Culture
Our Top 10 Hidden Gems in NYC
In this episode of the Cummings New York City podcast, hosts Neil and Katie share their top 10 hidden gems in NYC. From lesser-known neighborhoods to unique museums, they explore the city's treas...
Our Top 10 Hidden Gems in NYC
Culture •
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Interactive Transcript
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There is no limit of gyms in this city.
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No, we've been here 11 years and we have not even scratched the surface.
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It feels like.
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I'm sure you're probably listening to the podcast like, oh, I'm so surprised they didn't mention this or that.
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I mean, we, this list could go on forever.
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And there's a good chance that there are things that we have never even seen.
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Welcome to the Cummings, New York City podcast.
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I'm Neil Smith and I've got a little kickoff for us today before I introduce
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to Cummings New York City podcast.
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Here we go.
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Yeah, we just found on our little
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soundboard.
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I don't know which one is the thing.
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It's tiny little podcast recorder.
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It's a zoom recorder if anybody is familiar with podcast recording technology.
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I'm not real familiar, but
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yeah, it's got little buttons that we didn't even know you could push and have a little
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button.
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Music play.
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So that's going to be dangerous.
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This will be dangerous to be clear.
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So today's episode, Katie, we were talking about hidden jams.
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You didn't introduce me.
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Katie to the most beautiful, most wonderful, most special
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celebrity of the Cummings New York City podcast.
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I mean, Katie, you got fans.
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Let's be honest.
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That is ridiculous.
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It is fun to meet people that have listed this podcast for a long time.
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And they're like, oh, they're like, oh, you're the sidekick.
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And there's Katie.
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They love, they love me and Katie.
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And I get it.
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I get it.
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So today, Katie, this is Katie,
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at coming in West Sea on Instagram, if you're not following her, you got to go follow
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Katie.
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And we're talking about hidden jams in New York City.
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Yep.
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And we have not compared lists.
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We've not compared lists.
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Now if you've listened to this podcast, you might have heard some of mine because I,
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I don't, I don't have as much knowledge of the city as you do.
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You have been the adventurer in the city.
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And I have followed when I can.
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So you, you've probably seen five times as much of the city as I have.
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Maybe.
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And people that follow you on Instagram probably won't be your surprise because you share
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most of what you experience here in the city on Instagram.
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But yeah, let's get into, okay, you got a face where you're like, maybe there
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are some secrets that you haven't shared on Instagram.
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I don't know.
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Yeah, some of these I haven't been to in a little while.
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So, I mean, we got 12 years here in the city.
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11 and it was like Snapchat or really on before Instagram.
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That's a good point.
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Things of people weren't.
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Maybe the IG hasn't seen it yet.
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Yeah, IG hadn't seen it yet.
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So yeah, man, I guess you didn't start the coming to New York City.
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IG until like eight, nine years ago.
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Maybe.
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Yeah, I don't know.
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I need to look back and see when all that started.
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Yeah, you were just Katie before, but then you became coming in.
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And I changed it kind of like, yeah, it's my stage name.
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Stage.
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Okay.
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I'm going to, should you go first?
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Should I go first?
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Okay.
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Number one, do I get a germal or should I play that?
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No, don't play the thing again.
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I want to so much.
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We've seen with the other button is it could be long.
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It could be great.
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Okay.
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Kell.
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Dermal, please.
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Oh, it's a little.
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That's excited.
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It's Lee in the Bronx.
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People know little little little in Manhattan.
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Truth is, it's like two blocks of Manhattan.
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There's not much to it.
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I, it's fine.
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It's okay to visit, but like Chinatown has taken over the whole area.
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Just a little bit of literally, but if you go to the little little in the Bronx,
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it's like authentic.
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And I mean, just such good food.
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Now harder to get to.
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A bakeries.
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If you know, if you're not driving, but we love going to little little in the Bronx.
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You can totally take the subway up there.
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Yeah.
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It takes you a little longer.
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Sure.
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It's not like in like the center of Manhattan, like little little in Manhattan is.
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But it's worth the commute.
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And yeah, yeah.
