Small Space Solutions – The Bedroom

One of the challenges of living in New York City is that the vast majority of us don’t really have a lot of space to work with in our homes. So efficient living is foisted upon us whether we want it or not.

But living small can be made a lot easier (and more fun) with some great tips for how to maximize your spaces, and that’s what this series is all about. I’ve combed the web for some of the best small space solution articles and will share them with you here on my blog.

Now that your bathroom is finally ready to accept guests without fear of humiliation thanks to tips from the previous installation of this series, it’s time to turn our attention to…

The Bedroom

It’s the place where you begin and end your days…assuming you don’t tend to fall asleep on the couch from time to time, like yours truly. So one would think that this room would be the one that offers the most serenity and relaxation. Yet frequently, this area can be the scene of a bunch of chaos in your home – perhaps you (like myself) have to battle your tendencies to form a chairdrobe or, worse yet, a floordrobe (yes, those are both real things). Or maybe you’re afraid to open your closet too far for fear of all the things that will come tumbling down upon you. But fear not! The links below provide some fantastic tips to turn your bedroom into a more blissful space.

Bedroom Organizers (Martha Stewart)

20 Design Tips for Small Bedrooms (Sunset)

20 Ways to Organize Your Bedroom Closet (Apartment Therapy) 

Storage Solutions for Small Bedrooms (Better Homes and Gardens)

10 Tips to Make a Small Bedroom Feel Larger (Freshome) 

Nikki’s Take – Tribeca

Image courtesy of Corcoran.com

A quick rundown of NYC neighborhoods through my eyes

Tribeca

Neighborhood Boundaries: Canal Street to the north, Vesey Street to the south, Broadway to the east and West Street to the west

Subways: A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 and R

Architecture: Immense cast iron lofts, classic pre-war walk up buildings, and new construction buildings (particularly on the far west side)

What I Like Most About It: Few places in Manhattan feel like Tribeca. It’s dominated by expansive, pre-war lofts with a super cool industrial feel. Some neighborhoods are just made for meandering, and this is truly one of them. You can get yourself caught up in the hustle and bustle of streets like Church Street and West Broadway. But, if you’re looking for a bit more private exploration, side streets like Beach Street, Vestry Street and North Moore Street offer a much more low key experience. Even though the neighborhood has great proximity to other downtown neighborhoods (Soho, the West Village, Battery Park City and the Financial District), it still manages to feel very self contained. This is probably due in part to the high number of great restaurants, bars and shops. And with great neighborhood conveniences like Whole Foods and Bed, Bath and Beyond, it’s easy to see why so many want to call Tribeca home.

Favorite Places and Spaces

Hudson River Park

Brandy Library

Kaffe 1668

Ward III

Mulberry and Vine

The Odeon

Locanda Verde

Bouley

Landmarc

Nobu

The Roxy Hotel (f/k/a The Tribeca Grand Hotel)

Anotheroom

Max

Summer Rewind – Farewell to the Season

After all the anticipation, through the doldrums of winter and the temperamental weather of spring…just like that…*poof*… summer is about to be done. I’m sad to see the season go, but this year was really an enjoyable time, overall. Things started off incredibly hectic, but they evened out just enough for me to enjoy some super pleasant weekends with friends, family or just plain solo. I didn’t take too many photos to capture some of my summer moments (which I now regret as I compose this post, heh). But, of the ones I did take, here are just a few of my favorite shots.

Strolling around Brooklyn Bridge Park

Hitting Up Le District and enjoying Umami Burger for the first time

A short weekend in Washington DC with my dad, checking out a few monuments at the National Mall

My dad and me 🙂

I didn’t know DC had canals!

A late summer afternoon stroll in Central Park

Yes – I AM outside! And it’s awesome!

Fare thee well summer… until next year…

Top Links – September 10, 2015

Alas, there are less than 2 weeks of summer left. My, how the season has flown by yet again 😥 The end of summer might be a little sad, but here’s the good news…

Fall. Is. Coming.

Woo hoo!!!  My favorite time of year!!!

So with that in mind, let’s take a look at my top picks for real estate news, advice and city happenings for the past few weeks.

