#restaurant space for rent in Brooklyn

[corbettdullearealestate]

Secure Restaurant Space for Rent in Brooklyn's Heart

Did you know? In the USA, people are spending more money when they go out to eat than they spend on buying groceries. Just in January, people put in over $86.6 billion at restaurants, which is 24% higher than last year's January. (Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/consumers-are-still-spending-at-restaurants-despite-inflation-193806216.html) It has ignited enthusiasm among entrepreneurs and other business people to launch their very own restaurants. And where is one of the prime spots for that? One cool place for this is Brooklyn. Yes, it is a trendy area where many love to try new foods. Getting a restaurant space for rent in Brooklyn is a smart move. If you open a restaurant there, more people might come to try your food. So, choosing a Brooklyn spot could be a tasty success for your restaurant dream!

Unlocking Profits in the Restaurant Business: Leveraging Brooklyn's Bustling Environment

The crowdy atmosphere of this neighborhood can propel your restaurant's prosperity. With its diverse inhabitants and a constant flow of residents and visitors, Brooklyn offers an eager and dynamic customer base.

The key to unlocking this potential is understanding and catering to the eclectic tastes of Brooklynites. Design a menu that mirrors the multicultural fabric of the community, attracting food enthusiasts magnetically. Moreover, Brooklyn's fast-paced lifestyle creates an ideal setting for quick-service options, takeout, and delivery services, aligning with the demands of urban living.

By embracing Brooklyn's innovative spirit and culinary ingenuity, your restaurant can flourish amid this vibrant backdrop. Transform the borough's kinetic energy into a recipe for triumph within the ever-evolving restaurant industry.

Key Factors to Keep in Mind When Selecting a Restaurant Space for Rent in Brooklyn

Navigating the process of selecting the ideal restaurant space for rent in Brooklyn requires careful consideration of several essential factors.

First, the location stands as a paramount consideration. Choose a spot that aligns with your target demographic and is easily accessible to both residents and visitors. Proximity to public transportation and foot traffic hubs can significantly impact your restaurant's visibility and customer reach.

Second, analyze the space's size and layout. Ensure it accommodates your culinary vision, kitchen equipment, and seating arrangement. A well-designed floor plan promotes efficient operations and enhances the dining experience for patrons.

Third, evaluate the neighborhood's ambiance and potential for growth. Is the area known for its food scene? Is it up-and-coming or established? Such insights can influence your restaurant's brand and long-term success.

Considering the local competition is crucial as well. A balance between having nearby dining options and standing out within the culinary landscape is essential. Additionally, inquire about leasing terms, costs, and any potential hidden fees. A clear understanding of the financial obligations associated with the rental space is imperative for proper budgeting. Lastly, assess the availability of necessary permits and licenses.

Final Words

By carefully assessing different aspects, you can confidently embark on your restaurant journey, harnessing Brooklyn's vibrant energy and diverse community to create a dining experience. If additional assistance is required, think about seeking guidance from real estate professionals such as Corbett & Dullea. With their expertise, you can confidently reach a well-informed decision that aligns with the changing business environment.

Blog Source URL: - https://cdrenyc.com/restaurant-space/secure-restaurant-space-for-rent-in-brooklyns-heart/

[dlnqnt]

nonoses inc./snif are dropping new secret menu fragrances but all of the newsletter/promotional material is AI-generated and wildly off-putting but i think it's gotta be bcus they sunk their entire ad budget into temporarily renting out and decorating a restaurant space in brooklyn lmao

[nnjzz]

ETERNITIES + earthworm + AUGUSTÉ VICKUNAITÉ + SIMONAS NEKROŠIUS + ALANAS GURINAS

MARDI LE 05.03

ETERNITIES us earthworm  us AUGUSTÉ VICKUNAITÉ lt SIMONAS NEKROŠIUS lt ALANAS GURINAS lt

TREIZE 24 rue Moret 75011 M° Couronnes / Ménilmontant

19:30 PORTES

20:00 ACTION !

P.A.F.6€

ETERNITIES us utah nyc " deep presence, resonant feedback, melodic drone, and overtone magic, in the fluid realm between intention and indeterminacy. We use harmonic tones from wind instruments played within feedback systems to create deep spectral drone. "

Duo composé de Katie Porter ( clarinette basse ) et Bob Bellerue  ( electronics, feedback ).

Musicienne spécialisée surtout dans la musique expérimentale / contemporaine ( interprétant p. ex. les musiques de John Luther Adams, Jason Ajemian, Mike Kelley, Michael Pisaro, Larry Polansky, Stephanie Richards, Morris Rosenzweig, Arthur Russell, James Tenney, Maayan Tsadka, Christian Wolff, entre autres ) mais pas que  ( "   She exists mainly in the experimental realm, but can sometimes be found elsewhere. " ) , Katie Porter est aussi curatrice, passionnée par la création de communautés musicales - elle a cofondé p.ex. Listen/Space (Brooklyn) et est commissaire des Listen/Space Commissions, responsables de 46 nouvelles œuvres pour groupes de chambre mixtes.

Elle co-dirige également le Symposium biennal VU pour la musique expérimentale, improvisée et électronique (Park City, Utah) et travaille sur un projet de longue haleine ( jeu de mots intentionnel ) pour clarinette solo dans l'installation Sun Tunnels ( 1976 ) - en cours de restauration -  de  la land-artiste, Nancy Holt, dans l'Utah.

Plusieurs projets dont le duo RED DESERT ENSEMBLE (   “a finely poised musical partnership”- THE WIRE,  ) avec le percussionniste/compositeur Devin Maxwell, qui a publié un album  sur le label de feu Phil Niblock, XI.

Bob Bellerue est artiste sonore / noisician, ingé-son, technicien et entre autres choses, curateur, entre autres, et notamment LE responsable principal de l'immensissime festival de musiques oufissimo-interlopissimes, ENDE TYMES. 

Sa pratique sonore tourne souvent autour des systèmes de rétroaction résonnante, utilisant des instruments, des objets, des enregistrements et des espaces amplifiés, en combinaison avec des composants électroniques et des logiciels écrits dans le langage de programmation de synthèse audio Supercollider.

Au cours des 30 dernières années, il a été impliqué dans la création et la présentation d'un large éventail d'activités sonores – entre noise, art sonore, musique expérimentale, percussions junk metal, gamelan balinais, bandes son pour la danse/théâtre/vidéo/art de la performance et  installations vidéo / son. 

Il a publié moult enregistrements, notamment chez Elevator Bath Records, iDeal Recordings, Banned Productions, Fabrica, P-Tapes, RRR Records, Love Earth Music, Prison Tatt Records, Los Discos Enfantasmes, Zelphabet, Peyote Tapes, No Rent Records ou sur ses propres labels, Anarchymoon Recordings and Sleepy Hollow Editions. 

earthworm us uk Nouveau duo / projet collaboratif composé de Christi Denton, artiste sonore et compositrice polyvalente originaire des États-Unis et de France, et de Margaret Fiedler McGinnis ( US / UK ), auteur-compositeur et multi-instrumentiste connue pour son travail avec au mitan des années 90s MOONSHAKE et LAIKA ensuite, et plus récemment avec  PJ Harvey & Wire ( excusez de peu).

 Dans une pièce spécialement composée pour Le Non_Jazz aux Nautes, elles s'aventureront dans le domaine de l'improvisation structurée. Conçu pour faire écho aux pousses vertes tendres de la saison, SPRINGS promet une expérience sonore immersive. Denton et Fiedler McGinnis créent une partition graphique unique pour l'électronique réactive, la guitare et d'autres éléments qui n'ont pas encore été révélés. Cette approche innovante s’entremêle avec les battements de cœur des musiciens et d’autres rythmes organiques, créant une interaction dynamique entre les interprètes et l’esprit éveillé de la saison.  https://www.christidenton.com/

AUGUSTÉ VICKUNAITÉ lt   Performeuse / collagiste sonore, avec une formation en sciences physiques ( ! ). Elle utilise principalement des magnétophones à bandes pour jouer, enregistrer et créer des compositions instantanées à base de d'enregistrements de terrain divers, dysfonctionnements de la technologie vintage ou encore des sons d'instruments enregistrés dans des environnements naturels.

Sa performance contiendra des boucles de bandes audio et des collages effectués à partir de de bandes trouvées.

SIMONAS NEKROŠIUS lt Artiste interdisciplinaire de Vilnius, spécialisé dans l'art sonore et la construction d'instruments électro-acoustiques et d'objets sonores faits maison.

Son travail est souvent associé aux notions de « ready-made » et de « DIY ». Il perçoit la créativité et les objets d'art comme un processus, réduisant ainsi l'importance des résultats finalisés dans ses projets. En conséquence, son travail a tendance à être indéterminé et transformateur au fil du temps.

https://www.youtube.com/@SimonasNekrosius 

ALANAS GURINAS lt Jeune artiste interdisciplinaire, adepte des performances sonores et des installations audiovisuelles.

Dans sa démarche, il explore le son en tant que phénomène textural, les thèmes de l'éphémère et les relations entre divers objets et espaces audibles et inaudibles.

A slightly light tone  ( Strained paper sheets, weights, vibro motors, various sound objects ) 

est une performance sonore acoustique live qui utilise le papier comme matériau principal pour produire du son. Différents types de papiers sont placés entre deux pinces en bois et, à l'aide de poids, sont tendus jusqu'à ce qu'ils trouvent leur état de résonance. En conséquence, différents tons, drones et textures générés par du papier en suspension sont produits. (La durée de la représentation est de +- 30 minutes)  

Fly - Jo L'Indien

[freeworldallahmbaclass]

Enjoy New York City again go out for the day or night 🌙 on a town with a rich heritage and a very rich history . I love New York City , thank you so much .

Get dressed the right way with a better mind and a cultivated lifestyle and be a true king and a gentleman and for my ladies be the Queen your were destined to be again . New York City in the spirit if its Libraries , outside sit down restaurants , partys , social nightlife and meet and greets and poetry nights like union square enjoy the spirit of New York City a city renewed in fine culture and living .

This is me from my incubator and my incubator my hospital in Brooklyn New York City that I run .

I love myself and very proud of myself I own my own incubator in Brooklyn New York City and see my list of accomplishments .

Eat some good breakfast and enjoy this book by the Bishop TD Jakes touch down with this book catch it in your heart and spirit and let it change you and hopefully the city of New York .

