Maybe someday I’ll move from here
Last week was a bevy of activity because a tenant in my building found bedbugs in his unit.
Because I still manage the building, I was involved with the process every step of the way. That was annoying and a massive time suckage for me. So, despite having a number of meetings with clients and the usual workload, I kept having to run back home to handle hysterical owners and irritated tenants.
It’s enough to make me think of moving to the burbs – in fact, I dropped an email to my old college buddy who bought into the building with me years ago, but later moved out of the city.
He says he has no regrets.
Thankfully, the building’s bedbug situation was resolved fairly quickly so I was back in a New York (City) state of mind.
Still, we do talk about it, the wife and I. Maybe someday leaving the concrete jungle for some green grass and shade. But then we’d probably find ourselves with just each other. Which might not be a bad thing.
Me: Don’t be silly, I love everything about you.
Wife: Tell the truth.
Me: I love most things about you.
Her: There you go.
Location: a building without bedbugs
Mood: relieved
Music: folks like to get away, take a holiday from the neighborhood
11 replies on “Wondering about the burbs”
wait – how did bedbugs in their unit become your problem? did they wander in on their own? bedbugs are migratory in one sense only…
Heya, Dana!
Well, I manage the building I live in; most of the time, it’s pretty uneventful but every so often we get something like this and it’s a balancing act between a bunch of tenants, a difficult owner, and the city. That’s zero fun.
I would love to see you try the burbs, even temporarily. Would be like a sitcom.
I’m considering a (temporary) relocation to a BIG city. Might be a tragedy instead of a sitcom. J/K… Scary, but probably good for me.
That would be a sitcom! I’m used to just walking out of my door to the corner store if I’m missing something or hopping onto the subway just down the street from me. The thought of getting into a car every time I need something seems onerous.
As for you in the big city, I think that you might like it but, like me, miss what you’re used to.
Hey Logan, so sorry to hear about the bed bug situation and the headache that went with dealing with the tenants and such. These sorts of events always made me dream of leaving the city. The lack of nature was a big one. I think ideally us city and nature-loving people seek to have the best of both worlds. The size (and price) of New York makes that very difficult to find.
I remember spending a summer on Long Island…and I could not wait to get back to the city after a few weeks! Although that was “deep” LI which is so disconnected from everything else (nor did I have friends nearby).
I live in a city that is smaller and balanced by (even, conquered by) nature as three mighty Alpine ranges (le Chartreuse, la Belledonne & le Vercors) surround us. I feel more at ease and can relax and be still. There are plenty of things going on but I don’t feel distracted by them. I do need to balance it with a monthly trip or two to a bigger city – especially as an artist who wants to see international-quality shows. As far as nature though, I just need to walk 30mins and I’m up the ‘ol Bastille Fort of Mont Rachais…or a 40min drive will take me to an Alpine countryside that seems like it’s in the middle of nowhere like Charmant Som or Saint Hugues en Chartreuse. No bed bugs here but I suppose it can happen anywhere. ‘Still have city-situations like living in a 5-floor walk-up sans elevator, no closets, one bedroom and noise from drunk people coming out of bars (and pissing everywhere)… And Grenoble’s historic-district buildings are particularly dusty! Nothing stays clean for long. But, the nature, great public transportation (trams!) — which I don’t even need to use as I can walk pretty much everywhere I need to go — and general peace that comes along with this alpine city makes these things seem rather small.
Too much time spent surrounded by concrete makes one feel off-balanced. You’ve got a vacation planned? Or a particular burb in mind?
By the way- look into Inwood. I lived there for a year near Inwood Hill Park. It does not feel like the city in many ways — ‘pretty interesting spot! (The A-train commute was pretty inconvenient though as work and party-life took place downtown and in Bk for me…but if the subway came more often and was faster it could fix that issue!)
I think the ideal would be to have just enough scratch (and time) to have a little place in both the city and the country; I have a friend of mine that has a small farmhouse about two hours north of the city and he’s there every weekend with his kids. Lucky fella.
Looking at your posts and pictures, I’m always a bit envious when I think of your time here in the heart of the city and where you are now. I can’t imagine being able to be in a town/city and have it surrounded by mountains and such. Beautiful. Although I find it so interesting that things are dusty where you are! I wonder why that is.
No, no vacation in the near term – we just went to Bermuda not that long ago so we won’t get an opportunity to getaway until next year, I don’t think.
Inwood? We’ll look into that, thanks!
Oh, and congrats on your show(s), that’s super impressive!
Hey Logan, how great it is to be in contact again. I took a long time away from blogging and blogs this year – until recently. I have read most of your posts but I want to go through them again as I think I missed some.
That truly sounds ideal to have a 2nd place in the countryside. That’s why -it seems- every NYer that can have one, does! Do look into Inwood. It’s nice living near Inwood Hill Park (west side of B’way)…we lived on 204th St…just steps from the 200th st subway station…and then just 10mins walk south from over there you are in Fort Tryon Park where there’s the Cloister Museum (free entry). Brunches at Indian Road Cafe and Garden Cafe were always divine. It’s thanks to my bf that I discovered this spot on the very top of Manhattan!
I knew of Washington Heights as my bro lived there for almost a decade, but I never knew of -what is known as- “Upstate Manhattan” until I met my bf. The apartments over there are very nice…large entrance rooms with roomy elevators…And the apartments have big rooms. I was literally stunned walking into my bf’s place to see these huge rooms — all that space! (I was coming from a shared, teeny, shared box of a room on St. Mark’s Place…and previous tiny spaces before that!). I recommend going to have brunch at one of those places I mentioned above (My faves: the Croque Madame at Garden Cafe – and they serve unlimited coffee…& the Breakfast Burrito at Indian Road Cafe..a little more pricey) then going for a walk in Inwood Hill Park (while over there..def. grab a coffee at Indian Road Cafe…over-looking the park with a ncie coffee bar!)…And if you have time a little walk in Fort Tryon Park. There’s even a trail along the hudson in between both of these parks. (Of course, if you want more info you can email me.)
Yes..the mountains all around are amazing…I just had to move here when the opportunity came up! Missing NYC a lot though. As far as the dust goes…not entirely sure. Perhaps due to the fact that my building was built in the 17th century and/or that sand blows over here from North Africa on windy days. I’m always cleaning up sand in the upstairs/attic area.
Thanks! I do have a solo show starting in a little over a week, then another one in November.
***Oops, meant to say that we lived on Cooper street, steps away from the 207th street (A-train) station.
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