins and aunts and uncles while I’m there. I am hoping my parents make it up to visit too. I’d love to show them the part of the city that I’ve now fallen in love with. And honestly, if I do find a place to call home, I’d love their blessing.
And lastly, I have some old favorites to now go back to. I can’t wait to get a lard bread at Mazzola’s and a rainbow cookie. I’ll be getting an egg and cheese on a Kaiser roll at Lassen & Hennings and then walking to the promenade to enjoy breakfast with a view. And of course, seeing friends, old and new, and ones I didn’t get a chance to connect with on my last stay. Truly can not wait to be there.
Okay, the one thing I’m not excited about is packing for an extended stay of 6 weeks which includes changing seasons, and having to carry all of that up three flights of stairs. New York really has a way to humble you quickly.
Shop The Post
- SHOP
- PIN IT
