This is a saga about finding and living in an apartment in New York. I guess you get what you craigslist for and I craigslisted a cheap apartment downtown. Now I had to be out of my place August 1st and started looking for places the month before.
I thought I had found the perfect place: East Village, under $800 a month in rent, and I could walk to work!
This was great, I had two meetings with various roommates and was all set to move in! I wrote back and forth with the one of them about costs and deposits. She said I should pay my deposit to the outgoing roommate (a common apartment practice) and 1st month's rent to the landlord. I wrote a check to the roommate, typed up my receipt - using as much legal jargon as I could - and was all set to go. Dropped the check off with the girl and waited to hear back from her.
I did hear back. She said the outgoing roommate wouldn't take a check. He would only take cash. That was a huge red flag for me and I said I wouldn't give him any money without a papertrail. I wanted evidence of this transaction.
So I had a bank check made in the sum of the deposit - and both sides would be happy with that. The day I was scheduled to move in I got a message from the girl roommate saying the outgoing roommate's last rent check had bounced and I shouldn't give him any money until they figured everything out.
Fine, but I had to move in! I loaded up all my stuff in a taxi (and I don't have a lot of stuff) and headed to the new place. As soon as I got there the old roommate was standing in the doorway. No hi, hello, how are you and certainly not a welcome - the guy said "Are you Caroline?" and I cringed. He continued,"Do you have the money, I'll let you inside if you have the money?"
So after an hour of weird threats and solutions that didn't make sense this guy disappeared, I cleaned my room, moved in and swept the hallway.
I really like the place! It's going to be such a great apartment, I can tell already...but until things are settled I know I'm going to be unsettled.
Cleaned half the kitchen last night! Am maybe going grocery shopping tonight - pasta, garlic, butter, cheese - what more does a girl need?
Can't wait . . .
Strange days are ahead.
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