Brunch @ Cookshop in Chelsea

As I have mentioned before, one of my favorite programs on the weekends in New York is to go out for brunch.
Cookshop had been on my list of places to go for a while. It has a very good reputation about being one of the best brunches in town. Besides, it is very close to my work and flat.
Boy, I am glad we went!!!! The food was delicious, so fresh, so beautiful!!!! The cocktails are to die for as well.
Apparently, it is supposed to be a celebrity hot spot. Emma Stone was there with Andrew Garfield last month. Anyways, does not make a lot of difference to me... Just curiosities about Manhattan's life lol
Hope you enjoy!!!! I had a beautiful French Toast and hubby the Huevos Rancheros!!!! Yummy!!!!
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Richard Avedon: Murals and Portraits @ Gagosian Gallery

I love Richard Avedon's photography and I think he is one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century.
The Gagosian Gallery at Chelsea had a great exhibition of some of his famous murals and portraits. It in on until July 27th actually!!!! If you can go!!!!!
Anyways, I am very happy I went and here I am to share some beauty with you all. Richard Avedon was a New Yorker and lived from 1923 until 2004. He was one of the pioneers in fashion photography, starting at Harper's Bazaar in 1945.
It is amazing how his work is so timeless and fresh. Most of these photos could have been taken yesterday!!!!!
What do you think????
Hope you enjoy!!! xxxxxxxxxx 

Must Read: Time Out, NYMag and Eater

In a city that offer so much, it is so difficult to keep up with the 1000 events taking place at the same time + all different options of places to eat. One of the best things we have done was subscribing to Time Out. Every Wednesday we receive our magazine with all the events taking place during the week as well opening restaurants and the restaurants receiving great reviews.
The New York magazine and Eater are so helpful as wel. And the best thing about them all is that you can check most of the content on line on the following websites: Time Out , NYmag and  Eater.
Therefore, if you live here or are planning a trip and would like to find out about all different sorts of events, restaurants, etc. those are great the places to go :)

Hope you enjoy!!!! xxxxx

Mermaid Parade at Coney Island

The Mermaid Parade takes place every year in Coney Island. It usually happens late June. This year it happened on my birthday (June 23rd)! Since we moved to New York, we talked about going to visit Coney Island. The best thing is that you can take the subway all the way from Manhattan. In our case, we took the train in Herald Square (where Macy's is located took us nearly 45min). You can use any of the yellow or orange lines for the bargain of 2.25USD each way. You can't complain, can you?
The Mermaid Parade exists since 1893 and attracts a large crowd of people in search of some fun. The day was glorious and we fun we had!!!!!
When in Coney Island, you need to have a hot dog at Nathan's. The famous Hot Dog Eating Contest happens there every July 4th (in fact, it happened yesterday).
There were quite a few naked mermaids too... Oh dear...
Overall, I would definitely go back to go to the beach. The water is very cold though!!!!! The place is so tacky it becomes cult in my opinion.
I am sure you have seen this amusement park in some movie before. It is just so iconic!!!!!
Hope you enjoy :) xxxx

London feelings in a New York life

So sad to have spent such a long time far away from the blog :( Life has been just hectic!!! There is hardly time for anything at the moment. The house is a mess, my laundry is so behind, I am exhausted and on top of that we have started preparing to go to London this Friday for 10 days. My brother-in-law is getting married and it will be good to see everyone and catch up. Can't wait to see my sister either!!!!!!