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I think a lot of these are especially for people who've been to New York City a couple times
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and are looking for new adventures.
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That would be a great one because the, well, I don't want to give away any of your
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like the botanical gardens are up there and Yankee Stadium is up there.
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So you can make a whole thing of it.
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Whole day of it.
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The zoo in the Bronx.
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Yeah.
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Oh, yeah.
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That's a famous one.
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That's the leading gym.
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I don't think.
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No, no, no.
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None of those other things are hidden gems.
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But yeah, tack on the little Italy up there.
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There you go.
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I like it.
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All right.
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All right.
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Let's see what the fans think of it.
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Oh, they don't seem to like it.
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They limited your applause.
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They are still recording though.
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So we'll take that.
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All right.
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Let's not push anymore buttons because that could be dangerous.
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Yeah.
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Bummer.
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All right.
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So the first one I have is the cloister's.
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So it is part of the Met.
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So the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the big famous one on Fifth Avenue.
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But they also have another area of it called the cloister's.
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It's up on the far, far, far, like Upper West side.
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And I've never been there.
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You've never been there.
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And I haven't been there.
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So you're a great gym.
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You never do.
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A while.
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And so it is really cool because you can see the river from there.
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It's like this old his, you know, I mean, it looks, I don't even know how it is.
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Before you get to Washington Heights, how far is it up in?
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Yeah.
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Before you in Fort Triompark and between Hudson Heights around that area.
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So it's above Washington Heights.
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Above what?
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I didn't even know there was a thing.
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I thought that Washington Heights was the far end.
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Okay.
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No, above Washington Heights.
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Fort Triompark, the cloister's.
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It's just really cool.
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Has a lot of art and a lot of medieval art.
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It's in an old French monastery overlooking the Hudson.
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So it's just like if you're into art and you're into like scenery and something very quiet.
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So it's not necessarily a place I would take toddlers, although I think I took Shelby
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when she was like probably four.
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Yeah.
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And we just walked around and stuff.
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But if you've got like a super hyperactive kid, that may not be the best place.
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But views are just like a really cool.
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I mean, almost feels like you're in another country, you know, like in an old French monastery.
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Like you're in France or you know, something like that.
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So it's just a really cool place to walk around and just be quiet and serene for a little while.
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Yeah.
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In the big city.
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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Number three for me.
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Huh?
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Number two for me.
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Three for you.
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The transit museum.
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Now we've talked about a few times on here.
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And it's not meant to be hidden.
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But when you look at museums, it's not going to mean the top five, you know, typically.
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But it is such and one of the things we found our kids loved it when they were young.
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And our parents love it when they go because it's got such unique history on the subway,
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on the bridges.
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And like even getting to go on the old subway and walk on them.
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So it's a great experiential.
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You could do it in like an hour.
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You could do it like three or four hours if you really want to dig in and read all the
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signs and learn about it.
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But it is such a unique, interesting history that a museum unlike any other museum.
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Yeah.
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So we love, I mean, I don't know how many times we've been.
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But yeah, every time we go, it's fascinating to kind of experience again and love people
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for the first time experiencing the transit museum.
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I think one of my favorite memories is going when the kids were younger with my parents
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because my dad was reading all the plaques and all the history and all that.
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And the girls were like doing all the hands-on stuff, like on the, you know, buses and
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on the trains and all that.
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So it was like good for multi-generations because you could get out of it what you want.
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Like the girls are all hands-on and my dad was reading all the, for sure, all the different
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things that the girls didn't even notice.
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But it was great for everybody.
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I think your dad could have spent eight hours in there and the girls like maybe an hour
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and a half, you know, and hit that at that age, you know, and now they could probably spend
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longer there.
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So yeah, it's a bit different.
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But they've got all the different, let me just talk a little bit more about it.
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They have in the bottom part, it's an old subway station that they don't use anymore.
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And so they lined up all of the old subway cars.
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So you can see like the very first model of the subway car, all the different iterations,
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all the way up until modern.
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And so you can walk through them, sit on them.
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They've got like the old advertisements still on them.