Classes today

Onet skills to gain and learn and use today

Maid and housekeeping 37 - 2012.00

Laundry and dry cleaning 51 - 6011.00

Occupational therapy and rehabilitation counseling 29 - 1122.00

Dietians and nutritionists 29 - 1031.00 eat some good food and stay healthy from now on yeah get it check the onet website to learn some skills and professionalize yourself in your career to get more promotions and advancement in your career , thanks for listening enjoy your school assignment from me to you , thanks let Booker T Washington be your teacher on guide on subjects of practicality staying sober and being a role model and inspiration for other people .

Read these chapters just to get you started remember we are one people and yes it okay to learn of another people's struggle to better embrace diversity and get an A in your anthropology class that is what matters the world as it is now in moving forward stop hating each other and arguing over pettiness and let's move forward together and make this world better for all of us now as it is , thank you for letting me help the people all people .

Chapters in character building

Two sides of life

Helping others

Some rocks ahead

On influencing by example

The virtue of simplicity

Have you done your best , I like to say have you gave them your best

Keep pushing and

Just teach , I passed the torch to you the bright leaders of tomorrow read your books need my help I will be back to share what I'm reading that help builds good character and make society .

My statue in Harlem New York City symbolizing that I found the cure for HIV / Aids . It is about time and I'm proud to be the one to represent that and get a statue for it in my old hometown on the way up to City College of New York City I used to trek through there with my book bag on going up the hill to my apartment I was renting there living with my friend she had HIV good person I wish her the best .

Congratulations to me

I sponsor the drug and HIV medicine Cabenuva . I sponsor my incubator program and all hospitals on all 7 Continents of this world in every city , town and country even state capitals releasing the cure for cancer all cancers and to give free cancer screening and free cancer treatment for all the types of cancers and stages of cancer treatment to all people no matter their medical insurance coverage , Medicaid and , Medicare and all other insurances or lack thereof included fair treatment for all patients and clients . If I had HIV Aids I would take the medicine be like me and take your medicine so you could grow up healthy and strong like me all things is possible when you believe and have faith and now with Cabenuva we have that cure finally , thank you so much .

I'm the Incubator man nice ring to it , I like it . Being a Superhero is my day job and I love it wherever there is sorrow I'm there to help .

What is the purpose of incubator? An incubator is designed to provide a safe, controlled space for infants to live while their vital organs develop. Unlike a simple bassinet, an incubator provides an environment that can be adjusted to provide the ideal temperature as well as the perfect amount of oxygen, humidity, and light an enclosed apparatus providing a controlled environment for the care and protection of premature or unusually small babies an apparatus used to hatch eggs or grow microorganisms under controlled conditions.

What does incubator mean in business? An incubator is a facility designed to nurture and accelerate the growth of new businesses. It typically provides resources such as office space, access to mentors and investors, shared services, and other resources to help entrepreneurs launch their business. What are the two types of incubator?

There are basically two types of incubators available, forced-air and still-air incubators. Forced-air incubators have fans that provide internal air circulation. The capacity of these units may be very large. The still-air incubators are usually small without fans for air circulation Who needs an incubator? Babies who are born too early, before 37 weeks, can have problems such as low birth weight, irregular temperature, and unstable vital signs.

A baby incubator helps control their temperature. They will also be given high-calorie formula and will get the treatment they need for any other issues.

How do incubators make money?

Services provided by incubators include office space, administrative functions, education and mentorship, access to investors and capital, and idea generation. Incubators either charge a fee for their services or take an equity stake in the startup. The period of incubation can last from a few months to several years. Well bro I own my own hospital my own incubator on why I kept it to help and heal people .

I sponsor the release of a cancer treatment for all stages of cancer from stage one cancer to prevent that cancer from spreading to stage 4 cancer we still need the knockout cancer treatment for stage 4 cancer though and I'm watching to see what medical team and university come up with those drugs first that eliminate the cancer at that stage , a cure for stage 1 cancer to stage 4 cancer let us see who win that war a more important war to fight not with guns and knives and killing each other . A lot of people say they are cures for stuff like cancer and HIV AIDS like they gave me the cure for HIV / AIDS Cabenuva and the other drug Demivato to sponsor and share with the people that need it so they say I found the cure for HIV AIDS I don't have the disease myself but I sponsor it what it is those medical teams or inventors have nobody to sponsor their new drugs that help cure those diseases so I took them on and sponsor it now thank you Cabenuva and the Demivato drug eliminates HIV before spreading into AIDS but you have to take it as prescribed to become undetected for HIV they have my name on it now , I approve it my stamp of approval is on it now so yes it works so take your medication as prescribed so you grow up healthy and strong , I love the cause and yes I love my stamp all over those inventions now if their is a cure for all stages of cancer stage 1 to stage 4 cancer give it to the people that needs it please I sponsor it me and my incubator program my hospital sponsor your drug and I ask all hospitals all over the world to prescribe those medication and cure to all people regardless of their medical insurances or lack of medical insurance that is fair treatment for all people , thank you .

News update good luck to you in life , thank you for letting me help the people . I feel people shouldn't let me be the best Joyce Meyer student their is just my bragging rights they should compete with me on that and see who can be the better Joyce Meyer student their is she is the best isn't she . I love her work it changed my life I read it everyday I make time for it everyday so should you . She got a book on every subject or issues we may be going through and a better way to solve it the problems you are facing the books her books is my instructions and should be yours now on from now on now it is my manual my breath of life and should be yours from now on . She changed the way I think and live now and I'm challenging New Yorkers all New Yorkers to let's see who can apply the principles attitudes and actions and behaviors that Joyce Meyer suggest in her books go for it . I want and wish all New Yorkers will read her books and adjust her content into their lives to make New Yorkers a better place for all us to live in , thank you .

What needs to happen is a present shift from evilness to practicing goodness for the city of New York City from a city of divine evilness into a city of Godliness , study your bibles again get baptized and follow your favorite preachers and teachers again to kill the demons and legions of evil armies in New York City and fall back under Christ and his peace love and way of being . Definitely it does remind me of the Brooklyn Museum and the meaning of what my Yo Sign really mean the true and only meaning while using me as lead figure to help remind me that I need to get my act together it say to remember those prophets and philosophers and try to be like them in our own way of doing things behavior thinking loving creating and building societies the way it is and the way it is going to be in peace harmony and intelligence with all people as the culture the culture those great prophets and philosophers live and turn away from the dark places and dark sides in life and the harshness that darkness but to stay on the path of enlightenment and be the light in your city , your town your people , that is called to live a cultured life pass down from generation to generation for me personally what it does mean is that I'm a young god and king and ruler in my city and important people need me to be intelligent and more authoritative in shaping myself like those characters and characterizations to then fit my city in that mold image and righteous likeness ✨️ because my city is in need of its calling back to its consciousness and better mindsets and ways of being .

Remember to get the E Book downloading app from your google play store and then type in the authors name and book title all books in this post .

Clean riverside drive the water the ocean connecting us to New Jersey and renew the city and its amenities .

Congratulations to me for being the first person that the Idle Tycoon game series made personal video games for this video game is to help the legion of people get out of my ear with devilishment and replace my spirit and soul back into my body so that I could hear , talk and see again without any sensory deprivations sponsored by Governor Kathy Hochul .

I heard you on the secret power of speaking gods word , very good book I'm just trying to get away from vulture christians or being one of those type of vulture christians myself if you don't know the descriptions of those in Joyce Meyer book Never give up you should read it now . My main problem was inheriting New York City a city that uses witchcraft and voodoo in the hood no good and call themselves God or the man not to me or even women that practice that no good sister get into Joyce word and see what being a Christian is really about and love it sister people that do evil not with me no thank you as for me and my house we will serve Gods will and his way of thinking and his way of doing things , but anyway how you doing , I bought you some cupcakes and muffins for you beautiful lady .

The fisherman reeling in fish to help save their lives I visited Saranac Lake New York one of Governor Andrew Cuomo favorite places to visit me personally just following in the footsteps of a mentor and father figure of mines and friend , thank you so much I hope this page catch some fish 🐟 the people needing that help , good luck and good job from me with my incubator Bob Lee Swaggert a sharp shooter in helping building better economies more money on your paycheck from the movie shooter 2007 Mark Wahlberg my friend true 👍 and making life better for all people I'm who they call to fix societies now I got to go fix my own life .

Baby Papa Bear 🐻 , thanks Nicki for the compliment but lose the gun she would say to me and keep the incubator my main message and the other meaning Cuomo in front of me with the incubator and me with the fish symbolizing how much lives I saved with my incubator my weapon my hospital and the people life I made better for with the economy and the cure for HIV / AIDS and boosting minimum wage soon to be fair pay livibale wages for all people on a national level boost their salary pay to a livable wage all states and regions .

A gesture from Nicki Minaj to me you know I'm honored we both Americans but West Indian were West Indian . She called me a wretch like me a father figure to her , it's sad that I help the world and do everything this page said and got nothing to show for it . Well Nicki said she love my ideas 💡 but you know it's my situation where I'm living and the kind of people I got to deal with and what I'm going through I do I hope it works out for me and I get my life together no I aint cool with the media Nicki hot but no I dont get to listen to Hip Hop and no I don't follow Hollywood and their movies and no it aint no equal with me or do the things I do in life and good luck to me on getting out of that bum situation homelessness poverty drugs and dirty filthy shelters and dirty counselors that dont do their job power struggle I'm second in command right after the governor and as a bum I own my own incubator my own hospital given to me and I own the parks not bad for a bum and my success rate is 100 % my list of accomplishment I just need the voodoo curse off of me to control my own life and walk off in the sunset 🌇 . Police and correction officers are jealous of me trying to undo what Andrew Cuomo did for me as me Bob Lee Swaggert from a Mark Wahlberg movie shooter my gift is sharpness in helping America as an patriot thank you Cabenuva and Demivato they gave me the cure for HIV / AIDS to sponsor it a minute ago they said Nagic Johnson the ex basket ball player was the only person that beat Hiv with a cure now fast forward here I am introducing you to the cure like for the common cold it cures HIV before it develop into the Acquired immune deficiency syndrome and knocks it out like the common cold and it works for celebrities and every day people so move over Magic Johnson every human that has it get to perform a miracle on themselves now because of the people at those pharmaceutical companies you better get you some Cabenuva and Demivato I still believe in love and life for you eat good exercise and take your medication cure yourself of HIV you do have to the medication as it is prescribed to go undetected for HIV and I legalized weed marijuana and I own the neighborhoods I live in and more and more see that not bad for a guy with an incubator as his gun my only weapon and it is mines my intelligence sells me and articulation of my intelligence so stop controlling me and get out of my life .