Disclosure

I have butterflies in my stomach just thinking about landing in the Old World. I miss it so much!!!!! It will be interesting to go back and see how we feel. Miss having little trips planned all the time...It is the first time since we got married that we do not have tickets bought to go somewhere. Everywhere from London is so close and cheap!!!!!! Besides, in Europe we get so many holidays to do as we wish. Now, we have to split ourselves between England and Brazil to see the families as we do not get many holidays!!! Therefore, there is hardly any days left to think about new adventures in new places :(:(:(:(

I am enjoying life in New York though. Let's see what happens....It is still early days and so many things can change. Everything will be alright!!!!! :):):):):)

The Tenement Museum at the Lower East Side

Visiting the Tenement Museum at the Lower East Side has been one of my favorite programs in New York so far.
The Lower East Side is one of the most diverse neighbourhoods in Manhattan. It is where you can find Jewish communities, working class Dominicans and Chinese, moneyed artsy types, hipster refugees from Soho and East Village. It is know as the melting pot of the island and by the end of the 19th century, it was the most densely populated spot in the world.
There are so many great restaurants, bars, emerging designers - apparently Lady Gaga started her career in a club on Rivington Street. Also, it does remind me so much of East London...
Anyways, the LES was were the first tenement was constructed in 1833, when the immigrants started arriving in bunches from Prussia and it became know as Kleindeutschland (Little Germany). They were followed by Irish, Jews from Eastern European, Italian immigrants and many other nationalities after the American dream.
The Lower East Side Tenement Museum tells some of these stories. It was built in 1863 at 97 Orchard Street and restored by the museum founders in the 90s. It had been closed since 1935.
You can choose between tours such as: Hard Times, Sweatshop Workers, Irish Outsiders and Exploring 97 Orchid Street.
We decided to go for Hard Times and I can't wait to go back for the others!!!!!! In our tour there were 8 people and during one hour an amazing guide took us back in time, telling the story of how 2 families survived economic depressions at 97 Orchard Street between 1863 and 1935. We had the opportunity to visit the restored homes of the German-Jewish Gumpertz family, whose patriarch disappeared during the Panic of 1873, and the Italian-Catholic Baldizzi family, who lived through the Great Depression.
It is possible to watch a great introductory video in the museum before or after the tour. One of the lines of the video stuck to my mind. It said something like how an immigrant is an adventurer for learning to live in a completely different way from the one he is used to...So true!!!!!
If you are in New York, do not miss it!!!! More information can be found here.
Hope you enjoy!!!!

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The Tenement Museum: 108 Orchard Street (daily 10am -6pm)

School Buses in the US

I find the school buses in the States so cute!!!!!! They are all over the place in New York as well. My sister nearly drove me mad when she was here because she wanted to hop on one of them :) Maybe it would be a good idea to have a tour in these buses lol I wonder if they do exist?

This shadow of yellow was introduced in 1939 and is know in the US and Canada as National School Bus Glossy Yellow.

At the same time is so Hollywood!!! How many movies have you see with these yellow school buses in it?? Is is so American Pie, isn't it?

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5 months after....Life in a New York minute

Today we celebrate 5 months living in New York. Sometimes it seems we have been here much longer than that!!! Mainly now I have a job. It is my 3rd week at work and now I do not have time for anything else lol

Everything happens just so quickly in this crazy city. No wonder why we have the New York minute expression :) The New York minute is taken from the general belief that everything in New York moves faster than the rest of the world. According to Johnny Carson, an American television host, it's the interval between a Manhattan traffic light turning green and the guy behind you honking his horn. So true!!!!!!

Not sure if things happen faster here. All I know is that I am already dreaming about holidays in the middle of nowhere, close to nature, animals and no traffic lights around please!!!!!!

"In a new york minute
Everything can change
In a new york minute
Things can get pretty strange
In a new york minute
Everything can change
In a new york minute"

"New York Minute" by The Eagles

 

 

Working in New York - so exciting!!!!!

My first week working in New York was so happy and surreal at the same time. I am lucky enough to be able to walk to work and to work one block away from the Chrysler building. 

I am still amazed and in shock!!!!! It seems I am in a movie with all that craziness and yellow taxis around :) 

The Chrysler building is my favorite building in the whole New York. Can't get bored of looking at it. It was the tallest building in the world for 11 months, when it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931. Now, it is New York's 4th tallest sky scrapper alongside the new New York Times Building (By Renzo Piano), on the 8th Avenue (between 40th and 41st).

