So 5 days in we reach the $1000+ mark on Kickstarter. Pretty fantastic. I've gotta send some thank-you letters out to a couple of special folks in my life who continue to support me. At this rate I have no doubt in my mind we'll surpass our $8,000 goal.
So we got this blog and we thought it was just the thing you do. Making a feature? Gotta have a website, right? But who really wants to read blog posts updating you on how much money we're raising? I probably wouldn't. So, I'd like to propose an entry called WWRD...WHAT WOULD RACHEL DO?? Every single day I go through my own personal routine, and as I've gotten more and more involved in "Laying Over," the more I think about what Rachel would do in my shoes.
The past two weeks since I came back from a shoot in New Mexico I've been apartment hunting. It's been two years since I've had to do that, and good god does it suck. It's really terrible. I mean it, people. Between the large but windowless pest infected closets you find on Craigslist, to the sleazy landlords who somehow think it's ok to sell these spaces as apartments for a grand a month, New York City seems to be transforming into Disneyland for the rich. It seems like in order for one who is less affluent to be able to afford to live here, one must sacrifice either safety, space, live far from hubs of commerce, or all of the above. I am lucky to have so many friends in NYC. I cannot imagine what it would be like for someone like Rachel who barely knew anyone when she arrived here 2 years ago.
Rachel's only been in New York City for 2 years, so she hasn't yet discovered the glorious Valhalla of good food and kind faces that is Queens. So, she'd also probably be looking in Brooklyn too. Here are some real life (and possibly exaggerated) scenarios I've encountered apartment hunting:
$1600 bushwick 2 bedroom railroad - My future potential roommate, let's call him Kevyne Tran (to protect his identity) and I show up 5 minutes early. Kevyne leaves to get a coffee. Sitting alone on the stoop, I successfully attract 4 middle-aged men asking me what my name is.
WWRD? She tells the men her name is Nelly Furtado. They seem impressed. Kevyne returns with coffee. The men disperse. The super shows up an hour late. Rachel and Kevyne kill time by chain smoking and spotting Presidents in the clouds. The super arrives and refuses to shake Rachel's hand. There is no sink in the bathroom. Rachel's already over it.
$2100 greenpoint 3 bedroom - I meet my two potential roommates, Kevyne Tran and Gyna Pollack (name's been changed to protect her identity), at the place which is located right next to NYC's beloved highway, the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. We are surprised to be greeted by ten other stupid young twentysomethings desperately seeking a place to live.
WWRD? The apartment is OK inside. Two rooms face the BQE and one doesn't. Gyna wants the one away from the highway. Rachel and Kevyne agree, as long as their rent is lower. Rachel stands for a minute in the bedroom next to the BQE, trying to transform the roar of trucks speeding by into the tranquil sound of crickets that used to chirp outside her window growing up. "Just like crickets," she reasons with herself, "Like huge, metal crickets." She steps outside the room. One of the other stupid young twentysomethings already placed a deposit on the apartment. Shit.
$600 fort greene, 1 bedroom sublet I get a tip from a friend who lives in the building that her cool neighbor is looking to sublet a room. I call the guy that morning and we arrange to meet at 5pm that night. I've been to their building tons of times before to see my friend so I'm pretty excited about this. Good price, good location, friendly neighbors.
WWRD? Rachel shows up 15 minutes early but doesn't want to seem too eager. She texts him at 4:55pm. When he doesn't reply she gets nervous and calls him. On the phone he sounds confused. He forgot about their appointment and reschedules. She walks back to the subway. In the meantime, he calls back and asks if she can wait for him for 30 minutes. She agrees and walks around the neighborhood which is really nice, she's getting excited. The strap on her sandal breaks, so she finds a Payless Shoe Source on Myrtle Avenue. They only have sandals with American flag designs. She decides to just keep on her broken sandals, which fall off if she walks faster than 5 miles per hour. She arrives back at the apartment 15 minutes late and sees the room in question. It's the exact same size as a full size mattress. And no windows. She knew it was too cheap to be good.
I'll end this post with a link to an article The Onion published about a year ago: http://www.theonion.com/articles/84-million-new-yorkers-suddenly-realize-new-york-c,18003/