Brewsters millions with Richard Pryor crazy movie was me before I even saw the darn movie good movie though my life after putting billions in the economy legalizing weed and boosting the minimum wage I get to walk away with the shirt on my back , I did a great job and got the statues and my sign on 38th street on 11th Avenue saying I'm king of New York City , wow I was looking for the big deals though , good luck to me , I'm honored 🎖 thanks for letting me help the people .

[mominul99]

Touring NYC: New York City Adventures

New York City, the Big Apple, the City That Never Sleeps – it goes by many names, each capturing a facet of its vibrant, dynamic character. For those seeking an adventure like no other, there's perhaps no better destination than NYC. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, cultural experiences to culinary delights, the city offers an endless array of possibilities for exploration and discovery. Let's embark on a journey through the streets of New York and uncover some of the most thrilling adventures it has to offer.

Exploring Iconic Landmarks

No visit to New York City is complete without paying homage to its iconic landmarks. Start your adventure by taking in the breathtaking skyline from atop the Empire State Building or the One World Observatory. Feel the pulse of the city in Times Square, where the neon lights and bustling crowds create an electrifying atmosphere. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge for panoramic views of the cityscape and the Statue of Liberty standing tall in the distance. And don't forget to wander through Central Park, an urban oasis offering respite from the hustle and bustle of the city streets.

Cultural Immersion

Touring NYCNew York City Adventures: New York City is a melting pot of cultures, each contributing to its rich tapestry of diversity. Immerse yourself in this cultural mosaic by exploring neighborhoods like Chinatown, Little Italy, and Harlem, each offering its own unique atmosphere and culinary delights. Visit world-class museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the American Museum of Natural History to marvel at timeless works of art and artifacts from around the globe. Catch a Broadway show in the Theater District or experience the vibrant street art scene in neighborhoods like Bushwick and Williamsburg in Brooklyn.

Culinary Delights

New York City is a food lover's paradise, with a culinary scene that spans the globe. Indulge your taste buds with a slice of New York-style pizza or a classic bagel with lox and cream cheese from a local deli. Sample authentic ethnic cuisines from around the world in neighborhoods like Queens, home to some of the city's best ethnic eateries. Treat yourself to a fine dining experience at one of the city's Michelin-starred restaurants or satisfy your sweet tooth with a decadent dessert from one of NYC's famous bakeries.

Outdoor Adventures

Despite being a concrete jungle, New York City offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventure. Rent a bike and explore the scenic pathways of Central Park or take a leisurely stroll along the High Line, a unique elevated park built on a historic freight rail line. Escape the city hustle with a ferry ride to Governors Island or Staten Island, where you can enjoy picnicking, biking, and breathtaking views of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.

Off-the-Beaten-Path Gems

While iconic landmarks and tourist attractions abound, some of the most memorable adventures in New York City can be found off the beaten path. Explore hidden speakeasies and rooftop bars tucked away in the city's alleys and skyscrapers, where you can sip craft cocktails while taking in panoramic views of the city. Discover hidden green spaces like the Conservatory Garden in Central Park or the Cloisters nestled in Fort Tryon Park, where you can escape the crowds and enjoy moments of tranquility amid nature's beauty.

Conclusion

New York City is a city of endless possibilities, where every street corner offers a new adventure waiting to be discovered. Whether you're exploring iconic landmarks, immersing yourself in the city's diverse cultures, indulging in culinary delights, embarking on outdoor adventures, or uncovering hidden gems, NYC never fails to captivate and inspire. So, lace up your walking shoes, grab a MetroCard, and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime in the city that never sleeps.

[apexart-journal]

Jevijoe in Tbilisi, Day 8

I did a yoga class this morning. I'm not a morning person, but I forced myself to wake up like I used to do in New York for work. Dynamic yoga was intense, and I plan to do it more regularly in my personal time.

In the afternoon, I explored the Saburtalo district. These post-Soviet architectural buildings are post-apocalyptic utopia. The design structure looks like those new buildings in gentrified Brooklyn and Queens, but the living situation is very surburbs, look like parts of New Jersey, Washington Heights, and the Bronx, in which you can still feel an organic structure of building and repairing things and also a sense of community. I got mixed feelings with these post-Soviet buildings. There was a promise for the working class for a better living condition, but that never happened in reality. These buildings are not well maintained, but the good thing is that the locals owned the spaces. In New York, there is always a feeling of uncertainty and displacement since most people rent and don't own space or housing.

On my way back home, I noticed that my apartment building was blocked off with too much security and police. The president of Georgia and the president of Iceland are meeting today with a press conference and traditional Georgian welcoming ceremonies. I felt like I was a diplomat since me and the president are actually neighbors, and they did the ceremony in front of "my" building.

I felt very experimental today, so I decided to eat some exotic food. I ordered a "boiled tongue" today at the nearby restaurant, and it was literally a boiled tongue ofan animal that I did not know. Without any seasoning, it was cold and seemed uncooked. I think food is an acquired taste, and I'm not going to be a big fan of this particular dish!

I went to Praktika People's Cafe, and I observed too many young people chilling out, hanging out, playing games such as chess and board games, probably students from nearby universities. I ordered white wine, which is 5 Georgian lari, cheap compared to other places I've been. I think that is part of the "mass" appeal of a commune- everything should be affordable with shared profit. I noticed the word "working class cafe" at the window and also some iconic merch from Antonio Gramsci, the Italian Marxist philosopher.

I decided to go for a 30-minute walk to my next destination, just to explore the other parts of the city.

It's been a physically exhausting day today, but very productive.

[marothro]

itinerary for a 10-day trip to New York City:

**Day 1: Arrival and Exploration**

- Arrive in NYC and check into your accommodation.

- Take a leisurely walk around Central Park to stretch your legs and enjoy the greenery.

- Visit the iconic Times Square in the evening to experience the bustling atmosphere and bright lights.

**Day 2: Lower Manhattan**

- Start your day with a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

- Explore the historic cobblestone streets of the South Street Seaport district.

- Visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum to pay your respects and learn about the events of September 11, 2001.

**Day 3: Midtown Manhattan**

- Spend the morning exploring the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to see famous artworks by artists like Van Gogh, Picasso, and Warhol.

- Have lunch at a nearby restaurant, then head to Rockefeller Center to visit the Top of the Rock observation deck for stunning views of the city.

- In the evening, catch a Broadway show in the Theater District.

**Day 4: Brooklyn**

- Take a stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge for breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline.

- Explore the trendy neighborhoods of Brooklyn, such as Williamsburg or DUMBO.

- Visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden or Prospect Park for a relaxing afternoon.

**Day 5: Cultural Exploration**

- Spend the morning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the world's largest and most prestigious art museums.

- Enjoy lunch in the nearby Upper East Side neighborhood.

- Spend the afternoon exploring the vibrant neighborhoods of Harlem or Greenwich Village.

**Day 6: Food and Shopping**

- Start your day with a food tour in one of NYC's diverse neighborhoods, such as Chinatown or Little Italy.

- Spend the afternoon shopping on Fifth Avenue, home to luxury brands and flagship stores.

- In the evening, dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant or explore the culinary scene in a neighborhood like Chelsea or the West Village.

**Day 7: Central Park and Museums**

- Spend the morning exploring more of Central Park, perhaps renting a bike or taking a guided tour.

- Visit the American Museum of Natural History to see fascinating exhibits on dinosaurs, space, and more.

- Relax with a picnic in the park or grab lunch at a nearby cafe.

**Day 8: Iconic Landmarks**

- Visit the Empire State Building for panoramic views of the city.

- Explore the High Line, an elevated park built on a former railway line.

- Take a sunset cruise around Manhattan to see the city skyline from the water.

**Day 9: Neighborhood Exploration**

- Spend the day exploring a neighborhood you haven't visited yet, such as the Lower East Side, Greenwich Village, or the Upper West Side.

- Visit local shops, cafes, and attractions, and immerse yourself in the unique culture of each neighborhood.

**Day 10: Departure**

- Depending on your departure time, take some time to do any last-minute souvenir shopping or revisit your favorite spots in the city.

- Check out of your accommodation and head to the airport or train station for your journey home.

Feel free to adjust this itinerary based on your interests and preferences!

[bee-in-motion]

The complete guide to plan kids birthday parties in Brooklyn

Planning a birthday party for your child can be a fun and exciting experience, but it can also be a bit overwhelming, especially if you live in a city like Brooklyn. With so many options available, it can be hard to plan kids birthday parties in Brooklyn. However, with a little bit of research and preparation, you can plan a memorable and stress-free kids birthday party in Brooklyn.

One of the first things you'll want to consider when planning a birthday party for your child is the location. Fortunately, Brooklyn offers a wide range of party venues and options that cater specifically to children's parties. From indoor play spaces and bounce houses to outdoor parks and sports fields, there's something for everyone in Brooklyn.

One popular option to plan kids birthday parties in Brooklyn is indoor play spaces. These venues typically offer a variety of activities, such as trampolines, climbing walls, and arcade games, that kids of all ages can enjoy. Some popular indoor play spaces in Brooklyn include BounceU, Kidville, and Twinkle Playspace.

Another great option to plan kids birthday parties in Brooklyn is to rent out a private event space. Many restaurants, museums, and activity centers in the area offer private party rooms or event spaces that can be customized to fit your child's specific interests and preferences. For example, if your child is a fan of dinosaurs, you might consider booking a party at the Brooklyn Children's Museum or the New York Hall of Science.

Of course, one of the most popular locations to plan kids birthday parties in Brooklyn is the great outdoors. There are plenty of parks and outdoor spaces in the area that offer picnic areas, playgrounds, and even sports fields that can be rented for parties. Some popular outdoor party locations in Brooklyn include Prospect Park, Marine Park, and McCarren Park.

Once you've decided on a location for your child's birthday party in Brooklyn, it's time to start thinking about the theme and activities. Depending on your child's interests, you might opt for a specific theme, such as a superhero party or a princess party. Many party venues in Brooklyn offer customizable party packages that include decorations, food, and activities based on popular themes.