I love the Chrysler's building Art Deco style and its elegant lines. Every time I go for my lunch break I keep looking up!!!!! Just to stare at it :) Awesome!!!!

Feeling very, very grateful and happy!!!!! 

Life in New York has truly began and I like it!!!!!!!

Phrase of the day :)

Life has been so hectic this week that I haven't had time to write here :( But it is all for a good reason though. I have been interviewing and full of hope I will get my dream job in New York. Fingers crossed!!!!!I am very happy and feeling very positive!!!!!!! Hope I will have good news to share with you very soon.

In the meantime:

Have a lovely day!!!!

Love

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Those expat feelings...Nathaniel Hawthorne

Talking about life as an expat reminded me of this beautiful text written by the American author Nathaniel Hawthorne in the book "The Marble Faun". I came across this text for the first time in 1997, when I went to my first overseas experience in London. Back then, I was sixteen and went to England to do my A-Levels (the British equivalent to America's high school). OMG!!!! It was yesterday lol

"The years, after all, have a kind of emptiness, when we spend too many of them on
a foreign shore. We defer the reality of life, in such cases, until a
future moment, when we shall again breathe our native air; but, by and
by, there are no future moments; or, if we do return, we find that the
native air has lost its invigorating quality, and that life has
shifted its reality to the spot where we have deemed ourselves only
temporary residents. Thus, between two countries, we have none at all,
or only that little space of either in which we finally lay down our
discontented bones. It is wise, therefore, to come back betimes, or
never."

Bear in mind this text was written in 1860....One wonders nowadays how some expats feel with families becoming more and more international and the world becoming smaller and smaller? :) It is indeed a roller coaster journey, full of different feelings. It makes me feel so alive though!!!!

I like thinking that home is where your heart is as well. And I try to keep mine in the present. And the present for me at the moment is in New York. It is very hard being away from family. But sometimes I feel closer to my family being far away. Does it make any sense? 

I know things can change tomorrow. But tomorrow is another day, isn't it? 

By the way, I am so happy to be part of the Expat Women community. The stories are so beautiful and inspiring!!! I will have to dedicate a post to talk about this amazing community I have become part of. Thank you lovely ladies for sharing such amazing stories with us :) Definitely worth a visit if you have not been there yet.

 Have a lovely Saturday!!! xxxxxx

 

Job Hunting in NYC - Fingers crossed!!!!!

Since I have received my beloved EAD I have been job hunting like a headless chicken! I am literally all over the place! Can't wait to find a job and finally start a real life in New York. It has been nearly 2 weeks and so far nothing very exciting has come my way :( Hope it will change very soon...Fingers crossed people!!!

I am aware the current economic situation is not great, but we can't give up, can we ;-)? I am cold calling, networking and also having crazy business ideas to do something on my own as a Plan B. The fact I am competing with people who have experience in the US makes a massive difference too. So far I am using sites such as Career Builder, Monster and Craigslist. If someone else has any other suggestions I would be delighted to hear from you :)

In London I was working as a Recruitment Consultant for the last 2 years. Ironically now, I find myself in the other side. I am desperately wishing that a lovely Recruiter will take a shine to me and will decide to help!!!!!

Also, this week I have been to the The New York Public Library career center. They offer free advice, workshops and loads of information about different industries. It is worth having a look if you are in the job hunting process in NY. The address: 188 Madison Ave at 34th St; 212-592-7000.

Just need a direction :)

Hope I will have good news very soon!!!! Can't stand being just a housewife anymore :(

I am sure the best thing is going to happen in the end.

Hope you all have an amazing weekend!

Love,

xxx

An expat's life...Chapter 1

The only thing I have always known about my life is that I would like to be part of the world and not stuck in the same place all my life. Same places, same people, same chats, no!!! Thank you very much...During the long chats I have with my sister, who lives in London, and with some of my expat friends, we wonder, why we feel so attracted to this life outside our country of birth.

