bravelioness

Hi guys,

I'm posting some important stuff in my journal soon, so I decided to do a HUGE friend sweep in my journal. Essentially, if we haven't talked in a very long time or if you haven't used your journal for months, I removed you. It's not personal, but since this is my only personal blog, I like to keep it tidy and everything. If you really want to be added back in, just let me know and why!

Thanks for your understanding! =)

Here is my essay submission for the Vacancy.com Blog Scholarship. I've chosen to write my essay in a story-like format. I hope you will enjoy!

Link to the apartment I chose: http://www.vacancy.com/new-york/sunnyside-apartments/sunnyside-43-13-41st-street

Moving to New York City is no easy feat. NYC is one of those places that, while made out to be glamorous, is actually the exact opposite. Smelly, overcrowded, polluted. This was something I came to learn the moment I first stepped foot into New York City, the home of my current university. In fact, I was mortified for the first week, and even to this day I can't become used to the city life. I'm a country bumpkin, you see. Even though my university is a private one, that doesn't mean it's devoid of the bed bug plagues or rat-filled streets that seem to be a part of New York City lifestyle. In fact, you might just say--considering the prestige of my university--it's dormitories were severely lacking in common sanitary practices.

For that reason, I decided after my freshman year that living in a university dormitory was just not going to be my thing. Nor would be living anywhere in the city itself.

But what could I do? I had to attend my classes. Whether I liked it or not, little miss country girl was going to have to become Jane of the jungle city girl.

And so I began my search for the perfect apartment--or as close to perfect as I could get, since I had begun to doubt anything about New York City was as magical as everyone cracked it up to be. But I felt sure I could find a place that would work for me, despite all my new-found qualms about NYC.

I searched and searched, and happened across an ad on Vacancy.com, for a lovely little place in Sunnyside, New York, not too far outside New York City. The streets, aaah, so quiet for a bookworm like me. The air, aaah, so much fresher than the smog I was choking on near downtown. And aaah, look! No bed bugs or rats to be found. Yes, it was certainly no Times Square--and just as I preferred it! In fact, this neighborhood...why, even though it was in the sub-urbs, the friendly attitude of the surrounding residents and the natural tranquility compared to the bustling city nearby reminded me of my roots as a country girl. I began to feel right at home, even though I was so very far away from any place I knew.

That second year at university, I moved into my Sunnyside apartment. I remember staring up at the European-style architecture of the building complex and smiling. I was always a sucker for European things. The inside of my room also has something of a European air to it. Though there were a variety of options to choose from (1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and even apartments bigger than that), I chose a studio apartment. Since it was just going to be me living here, I felt sure this would be sufficient. And I was right! In fact, it was more than sufficient! My new studio apartment is comfy-sized; perfect for a solo student like me. Yet, it's also spacious enough for me to include a lot of my own personal things, and with plenty of room to spare for guests. I've already had a thrill of a time decorating my new room, but there's so much more I plan to do with it! Aaah, living here, I finally feel that independence I hoped to achieve by attending college.

In fact, I'd been quite lucky to score this quaint apartment! A one-bedroom, semi-furnished room for little old me only cost approximately $1000 a month. Compared to the price of my old barely-furnished freshman school dormitory, which ran around $7,000 per four months, this was a huge deal!

And on top of it all, Sunnyside really does have everything a girl--or boy, for you males out there--could ask for! As an example:

• An extremely helpful move-in service (for those of you who pack as much as I do (yes, even country girls know how to overpack!)
• The option of having pets (in case you were hoping to have something a little more lively than a goldfish)
• Free cable and wireless internet
• And even free membership for their community gym and pool! 

Seriously, look at all those "free"s! The company that owns Sunnyside even has its own private visa card service, so if you live in one of their apartments and buy their card, you can get discounts at local venues! (And who wouldn't want discounts in a place like NYC? ^_~)

The interesting thing about Sunnyside is that it is one of America's first "planned communities", as Vacancy.com puts it. For anyone interested in moving there, this means that those of us living here are closer than most neighbors! We are a community of people, and thus we share a few amenities, such as a large gym and pool. Amongst other things, we also have access to some lovely private gardens, as well as a beautiful landscaped court that you really ought to see! (I have a lovely view of it from a window in my apartment!) Even though I'm a bookworm, I wouldn't say I'm anti-social persay. I do like a good conversation! So having these amenities to share with the other residents is just perfect for me--while I can use my room as my own private space, here I can meet many of my friendly next-door neighbors!

And of course, being a student, I need to be able to make it to my school, right? Well, I had no reason to fear when I moved to Sunnyside! As it happens, the 7 train, which goes straight to Times Square, is connected to my lovely apartment complex, and takes less than 10 minutes to get into the city! (Goodbye, 4AM wake-up calls!)

Truly, I have come to love my apartment at Sunnyside. For the first time since moving to NYC, I finally feel at home. I have wonderful neighbors, a community to feel a part of, and--should I ever be looking for the vast excitement of the city--I can just hop on the nearby train and enjoy to my heart's content. (And with the comforting knowledge that I'll have my lovely own place to come home to.) Someone else on the Vacancy.com website gave a review of Sunnyside, calling it their "safe haven". That's what it has become for me too.  A place I can come home to each day and actually feel safe and at home.

I'm so glad I chose this apartment as the new place to begin my life. Thanks, Vacancy.com.

(Besides...How could I possibly resist a New York apartment with the name "Sunnyside?")