Statue of Liberty = Tourists

Chantal's Mom is in town visiting so we decided to go to the Statue of Liberty. None of us had been before and I thought it would be pretty cool to check it out and do something a bit touristy.

Well, I had no idea what to expect. I've been up the Empire State Building so I should have better known what would await us at the Castle Clinton ticket office in Battery Park.

Tourists were everywhere, taking picture of everything. The line to get onto the ferry was pretty long but wasn't nearly as bad as the Empire State Building when I went a few years ago. There were street performers to keep us company and bad sausages to keep our bellies full while we waited. Also, the view was pretty awesome. After having to remove my belt and everything from my pockets to be scanned through security we were ready to get onto the ferry after a few more minutes of waiting in the hot, enclosed holding tent.

Once on the ferry everyone rushed to the top deck where they began taking hundreds of photos of everything around us. People were standing on the benches, right next to where I was sitting, taking photographs with their fanny packs and camera straps slapping me in the face.
And we were still docked!

Once the boat left the dock practically everyone stood up at once and started clicking away. Tourists from Italy who were sitting in front of us must have taken at least 50 photos of themselves sitting on the boat looking cool. Then they ate some nasty smelling cheese.

Japanese tourists in groups of 86 people filmed everything with fancy digital cameras that are probably 4 years from being released here.We sat, enjoyed the view and made fun of the tourists.

Air Jordan's

I took a walk today and ended up on Graham Avenue (also known as Avenue of Puerto Rico)here in Brooklyn. I had been there a few times before but had never really stopped into any of the sports stores.

I stopped into one that was straight out of a dream for me. The entire store was full of Air Jordans. They sold Air Jordan shoes, Jordan Brand shirts, bags, jackets, you name it. They even had a whole collection of Baby Jordans. The stock was incredible. There were shoes I'd never seen before or even dreamt of. It was utopia (aside from the prices). When I wanted to know the price of a shoe, they answered with, "What size do you wear?"

One place I walked into had the owner talking about someone being locked up by the police, another place had the stereo and bass so loud I was expecting a dance club. Or a rap studio.

It was awesome.

The shoes pictured are the Air Jordan Retro 4 Mars Blackmon Brooklyn editions. Yes, I own them.

Tea in SoHo

Melanie, Joel and I went for tea in a little tea parlour in SoHo named MarieBelle. The products were slightly out of my price range, but for $6 you can get your (chocolate, if you like) tea served on a silver plater in a cute little silver carafe. The sitting area was dominated by an extravangantly huge chandelier and there was a silent movie being projected onto a wall. It was so cute! I could live my life out in cute places like that.

And you know what one of the best things about living in NYC is? Talking to Canadians who DON'T live in NYC! I was on the phone today with a Royal Bank rep with the intent of changing my address to this current U.S address, and as soon as I mentionned that my new address is in Brooklyn, she immediately oohed and aahed and began asking me questions. I found out she was in Winnipeg and her sister goes to Harvard. The conversation ended with her proclaiming that, to a person who lives in Winnipeg like her, "talking to a New Yorker is like talking to a superstar"! Thanks for making me feel good about myself, anonymous Royal Bank rep :)

No Sitting!!!

Chantal and I had some tea in SoHo today and I was amazed that we found a spot to sit outside on some steps while we were waiting for a friend to arrive. I have taken for granted the luxury of taking a stroll down the street, wanting to tie my shoe or rest my weary feet, and finding a nice ledge or stair to sit on.

In Manhattan it is especially difficult to find these little spots to sit, which may explain the non-stop bustle of the city. If there is nowhere to sit, you must keep moving!

I guess it actually isn't difficult to find the spots to sit, it's just it's difficult to sit when you do. Many places in Manhattan (I haven't spotted any in Brooklyn yet) have installed 'anti-sitting' devices. Similar to the pigeon spikes I used on my balcony in Ottawa, but meant for humans.

I did some research and came up with this website of someone's impressive collection of anti-sit device photos, for your enjoyment.

It's amazing what people don't want you to sit on.