The 45+ New Developments Hitting the Market This Fall (Curbed NY) 

New 7 Line stop at 34th Street Definitely Officially Opening on Sept. 13 (Second Avenue Sagas)

Open House NY 2015 Includes Google HQ, World’s Fair Relic (Curbed NY)

How Many Calories Can you Burn Between Subway Stops? (Curbed NY)

Upgrade Your Apartment Without Losing Your Security Deposit With These Rental Ready Renovation Ideas (Brick Underground) 

 

Moving Doesn’t Have to Suck (As Much) – Tips for a Smooth Move

Moving Day! We all love it, right?

NOT!

No matter how big or small your apartment may be, moving can be incredibly stressful, especially in New York City. But here are a couple of things that you can do to help make your move a LOT less stressful.

• If at all practical, give yourself as much lead time for your move as possible. For renters – if you need to move by the first of the month, try to sign a new lease a few weeks (2 to 3 weeks) before that date. For buyers/sellers – work closely with the people on the other side of the deal to coordinate a closing and move out date. The more time you have, the more easily you can coordinate your move.

• Try to paint your apartment BEFORE you move in. It’s far easier to paint an empty apartment than one filled with furniture. If you’re able to get extra lead time for your move, then it’s pretty easy to get this accomplished. I painted my current apartment prior to moving in and it worked out great! However, for renters, if you want to try this, be sure to coordinate it with your landlord – you don’t want to interfere with whatever the landlord needs to do to prepare the apartment for your move-in. If you cannot get into your apartment early enough, unpack as few items as possible once you move in, and then paint.

• As soon as you find your new apartment, figure out what you will and will not need for your new digs. Establish a realistic budget for getting new items and have a plan for getting rid of old stuff (i.e. selling it on Craigslist or eBay or donating it to the Salvation Army). Watch out for budget busters – kitchen utensils and appliances, bathroom toiletries, home office items, etc. These things are small, but they add up quickly and can drain your wallet.

• Try NOT to wait until the last minute to pack. Make it more manageable by packing up one room at a time per day. To avoid having to go through your boxes once you’ve packed up, leave out items that you’ll be using in the days leading up to your move or put them in one separate box.

• Try using storage bins instead of cardboard boxes whenever you can. They can be reused in your new home on a regular basis for extra storage and they’re sturdier. Don’t want to keep storage bins around? You can rent them from places like JuggleBox. They will bring them to your old place and then pick them up from your new one.

• Set up your utility services and get an appointment to have your internet and cable services installed at your new address. Don’t wait until the last minute –  during peak moving season, companies can sometimes require you to schedule an appointment anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks in advance.

• And don’t forget to coordinate the shut off/cancellation of services at your old address – it’s quite a pain to remember at the last minute that you have to drop off a cable box!

• Coordinate your move in with your landlord/building manager and book appropriate movers. The New York Times has a great article about how to choose a moving company and what to expect when moving into various types of buildings. Check it out HERE.

You may still have a few hiccups, even if you follow these tips, but you’ll probably have a lot less to worry about. Just be glad that New York City no longer has a city-wide Moving Day – imagine how much fun THAT would be nowadays…

Oh, and if you need help finding a new place to move to, feel free to reach out to me! 😉 Whether it’s a sale or a rental, I’m always glad to help!

 

New York City Travel Guide, Summer 2015

There’s still several glorious weeks of summer left! Make the most of ’em by visiting some of the places on this awesome list, courtesy of Notes from the Wonder City. It’s intended for visitors, but locals are sure to enjoy these just as well!

Notes from The Wonder City

Planning a first-ever trip to any city can be daunting. In New York City, especially, the options can seem endless. To make things a tad easier, I’ve highlighted some of the best restaurants, drinks spots, snack destinations and attractions in this manageable guide (updated and reinvented since I last posted in 2013), which can be used as a resource for first-time visitors. It will also probably be useful to those coming for the second, third and fourth time. Have I left off more than a few favorites for the sake of brevity? Absolutely. I’m pretty sure, however, that if you utilize this post–and have at least a few days of sunshine–you’ll enjoy a pretty good, if not a downright amazing time in The Wonder City.

Totonno’s: Recently named “Best Pizza in America” by The Food Network, this Coney Island family joint has been churning out perfectly charred NYC-style pies for over 90 years. (pictured above)

Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue

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