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So it's like a time capsule that you're walking through.
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I love it.
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I think also two kind of downtown Brooklyn.
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So there's some great food around there too and things you can do around there.
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Easy to get to, you know, on the trains from another train.
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And do that and then go back into this, what looks like a subway station, you know, is
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a museum down there.
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So, yep.
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Okay.
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Number four.
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The next one is, and this may seem a little weird because it's a neighborhood in Manhattan.
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But I can't tell you how many times we've taken people down there and they're like, I didn't
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even know this was here.
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And that's the seaport down in Lower Manhattan.
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Yep.
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And it is getting more and more well known and famous.
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But again, we take people all the time and they're like, I would have never known to come
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down here.
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Yep.
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It looks like an old fishing village.
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Yep.
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It's got cobblestone streets.
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And the buildings are all old looking and are old, not just old looking, but they've
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really done a great job of building it up down there.
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There's like a seaport museum.
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There's tons of restaurants that you can eat at.
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Our favorite movie theater down there now.
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It's an outdoor bar.
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Mm-hmm.
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Yeah.
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Ice cream.
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Our favorite place to eat down there is Cal World Sea Horse.
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But then they also have a new place called the Ten Building that I believe it's Jean
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Georges who was the curator of all that.
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But it's this huge market with lots of fresh food and bakery inside and different restaurants
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inside.
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So it's kind of like a smaller version of Chelsea Market.
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They're on the water and just excellent food and flowers and just like everything's fresh.
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You know what I mean?
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Like everything's just like a big market.
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And so you can walk around there for a while and get food and coffee and treats and go
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sit out by the water.
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There's also another place on the pier.
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Oh gosh, what's the name of it?
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I would just say when it's hot or cold and you need to get indoors for a little bit,
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that's a great spot to kind of go in.
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Yeah, that's true.
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It's a big spot to be inside for an hour or two.
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Yeah, Cobblefish is an outdoor like seafood place out there.
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It's like super casual.
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So it's not like an expensive seafood place.
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You can get a lobster roll or different things and just out there on the pier.
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They basically got patio furniture out there on the pier that you can go sit at and hang
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out.
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So there's just lots of cool things.
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And again, what I love is the diversity of New York City, not just in the people, but
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of like the different neighborhood, how they all look so different.
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And this one looks different from anywhere else in Manhattan.
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My mom was like, it looks like an old, an old New England fishing village.
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And I was like, that's because it was.
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There is there, you know, whatever.
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So it's just kind of like that quintessential New England feel.
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Yes, yeah, I love it.
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It is fun.
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And you get to it by the train, obviously, but by ferry.
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Yeah.
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Is a great way to just go to the Wall Street stop and yeah, right there.
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It's right there.
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Okay.
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Well, that leads us to number five.
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And you just teed me up perfectly.
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Because I have number five being the NYC ferry.
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Okay.
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So $4 ticket and best views, I think.
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And so people know the satin island fare.
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Well, often we've talked about that here.
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It's like a great free thing to do to see the size of the liberty.
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But the ferry, you know, that runs along the East River is a great way to get between Brooklyn and Manhattan.
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But it's also just a great experience in the city to just go sit on top of the ferry,
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get great views, especially when there's good weather.
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We'll go nowhere, you know, and just get on the ferry for a fun boat ride in the city.
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And so you can go all the way from the Bronx to Wall Street.
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They're, you know, to, you know, South Street seaport and that area, you know,
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or everything in lower Manhattan to all the way up in Manhattan and the Bronx and Queens.
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And yeah, it's, I think it's just a fun and inside.
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There's like a little snack area where you can actually buy beer or sodas and chips.
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It's comfortable.
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It's comfortable.
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So you can sit inside when it's a whole area.
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But I think it's the best when it's a good weather day.
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You can sit up on the top and just get, take in the views, get the wind, and just get a really cheap and expensive boat ride.
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So, you know, it's always fun when we take people on a boat ride and they're like,
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what is this?
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I can't believe this.
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It's so nice and clean and comfortable and there's bathrooms in it too and are bad.
