Chapter 14: That One Time I Almost Lived with Someone's Crazy Grandma

Some form of this post may eventually be included in Living with People I Want to Punch in the Throat. It is unedited and in rough draft form.

---

A Facebook friend shared this photo today and it reminded me of when I was apartment hunting in New York City.

If you’ve read PEOPLE I WANT TO PUNCH IN THE THROAT: COMPETITIVE CRAFTERS, DROP-OFF DESPOTS, AND OTHER SUBURBAN SCOURGES, then you’d know that I moved from Kansas City to New York City to be closer to my then-boyfriend/now-Hubs.

I’d only ever lived in the suburbs, so city living was all new to me. I was a tad bit horrified by what passed as an “apartment” in New York.

The Hubs knew I was a picky bitch on a budget, so he helped me navigate through the various neighborhoods. He tried to find something that would appeal to me and my pocketbook and yet not result in my murder. He finally landed on a beautiful area full of large homes and giant trees. Many of the homes were single-family, but a few were renting out apartments and he found me one of those apartments.

The pictures looked amazing. It was a townhouse built in 1935 with amazing original details and lots of light. The square footage indicated It was cozy (i.e., small) but I thought I could make it work.

So we made an appointment with the listing agent to tour it. We arrived in a gorgeous neighborhood full of amazing houses, a private park, private streets for parking, and only a block from the subway station. I was in. The apartment would have to be roach and rat infested for me to say no.

In the end, roaches and rats might have been better.