How to Handle a 3-week House Guest

January 13, 2009 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Hello, ya’ll. Are you surviving your January winter tundra? Things seem a bit better this week. I’ve been making conscientious efforts to get out of the apartment more and see more human folk. Also, I have a friend visiting from Germany. And he’s gonna be here for 3 weeks – depressed hosts are SO 2008!…

Trying to Beat the Post-Holiday Blues!

January 7, 2009 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

I have a case of the January’s. I’m home sick today, but the past couple of days have been real mopey. Perhaps I’m homesick as well. I miss my family and friends from home and don’t feel like I have a great lot to look forward to in ’09. How bad is it? Work is…

Tips for helping you survive being home for the holidays!

December 30, 2008 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Greetings fellow apartment-ites! If you’re anything like me — you’ve been home for about a week and are getting a bit claustrophobic. It’s the first time I’ve been back in the ‘burbs without a car(ie escape plan) since high school. Actually, my senior year I bought a used car with the money I’d saved from…

Tis the season. . .to negotiate with your landlord!

December 3, 2008 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Welcome back, Gentle Blog readers! I hope you had a festive Thanksgiving and enough turkey to last a lifetime. Well, at least until next year. As December marks the beginning of “End-of-Year” reflection, let us reflect back on a topic from September: How to best negotiate your lease. Ah, what memories – the stock market…

I am thankful for . . .a pretty great living situation!

November 25, 2008 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

I realize that many of my posts are about problems. My apartment’s too small. My apartment’s too expensive. My apartment has a leak etc etc. As my Yiddish speaking grandfather would say, I’m a bit of a kvetcher (complainer). So this Thanksgiving week, I am going to look on the bright side, for there still…

So, is my boyfriend annoying my roommates?

November 19, 2008 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

As we head into dating hibernation season (i.e. winter), I thought now might be a good time to revisit the subject of the roommate significant other issue. And, it’s a doozy. Sure, summer flings had their drawbacks, never knowing who was going to walk through the door next. They’d be here today and gone tomorrow.…

20-somethings are thrifty — because we have no other choice

October 8, 2008 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

I don’t know if ya’ll have been reading the New York Times of late, but they’ve recently created a mini section entitled, “Design Inspiration from Students.” Sometimes, I find the tone of the NYTimes to be a little ridiculous, in that way older people often look at younger people. Like, ‘kids these days are just…

When will you feel like a New Yorker? NYTimes says – when you become a jerk.

August 28, 2008 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

I’m kind of kidding. But. . .not entirely. The Times ran an interesting article this week on how long it takes people to feel like New York is their home. This of course makes one think about what home means – and what New York means in turn. What defines New York when compared to,…

You’re sick. . . is your Apartment prepared?

June 29, 2008 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

It’s been an interesting apartment week, in that I spent more hours in my apartment this week than ever before. Well, there are two obvious reasons that come to mind as to the cause, and unfortunately it’s the less fun reason — I was really sick. I’d gotten my third HPV vaccine and had a…

Welcome to Brooklyn, IKEA!

June 23, 2008 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

That’s right, gentle readers. The Venga Bus er IKEA is coming to Brooklyn! Actually, it celebrated its grand opening this past weekend. They had some wicked cool promos, like $1000 gift cards if you had the foresight to print out a precious little form and bring it to the store this past weekend. BUT, for…