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Right.
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Yeah, it's just a really well done, yeah, just a fun experience.
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So the fair and sometimes we're like, I don't know how the fairie works.
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You download the NYC Fairy app.
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You can actually buy tickets there at the booth, but the best you use the Fairy app.
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And so NYC Fairy app, you can just buy tickets right there in the app, release you with Apple Pay or
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yeah, if you've got a larger family of four or five, so you can buy groups of 10 tickets.
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Yep.
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And so if you're an individual, you probably won't use 10 fairy rides when you're here.
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Just on vacation, but if you've got a whole family and each time you take a fairy, it's four
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to five tickets, you actually get charged less.
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So it's $275 a ride instead of the $4.
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So it's crazy.
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Yeah.
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So much so expensive here, but that is one of the really cost effective hidden gems, little
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known gems here in the city.
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So, all right, number six, Katie.
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Number six is Chinatown in Queens, Flushing Queens.
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I don't think you've been.
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I don't think I've been there either.
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So I've been a couple of times and just like what you said about little Italy, this is the
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largest Chinatown in Queen.
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I mean, it's huge and it really does feel like you are in a different place and it transports
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you.
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And the Chinatown is like I said, huge and the food is incredible, especially the new world
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mall.
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I mean, that has the food, not only from the restaurants that are in there, but then
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there's also this huge market.
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I mean, anything that you've ever wanted to try from China or even, you know, an Asian
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country in general is probably in that market because it is crazy.
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I've gotten, I've gone to a head spa there.
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You know, the prices are incredibly reasonable.
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I've taken Shelby.
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She loves, you know, Japanese culture and things like that.
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So we've gone over there eating dumplings and bubble tea and, you know, just all that
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kind of stuff.
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I mean, anything that you could want is there 100%.
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Tanghulu, I mean, it is, if you've been to the Chinatown in Manhattan, it's that on
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a huge scale.
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So, yeah, they've got a food court there that I mean, you've probably spent hours just
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eating all the different food.
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So, yeah, anything that you've seen on TikTok, headspots, Tanghulu, bubble tea, all that,
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that's a good place to find it because, you know, and it's not just a tourist attraction.
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That's where, you know, a lot of the Asian community lives.
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And so this is where they're shopping and where they're eating and all of that.
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So the prices are also really reasonable because it's a very neighborhood removed from Manhattan
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feel and, yeah, highly recommended.
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I love Chinatown in Manhattan with like the inexpensive dumplings and some of those
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kind of things, but it's like all the, you know, the fake Louis Vuittons and like, so
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that kind of stuff.
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The knockout stuff.
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Mm-hmm.
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And so, yeah, I'm really compelled to go there.
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But what, do you remember the name of the Dim Sum place?
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Dim Sum?
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Dim Sum?
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That we went to in Chinatown years back.
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Yeah, it's not open anymore, but I heard that they're trying to rebuild it and come back.
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So it didn't quite last.
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Okay.
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Through the pandemic.
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It was so huge.
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But I feel like I remember like a football field size.
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This huge place.
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Right.
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So much.
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It was so like fun.
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But yeah, bummer, bummer.
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Right.
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When it comes back, we'll talk about it.
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We'll talk about it.
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Okay.
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Next one for me.
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I don't know what number we're at now.
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But it should be what like, I'm going to get my A&D account.
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I tried to stick with it, but I'm on my fourth here and that is Prospect Park.
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Obviously, because we lived in Park Slope, we have talked about this a good amount, but
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it really just doesn't get the attention because everybody talks about Central Park.
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Right.
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And Manhattan, but it was built by the same field, the build Central Park, way less crowded
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than Central Park.
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I, you know, it's just really unique that, you know, there's a there's an ice skating
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rink in there.
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There's just so many fields, zoos in there.
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Yeah, it's got, I mean, even the potato garden's right there next to it.
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There's a Brooklyn Museum is right there next to it.
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There's so much right there around Prospect Park.
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And so that, that was our, we lived in Prospect Park for two years.
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And so, and honestly, I thought we'd go back a whole lot.
