Water, Water Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink

Carrie Bradshaw once said that "In New York, we are always searching for a job, a boyfriend, or an apartment." I am currently searching for all three. The boyfriend, not so important at the moment, but the job, and subsequently the apartment, very much so. Even though no landlord in their sane mind would rent an apartment to an unemployed girl with a non-existent bank account, it doesn't hurt to look. Keeping an eye on the rental market is smart - I'll know what prices to pay (and not to pay) for the neighborhoods I want to live in when I'm ready to rent. You know the phenomenon that when you need the perfect cocktail dress for a specific event you can never find anything remotely pretty but when you have no where in particular to go, every dress looks like it should live in your closet? Such is my current dilemma. During my apartment browsing today, I came across "The One". The One that jumps off the page and screams at you "This is your new home!!!". Pre-war 1 bedroom, Upper West Side, 1 block from Central Park, beautiful inlaid hardwood floors, PERFECT proportions, french doors, and in my target budget. But alas, even if this beauty is still on the market when I am in the market, sadly the building does not allow dogs. Haters! But see below, what has now become the benchmark for "my perfect New York apartment". Enjoy!

The Building: West 89th Street and Central Park West

The apartment gets lots of gorgeous sunlight with 2 large windows!

Bedroom (tiny but just big enough to fit a queen bed, nightstand and dresser)

Living Room and BEAUTIFUL decorative fireplace!

Kitchen (you enter the apartment from the right; the bathroom is on the left) Critical space plan issue: in a small apartment it's very important to have a "buffer zone" between the living space and the bathroom!

Petite, but well-planned layout!

Runway Rewind

Any belief I may have that good things only happen to bad people comes to a screeching halt when I talk about Daniel Vosovic. Designer, illustrator, and now - author - not to mention a hell of a nice guy. A brief stint at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC allowed me to get to know this talented guy a little, and believe me when I say that success couldn't happen to a nicer person. Daniel conducts himself with style, grace and poise, and he speaks with an eloquence usually reserved for those veterans of their trade. Leave it to someone so stylish to hold the launch party for his new book, "Daniel Vosovic: Fashion Inside Out" at the slick Vlada Lounge in midtown Manhattan. Also in attendance were Fern Mallis, Senior Vice President of IMG Fashion (she produces New York Fashion week, y'all - she's the one every designer wants to know), Stella (aka Lea-tha!) and Suede, from the most recent season of Runway. Never one to pass up a networking opportunity, I introduced myself to Suede who is just as friendly and down-to-earth as he is talented. Stella left early to meet Hedda Lettuce (Gasp!) for another party, and well, while we only saw part of what went down in that room during the infamous Drag Queen challenge, let's just say that she and Suede did not kiss and make up when the challenge was over. Suede, we've got your back, baby! Put that Queen in her place!

But I digress... so, dear readers, (all 2 of you) go out to your local Barnes and Noble, Borders, Amazon.com or whoever takes your American Express Platinum card, and buy a copy of Fashion Inside Out. If you're a Runway fan, an aspiring designer, or just curious about what goes on behind the scenes in the fashion world, you won't be disappointed. Would I lie?

Sleepwalking and My Mother Strikes Again

Tonight I had the honor of attending opening night of comic Mike Birbiglia's limited-engagement off-broadway show, Sleepwalk with Me. A longtime Birbigs fan, I was thrilled to actually be seeing him perform live for the first time. To be honest I can't even remember how I was introduced to his comedy, but his highly addictive brand of real-life storytelling humor had me ordering the CD "Two Drink Mike" from Comedy Central and burning down the battery of my ipod with it for weeks. Two years later, his material continues to evolve and is funnier than ever. But don't take my word for it, check out his reel here. The roughly 2-hour show takes you on a remarkably honest journey through Mike's life as he tells the true story of his history with a sleepwalking disorder, love, doctors, and divulging the personal details of his life against the advice of his Dad.

“This is a project that I’ve been working on secretly for 4 years and my dream was always that it would cross over into theater,” said Mike Birbiglia. “The fact that Seth Barrish is directing and these incredible producers believe in the show- it really feels like great timing in a way that I could never have imagined. Doing this show in NYC is a huge honor. It’s also very convenient - roughly about 30 blocks from my apartment.”


After the show, I stepped out onto Bleeker Steet and checked my cell to see that I had missed 2 calls from my mother (I firmly believe that Mike's bit reminding people to silence their phones was designed specifically for my mother, who I had told I would be in a show from 8 to 10 and not to call). In the midst of yet another argument in which she manages to make me feel about 2 inches tall and completely worthless, the theatre doors open and out steps Mike with none other than the remarkable Nathan Lane. Before my head could stop reeling from the argument long enough to walk up and say hello, they were off in a cab to what I later discovered was a post-show interview with XM Comedy. Perhaps next time Mike will have time to stick around and sign playbills and I will be smart enough to not answer my phone.

At last! My arm is complete again!

I have finally returned to my beloved New York! It feels just like the scene from Sweeney Todd when he finally gets his knives back and says "At last! My arm is complete again!" Last week was spent visiting all my favorite places - Gray's Papaya on 72nd and Broadway, The Magnolia Bakery in the West Village, and Sea Thai Bistro in Brooklyn. If it weren't for all the walking, I would have gained 10 pounds by now.






After consuming one too many cupcakes, I took a stroll around the corner to 66 Perry Street, also known as the home of Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City (notice the owner's attempt to keep crazed fans off her stoop!) Stay tuned for more of my adventures in the City that Never Sleeps...

Hey, have you heard???

This has absolutely nothing to do with anything, I'm just posting it for pure entertainment value alone.