Trying to sleep in the city that doesn’t

It’s true; I am still trying to adjust to the noises of Midtown Manhattan at night.

My favorite (and by favorite I mean worst) is the garbage truck guys that come by at about 3 a.m. Not only do I get that annoying “large truck in reverse” beeping noise (yes, I just linked to give you a sample), I am also graced with the banter of the men hurling the garbage in the back of the truck. One of them usually tops it off by making a “woo hoo” noise, which is also very loud.

Then there are the sirens, which I also feel are unnecessarily loud. And what would New York be without lots of horn honking? The below signs are likely meaningless.

And in the mornings, there are the taxi whistlers outside the hotel across the street. Although the whistles can get annoying, I am considering purchasing one to aid in my own taxi catching adventures.  If the arm in the air doesn’t do the trick, a shrill whistle sure will.

Forgive me for the above rant about street noise; I am definitely enjoying my time here.

And speaking of enjoying my time, last weekend brought with it my first visitors–my mom, aunt and namesake (my grandmother). It was great to have family around, and I enjoy playing tour guide.

We saw St. Paul’s Chapel (which has one of the best stories in the city–I blogged about it once here), the WTC site (which is really coming along–check it out here), the Statue of Liberty (from a distance), St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, Times Square and all the other great tourist spots. We also went to see a Broadway musical, ate dinner in Little Italy (yum) and Devil’s Food Cheesecake from Juniors (double yum), and I introduced them to another personal favorite–macarons from Macaron Cafe. These little French cookies are the bomb. Don’t worry, future visitors, I will introduce you. For now, enjoy the delicious picture.

Au revoir!

-M

That time I watched a movie with Justin Timberlake

It was a star-studded evening in NYC! A friend invited me to the premier of Friends With Benefits at the Ziegfeld Theater, and it was amazing! We saw the stars, Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Richard Jenkins, Patricia Clarkson, Emma Stone, Bryan Greenberg and snowboarder extraordinaire Shaun White. We took a picture with Shaun that unfortunately did not turn out thanks to a faulty flash, but just to pose with him was cool. There were a few other celebs in the crowd that came to watch the show with us, and though the movie follows the predictable romantic comedy story line, it is definitely good for some laughs. Consider it recommended.

I was a huge *NSYNC fan, and I may or may not have had a necklace with the name “Justin” on it in middle school, so needless to say, I am all smiles after tonight’s JT sighting. The guy can sing and dance; he’s not hard on the eyes, and he’s funny. When Justin is on SNL, I am glued to the TV. (In case you missed it, click here for Hulu’s playlist of his best sketches.) Now that Justin and I have had our first date, it’s clear that we’ll be married someday and all my childhood dreams will come true.

Would it be totally nerdy to sign off with Bye Bye Bye?

-M

Oh New York, I missed you

If I had a nickel for the number of times I have been asked, “What are you doing in New York?,” I would be at least a dollar richer.

Long story short, I decided it was time to make a change. I quit my job and left pretty much everything I know to do something I have always wanted to do–live in New York.  It was not the easiest decision, but the right thing to do isn’t always easy, and for me, this was the right thing to do.

I am fortunate to have a supportive family and group of friends from home, as well as some friends here in the city. I have not found a job yet, but I have started applying. Everyone I talk to about it assures me that it takes time to find a job and to take advantage of my unemployed time here, and that’s what I plan to do. New York is a great city, and even though I know I don’ t want to live here forever, and even if I don’t get my dream job, I know my time here will be well spent.

So here I am–in my little room above a Cafe Metro in Manhattan, living (and applying for) my dream.

-M