Do not get me wrong. I love being Brazilian - I do not wish I had been born anywhere else in the world. But I also love having my heart set in the world - and my heart is part Londoner. Probably in the future will be a bit American and maybe who knows later on Asian, African!!! lol In the end, I believe we become a product of many places.

Maybe it is a reflection of our upbringing as we never really had strong roots. My dad was born in one state in Brazil (Sao Paulo), my mother was born completely on the other side of the country (Rondonia). Somehow, in this crazy life, they met, got married and moved on to another life in Recife where I spent late childhood, most of my teen years and early 20s.

In a way, my parents have always encouraged us to travel from a very early age. They could have gone by themselves, but holidays for them were never the same without us :) I am very thankful for that and will always be. Thank you mum and dad for the amazing opportunities. Maybe, that is why I have turned up to be like that. Curious about life outside my comfort zone, curious about different people, cultures, curious about the world we live in. Nothing excites me more than hopping on a plane and arriving in a destination I have never been before.

I do admire though and respect those people who are very happy spending their whole lives in the same place, going on holidays to the same place, meeting the same people all the time, talking about the same things. It is so much easier!!!! lol

But for sure, I know that is not an option for me at all. Mainly now, married to an English man and living in New York. From here, just God knows....Maybe Asia, maybe Mars, maybe England again...
the world is so big!!!!!And thankfully I have found a partner who would like to see it all as much as I do :)

I know I am very lucky to have this amazing opportunities. It was my choice,  no one's else and I could not imagine my life any different. On this road, I have made very special friends  that I could not have met otherwise. Also, living far away from Recife, I still have kept very dear people close to my heart, no matter where I am. I believe in that saying "you do not make friends, you recognize them". Very happy to recognize mine - they know who they are :) Thank you amazing people for being part of my life.

It is not easy getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks, but most of the time they are worth it. If I had not risked moving to London in 2005 for the second time I would not have met my better other half and be here now. Dreams, that is what life is about, following your dreams...When you go after them, they find you. Even if it takes a while :):):)

NYC, here I am living my dream :) What a beautiful night!!!!!!Never seen a sky like that!!! With all these shades of blue :)

Hope you enjoy!

Loads of love xxxxx
 

4 months living in NYC :)

Yesterday we celebrated 4 months living in this amazing city :) I have come to the conclusion the more I walk on these streets, the more I fall in love with New York. It is so exciting to know there is still so much to explore and that we haven't even started...
The celebration was even more special because we had dear friends visiting from the UK. It was one cupcake after the other!!!! Have to write a post about them very soon :)
Very happy to see the blog growing everyday too!!!! It has been read in nearly 40 countries around the world!!!! Thank you very much :) Very happy to share with you all this new period of my life!
Have a great week everyone. Job hunting is my name this week!!!!!

Photo: Sugar Daze cupcakes

My EAD has been approved!!!! So happy :):)

At last, amazing news!!!!!!! After 3 months, 1 week and 6 days I finally received an email from USCIS saying my EAD (Employment Authorization Document) had been approved :):):) It means that I can finally start job hunting in America. Hooray!!!!!! Could not be happier :):):)

I realised I have not explained how/which visa we had in order to move to America....Well, my husband was transferred from the London office to the New York office on a L1 Visa (Intracompany Transferee Executive or Manager). There is more information about this particular visa here. As spouse I was granted the L2 Visa, where I am allowed to work in the US. However, what I didn't know prior our arrival here was that I would have to apply for the EAD. And that the EAD average processing time would be 3 months...If you are relocating to America, beware!!! Whilst my husband went to work straight away, I had to wait all this time.

It was very hard for me (believe it!!!!) to stay all this time without working. As I explained before in a previous post "How the blog was born...", all this situation made me start writing in order to keep my sanity lol I am very glad I did, because this blog has become my therapy!!!!

As I am talking about bureaucratic issues, I have to  mention the Social Security Number (SSN) as well. In order to apply for a job or to start building a credit rating history in this country you need to have one. Applying for the SSN was very straightforward and quick. It took 10 days from the moment I applied to the moment I received the card home.This website will give you further information.