Coming to America

The Drive

My dad drove the U-Haul the whole way down, from the tree-lined streets of Ottawa down the quiet highways to New Jersey, across the Triboro bridge into the Bronx past Yankee Stadium and down the pot-holed streets with double-parked cars in Brooklyn with the U-Haul’s side-view mirrors narrowly missing (so it seemed) sign posts, car doors and people’s facesThe Move

We arrived at our apartment just before 11am and found an empty stretch of street in front of our new place to park the truck and unload. We unloaded and moved in most of the small boxes, artwork, and other easy things while we waited for the two hired movers to arrive. We had taken care of most of our stuff other than the large boxes and heavy furniture.

The Movers

Two guys pulled up in a black truck while I was unloading things in the apartment so I missed their names. Not that I would have been able to say what they were anyway since these guys barely spoke and when they did it was unintelligible.
It was hot and humid outside and both guys were wearing jeans (the waistbands below their butts, boxers in full view) and Air Jordan’s. The shoes were nice! I hope they noticed my Air Jordan collection. When they arrived we sat back and let them sweat over everything and I directed where they should place the sweaty boxes and furniture.
They broke my computer table and chipped Chantal’s antique dresser. No tip!

The Apartment

We are in a really nice one bedroom apartment that we have now learned is actually in a condo. So it’s pretty new and everyone is very friendly in the building (so far). We are on the third floor, so moving in required lifting things up 2 flights of stairs which really isn’t bad at all. New Yorkers must have the strongest legs in the country due to all the apartment building and subway stairs climbing, not to mention street walking and trying to maneuver bad sidewalks, dog poop and garbage.
Anyway, with everything in boxes and disassembled it looked like everything was going to fit.
After assembling everything we realized it was going to be a bit tight, so there may be some things we get rid of, but it all seems like it will be really comfortable. I will have to get used to listening to Chantal typing on her computer.
Our first few nights here have been silent – no dogs barking, babies crying, shotguns firing or sirens blaring.

The Neighborhood

We live in a very Puerto Rican/Dominican area with a slew of restaurants with their local cuisine. There is a fair share of white, skinny hipsters walking around too.
We are within a short walk of a few subway lines, none of which run through our basement. We’re learning our way around on the lines and trying not to look too much like tourists.
There are plenty of strange sights in Brooklyn, mostly things you just aren’t used to seeing back in Ottawa. There is a sidewalk that suddenly angles to about 45 degrees, there is a Chinese frozen food packing place next door and a steel work business and lumber seller across the street.
The residential areas are nestled in-between. There is barbed wire everywhere, concrete everywhere and I seem to have to point out whenever I see a patch of grass! Trust me, it’s really nice grass!

Homeland Security
You need a passport or a social security number or both to do get anything done. I needed both just to get a cell phone plan. The simplest things become more difficult due to the U.S. Patriot Act instituted after 9/11. All the bank tellers are behind glass, even the liquor at the liquor store and the people at the post office are behind bullet-proof glass.

Brooklynites…

are very friendly and helpful. Chantal and I were looking for a Radio Shack and decided to walk into a service station/mechanic (which are on every other block). The old, Spanish speaking guy at the front grinned a toothless grin and pointed to the loud, muscular, classic slick-talking Brooklynite on the phone. Then I noticed the gigantic, dirty dog bed and the dog bone the size of my arm. When the guy got off the phone, he gave me perfect (almost) directions to Radio Shack with the help of another mechanic who walked in. The pit bull emerged and nuzzled up to Chantal and we were on our way. Moral of the story: Looks can be deceiving!
Getting Settled

We are settling right in and finding our way around our neighborhood and scouting out all the different shops and restaurants when we can. With all the organizing we still have to do we haven’t had much time to explore and take everything in.
It’s hard to believe that not too long ago we were living in Ottawa. It’s a very different world here in New York. Keep reading and we’ll be sure to keep you up-to-date with what happens here in Brooklyn.

Photos coming soon!

I'm walkin' 'ere...

