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Engelhardt |
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...Real Cheaply! |
 "I slept peacefully in this funky little apartment..." |
How a bold traveller found
a major housing bargain
By JOANNE ENGELHARDT
of TheColumnists.com
(First of two parts)
I think of myself as frugal….economical….someone capable of getting exceptional value for my money. My husband, Ray, thinks I’m downright cheap, but I notice he rarely complains when I’m able to come up with a good deal on something.
Our recent trip to New York City, for instance.
How many people can say they’ve spent seven nights in NYC and paid less than $500--unless you’re sponging off friends or family? Well, we did. I used my new best friend, the internet service known as craigslist, to unearth this impossible bargain. Not that it didn’t have a few minor inconveniences, you understand (read: five flights up, no elevator, but hey….it was like using the Stairmaster several times a day!).
Here’s how it came about: After combing through the internet searching for available hotels or a B&B somewhere near the theatre district (we’re theatre addicts), I recognized that housing was going to cost us a bundle. Since I’ve had a lot of success using craigslist over the past couple of years, I thought, “What the heck. It’s worth a try.” So I put an ad on the New York City site (http://newyork.craigslist.org/) saying we were seeking an apartment for a week in mid-October, preferably somewhere within walking distance of Times Square and the Broadway theaters.
To my surprise, I got about five responses--one in New Jersey (“….but just a short 10-minute ferry ride from Manhattan”), one around 89th Street near the west side of Central Park (“….convenient to the American Museum of Natural History and several subways and bus lines”) and one….Eureka!…a four-block walk from the theater district.
After many emails back and forth between Rajay, the apartment owner, and me, we settled on dates when he would be on a business trip. He emailed us photos of his small, rectangular apartment, as well as his driver’s license. We sent him copies of our driver’s licenses and a two-night deposit.
It all worked out so smoothly that I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to travel on the cheap. In fact, at $70 a night it was one of my finest bargains ever! But….and this is a capital BUT...you have to be willing to be flexible.
Besides the arduous stair climbing (especially not fun with suitcases), Rajay’s taste reflected his Indian upbringing and took a bit of getting used to--like the vivid turquoise walls in the living room, bright orange kitchen walls and a medium blue shade in the bedroom. (He proudly proclaimed that he had painted them himself, which you could tell by the dribbles of turquoise on the hardwood floors and some of the furniture).
Being a bachelor, his standard of cleanliness was a tad on the neglectful side. But on the plus side, he had put all fresh linens on the bed, fresh towels, etc. and left us clean dishes to use in his sparse, microscopic kitchen.
Since he wasn’t a coffee drinker, he didn’t have a coffeemaker--and coffee is an absolute necessity for my caffeine-addicted hubby. That meant each morning I jogged downstairs for some java and a copy of the local rag, the New York Post, which almost puts the National Enquirer to shame.
All in all, I felt our getting Rajay’s apartment was a positive. I had a quiet living room to sit and read in when Ray was still sleeping. We could have pre-dinner cocktails or late-night snacks in the comfort of our apartment. And, at his urging, we used Rajay’s computer every morning to check our email and keep up with California news that the Post neglected to print.
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--on his bright walls! |
I slept peacefully in this funky little apartment despite a swarm of New York taxis and emergency vehicles careening below us 24/7. That was most amazing to me since I’m a light sleeper and tend to toss and turn all night. When Rajay promised his place was quiet, he wasn’t doing a snow job--he was dead on.
Almost forgot to mention that our guy Rajay was deep into self-help, self-improvement, Metaphysical-cum-Power-of-Positive-Thinking. His walls were adorned not with photos or paintings but poster boards on which he outlined his enterprising--maybe even a trifle optimistic--goals.
Apparently he had a thing about December, because he expects to accomplish all of his goals in that month, but in different years. One poster read:
Family dinner: Dec. 2004
Family world tour: Dec. 2005
Hummer (black): Dec. 2007
Home in Midtown (East Side): Dec. 2008
By day Rajay’s a fashion designer (men’s belts from the looks of all the fancy buckles looped around as part of the décor) and aspires to be a model. Well, getting onto craigslist and answering my ad was certainly enterprising of him, so I’m guessing he’ll do pretty well at accomplishing those other goals as well.
New York itself was…..what can I say? We spent seven wonderful, jam-packed days filled with many special memories. Did I mention the seven nude men taking showers? No? Good, then I’ll save that for “New York City: The Sequel.”
Author’s note: Although nudity will be mentioned next time, it certainly won’t be for any prurient purpose. Yeah, right.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
©2003 by Joanne Engelhardt. The photo illustration is the author's property. The cartoon illustration is from IMSI's Master Clips Collection, 1895 Francisco Blvd. E., San Rafael, CA, 94901-5506, USA.
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