That’s our move in date! We finally found a 3 bedroom apartment after 4 months of diligent searching and stalking Craigslist, networking with people we know (and some we don’t), and calling broker after broker to see if they had something in our price range. After seeing something like 9 places, talking to 13 different owners, 4 credit checks, 1 AMAZING place and landlord that loved us and spent an hour and a half chatting with us only to let us know that there are no pets allowed (and you know how i feel about my damn kitty), we found the perfect place. Where, you ask? In the same complex that we live in now, one building over!
When Callie and I decided to move in together, about a year after we had started dating, we fell in love with a one bedroom in the complex where she grew up. There are 12 buildings with 4 to each courtyard. Callie grew up at 43. We moved into 25 where we lived for almost 2 years. We didn’t want to leave but when we decided to become foster parents, a 1 bedroom just wasn’t going to cut it. So we looked, for months, with no luck. Just as we were about to throw our hands up and give up on the prospect of fostering, our rental office called us and told us that they had a 2 bedroom available one courtyard over. We’d told them to keep us posted if something came up in our price range. So we recruited our friends with the bribe of pizza and beer, our parents, and our siblings. We shot over to the next courtyard to building 7. We moved in about 4 hours, and by the time we were finished (about 7 hours in total) our WHOLE ENTIRE apartment was completely set up. I still thank my mom for cleaning EVERYTHING and putting it away just as we had it before.
Tuesday, as we were saying, “UGH! We’re over this apartment search! I guess the twins will be sleeping with us for the first couple of months until our lease is up and we’ll just be devastated because we can’t put together the nursery we’ve always wanted”, we get a phone call. A 3 bedroom 2 BATH (woo hoo!!!!!!!) opened up in the next door in building 3! We told ourselves we didn’t want to pay more than $2500 for rent and utilities, but where we live in NY that’s kind of hard to find. When you live in the suburbs 20 outside of NYC, you’re looking at about $1500 for a one bedroom. And the county that we live in has the highest taxes in the NATION! Well, since we have been such great tenants, paying our rent on time, getting great feedback from our neighbors, and it doesn’t hurt that the girls at the rental office love us, they gave us the apartment for $2200, down from $2350. I KNOW RIGHT?!?! So we’ll be packing as much as we can in the coming week and recruiting our friends again (with the promise of pizza and beer as usual) to move us one floor down, 50 yards over, and 3 floors up.
Best thing about the new apartment (aside from the 2nd bathroom)? All the light! Lots and lots of windows and tons and tons of light. Our current apartment sits in the middle of an “H” shape. Because of where our apartment is, it doesn’t matter what side the sun is on, one side of the building is always casting a shadow on our windows. This new apartment has windows on 2 different sides of the street (it’s on the top left corner of the “H”) with nothing blocking it! The room that we chose for the nursery has 2 windows, gets the most light, right next to our bedroom, and it’s the perfect size for 2 of everything (10ftx14.6ft)! They are even giving us the key a bit early so we have a little more time to move, since Callie is pregnant and they figured we’d need the head start since she can’t do much. They have no idea about the moving dream team!
So again, when we are about to give up, the universe keeps telling us to keep going. That everything will work itself out. So I have the love of my life (when I was over love), twins on the way (after we told ourselves we were over trying to get pregnant), and a beautiful 3 bedroom apartment exactly where we wanted it (while in the middle of a conversation about making it work in our 2 bedroom). This is a different kind of surrender. I throw my hands up and let things work out just as they are supposed to…
So jealous of your 3 bedrooms! I’m a non-tummy-mummy too, OH due to give birth any day now, and we have 2 bedrooms. Not a huge problem you may think, but we have nowhere for visiting relatives to stay!
Enjoy your new home x
I mean, we could have totally made it work, but we were feeling sad about no nursery. Gonna do some reading of your blog tonight while at work…wanna hear about this baby you got coming! I love babies!
That looks awesome! Apartment hunting can be just the absolute worst. I’m glad it worked out for you guys and your little family.
Thanks! So are we! Now to pack all these boxes!
Sounds like an awesome place! We moved three times in the same apartment complex in the last 8 years – so I totally get that! It was a great way to stay with the same landlord and office staff and environment. Good luck in your move!
Like they say, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” We love it here, and the area, and it has some of the best schools in the nation…we can’t lose here!
AWESOME! Sounds like you are going to love your new home!
We went to go see it again today because Callie hadn’t seen it yet. She walked into the space for the nursery and started crying…i almost pat myself on the shoulder in real life…it’s gonna be awesome! Thanks for the love… 🙂
That’s fantastic! Hooray for no U-Haul!
Holy buckets rent is expensive in New York! can’t wait to see pictures!
Expensive is an understatment, but ultimately it’s all the same. Cost of living is higher here, so we make more money (generally speaking). Just enough to pay the bills, save some for a rainy day, and play once maybe twice a month…
That’s so exciting! Congratulations! Catch and I have been in the same boat. We’re looking, but not as seriously as we’ll have to start looking if/when I get pregnant. It’s so frustrating! But our current place came to us at just the right moment, and I have faith that it’ll happen again with the next place. The universe works in mysterious ways. Good luck with your move!
Thanks! And you’re absolutely right! When you really need it, it’ll sorta just fall into your lap…hope you find something awesome!
How awesome! Things are just lining up great for you and I love to hear about it! That looks like an amazing place and I get the rent issue. Here in Santa Cruz CA the rent is pretty much the same as yours. We scored on our 2 bedroom for only $1350!!
That is a steal! We live in OC (and not like Laguna Hills or anything) and we pay $1500 for a one bedroom + utilities. I can’t wait to move!
Yeah, we were paying about 1350 for a 1 bedroom, and then 1799 for a 2…even tho it’s almost $500 more it’s a pretty decent price…but it’s still a lot!
That IS a lot. I totally feel you. Our rent could pay a mortage -_-
Wow. Talk about fate just working out for you! Congrats girls. I love bright living spaces. Can’t wait to see it furnished!
Congrats on the new place. My family is from NewYork. My father was born and raised in Brooklyn, which is where my wife and I flew to to get married (at the time it still wasn’t legal in California). What part of NY are you in?
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