If you're planning an indoor party, you might consider hiring a professional entertainer or party host to keep the kids entertained. Some popular options include clowns, magicians, and balloon artists, as well as DJs and karaoke machines for older kids. Outdoor parties can also benefit from some form of entertainment, such as a bounce house or inflatable slide.

When looking to plan kids birthday parties in Brooklyn, it's important to keep in mind the ages and interests of the children who will be attending. For younger children, you might want to focus on simple games and activities, such as musical chairs or pin the tail on the donkey. Older kids might prefer more interactive and challenging activities, such as scavenger hunts or relay races.

In conclusion, to

plan kids birthday parties in Brooklyn

can be a fun and exciting experience, but it does require some careful planning and preparation. By choosing the right location, theme, and activities, and by keeping the ages and interests of the children in mind, you can create a memorable and enjoyable experience for your child and their friends.

[n0resistance]

Studio City

   My friend would say beautiful things come out of Studio City. She grew up there and turned out to be one of the coolest humans I ever met. I remember being in traffic on the way to the Sylvan and Esso Concert at the Greek Theater as she said that. My lease was about to be up in East Hollywood and I desperately wanted to visit The Philippines with my friends and then move back to New York. I needed to save money and had to come up with a plan to have it all work out. My lease was up on February 1st; I remember that because I moved to LA on January 4th and stayed in an Airbnb until I was able to sign a lease a month later.

   So my plan was to work and save until May and leave for Singapore and then The Philippines on May 7th. I asked my best friend if I could stay with her and pay some rent, utilities, so I could save enough money to leave. Thankfully she and her roommate were okay with it. When I left, I only brought a small hand-carry, backpack, and my ukulele on my trip. I left my big luggage in LA (my moving to New York luggage), so when I came back to New York I purposely had a layover in LA to say bye one last time and get all my stuff.

    It all was a good plan that was working out but to be honest 3 full months of being a gypsy to save money for a month-long trip and a move back to Brooklyn was difficult. I think I’m a good roommate because I’m never around. At the time I was working 2 jobs. 1 concierge job and the other as a bar-back on weekends in West Hollywood.  Every time I got paid it went to a flight, a hotel, and the trip I was about to embark on. My route was Singapore, Manila, Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, Manila, back to a layover in LA for 12 hours, and then home to New York.

   If I wasn’t at work I was working on a project. Having 3 months left in LA to create, I was trying to get involved in everything. My projects were acting in the play Romeo and Juliet, post-production on the short film “Layla”, and my first attempt to write and perform the intro to a one-woman show. Doing that and having a bucket list of places to visit in and near LA. There’s so much to see on the West Coast outside of LA proper.

   I was happy to spend the last 3 months in LA with my best friend from Jersey. Sometimes I would sleep at either one of my two other friends’ places I knew from work who lived closer to my jobs. One in West Hollywood and one in Hollywood. I was so lucky to have these girls and the best part was it was a good excuse to actually hang out with each other. LA is spread out and if you didn’t plan it, it’s easy to never see each other. Especially if you only have a bike like i did. So these sleepovers were literally just catchup before I said goodbye to my friends.

   I did feel unstable not having my own place. One time I reconnected with a guy whom I met when I first moved to LA. He was performing somewhere in the valley. He toured around 30 countries and was living in Airbnbs or couch surfing as a lifestyle. What amazed me was his ambition to perform everywhere. It was pretty annoying that at every single spot we went to, even if there were already performers there, he would squeeze his way to get on the mic. One restaurant we went to in Studio City had live performers and somehow this kid got on the Mic, singing "No Diggity" and had a minor altercation with the lead singer who got paid to be there.

   The lifestyle he was leading not having a consistent paycheck and being on the go that much, it altered his sense of time, space, and reality. Traveling is exhausting and even though he was pursuing his passions; everyone needs a little stability. In the end I called him my Layla, after the movie. Who’s a person who’s there for the moment and disappears with a inspiring image.

   My best friend and I would go and try different vegan food in LA. They had so much to offer. My favorite was Sun Cafe in Studio City. Couldn’t believe it was vegan and the food was like crack. I cooked a lot of pasta at home; it’s the only thing I’m excellent at cooking since living in Italy. My fav times were cooking pasta and catching up with her.

   I worked a lot and then had rehearsals coming up for Romeo and Juliet. I was so happy to get the roles of The Prince and Peter. At the beginning, The Prince stops the brawl. In the middle, Peter is a servant who tells Romeo about the party. I also was at the end having the last words to the dramatic scene. The play was an all-girl cast.

    I had never done Shakespeare and originally auditioned for Romeo. There’s a lot of research that goes into it for me. To actually understand what I’m reading. Watching the original movie helps a lot. It’s almost a different language. We had an impressive fight choreographer for the fight scene. The kissing scene was very believable. When I promoted the show I would tell people that it was an all girl cast with women fighting and making out. It was a joke but that was really what it was. The other actors were so talented and I was thankful to be able to do it. The play even made it into LA Times as a must see. 

    The completion of my short film Layla worked out because of a deadline and a rigorous schedule. I would go and be in the room to edit the film with the cinematographer and editor in Santa Monica everyday after work until it was done. I felt the need to be in the room since I hadn’t done that the last two times of making a short film. Editing is really where a movie is made. That process was fun. I learned it matters who you make movies with and if you have the same goals for the process to go smoothly. I prefer to be deadline oriented and with me moving home there was a sense of urgency. This to me is important because as artists we can feel a sense of complacency without deadlines.

    My go to bar in North Hollywood called Idle Hour. It's a bar that is shaped like a barrel with an actual dog house in the shape of a dog in the back. I never got to go to the jazz club I wanted to go to called The Baked Potato. Some place I’d like to try and see again if I can. I did like the tikki bar and this dive called residuals. A residual is when you do a commercial and get checks for $10 or a different amount when it airs but over the course of 10 years, they would have people’s pay stubs attached to the wall. At the end of my time at Studio City I partied, I worked, and I joined this group that met up to create dialogue for a one woman/one man show in the hotel we worked at. Before I left we were going to perform what we personally came up with in front of a small audience.

   Now this group had steps every time we met. The first time we just wrote a stream of consciousness. Then we shared the entry of what we wrote to a partner. I made a friend who's from North Jersey in the class who also lost her mom. Learning that felt really connected to her and vulnerable. Then we took our stream of consciousness and told it like a narrative with an activity and a setting. I called my piece "Little Girl". The monologue was short and effective and really pierced me emotionally which impacted other people. I wrote that my mom was a dancer and my dad was a traveler who saw a lot of the world. While I was telling their story I was folding napkins because in the piece I was at my job in a restaurant with an apron on. I tell the audience that my parents don't live their passions anymore because life got in the way, having a family got in the way.  So I made it a purpose to pursue my own passions. In the monologue I’ve been shut down by someone who’s close to me who says "I'm a bad actress who's never going to make it". Every time I said that line a tear came out because it was true. Or felt true, even if it was not, I believed it to be true. Even though I'm thought of in that way and don't have support, I do what I do because my parents are not able to, and maybe that experience and my own happiness is enough motivation to keep pursuing what I love.

     It felt good. I screened Layla at a Tibetan boutique shop in Santa Monica and every actor, coworker, and friend who I met in LA came to the showing. Where we projected the movie onto a white sheet and had a speaker. We all sat on the floor, the space was filled, and went to the bar on the other side of town called Harvard and Stone to celebrate. I left shortly for Singapore and was really happy to change my life into the unknown.

[holdoncallfailed]

I’m moving to nyc in september and I was wondering if you know any cool places I should check out!

well it depends on what you find cool and where you're going to be living :-) i'm just going to list a bunch of random stuff as it occurs to me under the cut. most of these are limited to the neighborhoods i've lived in or had friends in and also my own interests lol.

i like going to museums the most, if you are moving for school a lot of museums will offer a discount or free tickets for students or if you have proof of residency (rent email or whatever). some museums you can visit 1 million times and still find new things (the met) and some are worth just paying for once to see the space and the collection (the morgan)

met

moma

brooklyn museum (underrated and near prospect park which is great to walk around)

guggenheim (overrated, but it's cool to go at least once to see the building and worth it if you actually like the art that's on)

international center of photography

american folk art museum

museum of the moving image

lesbian herstory archives

frick

museum of the city of new york

met cloisters

new york transit museum!!!!!!!! such a good place to have a photoshoot with friends lol

the whitney. i guess

special collections exhibits at NYPL

^related to that: not really a ‘museum’ per se but places like printed matter and boo hooray are private dealers of art/ephemera which they will often have on display....and you can TOUCH them!!!!!!

barnard zine library

arthouse theatres like metrograph, ifc center, MoMI, anthology, lincoln center, and some other random spots downtown and in brooklyn still have film projectors and will do screenings of older movies on 35mm prints (or digital) which are always so exciting to see.

you can take the staten island ferry for free on a nice day and see a very classic view of the city skyline. there's not a lot to do on staten island but it's nice to visit the alice austen house.

thrifting but specifically in the bronx (best) and queens and some parts of brooklyn (don't bother in manhattan).

idk bars and restaurants?? bed-stuy, bushwick, greenpoint and williamsburg all have lots of cool bars and places to eat. obviously chinatown/flushing has great food and markets and so does jackson heights. i like the union square farmers market too.

bed-stuy is my favorite neighborhood to walk around because the architecture is beautiful. park slope and brooklyn heights/dumbo are also very picturesque.

in the winter i love to ice skate at wollman rink in central park. i also like going to coney island in the winter cos it’s mostly closed and usually quiet...it’s a very peaceful subway ride when it’s not busy.

idk i go to a lot of cemeteries and parks and hang around in there cos they’re free. those are probably more fun (social) if you have a dog or know how to skateboard tho.

tbh i don't really feel like i Do much besides hang out with my friends and going to whatever they're going to lmao. my advice: if there's a venue (theatre/bar/event space/club/concert hall/museum/local park/library/whatever) that you like follow them on instagram to see when shows and events are announced. re: broadway shows, make friends with somebody at columbia or NYU to get comped tickets or do day-of lotteries. DON'T go to times square unless you're seeing a show. also make friends with at least one rich person (or someone with a rich partner) and try to get invited to at least one of their parties or events cos it’s guaranteed to be cuckoo even if it’s just one time.

remember 2 open the emergency exit door for people in the subway and be genuinely nice to your bodega guy(s) and your neighbors. i hope u like living in nyc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[corbettdullearealestate]

Find your next Brooklyn, NY restaurant space for rent. Search thousands of listings for free on Cdrenyc.com for your next restaurant space in Brooklyn. Visit website!

