Note to self: limit cross country moves to no more than two in one lifetime. Allowances can be made for any moves completed before the age of 25; after the age of 30 it’s a hard and fast rule.
Y’all. Joe and I thought this move to New York would be the easiest thing ever. He grew up in Ohio and I grew up in Texas, so both of us had experienced moves to LA, SF, and then two additional moves within SF once we were there. But I recently learned one of life’s truest and most valuable lessons: the older you are, the more crap you have. Oh, and also: you get tired more easily. Suffices to say, I’ve told Joe to make himself at home, because I will not I repeat WILL NOT be moving out of this apartment for the next 5 years, minimum. Unless he wants to see me rocking a straight jacket.
This whole process has really taken it out of us mentally, emotionally and physically. Just recently I’ve started to feel like myself again, and I was stunned to realize I had almost forgotten what that felt like, because it’s been a long time — longer than this cross country move has taken, for sure. Really, it’s not just the move that’s created such a disruption in our lives; we’ve kind of been on high alert for the last 18+ months (the engagement, the quitting of the job, the starting of the company, the wedding planning, the emergency cross town move, the actual wedding, the dog, the wondering if we’d move to New York, the actual moving to New York, the apartment mess). I think I aged an extra five years in the last two. And I’m telling you all this 1) to be honest about how unglamorous entrepreneurship/wedding planning/dog ownership/moving to this glamorously portrayed city has been, and 2) to really emphasize that I think (fingers crossed) that we’re finally coming out of the madness and how flippin’ happy I am about it. [Insert GIF of me chugging Champagne here]
The good news is, we’re making slow but steady progress on getting our house settled. And yes, some apartment photos are ahead!
Don’t get too excited, friend. I said slow but steady. I don’t have that many pictures of our apartment to show you, because really, can I be honest? This place is going to take a while to put together. Both of us are busy with our jobs and trying to get other parts of our life situated here, and sometimes decor decisions get put on the back burner (though sometimes they don’t…more on that later today). We also sold, gifted, or donated a huge amount of stuff from our old apartment, so we’re having to make some big decisions as far as storage options go. Additionally, the layout and nature of this space is so different from anything we’ve ever lived in, that it kind of feels smart to just let it ride for a while until we can be a lot more certain of how we’ll live here and what pieces will meet our needs. All this is a nice way of saying I’m not going to have finished, magazine worthy apartment pics for you any time soon. You guys have all been so sweet to ask to see our place, and I know through the magic of blogging sometimes it seems like we can turn this shit around in days…but yeah, that’s not happening over here right now. I’m pretty excited for this apartment though (I told Joe it’s my favorite apartment we’ve ever lived in), so I can promise that when it is done, you’ll for sure be seeing more of it. Cue photos:
This apartment is really unique in that it’s in a converted townhouse. While the width of the apartment is a little narrow, it’s nice and long (Lucy loves this for running around). Another bonus that sold me on the space: it’s two stories (which in New York is called a duplex). The apartment was actually previously two separate units, but as part of the renovation they just finished, they created this cool stairwell and expanded the apartment. The wood and iron stairwell is probably my favorite feature in the unit. Another interesting thing: the room in the back in the photo on the left used to be the kitchen, so part of the renovation was moving the entire kitchen out of there. That back room is now a small den. In the photo on the right, I’m standing in the master bedroom door and looking down towards the office. All the crap you see piled up in there is still there…like I said, we’re working on storage.
Both the office and the downstairs living room have marble fireplaces! They’re non-working, but oh-so-pretty to look at. This house plant is named Ganesh and has been in our lives since 2003. He’s kinda funky, but with a history like that, he goes where we go.
My bathroom has subway tile, so I’m happy! One adventure of moving into an apartment in New York: the day before we moved in, we had to scramble to get someone to come out to install AC units, as we didn’t have any. This was also the same week that temps averaged 96 degrees…
I took most of these photos right before the movers arrived. This one was taken about twenty minutes after.
And this one about an hour later. By the end of the night, the empty boxes and packing paper completely took over the living room! It took us another two weeks to get rid of boxes on Craigslist and package up all the packing materials — recycling is only collected one day per week here and recyclables have to be bagged or packed just so in order to be taken. It’s funny all the quirks you learn about new cities, isn’t it?
So, that’s a brief (and keeping it real) sneak peek into our new place! Looking at these photos, it actually makes me feel encouraged and proud by how much we’ve actually done considering how busy things have been. Excited for what’s to come…
Glad to hear that life is starting to settle down! I think the apartment looks amazing and I’m excited to see how you end up decorating it. Taking a little time is always a good thing so you end up with pieces you love. Thanks for an honest post about life!
Thanks so much for sharing these photos! The apartment looks awesome!
happy your are finally settled down, and the apartment looks great I cannot wait to see it decorated.
I do not envy you when it comes to moving. However, the fact that you moved to NY – envious! ;)
http://happinessiscreating.com/
You were so honest in the post because moving is not glamorous and actually really sucks. I’m only 18 but my family has moved all over the world NINE times… When a moving truck shows up to your house with close to 500 boxes it’s really hard to stay sane. Making the house your home is a toughie too! But y’all seem to be making lots of progress and I’m sure that one day this apartment is just going to look phenomenal!
It looks like you guys scored an AMAZING space…so worth the wait, I bet. I can’t wait to see everything, but definitely take your time. Moving is NOT a walk in the park, that’s for sure!
Cannot wait to see this place decorated!
xo,
Danie
http://www.danienordahl.com
WOW! It’s AMAZING so far and has so so so much potential. I know you’ll do big things here.