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We don't, you know, as, as much.
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But, but I think that people, if you're looking for it, everyone's going to Central Park
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and pick it's so crowded and it's cool.
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We love going to Central Park.
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But Prospect Park is a hidden gym, even then the city as big as it is.
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And, but it honestly, it's where locals, you know, go more often the tourists.
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And so, yeah, it's and it was designed by the same people that did Central Park.
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So it has a lot of the same feel.
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Yes.
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It's kind of the same thing where you can wander around it for hours.
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And you can see like, waterfalls and big open spaces and little cold pathways through
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things.
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So it has a lot of the same feel.
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Like you said, zoo, ice skating rink, that kind of thing.
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They have concerts in the park, all of that.
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But it's a little smaller and a little more quiet.
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Yep.
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Yep.
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But, all right.
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So I'll go next.
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Yes.
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And actually, we're talking about parks.
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Yes.
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And mine is the conservatory gardens in Central Park.
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Yes.
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A lot of people don't go up to the very top of the park where like Harlem mirrors and stuff
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like that is.
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But the conservatory garden is all the way up on the east side, almost to the top of the
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park.
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And it's just this beautiful, free garden.
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And you can walk around.
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Yeah, it's so nice.
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And I would say just the north side of Central Park is kind of at Hingim.
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In the summer, you can go fishing in Harlem, here, you'll go into like the little boat house
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that they have there and you can get a fishing rod and stuff from them.
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And they'll give it to you for free.
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And you return it when you're done.
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And so I just feel like that whole north side of the park is underused by tourists.
spk_0
And specifically the conservatory gardens, I think people would be really surprised.
spk_0
Oh, and there's also a little area that if you put your hand out, the birds will land on you.
spk_0
No way.
spk_0
Yeah, it's so cool.
spk_0
So yeah, there's also good things up there that don't get as explored as the southern part.
spk_0
And it's way quieter up there.
spk_0
And there's just so much to walk through.
spk_0
And I think about some of the creeks that run through up there and that north side of the park is the best side of Central Park.
spk_0
Yeah, take the time to go up there.
spk_0
Take the time to go up there.
spk_0
And stuff on the southern side, but that north side is awesome.
spk_0
I would even call.
spk_0
I mean, we at one point visited all the playgrounds.
spk_0
But what I would do is I would just like take a train or a bus up to the north part and just make your way down.
spk_0
Start at the north side.
spk_0
Yeah, take a whole day on it.
spk_0
Like if you're coming in the spring or early fall and I would just take a whole day.
spk_0
In fact, I think we should do that.
spk_0
We should get some good.
spk_0
I think you can start in Harlem.
spk_0
Get a good lunch and then just come down.
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True.
spk_0
So I used to take the girls to.
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What was that?
spk_0
Chuckie cheese.
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It was just walked down from there to back to our apartment.
spk_0
Yeah, every side.
spk_0
So yeah, that was good.
spk_0
It's good.
spk_0
So here's my last one.
spk_0
Also something we have talked about in the past, but something we also haven't done in a while.
spk_0
That's governor's island.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
So we lived in Roosevelt Island.
spk_0
Roosevelt, I was also kind of a hidden gym.
spk_0
But governor's island is this.
spk_0
I mean, nobody lives there.
spk_0
We've done a few different things.
spk_0
We did like a Halloween thing there.
spk_0
We.
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Yeah, we've had some experiences on government.
spk_0
And it just would go for the day, you know, and rent bikes there and walk around and have lunch there.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
So there's, shall we went to a birthday party there?
spk_0
They have this.
spk_0
It's essentially, yeah, the junkyard that's there.
spk_0
Oh, yeah, yeah.
spk_0
It's like a hands-on junkyard.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
And they don't allow parents to go in with the kids because they feel like that parents essentially
spk_0
hinder, you know, the kids exploring and things.
spk_0
So you drop your kids off and they go into this junkyard and they can build up.
spk_0
And they can build up things and play with things and climb on things.
