big girl apartment

My big news this week?! I got my very own teeny-tiny studio apartment! Hooray! I've been casually browsing Craigslist for a few months and have come up empty handed. I've been disappointed by quite a few places but finally found this cutie in Gowanus. I saw it last Saturday, submitted an application Sunday, was approved on Monday, and signed the lease Wednesday! Phew! They aren't lying when they say NYC real estate moves quickly.!

These are definitely some before shots. Do you like how you can see practically the entire apartment from one vantage point? It small but guess what....all 290 square feet of it are mine :) Oh, well, I guess I have to share with Aubie.

You can see "the kitchen" here but it is all just one room. I really like that the appliances are tucked away so I don't feel like I am cooking in my bedroom. I'm secretly a little excited to have an electric stove. Gas scares me and I would always be paranoid it was leaking. It is the tiniest stove ever. I don't think it is even 24" wide. When I start acquiring kitchen things (which I have very little) I will have to make sure to get Easy Bake Oven size pans.

View from the kitchen to the rest of the space. It gets nice light during the day. I have never had a fire escape before. Kurt has promised to build me a planter box to set out there. I guess I should learn how to grow things....

The former tenant left this kitchen rack behind. I think it will be super functional since there is zero counter space. Check out all that wine storage on the bottom! For some reason, the shininess bothers me. Does anyone know how to make metal matte? Should I just take steel wool to it and scuff it up?

The bathroom is actually really clean and nice, albeit small (notice a theme here?). The last tenant also left some glass shelves which will come in handy for storage.

My view down Third Avenue. It a little busy but I am really happy with the location.

The train is only a couple blocks away, so it is actually really convenient.

Because I am an architect nerd, here is the plan :) It will be changed and updated as I work on a furniture arrangement. Suggestions are welcome! I've got Kurt working on his scheme as we speak :)

I signed the lease last night with the broker at the apartment. I have never signed more documents or handed over a larger sum of money in my life. I felt like I was buying a house! After all the paperwork was squared away, I got to meet the landlord, Vinny (I'm not even joking). He was hilarious and such a caricature of all things Brooklyn. First of all, he was in a track suit and had a crazy thick accent. He was born and grew up in the neighborhood and will never leave. He told us this hilarious joke about living with his mother which I won't do justice if I explain it here. Needless to say, I think I am going to love living here!