[route22ny]

New York Unmasked

by Harry Siegel

Imagining our city, for worse and for better, after the coronavirus pandemic

The city that never sleeps is taking a nap now, and it’s going to be a very different place when it finally wakes up.

Not long after the World Trade Center was destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001, and again after Lehman Brothers collapsed on Sept. 15, 2008, there was a lot of talk about how New York wouldn’t be the same. Both times, reports of our collective demise proved to be greatly exaggerated as the city quickly recovered, economically speaking, and resumed the upward path — ever more prosperous, populated and pricey — it’s remained on for at least the last quarter-century.

This time is different.

Any remaining vision of the city somehow picking up more or less where things had been left off went away with the decision to start shutting down the trains for four hours each night. That’s a huge though supposedly temporary shift for a system that’s run 24 hours a day for over a century with only the briefest of interruptions — until now the only one in the country that doesn’t turn off, as I’ve been shocked to re-learn every time I make the mistake of visiting another city. As with many of the decisions New York and the nation have made in this plague year, it will be much more difficult to turn things back on than it was to turn them off.

Already, the devastation is staggering. In less than eight weeks, the 13,168 (as of Friday night) confirmed coronavirus deaths here have exceeded the total number of murder victims, 12,509, over the past two decades — and that’s counting the 2,977 victims of 9/11.

New York managed to keep the death count down to 13,168 at the cost of putting the city and its economy in the equivalent of a medically induced coma, and with no assurances at all that a second wave of infections won’t be coming despite that.

While putting New York under helped keep the first wave from completely overwhelming the medical system here, as happened in Italy, “the point where we can really start at reopening…obviously is a few months away at minimum,” Mayor de Blasio said Friday.

Even at that point, whenever we finally get there, it’s hard to see everyone just getting back on the train for a crushed morning commute to the office, or servers returning to packed restaurants and bars and theaters and nightspots. Forget about tourists flying in to burn dollars; it’s an open question how many of the generally better-off New Yorkers who’ve left in the course of this will return here, or how many families will borrow or pay now so students can have the city as their campus — or if there will be a campus at all this fall.

This is all surreal. While some people talk about how the virus ravaging New York compares to 9/11, Donald Trump — who claims he lost hundreds of friends on 9/11, though he’s never named a single one of them — dispatches fighter planes to fly low over the city as a tribute to first responders.

While we still don’t know why New York was hit so hard by the virus, it’s clear that density — in places from the Meatpacking District here to the meatpacking plants in the Midwest — plays a big role in spreading it. And this is a place built on density, by far the densest big city in America as well as the biggest.

So this witchy hour we’re in is looking less like a PAUSE than a painful and fundamental shift in how the city functions and what it means to be a New Yorker.

To get through it, many people need to keep looking ahead and, I hope, looking at what New Yorkers can do in their own lives and demand from their politicians to see the city finally emerge as a fairer and more resilient one . I was born in New York City just ahead of the blackout babies, in November of 1977 — the month that Ed Koch was elected mayor and started to set the city on the path it’s mostly remained on until the virus — and I’ve remained here pretty much since. My dad grew up here, and his dad , and me and my brother are both raising our daughters here now, walking distance from each other and Rosie and Zadie.

I’m committed to the city for a lot of reasons, in addition to my family here: I own a house (or at least the bank lets me live in it), and one that’s bizarrely worth much more than I bought it for, at least if I was to sell it. My kids have a couple hundred square feet of their own outside as we shelter in place. And I know a bit and write a lot about New York, which really isn’t a skill set that travels.

But the truth is that the city of the past two decades has felt less and less like home, and more and more like the parts of Manhattan I try to avoid. I’ve spent too much of my adult life railing against the hipsters, gentrifiers, trustafarians and yuppies who didn’t have the good taste to spend their money here and then leave but instead “discovered” neighborhoods and remade them in their images, often to be priced out in time by new “discoverers.” I saved a bit of spleen for the people who rail against those people, rather than do something more productive with their time.

New York has become a city of increasingly sterile retail, one where internet listings have made real estate a more transparent and internationally accessible marketplace for foreign capital to reshape neighborhoods that preserve less and less of their old characters — for better and for worse.

It’s a corporate town, full of semi-interesting hustlers and characters along with its steady share of the depraved, the doomed, the damned and the dull. I’ve seen enough and read enough to know that none of that is new. But it’s metastasized over decades of financialized and increasingly monopolized and VC-fueled growth to swallow other values and ways of life. It’s hard to swim against a tide of money, and it takes a certain mania to even try.

Some of this is selfish, for sure. I preferred the waterfront of my youth, when the piers were barren and all but off-limits but for the bold and the desperate. No one with means would walk there, let alone live there, since it still had the taint of not so long ago shipping and industry and the rougher trades that lived by the waterfront, when the High Line was just a long-abandoned elevated track west of the projects that you could break into and walk on.

That all became part of the steel-and-glass luxury city that Mike Bloomberg described, one here for companies that can afford the best and priciest, and the people who draw incomes from those companies, directly or by providing services for their FIRE (that’s finance, insurance and real estate) workers who live in The City while firefighters commute in from Westchester and Long Island, or by constructing the buildings these people live in, or from the bloated government that services the “other” people who need help to stay here at all. A city that’s priced hospital beds out of big swathes of Manhattan and Brooklyn to clear space for luxury housing.

For years, I’ve been anticipating a reset as office space declines in importance with the rise of remote work, and that in turn brings down commercial and residential prices; hoping for a different, sturdier and livelier New York that exists for and better reflects the people who live here rather than serving as a clearinghouse for the world’s money. Over my adult life I’ve read endless warnings — including in this paper — about the return of the “bad old days” that are long gone for most New Yorkers, if they were here for those days at all. Now, we’re about to get a real taste of what a sharp downturn, along with a hostile federal government, feels like: “Drop Dead.” Now they’re looming as trading floors are vacant along with everything else that isn’t actually essential, and much of what’s abruptly left won’t soon return or the money that they brought in and splashed around.

This will be painful, but New York has always found ways to make new uses of what’s here. The same way that small and sturdy Brooklyn rowhouses built for the burgeoning middle class woke up one day as $2 million “townhouses,” and Single Residence Occupancies that single men depended on to maintain lives here, such as those were, become mansions with enough money and time, office spaces can become creative spaces like warehouses became artist’s lofts. Finally, housing prices, and everything else, should relate to the incomes of the bulk of the people working here. Right now, they relate to the vagaries of the global markets.

I’ll repeat that: The size of our economy, and real estate prices, should relate to the value of the goods and services people here actually produce. That will hurt a lot of New Yorkers who’ve invested in the city, including me, as property values and rents flatten or even go down, but some of that pain is needed. A city that’s too expensive for gas stations or grocery stores — looking at you, Manhattan — is too expensive for most people.

I hope we’re becoming a city that gives a proper Bronx cheer to Airbnb and Seamless and Uber and WeWork and all the venture capital-funded wannabe monopoly “tech” companies looking to “disrupt” fundamental aspects of our life by losing money for long enough to drive their competitors out of business altogether. That resists the convenience of Amazon and its ilk to support our local grocery and book and hardware stores, so that those are still there when we really need them.

A city that knows better than to cut off its nose to spite its face, now that we know better than to touch our faces. If New York has to sleep now to survive, it’s the perfect time to dream.

harrysiegel@gmail.com

***

This essay appeared in the New York Daily News, May 3, 2020.

Photo via ShutterStock

[lucidpantone]

Do you rent in New York or you have a mortgage? I wanna move to NYC so bad after covid

Also thanks everyone for congratulating me. I feel really adult now and its kinda of scary when I think about it but am also super excited.

This is super long but its for my anon. I love talking about NYC real estate so let me tell you everything I know. Also if you make it here hit me up and I’ll take you out for a beer.

