I have not managed to write as much as I would have liked to over the past few weeks. With visitors and trips to Boston and Munich it has been crazily busy - but I am hoping to get back into the routine again as I am going to start settling a bit more in NYC. Whereas the past month has been more of a touristy, getting to know the city experience (with the strange component of work in it however) I will be starting to LIVE here in the coming months (and years?)... The first hurdle- namely the apartment hunt is taken. Thank God my application (which costs 75 USD by the way) to the landlord has been approved even though I couldn't provide a US credit rating or guarantors. I guess the letter from work did the job.
I am really excited to be moving later in May and can't wait to enjoy this amazing view of lower Manhattan every day. Currently I just see people working out in the gym in the high rise building opposite my apartment... I still haven't figured out whether they can actually see me as well.
I have been thinking a lot about my decision to move to TriBeCa since the rent still seems outrageous to me and after speaking to other people you tend to get a bit more of a perspective. But I think for the first year it should be fine. It'll be my orientation period and after 12 months I should be able to tell whether this is where I wanna be. Someone told me something very nice yesterday - it feels like everyone in this City loves their neighbourhood so much that you are never gonna be able to tell whether it wouldn't be better living somewhere else. I think he had a point - everyone is very positive about the area they live in. And it actually is the first thing you ask people around here - I like that much better than the first question you get in Oklahoma: which church do you go to? At least I know have an answer to the first one :-)
Another step to becoming permanent here was the social security number - which I also have by now. I was very shocked to hear that there is a lot of identity theft in this country and you need to really be careful who you share this with as it may be abused. At the same time it is essential in getting a bank account, maybe eventually a credit card, even an apartment and insurance... So I will be signing up for my insurance package this week and was surprised to find out that contrary to our perception in Europe, once you are covered here (and as a German you would have chosen the most comprehensive and expensive package there is) you actually do get very good service. Quite a few things that you need to guy yourself if you are in a public insurance in Germany, such as glasses/contacts or allergy pills are covered here. I guess you can compare it more to private insurance in Europe. The scary part here is just that - if you don't have a job there is no way you can afford any kind of insurance. But hopefully Obamacare will change that - or it will at least be a starting point.
After taking the next steps of becoming a NewYorker I would like to explore a mystery I have noticed here on a couple of occasions: first of all - why are there so many dogs in the City, a place where you would think, it would not be convenient to walk it? So I was told it has to do with the anonymity of large metropoles and people wanting some continuity in their otherwise stressful lives. Ok, fine. Not sure that's the best explanation for a dog but I guess it creates jobs for many dog walkers (a perspective I might actually want to consider at some point - just need to find out if they get paid as highly as yoga teachers or personal trainers here). So fine, people love their dogs - but what's with the outfits? I have seen all kinds of dogs dressed in striped shirts, golden jackets, even fur coats or knitted sweaters. Seriously? I mean I had seen that before when it was particularly cold in Munich (mostly on some of those dogs that fit into a purse anyway), but it is freaking beginning of May here and the weather is very pleasant right now. It must be a fashion trend and all the dog spas and accessoire shops around here also want to survive, right? I guess anything goes in this City...
Now need to prepare for MadMen, currently one of my favourite shows (apart from Grey's, Modern Family, New Girl and Breaking Bad (which is unfortunately on its hiatus right now but can't wait for season 5)... But MadMen is set in NYC as well. And it's everywhere - many people talk about it. So it's almost something I have to watch to be able to keep up with popular culture here :-) Talking about culture, have been really intrigued by some of the cultural differences I have noted. This topic almost merits its own blog so I will focus on it in my next entry - don't want to miss the show today...
I am really excited to be moving later in May and can't wait to enjoy this amazing view of lower Manhattan every day. Currently I just see people working out in the gym in the high rise building opposite my apartment... I still haven't figured out whether they can actually see me as well.
I have been thinking a lot about my decision to move to TriBeCa since the rent still seems outrageous to me and after speaking to other people you tend to get a bit more of a perspective. But I think for the first year it should be fine. It'll be my orientation period and after 12 months I should be able to tell whether this is where I wanna be. Someone told me something very nice yesterday - it feels like everyone in this City loves their neighbourhood so much that you are never gonna be able to tell whether it wouldn't be better living somewhere else. I think he had a point - everyone is very positive about the area they live in. And it actually is the first thing you ask people around here - I like that much better than the first question you get in Oklahoma: which church do you go to? At least I know have an answer to the first one :-)
Another step to becoming permanent here was the social security number - which I also have by now. I was very shocked to hear that there is a lot of identity theft in this country and you need to really be careful who you share this with as it may be abused. At the same time it is essential in getting a bank account, maybe eventually a credit card, even an apartment and insurance... So I will be signing up for my insurance package this week and was surprised to find out that contrary to our perception in Europe, once you are covered here (and as a German you would have chosen the most comprehensive and expensive package there is) you actually do get very good service. Quite a few things that you need to guy yourself if you are in a public insurance in Germany, such as glasses/contacts or allergy pills are covered here. I guess you can compare it more to private insurance in Europe. The scary part here is just that - if you don't have a job there is no way you can afford any kind of insurance. But hopefully Obamacare will change that - or it will at least be a starting point.
After taking the next steps of becoming a NewYorker I would like to explore a mystery I have noticed here on a couple of occasions: first of all - why are there so many dogs in the City, a place where you would think, it would not be convenient to walk it? So I was told it has to do with the anonymity of large metropoles and people wanting some continuity in their otherwise stressful lives. Ok, fine. Not sure that's the best explanation for a dog but I guess it creates jobs for many dog walkers (a perspective I might actually want to consider at some point - just need to find out if they get paid as highly as yoga teachers or personal trainers here). So fine, people love their dogs - but what's with the outfits? I have seen all kinds of dogs dressed in striped shirts, golden jackets, even fur coats or knitted sweaters. Seriously? I mean I had seen that before when it was particularly cold in Munich (mostly on some of those dogs that fit into a purse anyway), but it is freaking beginning of May here and the weather is very pleasant right now. It must be a fashion trend and all the dog spas and accessoire shops around here also want to survive, right? I guess anything goes in this City...
Now need to prepare for MadMen, currently one of my favourite shows (apart from Grey's, Modern Family, New Girl and Breaking Bad (which is unfortunately on its hiatus right now but can't wait for season 5)... But MadMen is set in NYC as well. And it's everywhere - many people talk about it. So it's almost something I have to watch to be able to keep up with popular culture here :-) Talking about culture, have been really intrigued by some of the cultural differences I have noted. This topic almost merits its own blog so I will focus on it in my next entry - don't want to miss the show today...
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