Basically you need to fill out form SS-5 and take it to one of the Social Security office in the city you are living. I had to take my passport with the I-94 form and my marriage certificate.

Now, with my EAD + Social Security Number I am ready to start earning some American dollars!!!! lol Fingers crossed!!!! 

I am more than happy to help with any questions.

Love

xxxxxx

Things to do in New York when you are very bored and tired of waiting for your EAD....

I am so bored!!!!!! And waiting...Waiting for my bloody EAD in order to start job hunting :( It has been exactly 75 days I have applied for it and still waiting...I was thinking about going for a wander today, but felt so lazy to go on my own. To feel better I have started researching things to do with my hubby during the weekend. The first thing I read when I opened the book was:

"If you're bored in New York, it's your own fault." - Myrna Loy

Yes, maybe it is!!!! lol Anyways, to make me feel better, I have decided to sketch a plan of places to go following some guide books advice (not the wisest as I am one for avoiding the very touristic places...). My parents-in-law are visiting us next week from England, maybe I can use some of these tips myself. Not sure as it isn't their first time in New York and and I am sure they have done most of it as well lol Anyways, here we go:

1. Empire State Building - Have been there a long time ago and look at it the whole day from my window!!!! Why I would I want to go there??? lol I love looking at it every day to find out which colour it will be in the evening. It is amazing to think it was the tallest building in the world until 1970 and 1072, when the Twin Towers were built. I love the movie Affair to Remember as well. It was on TV last week :)
2. Central Park: Have been there so many times recently!!!!! What else can I do in the park during the winter??? Maybe I should go for a run there?? Possibly...
3. Ice skating at Rockefeller Centre: Not sure if my parents-in-law would be keen on that. Maybe I can take them for a stroll around the rink :)
4. American Museum of Natural History: I think it is a pretty museum from outside and certainly has great stuff inside. But paying $19 admission fee ?? :(:( The Hayden Planetarium is supposed to be amazing though. Maybe...Again, you would have to pay $19 ...Or you could buy the ticket package to the Museum and Rose Center for Earth and Space plus all special exhibitions, IMAX films, and the Hayden Planetarium Space Show for $33. Sounds so expensive!!!!! Sometime I have to forget about how things work in London, where most museums are free ;-)
5.  Frick Museum: This Museum is definitely on my list!!!!! Have heard lovely things about it. The collection is made mostly of European art. Again $18 dollars to get in...
6. Lincoln Center: I love this complex of beautiful buildings and would love to go to opera or to the ballet there one day. It is New York's centrepiece for performing arts, having as residents 12 companies such as the New York City Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera. Can't wait to go there in the summer when dance bands perform in the central Josie Robertson Plaza as part of the center's Midsummer Night Swing series. It is worthy going there as well to see Marc Chagall murals Source of Music and Triumph of Music hanging behind the Opera's facade. The library in the complex is great as well :) I will definitely take them there and will try to learn more about it. 
7. Metropolitan Museum of Art: It is a beautiful place to visit and there is always so much going on. Another good choice! :)
8. Museum of Modern Art: I have been there a long time ago. Actually, it was before the refurbishment. It is on my list as well. Apparently it is free admission on Fridays between 4pm and 8pm. There is a very interesting exhibition with Diego Rivera's murals. 
9. Time Square/42nd Street: I can see it from my window and walk around the area at least 2 times per week lol I will give it a miss for the moment!!! 
10. Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: The access to the pedestal and crown of the Statue of Liberty is currently unavailable due to renovations. Might have to stick to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum :)

Yes, If I am bored it is my fault!!!!!!!! I will make these lists just to make me feel guilty and stop saying I am bored!!!! :):):) 

London & New York City - cities made of big dreams

No doubt New York has a very different energy. All the lights, the skyscrapers, the restlessness, but above all, what makes big cities such as London and New York so special are the people. One of the best descriptions I have found whilst researching about the city was written by the American writer E.B White on his book Here is New York:

"There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born there, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size, its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter--the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. Of these trembling cities the greatest is the last--the city of final destination, the city that is a goal. It is this third city that accounts for New York’s high strung disposition, its poetical deportment, its dedication to the arts, and its incomparable achievements. Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness, natives give it solidity and continuity, but the settlers give it passion. And whether it is a farmer arriving from a small town in Mississippi to escape the indignity of being observed by her neighbours, or a boy arriving from the Corn Belt with a manuscript in his suitcase and a pain in his heart, it makes no difference: each embraces New York with the intense excitement of first love, each absorbs New York with the fresh yes of an adventurer, each generates heat and light to dwarf the Consolidated Edison Company..."

I love this excerpt and identify myself with the third group :) Still not sure what I am after, but I am sure I will find out at some point. Moving to London was a sort of quest as well. There I found out about myself, my other better half and the sort of person I would like to become.  As I said before, feeling part of the world was always my goal. Here I am in another completely different situation, following my husband's steps. In London I found love and about myself, here in NY I do not have a clue. Honestly, if someone had said 1 year and half ago that I would be moving to America, I would have laughed. Life is absolutely crazy!!! That is why it is so fascinating at the same time :)

In the meantime, while I try to work out what to do here I day dream, write and feel blessed for the opportunity to be living in this amazing city.  

Must confess sometimes I walk around with my ipod very lound listening to Empire State of Mind lol It does feel good and I sing along!!!! #crazyandhappymoments :) 

Furniture Hunting in New York City

After finding our flat, the next task was trying to find some furniture to furnish it. OMG, what a journey it has been!!!!! We had shipped many things from England. If we could have had the option, we definitely would have left everything behind and bought everything once we were here! However, when you relocate with work, most companies do pay for the shipping costs + accommodation for the beginning of your stay, instead of giving you the money to buy whatever you need (we tried!!!) :( Therefore, we decided to ship the bits and pieces we had in London. Not many, considering we had been renting for the last 4 years in London, where most flats are furnished. Besides, we didn't know how small or big the flats would be this side of the pond. The only thing we knew is that opposite to London, most flats available for rent are unfurnished in New York. Usually, the furnished flats tend to be for shorter rental periods.
I believe the first dilemma for those relocating is to go to Ikea and buy something cheaper to leave behind in the end of the stay or to buy something more expensive that will last longer and can be taken to wherever in the world you go to later on?
As the plan was/is to stay in Manhattan for the 1st year, we decided to buy better quality stuff which could be taken with us to wherever we go after here. We have found very good deals outside during the sales period (beginning of January). The shops I recommend would be West Elm, CB2, Sit Down New York,  Macy's and Ikea. The taxi trip to Ikea on the weekends is free and is great to take a glimpse of the amazing Manhattan skyline as well.
If you feel like stretching the budget, there could not be a better place to be than New York. Head to Crate and Barrel, Design within Reach, ABC Home, Room and Board, Bo Concept, Restoration Hardware and Bloomingdale's.