I have rented for years in NYC at least a decade on/off. I have lived in queens, bk and manhattan. I have paid $600 for rent and up to $2100 for rent. Its all about location in the city and also living conditions and what job you have. When I paid $600 it was my very first apartment I didnt live their long it was more like i just got to the city i needed a place to live in for a couple of months that was cheap but it was literally a closet deep in queens like basically long island at that point. So it wasnt the kinda of place you would stay in long. This is what I suggest you do. Look for a place in crown heights BK for $700-800 a month maybe for 3 months just to have somewhere to sleep at night while you find a job and get to know the city. Try to move to nyc with 2k in savings. My next move was to Astoria which is a young neighborhood in queens and super close to the city. Lived in another closest for $800 but I was by the city at least. I was in my first year of grad school so I didnt really have time to work so my options were limited but in my 2nd year of grad school I got a job working in this super fancy restaurant in the meat packing district and made bank in tips and thats when I got a “real” apt. Also I have so many stories about serving the super wealthy and movie stars in the meat packing.It was wild. You want to get a job like this just to get on your feet. The fancier the better tips but honestly even shitty dive bars in the east village have good tips. New yorkers are very generous because most have been where you are. Anyways my new apt was about 1k but the roommate was hell so I bounced out of there after 3 months and got an apt where I would come to meet my best friend and soul sister in the city. I got the biggest room I have ever lived in for 1100k in prime astoria and it was such a good apt. We had a hellish roommate but eventually she left. All these apartments were in Astoria. Astoria is a very affordable hip area to live in. I saved up my money graduated grad school got a real job and then finally I made the move into the city. Manhattan living is expensive. NYC isnt like anywhere else the money upfront they want for a studio is insane. So if your moving here do not aim to get an apt go on one of the roommate sites and just sneak into a apt where someone is moving out. So I moved into a shoebox in the Upper west side. It was $1850 and you had to pay first, last and security and the brokers fee (Oh lets not get into brokers fees people they are wild) so that was basically 1850x4 just for a shoebox studio(FYI everything is tiny in NYC, all the living spaces are micro. get use to it). So almost 8k but finally i got to live on my own. Lived there for 2 years. Move to chelsea because the UWS is beautiful but very family centric lived in this dope asf triplex in chelsea and paid 1900. Then left NYC to replace a colleague in London for maternity leave for about 16months. London is sooooo cheap compared to NYC its like the kiddie pool for expensive ass real estate. Thats why I laugh when brits are like its so expensive like bish you dont know expensive okay. When I got back I took over my friends place for the summer because she left to her hamptons pad and so I basically house sat but also paid reduced rent it was 1400 in prime Williamsburg. My friend is rich asf so my hard earned rent was her play money. After the summer ended I finally signed another real lease and thats where am at now. I adore this apartment its in prime williamsburg semi-lux and I just treated myself when I got this place. I work in a super stressful job so for me am at this point I dont mind paying to feel comfortable and have perks. I work my fucking ass off I deserve it. Ok so details on my new pad. So am going back to chelsea..... covid is a bish but lets thank her for crashing the nyc real estate market because there is no way i would be buying this apt if covid hadnt happened. I had been considering buying for a few years so I ave been saving but with no real plan. I told my dad last year during covid april that if the market dropped maybe I should buy. My family is from LA so my dad gets paying 2k in rent he did it for years too and he has been wanting me to get out of the rental market. Metro city rental markets are a racket. Anyways this would not be possible without my father. He basically said you get half the deposit saved and I will lend you the other half. Well around feb I had the half and my dad was like ok cool you find something let me know.Do not get me wrong my apt needs a TON of work thats why its so well priced and when I mean well priced I mean stupid expensive but well priced for NYC. I am going to need to redo the floors, rip out the kitchen, rip out the bathroom. Install overhead lighting, rebrick the fireplace and paint everywhere but its mine also am gonna have two months where I carry rent and a mortgage so I have 60 days to basically renovate if I get desperate I will sleep on my besties couch in brooklyn so I have am options but yea. Mortgage is close to my current rent at 2150 but I live in a COOP (this is going to be super confusing for the europeans. They like WTF is a coop?!?!?!) and so my building maintenance is about $800 on top of my mortgage. Its been a long decade of nyc renting to get here but I did. Now for you anon just do it. Look I tell everyone. Live in NYC for one year of your life it will change you entirely as a person you will learn to become a survivor here. What do they say? If you can make it in NYC you can make it anywhere. Its sooo hard and the city is literally the concrete jungle but its also amazing and so alive and so rich and yes you may find yourself one late night coming home after working 12hrs on your feet sitting on a brownstone stoop balling your eyes out thinking “I am not cut out for this” but I promise you the rewards you will earn back are irreplaceable. There is a reason people from all over the world flock here. It really is like no other place so if you can keep your head down. Work a couple of shitty jobs and get $1500 under you then pull the trigger. Take the leap! I promise it will change your life forever.

[kristannarubbish]

learn to do it (chapter one)

A/N: hi peeps! so i may or may not have started writing a “princess diaries but make it norway” kristanna fic. here it is, i have it all planned but finals are coming up so i’m not sure how regular updates will be. nonethless, i hope you guys all like it!

A/N 2: the italics outside of quotation marks are anna/kristoff’s thoughts

rating: T for langauge

pairing: kristanna

wc: 2.2k

part: 1 of 9(ish?)

“Princess Anna!” An overly sophisticated voice called with a round of knocks on Anna’s bedroom door on a bright Saturday morning. 

A groan escaped Anna's lips as the late morning light blinded her, “Five more minutes.”

“You’re going to be late. Again.” The voice reminded her sternly.

With a loud whine, Anna sat up and stretched, “You can come in you know.”

“I know,” the door creaked and her best friend walked in. “But personally, I’m too afraid of sleepy Anna after the first time.”

“It wasn’t that bad, it barely grazed your arm!” 

“It was a heel Anna. I got 3 stitches. You should know, you paid for them.”

Anna rolled her eyes and fell back into bed. Before she knew it, Olaf was giving her the look. In fact, she didn’t even have to look at him to know it was happening because she felt it burning into her. 

“Don’t say it,” Anna warned, still staring at her popcorn ceiling.

“Being this boujee in Brooklyn doesn’t pay for itself!” Olaf said, staring at her with a smirk.

“Okay there are several reasons that doesn’t make any sense,” Anna stated, finally crawling herself out of bed, making her way towards the bathroom. Olaf trailed behind, ready for her rambling explanation. 

“One, we are not boujee,” she said with exaggerated air quotes, “I don’t think boujee apartments have slanted floors and broken faucets.” Anna turned the left knob of the sink, no water coming out. 

“Two, it does pay for itself if you sit around looking pretty long enough in the right spot,” Anna laughed as she began to hastily brush her hair. Olaf scoffed at her, rolling his eyes.

“And finally, stop calling me princess. It’s weird.” Anna splashed her face with water once the faucet finally decided to start working.

“It’s not weird. If anything it’s a compliment,” Olaf stepped behind her in the mirror as he fixed his already overly-greased brown hair.

“I’m sure that’s what the old men at the restaurant thought when they called me over for their dinner drinks last night,” she rolled her eyes heavily as she slapped on some moisturizer. “But, they did leave a good tip. See, living in Brooklyn does pay for itself!” 

Olaf scoffed and ran his hands through his hair again, “Yeah, if you are a misogynist.”

“Don’t huff! In that case, misogyny is unfortunately paying for half our rent,” Anna yanked out her makeup bag. “Now scooch because I have to get ready.”

Olaf put his hands up in defense, backing away, “I’ll see you after work tonight?”

“Duh. It’s Bachelor night.”

*************************************************

The midday sun blared on Anna’s pale skin as she climbed up the stairs from the subway station. She took a few deep breaths as she knew what had to do. Her phone read 12:25 and her shift started at 1. Without a moment to spare, she dashed down the busy street. Two more blocks. 12:26. One more block. 12:28. Just when she went to check her phone again, Anna slammed into someone. 

With an oof noise, followed by a slight laugh, a familiar voice spoke, “Anna when will you learn that ten minutes early is on time in the food business?”

Anna felt her cheeks turn hot, and it wasn’t from the sprinting. Strong arms steadied her and she caught her breath. It was Kristoff, one of the senior chefs at their restaurant. Anna tried not to crush too much, keep her eyes on the hustle and whatever other millenal mumbo jumbo. But Kristoff was most definitely an exception. Not only could he cook, he was so sweet and funny. It also didn’t help that he was one of the most handsome guys she had ever seen in real life.

“Anna? You there?” Kristoff hesitantly asked as inspected her spaced out eyes that were lost on his face.

“Huh? Yeah!” She blinked several times and shrugged his hands off her arms, “Thanks for that! It was like a crazy trust fall or something.”

He chuckled lightly as he opened the wooden door for her, “Ladies first.” The redhead did not notice the pink on his cheeks.

“Thanks!” Anna squeaked, with her voice maybe a little too high pitched. She cleared her throat and headed for the back. Kristoff branched off with her at the kitchen. She turned to him, with finger guns ablazing “Catcha later!”

Kristoff gave her his lopsided smile, “Later Anna.”

Anna immediately face palmed the second she was out of his line of vision. Catcha later? Seriously Anna? That’s the best thing you could think of? She punched in and tied her black apron around her waist. 12:30:55. Great. Not only did you embarrass yourself in front of the hottest guy you know, but you were almost late because of it. 

********************************

“Don’t sit around chopping carrots pretending I did not see you catch Anna on her way into work this morning,” Sven smirked to Kristoff while making his nightly rounds, making sure everyone was doing their jobs like the good manager he was. 

Kristoff rolled his eyes, “I would hardly call it catching. It was more like a slamming.”

His best friend joked with him, “Ooo, slamming even better.”

“Ew! Gross dude, don’t make me call HR.”

“You’re right. That was slimy. But still, when are you gonna ask her out?”

“Sven, you’re my manager. I don’t think you should be promoting workplace relationships.”

“True. But, I am also your best friend, which comes first,” Sven affirmed. Kristoff cocked an eyebrow, looking up from his diced carrots.

“Okay, maybe paying an arm and a leg for a roof over my head comes first. But you’re definitely 1.5. And as my 1.5 priority all I am saying is that you should ask her out before someone else does,” Sven popped a diced carrot into his mouth and went to go check on the dessert station.

The thing that made Kristoff’s gut twist the most is that Sven was definitely right. And he hated when Sven was right. Maybe even more than overhearing creepy old men call Anna “princess” when the restaurant got empty later in the night. No, Kristoff hated the latter more. 

Kristoff was convinced that Anna wouldn’t want to go out with him. After all, they were work buddies, or something like that. Her label, not his. But he was sick of not knowing. He has had a crush on her for months but hasn’t got the nerve to do more than open a door for her or steady her when she does something clumsy. At that moment, he made a decision, he would ask her out soon. No need to push a certain time because Kristoff always hated time limits, but soon.

*****************************

Sooner came sooner than expected. Way sooner, actually. 

That night, Anna took over someone else’s shift so she ended up working until the restaurant closed. They were short staffed, so most of the other private chefs and waiters weren’t there once the end of the night neared. 

Anna was wiping down tables when everyone was nearly gone, expect a young tipsy couple in the corner. Kristoff wanted to surprise her with something nice, because it’s what she deserved. In the dim lighting of the restaurant he had a small chocolate cake on a fancy floral plate. Kristoff was not a pastry chef, but he damn well did his best. His hands were gripped tight around the plate as he took a deep breath and gulped, “Anna?”

Her fiery red hair flipped as she turned around, “Hi Kristoff,” she smiled warmly up at him.

“This is for you,” he half smiled nervously back at her.

“For me?” Anna beamed so bright you could see her teeth. This made Kristoff’s stomach do backflips and somersaults. I just want to make her smile like that all the time. Jesus, that’s cheesy. 

“Uhm, yeah. It’s not a big deal,” he said as he scratched the back of his neck. 

“Oh, okay,” Anna’s smile faltered.

“No wait! I mean, it can be if you want it to be but, if not, I get it,” Kristoff stammered, which was pissing him off because it was making himself look ridiculous. This 6 foot, 180 pound man could not make a coherent thought to a woman he was interested in.

“What are you saying?” Anna’s forehead wrinkled in confusion.

“Do you want to go on a date with me, Anna?” Kristoff asked with the warmest smile he could, which, around Anna was not difficult.

Anna’s face went into an ‘o’ shape. Shit, she’s going to say no. It’s fine, I prepared for this all night. Right? I mean if she does say no, that’s cool. We can be friends. Anna set the plate on the bar. She smiled warmly up at him and threw herself around her. If this is a no, it’s a very excited no. He wrapped his strong arms around her in response. 

