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November 13, 2009
Camping in Gotham
At last, after 8 months on the market for sale and 3 weeks on the market for rent, we found a tenant for our Manhattan apartment. The resale market in New York is dead. There are a bunch of issues that you won’t read about in the New York Times. First, the banks are still not lending. Second, the appraisers are covering their asses by assessing property 20% below market, making the financing even more difficult. Third, the brokers are behaving the same way they were when the market was booming, rather than adapting new tools like craigslist. And buyers are behaving mercilessly, making offers randomly to see if the desperate will take the bait. All this means that we were not meant to sell in this market.
On Monday, our movers deliver our packing materials. On November 27, they move us out of the apartment. Chis has to be in New York until December 5, so we have set our minds to how we will live for the week without our stuff.
Hotels are way too expensive, and the ones with a kitchen are limited and outrageously expensive. There are vacation rentals. I’m having heart palpitations with the money we are spending (shipping the boat, yard expenses, buying a VW Jetta TDI, etc) so we have decided to stay in our empty apartment for the week.
Here’s my preliminary list of things that we will need. I call it the “bare minima”.
To cook: spatula, wooden spoon, lifter, tongs, frying pan, saucepan, coffee maker.
To prepare: cutting board, knife.
To enjoy: 2 plates, 2 bowls, 2 sets of silverware, wine opener, 2 glasses, 2 wine glasses, 2 mugs
To clean up: sponge, 2 tea towels
To sleep: air mattress, pillows, sheets, duvet
To bathe: 2 towels
Being hyper environmentally aware, I am crazed at the thought of tossing things. The coffee maker, cutting board, frying pan, saucepan, pillows, tea towels, sheets and towels are worse for wear, and owe us nothing. They are in tatters and need to be replaced anyway. I will use the linens as rags to clean up when we move out on the 5th. The air mattress will go to a friend. The duvet will be vacuum packed and go in the duffel bag on the plane. As for kitchenware, I am going to go to my favourite store in almost-Chinatown called Pearl River and buy very inexpensive melamine stuff that we can take with us and use on the boat. Very little will end up landfill and most will either go to friends or get packed for the plane.
It will be an interesting week. When we arrive in San Francisco on the 5th, we will do it all over again, as last week when I was out there I set us up with all of the above pulled off the boat.
From camping in Gotham to camping in Fog City. This too shall keep me young.
Posted by dave at November 13, 2009 10:22 AM