We are all moved into our new Williamsburg apartment but not quite settled. We're still maneuvering around various boxes trying not to bump into sharp corners or fall on our faces, but it's getting there. I have yet to paint the walls. I have a few nice colours picked out. The apartment itself is very comfortable and brand spanking new. It is also incredibly quiet. It's actually quieter than the Governor of Metcalfe, which is insane considering there is a lumber yard across the street here and a seafood-packing plant to the side…and it's freakin' Brooklyn. But we face the backyard therefore there is little to no noise. The layout of the furniture is very tight which means that I will probably have to get rid of my computer desk. It's a hassle but I saw one on Graham Ave. in the Puerto Rican district that was brand new and only fifty dollars. Closet space is nearly non-existent but luckily we have a storage locker downstairs.

Okay, so Brooklyn. I think it's really confusing and hilarious how they never bothered to zone Brooklyn properly. Industrial, commercial and residential zones are all side-by-side. It makes for finding a restaurant a bit difficult. However, we have found a few that are very good.

A few impressions so far:

1. U.S banks are complicated. It's not just a matter of going online to do your banking. They actually associate your I.P. address with your bank account which means that you can only do online banking from one single computer…for security purposes. Checks take days to clear…for security purposes. Tellers operate behing bullet-proof glass…for obvious security purposes…which brings me to my next point.

2. I'm sure this comes as no surprise, but the U.S is obsessed with security. To set up bank accounts, cell phone plans, utilities, etc. Joel and I have to be carrying around passports, birth certificates, our lease, driver's license and about a dozen other pieces of identification. If it wasn't for Joel being an American citizen, I would be complaining a whole lot more. It's tough being a Canadian in the States, so I can only imagine how it must be for other nationalities.

3. I barely know anything of U.S geography. Until yesterday, I thought Washington D.C was on the West Coast. I now understand why Americans know nothing of Canada: they can barely remember the major cities in their states! We only have three major cities in all of Canada!

Ottawa vs. Brooklyn

Last night Joel and I went to dinner at our friend Amber's new apartment. We walked into a huge three-bedroom that was basically the entire top floor of a building. When we found out how much rent she payed for this approx. 1700 square feet apartment, I gritted my teeth. It was about half of what we're going to be paying in Brooklyn for a place that's one-third of the size. It was difficult to hear. I constantly have to remind myself that NYC=exciting and Ottawa=boring which means rent is much, much lower in Ottawa (although Ottawa is considered very expensive by Canadian standards).

We could be renting a house in Ottawa for the price we're paying for a one-bedroom in Williamsburg! But that would mean working a boring government job so...no thanks; I'll take the pricey rent over that any day.

Brooklyn Bound

Welcome to the new blog chronicling the adventures of Chantal and Joel in Brooklyn, New York!
With an apartment waiting for them in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, one of the biggest obstacles is already out of the way.

Finding an apartment in New York City truly requires blood, sweat, and tears (and cash upfront).

Here are a few tips to finding an apartment in Brooklyn:

• If an ad says an apartment is in on a beautiful, sunny, tree-lined street, it is probably on a block with no trees (but is conveniently 10 blocks away from said tree-lined street!).


• Expect to pay a lot more than what you were hoping to pay and expect a place smaller than what you were hoping for.


• Watch comedies every day to help stay somewhat sane.


• If it looks and seems to good to be true, it probably is. There may be a subway station in the basement.


• If a broker drives you to an apartment, expect to find your own way back (unless you like the place, then they'll be happy to drive you back to the office to sign the lease).


• Don't do it unless you have to.

Don't forget to bookmark this page and check back often for updates. We will be updating as often as possible with photos of our new place, the moving process, our neighborhood and more.

We'll provide information about our neighborhood, historical facts, strange subway stories, polls and celebrity sightings!

Please take a moment to guess where the title of our blog, Nothing's Equivalent, originates from. When the poll ends, we'll provide you with the inside scoop!

Thanks for reading and for joining us as we embark on our new venture.

Two floors above the butcher / First door on the right / Life filled to the brim / As I stood by my window / And looked out on those Brooklyn roads. -Neil Diamond