Beautiful place, can’t wait to see it when you’re finished.
it’s already looking like an awesome space! congrats and i wish you a great recovery to feeling more yourself!
kw ladies in navy
Congrats on the apartment and getting settled! Moving to NYC and within NYC will forever be a huge headache… I’m not moving out of my current apartment until forced!
Looks like a great space, especially for NYC!
The place is gorgeous! Well worth the wait, I’d say. And I love your little Ganesh!
Best of luck unpacking and settling in!
Your apartment is insane!!! I cannot wait to follow along. And trust me, if I took you on a tour of our place, after being here for over a month, you’d feel so much better. I’m currently sitting in a plastic folding chair at our dining table.
We’ve been in our place close to 3 years and still have at least 2-3 boxes sitting right inside the garage door that have yet to be unpacked. You are right! Moving is not glamorous. But what’s most intriguing about your particular move is the romance in making that brave decision to go for it and then pack up and move to that great city- something so many of us have spent hours of our lives only daydreaming about.
This space looks fantastic! Love that fireplace!!
Moving is so much work, but if you like where you end up it’s all worth it.
I was so excited to see pictures of your apartment. It is a great space, I know you will make it even more beautiful! : )
Thanks for (as always) keeping it REAL real. Your place is going to be gorgeous once it comes together. Taking your time is the best way – no beautiful rooms come out of hasty decisions!
I’m with you! Moving uptown was SO draining! We had been in the same apartment for 5+ years so I realized we accumulate way too much stuff. We’re still unpacking, buying furniture and setting up but I;m hoping it starts feeling more like home very soon. xoxox
So thrilled to hear you are settled (somewhat) in the new place and enjoying life in the city. I definitely understand the hectic lifestyle of a few years but once things settle it’s all worth it. Sending love your way! xo
It doesn’t matter that you’re not unpacked in these photos, or even settled yet, because your apartment is INCREDIBLE!!! Oh, I want a staircase in mine, so badly. When you move out in five years please call me immediately so I can move in. I am in love haha. Waiting for it was so worth it!!
Rose
Blonde in this City
What an awesome space!!! Sort of reminds me of mine in some ways, although I didn’t know such things existed in NYC? Anyhow, so normal that you would feel drained– you have been managing a lot!!! Wishing you good luck with getting settled.
your apartment looks amazing — love that stairwell — though I can’t imagine doing all of this in the past 18 months. Nuts! So glad that you’re moving toward an end point, and at least you’re in a new place.
AC = essential.
wow, so much evolving in so little time! sounds like it has been challenging, but i am sure you have grown so much from it all! i hope every day finds more peace and rest for your soul. all the best to you!
xx
What an amazingly cool space! And as one who is going through a move across state, I can say that I have NO idea what I would do with myself during a cross-country move. Cheers to a bit more normalcy in your life! Can’t wait to see how you make this place your own!
The character! So much character. What an awesome place to call home. Thank you for sharing photos with us. Honestly, they are so refreshing. It’s so nice to see the process and not just the finished product. Give yourself a huge pat on the back for how you’ve handle all this craziness. I’m not sure I could do it!
The floors in your new place are gorgeous! And it looks like you all have a good bit of space at your place – very much the opposite of what I usually expect NYC apartments to look like. Glad you’re finally moved in and can start to get settled and back to normal!
XO
Your apartment looks great! Very Uptown ;)
Can’t wait to see what it looks like when it’s all done.
So happy you are finally settling in…moving is such a pain. Your place looks amazing. We are looking to buy a place in the next year and I am not looking forward to the process…especially since we have a toddler and a baby now!
Your space is amazing and I know you will do great things with it! I know what you mean about moving being emotionally/physically/mentally taxing and so glad to hear you’re coming out of that phase. And I have to keep reminding myself that decorating takes time- I’ve been in my apartment 8 months and it’s still not 100% complete! But yay for moving on to the fun part- decorating > moving!
Your new place looks like a dream! All of the stress and waiting totally paid off. Can’t wait to see you style her up real nice!
So happy for you guys! I’m still living vicariously through you. Living in New York excites me, but I’m sure you are right. It probably isn’t as glamorous as people make it out to be.
looks like it’s an incredible space! cannot wait to see what you do with it!
Loved seeing someone with the some moving feelings I experienced when relocating! We just moved into our second California home and vow to not move for quite a while. It feels good to settle into a place you love. That’s a great space. Best of luck with the rest of “moving in!”
Moving within a town is tough, moving to another state is REALLY tough. Glad to hear things are calming down. Don’t worry about putting your place together, it’ll happen in time. The place does look wonderful, though!
SO excited to see what you do with this place! Such amazing bones!
Wow…regardless of all the stuff that remains unpacked, you found an awesome space that you will definitely be able to live in for years! That’s basically impossible in Manhattan, so great job : )
And this is why I love your blog: honest, real, and candid about the behind-the-scenes reality of life. You have no idea how encouraging that is. Keep going!
I LOVE Ya’lls apartment! WOW! How did you go about finding this great place here in NYC? I’m seriously envious you found a two story place- and it looks HUGE for our new york standards:) awesome!
Honestly? Working with two brokers and looking at probably 30+ places over the course of many days (and refusing to settle). It was exhausting. Plus, we just lucked out as it still needed a lot of reno and I don’t think it was even listed on the open market when we saw it. We kinda snuck in under the radar. Also: being extraordinarily persistent with the management company to get it. I wouldn’t want to go through it again!
I am totally right there with you. I just moved across the country (the shorter way—South to North) as well, and I couldn’t believe how much stuff I accumulated as a single person. I am possibly moving within the same metro area in a year, and I’m already dreading it. I once moved 3 times in one year (2 6-month leases, and the moves technically all happened within the same calendar year). I’m already 25, so I’ve hit the limit, haha.