“Yes!” Anna beamed. Oh thank God. Without another word, he picked her up and spun her around. She squealed in his ear, but he didn’t mind.

After setting her down, they both chuckled exasperatedly at each other. “If I knew I would have gotten a twirl like that and chocolate cake I would have made a move a long time ago,” Anna smirked and Kristoff laughed. 

“I think I can do that,” they continued to just smile at each other like they were in a daze for, well, maybe longer than they should have.

“Kristoff!” One of the other private chefs called, breaking them out of their fairytale daze, “We need you on prep duty!”

“Oh, I gotta go,” Kristoff said with downturned lips.

“You have my number though, right? We can work something out over text.”

“Yeah, that sounds great, Anna,” he smiled at her again.

It felt like there was a beginners ballet class in her stomach there was so much flipping.

****************************

As Anna was going home that night, it felt as if she was walking on air. Usually, she hurries home this late at night, but tonight she leisurely walked the quiet streets of Brooklyn. (Pepper spray still in hand, of course.)

During her possibly too slow walk, she noticed a black car start to follow her. This was not unusual, but still concerning nonetheless, so Anna walked faster to the subway. Once she got underground she was still checking over her shoulder, but overall felt more secure. 

The subway ride was peaceful since it was so late, the fluorescent lighting illuminating her dreams of what her and Kristoff’s first date might look like. Would it be casual or fancy? Well, Kristoff has always been a more casual guy with me, so maybe just a movie or something. But the fancy floral plate said otherwise. Oh God, what if our schedules don’t line up?!

Once Anna got off the subway and came back to the cool dark streets, she noticed the car was there waiting for her. She also noticed it had a small flag on it that she didn’t recognize at first glance, because once she saw the car again, Anna booked it back to her apartment. Today is not the day I get kidnapped. Cute guy finally wants to go out with me and I am never seen again. That’s just my luck, huh? 

Anna fumbled with her keys quickly but once she got into her apartment, she slammed the door and frantically made sure all the locks were on. Out of breath, she slid her back down the door to see Olaf sitting on the couch.

“There’s good news,” she panted, “and bad news.”

“That makes two of us,” Olaf rolled his eyes, “You first.”

Anna groaned, but then smiled at her own reminder of her good news, “Kristoff asked me out tonight. And there was chocolate cake involved.”

“Fucking finally,” Olaf chuckled.

“That’s all you have to say?” Anna asked as she brought herself from the floor.

“Uh, yeah! For the longest time it was always Kristoff this and Kristoff that. It was bound to happen eventually so it just became a waiting game. But anyway I think my thing is bigger so let’s hurry this up.”

“Okay geez. Bad news, some guy followed me all the way home just now in a car with a little flag on it. Including my subway route! He knew my subway route!” Anna ranted frantically. “So if I go missing, you know why.”

Olaf’s eyes widened, “Oh, shit Anna. Uhm... We’ll figure something out.” She sighed and joined him on the couch.

“Please tell me your good news.”

“I don’t know if this qualifies as good news or… weird news. So today, a man came by dressed in all black and asked for you.”

Anna’s eyes widened, “They know where I live!”

“No no no Anna, they asked for you on behalf of the her majesty of Arendelle,” Olaf said seriously, handing her an official note with Anna’s name on it.

She said up to inspect it, “What the flying fuck would a cold European country want to do with me?” Normally, Anna would be freaking out over this because of its randomness, but she was too exhausted to process it all.

Olaf examined the note as well, “Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe you’re a lost princess or something,” he fantasized.

“Yes because I am prime princess material,” Anna stated, gesturing to her slouched position on their couch, “Tomorrow at 9 AM. That’s very early, can yo-”

“Yes I can wake you up,” Olaf rolled his eyes at his best friend’s ridiculousness.

“Now, what’s the bad news,” Anna sighed, ready to brace whatever it is he was about to hit her with.

“You missed Bachelor night, and boy was it a juicy one.”

[argylemnwrites]

It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment - Epilogue

Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Riley Liu)

Book: The Royal Romance (Canon Divergent from Book 2, Chapter 15)

Word Count: ~2200

Rating: PG-13 (language)

Summary: Moving forward, together.

Author’s Note: This series diverges from TRR canon, where instead of waiting to discuss his relationship with Riley until their last night in NYC, leaving her a note while Liam is proposing to her, Drake tackles this topic as soon as possible after Tariq makes his statement and Riley’s name is cleared. To catch up on this series, you can find the previous chapters in my masterlist (link is located in my bio).

“So, who owns this place again?”

“It’s Cam’s uncle’s girlfriend’s sister’s building.”

“And we trust her… why?”

“Because she is fine with Cam vouching for us, so no income minimum, no issue with your lack of credit history, and no broker’s fee.”

Drake nodded. It still felt kind of shady to him, going to check out random units they heard about from different people they were tangentially connected to, but he was deferring to Riley completely, seeing as he had never been responsible for finding his own housing in his life. And apartment hunting in New York, it turned out, was a complicated task.

Back in February, when they’d started trying to figure out what neighborhoods to consider, Riley had told him not to bother searching the units listed on basically any website.

“There’s gonna be massive broker’s fees, and they probably won’t take us since we won’t have a guarantor. There’s a lot of scams, too. Just talk to your coworkers, word of mouth is going to be the best way to do this,” she’d warned him. 

Drake had done as she’d asked, but the units that his connections, the ones at the law firm he’d been sent to as coverage for one of the assistants who was out after surgery, recommended had not been a good fit. One didn’t allow dogs, one had been a definite bait and switch scam that looked nothing like the pictures he’d been shown, and the one they’d checked out last week was nice, but they would have needed a roommate to make it affordable, something they both weren’t really interested in doing.

But today they were checking out a one bedroom place in the Kensington neighborhood in Brooklyn that she’d heard about through one of her managers. They were supposed to meet with the building owner at 3 o’clock, so they had taken the F train over just after lunch so that Drake could get a better feel for the area.

Now that it was April, the weather was finally feeling like spring more consistently. It really couldn’t have been a nicer day for them to walk around the neighborhood. Drake was shocked at how close they were to a park. It was crowded as all get out, given that everyone and their mother seemed to want to take advantage of the pleasant day, but Prospect Park was large, had fishing spots, and most importantly, was some actual green space. While there were still numerous restaurants in the neighborhood, it felt so much more residential than their current apartment’s location. Drake could actually see why people would choose to live in a place like this.

The building owner, Kris, let them in and showed them up to the second floor walk-up she was looking to lease. It was in an older building, but everything looked well maintained at least. And it was big, probably twice as big as their current apartment. Drake was sure the fact that he’d been living in a 35 square meter studio for over four months was influencing him, but it just felt larger than his quarters at the palace had been, even though he was sure that wasn’t the case.

He wandered around, checking out the bedroom while Riley chatted specifics with Kris. After their first apartment tour a couple of weekends ago, they’d both quickly decided that was the best approach. Not only did Riley have more experience and knew the better questions to ask, but when left to her own devices, she was often able to charm landlords into throwing in some sort of perk, like waiving the pet fee or granting them some flexibility on move in dates. It was best to let her just do her thing.

As he checked out the closet space, it hit him how different his life was now than it was even six months ago. That Drake would have just been amazed that Riley would ever willingly choose to be with him over Liam. He could have never pictured himself choosing an apartment in New York with her. Sitting down and making plans for the future with her. 

It was easy to look at her and say that the change was all about her. And to an extent, that was true. He probably wouldn’t have found the motivation to make any changes in his life if he hadn’t met her. But it really was about more than that. It was about stepping up, letting go of the past, and taking ownership of his own happiness. He remembered Riley yelling at him, telling him he was scared to make changes in his life because he might still end up miserable on the other side of them. Basically telling him he needed to stop making himself a victim by his own choosing. And she’d been right.

Sure, some things were still a work in progress. Their visit to Texas a handful of weeks ago had proven that his relationship with his mother was not going to be mended overnight, after all. But on the other hand, he was hard pressed to imagine the man he was six months ago willingly getting an office job and going out for drinks after work with colleagues. He probably also wouldn’t have gotten a more “professional” haircut at the advice of one of those coworkers in hopes of turning a temp job into a permanent one. He would have fought such advice tooth and nail, insisting that anyone who cared that much about something as dumb as a haircut was a stuck up asshole, not worth his time. And while part of him still felt that way, he now saw it was a small price to pay to try and gain a more stable income so that Riley could cut down to part time at the bar and go back to college in the fall and work on finishing those last two semesters. Plus, she seemed to like his cleaned up cut, which was an added bonus.

The only way her going back to school was even a possibility was actually because of Maxwell. When he had let them know he was coming to New York for a “business venture,” they had both been confused, to say the least. But, when they met up with him for dinner and drinks, he’d told them he had found a way to bring some much needed cash to the Beaumonts - he had sold the rights to a holiday movie to the Hallmark channel, and that the script was so well received that they wanted him to keep writing for them. This had meant nothing to Drake himself, but Riley had just laughed, explaining that it was a TV network that made dozens of cheesy romance movies each year, many of them centered around Christmas.

When pressed, Maxwell had informed them, rather reluctantly, that the plot of the movie centered around a New York City waitress who came to a European country as the date of a prince for some Christmas ball, but ended up falling in love with his best friend. Despite Maxwell’s assurances that he was barely inspired by them and that all the names and locations were changed and that Christmas had nothing to do with Riley’s time in Cordonia, Drake and Riley had called him out on profiting off their story. Eventually, they struck a deal - they got a percentage of his payout for the script, which was going to cover most of Riley’s first semester tuition, and Maxwell had to help them with their move. It still irritated Drake a bit that Maxwell had just decided to throw their story out there for the world, but Liam had told him he approved the script and said it really wasn’t identifying at all, so Drake just decided to be grateful that Maxwell had not only brought Riley into his life, but also was giving her a ticket towards a job that didn’t require her to work a shitton of nights and weekends.

Drake wandered back towards the living and kitchen area, passing Riley and Kris in the narrow hallway, looking at the bathroom. He squeezed her hand as he passed them, and she threw him a little wink. He took in the main space of the apartment. They would be able to get a couch and a TV in there with their table, maybe even a bookcase. The kitchen was actually pretty nice, too. It probably had three times as much counter space as their current place. Everything here felt like it could work.

