Tis Good that you found a place. Rent stabilization is a necessity for the last lingering working and creative classes in New York. I never could have lived like I did without it. Surrounded by 16 inches of snow,worrying if the heat exhaust on my roof is able to function,I’m feeling some regrets about giving up a rent stabilized apartment, which meant that I would never be able to live in New York again. This Winter has been tough out here.
It is necessary, and I think I will always regret giving up this lease, at moments, like you do. But I also know there are reasons why we do it. 16 inches of snow tend to smother the sense of those reasons.
I always get this feeling when I walk into a place like your French door having apartment, like it's telling me "you? you'll never live here. you do not get to have things like this. this is for people who don't drive a rustbucket and don't get red and sweaty in the summer. this is for people with old money." and it's been true, every time I've walked into an apartment (and an off-grid cabin, a different apartment, a house with nowhere to put a bakery), and loved it. the curse of good taste without the funds to back it up. my friend used to joke that either of us could walk into any store in town (Hanover, Dartmouth) and immediately find the nicest, most expensive thing in there. one time I took myself for a drive, looking for a decent quiet place to go for a walk, recently moved back to the area against my better judgement, and I found the most expensive house for sale in the area. I was in love until I saw the 3mil price tag. then I called my friend and we laughed about it.
I'm glad you did find a place.
and I'd be sticking it to that pos landlord, too, because I'm also a grudge holder.
That is the feeling, right? Oh yeah you like this, but this is some gilded age shit for other people. We make do, and generally we all make better than that.
Congrats on finding a place. I had a real flashback to some open houses in Williamsburg a few years ago while I was reading this, I'm not sure anything ever reminded me more of how real class is in a gentrified neighborhood in Brooklyn.
I remember that place. Never stepped foot inside but almost tried to rent it from you when you moved out. Congratulations/I’m-sorry-to-hear-that for still holding on to the lease. That 10 block area was my home for 20 years until a “dream” covid deal on a “4 bedroom” on green st (heavy on the quotes there) ended, our rent got raised over 2k and we fucked off to Philly. I miss it over there.
Not much I despise with more vitriol than a nyc landlord
That’s how we do this xx
That’s right.
Tis Good that you found a place. Rent stabilization is a necessity for the last lingering working and creative classes in New York. I never could have lived like I did without it. Surrounded by 16 inches of snow,worrying if the heat exhaust on my roof is able to function,I’m feeling some regrets about giving up a rent stabilized apartment, which meant that I would never be able to live in New York again. This Winter has been tough out here.
It is necessary, and I think I will always regret giving up this lease, at moments, like you do. But I also know there are reasons why we do it. 16 inches of snow tend to smother the sense of those reasons.
And being car dependent, which I’m not used to. Going back outside to keep working on digging it out.
I lived in Chicago-I understand the importance of this unpaid internship
Resonates so deeply.
So glad you found a place. Thank you for turning the emotional tumult of us non-rich into a beautiful essay.
Thank you!
I always get this feeling when I walk into a place like your French door having apartment, like it's telling me "you? you'll never live here. you do not get to have things like this. this is for people who don't drive a rustbucket and don't get red and sweaty in the summer. this is for people with old money." and it's been true, every time I've walked into an apartment (and an off-grid cabin, a different apartment, a house with nowhere to put a bakery), and loved it. the curse of good taste without the funds to back it up. my friend used to joke that either of us could walk into any store in town (Hanover, Dartmouth) and immediately find the nicest, most expensive thing in there. one time I took myself for a drive, looking for a decent quiet place to go for a walk, recently moved back to the area against my better judgement, and I found the most expensive house for sale in the area. I was in love until I saw the 3mil price tag. then I called my friend and we laughed about it.
I'm glad you did find a place.
and I'd be sticking it to that pos landlord, too, because I'm also a grudge holder.
That is the feeling, right? Oh yeah you like this, but this is some gilded age shit for other people. We make do, and generally we all make better than that.
Congrats on finding a place. I had a real flashback to some open houses in Williamsburg a few years ago while I was reading this, I'm not sure anything ever reminded me more of how real class is in a gentrified neighborhood in Brooklyn.
So glad you found a place!
I remember that place. Never stepped foot inside but almost tried to rent it from you when you moved out. Congratulations/I’m-sorry-to-hear-that for still holding on to the lease. That 10 block area was my home for 20 years until a “dream” covid deal on a “4 bedroom” on green st (heavy on the quotes there) ended, our rent got raised over 2k and we fucked off to Philly. I miss it over there.
Not much I despise with more vitriol than a nyc landlord