Finding a place to live in Manhattan

Before moving to NYC, I had been here as a tourist a couple of times with my family. On the first time, I stayed in Midtown East and second time in Midtown West. This third and permanently (let's say time), my husband's company found us a temporary flat in a lovely building in Midtown East. Quintessentially NY! With the main tourist attractions, the big American corporate head quarters and sky high prices for pretty much everything. It was very close to the hotel I had stayed at the first time I was in town with my family. And when we finally found our permanent flat after seeing nearly 50 flats all over Manhattan, we settled ourselves in Midtown West. It is so hard for someone who has never lived in the place before to decide where to go!!!! One thing is being a tourist, another thing is being a permanent resident. You can search on Google, read forums, etc. However, nothing is like experiencing the real thing. By experience the real thing, I mean wandering the streets of different neighborhoods to get the true feeling. As I always emphasize, different people have different expectations.
Our plan was to stay in Manhattan for the first year as we didn't and still don't know where I am going to work, my husband's work is based in the south of the island and we wanted to get the experience of living in a shoebox in Manhattan for at least 1 year before filing for bankruptcy with the price of the rents here! On top of that, you will probably live in sky rises with at least 5000 thousand people in the same building. In the rush time, you are likely to have to queue up for the lifts in order to arrive at the comfort of your own home. It is quite crazy! Mainly moving from London, where the houses are pretty grounded and there are not many tall buildings. Also, forget about having washing machines inside the flat. That will be exchanged for dishwashers. Does anyone ever hand wash plates in this city? lol The washing machines will be located in the basement and shared with the whole community in the building.I am not complaining about the dishwasher - my new best friend!!! I love you!!!
After this initial year, we are thinking of moving to the sticks, get a car and a house with garden + spare bedrooms for family and friends stopping over :) After living in a shoe box in London for the last years + a shoe box in Manhattan, we do feel it is time to get some more space and get used to the life in the suburbs. God knows if we will get used to that again! Let's see what happens...
Anyways, going back to the flat hunting soap opera....We were pretty much opened minded about the location to live in Manhattan. In the beginning, our main focus was on the Upper East Side. Then we moved on to Lower Midtown East, Upper West Side, Financial District and finally Midtown West. Funnily enough, it was the only place we saw on Midtown West, but the broker was spot on!!!! Brokers, let's talk about them...Coming from London, where everything is quite straightforward, we never thought we would be expected to pay from 12 to 15% of the annual rent to brokers. Ok, some say they have the best properties Blah Blah Blah...It took us 2 weeks to realize we didn't need to pay the broker's fee if we focused our search on no fee apartments. Some companies/tenants pay the brokers directly and/or  give you a one month free rent (our case). It is worth looking at those, mainly in periods of financial crisis. We used Craigslist (the local Gumtree - one of the most famous sites in London for such things). It is really helpful and all the flats we have seen and the brokers we have met was through it.To be honest, the best apartments I have seen, and I have seen many have been the no fee apartments. The flats are in pristine condition and have been renovated recently.
We worked with 6 different brokers focused on no fee apartments to find our love nest. Two of them were very, very pushy and didn't make us feel very comfortable at all. Therefore, we just did a few viewings with them. The others were very helpful and I wish we could have closed the deal with them all. Make sure you have your pay slips (or pay stubs as they say here), letter of employment and bank statements when you go for viewings in case you like the flat. Because if you do, you have to be very quick and put an offer down immediately. Good flats are like hot buns in this city. They fly off the shelves very quickly!
In summary, you need to prove you earn annually at least 40 to 50 times the amount of your monthly rent. I have heard from brokers that during summer rents go up considerably. We had much more bargain power in late November and December, when the market is pretty slow and everyone just thinks of holidays. Good luck in your search:) Please feel free to ask me any tips!!!!  I will be more than happy to help :)

New Year, New Life, New York

Here I am - living in the big apple with my soul mate after 8 years in London.
It feels weird and good at the same time. I feel very lucky to have this new challenge and for having the opportunity to live in the other capital of the world with my beloved hubby :)
In a way, that is what I have always wanted for my life - to see and feel the world from different points of view.
I do not think London is better than New York, or all the way round. Both cities are amazing and have their own highs and lows. I miss my London, but I am also looking forward to explore and make my NYC as well.
The most difficult thing is not having friends and family around. On the other hand, it has been very good for my marriage. We are closer than ever :):):)
Can't wait to be able to start working though - nearly going insane home waiting for my EAD (Employment Authorization Document). It has been nearly 3 months and I am still waiting...Hopefully I should hear something in the next couple of weeks.
The main idea of this blog is to keep me sane and find out about myself in NYC. I am married, thirty, childless and have no idea about the direction I should take career wise. I like so many things!!!!!!! Hope to learn new things about me in this journey ahead in a new country. NYC bring it on!!!!!