He opened the cabinets absentmindedly, half checking out the storage space, half waiting to see what Riley had to say about the place. After a couple more minutes, Riley and Kris came back out.

“Alright, well I’ll give you two a minute to talk it over,” said Kris, heading to the door, “I’ll be back in a few and you can let me know if you want to go forward with a lease.”

“Sounds good. Thanks, Kris.” said Riley, leaning against the end of the counter.

As soon as the door latched, Riley looked up at Drake, “So what do you think?”

“I think it’s great. It feels too good, to be honest. How bad’s the rent?”

Riley paused for a couple seconds, “1850.”

“That can’t be right. That’s less than what we’re paying now, and it’s so much bigger.”

She chuckled a little bit, “Well, that’s the beauty of not living in a prime neighborhood.”

Drake just shook his head. He considered this location to be far more desirable than their current one, but he knew he was in the minority there. “What do you think about it?”

“I think this could be a really good fit for us.”

“You’re okay with his neighborhood?”

She nodded and gave him a smile, “This is a pretty diverse area of the city, so the restaurant options are good, and there’s decent access to the Q and F trains, so the commute shouldn’t be too bad.” She stood up and joined him further in the kitchen, placing her hands on his shoulders. “Let’s be real, Drake. I’m not going to be as hard to please with this as you are. So, you gotta be honest with me. Can you see yourself here?”

He nodded, “Yeah, Liu. I can. I love this place.”

“Really?”

“Really. Is she willing to lease to us?”

“It seems like it. It sounds like her last tenant moved out unexpectedly, and her late partner used to handle the financial side of things, so she just wants to rent it out as quickly as possible.”

“And she’s cool with Anderson?”

“She told me she’s fine with small breeds.”

“Great, let’s sign.”

“Woah there,” she said, laughing, “And they say I’m the impulsive one.”

“What’s to discuss, Liu? Do you think we’re gonna find a better place than this one?”

She just shook her head and shrugged a little.

“Okay, then I stand by my statement  - we should sign the lease today. If she’s motivated to lease this unit quickly, don’t we need to jump on it?”

“I just want you to be sure, Drake,” Riley said, biting her lip slightly before she continued, “Last time you moved on a whim, things kind of… blew up for us for a while.”

Drake let out a little snort, “I think this is a little different, Liu.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, “That may be the case, but I want us to actually take a minute and think about this. Make sure we can see ourselves here, okay?” And with that she plopped down on the floor, laying back and closing her eyes.

“Uh, Liu… what the fuck are you doing?”

She opened one eye and squinted at him, “I’m just taking a moment to tune out everything else and think about this. You should try it,” she said, waving him down.

Drake rolled his eyes, but sat down on the kitchen floor and leaned back slowly in the opposite direction. This seemed dumb as hell, but if it’s what she needed from him to not feel like he was going to flake out on her, he would do it.

They laid like that for almost a minute, breathing slowly. No fears or concerns or worries crept into his mind, which he was pretty sure was the point of this exercise. He wasn’t sure how long they were supposed to do this, but then he heard her moving and felt her curl her body against his head, snaking her hand under his neck and resting her head on his chest.

“So, any reservations about his place?” she asked.

He opened his eyes and glanced down at her. Her eyes were staring back at him, wide and dark.

“None,” he said shaking his head slightly, “I think the fact that there’s enough floor space in the kitchen for us to do this has just convinced me even more.”

She chuckled softly, tracing soft circles along his neck with her fingers. “So, you want to sign the lease then?”

“Yeah, Liu,” he said, letting his eyes fall shut at her soothing touch, “This feels like home.”

Permatag: @speedyoperarascalparty @mfackenthal  @lilyofchoices  @thequeenofcronuts  @jamesashtonisbae

The Royal Romance/The Royal Heir: @kingliam2019   @sirbeepsalot  @texaskitten30   @princessleac1  @ladyangel70  @dcbbw  @yaushie @octobereighth

Drake x MC only:  @jovialyouthmusic  @iplaydrake  @gibbles82  @drakewalkerisreal  @riley--walker​ @notoriouscs​  @butindeed​  @addictedtodrakefanfic​  

It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment: @wickedgypsymoon  @thesumofmychoices​  @cosigottahavefaith​   @thequeenchoices​  @katedrakeohd​  @feartheendlesssummer​  @ao719​  @ooo-barff-ooo​   @sunnyxdazed​

[jancmalandra]

Moominpapa Steps Up

On making hope real in a bad situation

By Wednesday, Moominpapa, Moomintroll, Tayberry, and Moomin had become a well-oiled housekeeping team. The children and Moomintroll got finished with all the chores a little earlier each day and got to spend a little more of the afternoon enjoying walking in the woods with Snufkin. That evening, they gathered in the parlor once more to hear Moominpapa continue his story of his adventures just before he met Moominmama, this time over fruit punch.

"Gail and Emmaline led Charlie and I to a large, old, abandoned factory building deep in the bowls of Brooklyn. I committed my very first truly criminal act when they showed me how to use the city's public train system without paying in order to get there. All the windows of the factory were painted over in black paint, and from the outside it looked completely deserted and uninviting. Emmaline told me that this was one of the Mumriks' many safe houses for the poor throughout the city. Inside, they had rigged up electric lights and had done whatever else they could to make the interior comfortable for the many residents there. There was a makeshift soup kitchen and dining hall on the first floor. The remaining five floors were used as dormitories with bathrooms, cots, mattresses, sheets, blankets, and pillows to go with them. Kerosene powered space heaters kept each room as warm possible."

"The residents were a motley collection of homeless, destitute beasts from every race under the sun. Fuzzies, Moomins, Hemulens, and so on, all of whom had come under the protection of the Mumriks. The Mumriks themselves were quite an impressive group. They were well-organized and disciplined in their own way. They had no chain of command and nothing was ever written down, but Gail and Emmaline's example and intent were followed by all the other Mumriks without fail. They were united by one idea; truly helping the poor and forgotten citizens of the city. The residents never ran out of supplies and when the residents had to lay low or scatter due to the presence of the police or the gangs, no one panicked and everyone followed what would be the best procedure without having to be told what to do."

"The Mumriks all wore loose fitting and ragged street clothing; sneakers, work boots, denim jeans, athletic pants, t-shirts, hoodies and work shirts while indoors and heavy Winter coats and pants over that when they went outdoors. The best of the clothing that the Mumriks were able to 'aquire' was reserved for the residents. This is where I was expected to come in."

"Emmaline asked me if I could provide unwanted clothing from Aunt Jane's store on a regular basis. I explained that getting around Frederick would be impossible and that we would have to let him in on the scheme. I also explained that he would most likely be in favor of it, and that I could see him finding ways to deliver the clothing more secretly, surely and safely."

"To make a long story short, When I explained the situation to Frederick a few days later, his reaction was exactly what I had hoped for. He instantly agreed to arrange for the delivery of the clothing to drop off points specified by Gail and Emmaline and keep its absence appearing to be legitimate on the store's books."

" 'My dear Moomin.' he said to me very seriously, but at the same time looking rather thrilled at the whole thing and proud of me, 'The success of this endeavor will depend on you distracting Jane from paying close attention to the store for a few months while we iron out the potential difficulties in this arrangement. I'm afraid that I must ask you to get into rather a lot of constant trouble for at least that long to accomplish this. Jane will pursue you and attempt to bring you home. You must keep her chasing after you and not allow yourself to get caught. Are you up to it, my boy?', I nodded and we began planning how I would conduct my daily mischief."

"Aunt Jane spent her weekday evenings at various high society gatherings, which I would crash and then run off with as much of the best of the wine, liquor and food as I could carry. I would make as much of a scene in public as possible, guaranteeing that she would pursue me personally rather than call the police. The Mumriks would provide me with unlicensed cabs and drivers to help me make my getaways and seedy, low-rent apartments to hide in. The cabs were one of the many ways that they made money for the safe houses."

"Thus began a game of cat and mouse that Aunt Jane and I ended playing for the next three years. Even after the clandestine clothing delivery service was firmly established, I couldn't resist tormenting Aunt Jane by making a public spectacle of myself as cover for running errands for the Mumriks. Naturally, she saw it as her duty to bring me back to her townhouse and under her supervision. And so, our grand duel of wits and wills truly began. As promised, in return for my aid, the Mumriks showed me the slums, lower class bars, clubs, restaurants and food stands, and the homeless camps of the city. What amazed me most about the poor people of the city is that most of them never gave up. They kept moving forward, looking for any opportunity to make their lives and the lives of those around them better."

"I'll describe all of this in much greater detail when I start writing it down for my Memoirs, and I might be persuaded to tell a particularly good story from my time on the run from Aunt Jane in the boroughs of New York once in a while. For now, however, there's really only one story of that time that's left to be told; how I made good my escape back to Moominland and the Autarch's estate during my fourth year in New York, and I will tell that story tomorrow night."

Everyone started heading off to bed except Moominpapa, who asked Snufkin if he could help with cleaning the punch cups and pitcher. They carried everything into the kitchen and Moominpapa began to do the washing in the kitchen sink while Snufkin sat at the kitchen table.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Papa?", asked Snufkin.

"I know that even after nine years of being happily united with Moomintroll and Snork Maiden, living here in Moominhouse, and helping them raise their children," said Moominpapa, "You still wonder sometimes what you are doing being in love with Moomintroll and being part of a family. You wonder what purpose you serve here in Moominhouse. You wonder whether you might be betraying your real nature as a Mumrik. I also know that it's even more complicated than that for you because your parents are The Joxter and The Mymble. Only you get to decide who you are and where you belong. You should trust in the love that you found first and foremost. You should also know that you became a permanent member of the Moomin family the instant you met Moomintroll and you became friends back when you were both eleven. By The Booble, that feels like such a long time ago and like it was only yesterday at the same time! I'm very much afraid that you're stuck with us. You didn't ever have to be anyone or anything else than who you were at the moment to be fully a member of this family. You don't need to prove anything or fulfill any role here. We all love you exactly as you are."

"Thank you, Papa!", said Snufkin. He suddenly felt overcome with his love for the entire Moomin family and gave Moominpapa a hug for the first time in his life. Snufkin then headed off to his room to join Moomintroll in his bed, his steps noticeably lighter and freer.

To Be Continued