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And just like, it's just like this open, free for all.
spk_0
And they don't get hurt.
spk_0
They're perfectly safe.
spk_0
But it's just a great place for them to explore.
spk_0
So if you've got kids who have a lot of energy, governor's island is a great place to go because it is just like open.
spk_0
You take a ferry over.
spk_0
And that's the only way to get to governor's island.
spk_0
But they've always got.
spk_0
So right next to the Staten Island ferry, the Staten Island ferry.
spk_0
Well, you have to pay for it.
spk_0
Yeah, you do have to pay for it.
spk_0
But they've always got food vendors and stuff out there.
spk_0
Sometimes it can be a little, I wouldn't say pricey.
spk_0
Pricey for what it is with food vendors out there.
spk_0
But you know, it is what it is.
spk_0
There's this huge slide that's like the longest slide in New York City.
spk_0
Is it okay?
spk_0
There's a spa out there which I have not done yet.
spk_0
That's it.
spk_0
And you can go glamping.
spk_0
I know they stuff glamping.
spk_0
Yeah, yeah.
spk_0
That was expensive.
spk_0
The reason we haven't done that is because it's incredibly overpriced.
spk_0
But I'm sure it's fantastic.
spk_0
But they want to sponsor this podcast.
spk_0
We'll talk about it on the podcast.
spk_0
Yes, that's true.
spk_0
I know the spa thing I was thinking about.
spk_0
Because in the spa, you overlook lower Manhattan.
spk_0
And the views are supposed to be really good.
spk_0
You've got to that view of the Statue of Liberty from governor's island.
spk_0
That's pretty awesome.
spk_0
And you can just run ride bikes.
spk_0
The whole thing.
spk_0
That's a great place.
spk_0
That's fun.
spk_0
Yeah, good one.
spk_0
That's my complete list of hidden gems.
spk_0
All right.
spk_0
My last one.
spk_0
It is, yeah, it's specific.
spk_0
It's a coffee shop in lower Manhattan.
spk_0
It's called Conwell Coffee Hall.
spk_0
It is in an old bank.
spk_0
Yes.
spk_0
And it is like an art deco feel.
spk_0
Okay.
spk_0
And it's just such a unique spa where you can go and get coffee and sit for a while.
spk_0
And I don't know.
spk_0
I just, there's something about it that I really love because it just feels like you've
spk_0
stepped back into another era.
spk_0
Yes.
spk_0
And I was there at coffee with a friend and I was like, I wonder what this building has seen.
spk_0
You know, like it's just one of those cool buildings in lower Manhattan.
spk_0
And like I said, all art deco.
spk_0
Yes.
spk_0
And it's just like, it's like from a movie kind of.
spk_0
And the food and the coffee is great.
spk_0
And the people who work there are great.
spk_0
But it's just a really interesting building.
spk_0
You just sit there and look at the details in it for a long time.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
You want to know it's not great.
spk_0
What?
spk_0
The fact that you haven't taken me to the majority of these places on your little known gems.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
Well.
spk_0
So we got some experiences to do.
spk_0
That's a good point.
spk_0
Together because obviously you've got, adds a great experiences about me here in the city.
spk_0
And yeah, these are great recommendations.
spk_0
Thank you, Katie, for sharing these.
spk_0
Yeah, you too.
spk_0
You're welcome for.
spk_0
Thank you.
spk_0
Mine are not as like hidden though as yours are.
spk_0
And so I don't know.
spk_0
I guess it's kind of like two layers like fears.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
Like people who've been here once or twice years are definitely hidden.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
For people who've been here five or six times.
spk_0
I want to go even deeper.
spk_0
Mine are even more hidden.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
So we've got something for everyone.
spk_0
There is no limit of gems in this city.
spk_0
No, we've been here 11 years and there we have not even scratched the surface.
spk_0
It feels like.
spk_0
I'm sure you're probably listening to the podcast like, oh, I'm so surprised they didn't mention
spk_0
this or that.
spk_0
I mean, we, this list could go on forever.
spk_0
And there's a good chance that there are things that we have never seen before.
spk_0
So this is my request.
spk_0
If you know of a hidden gem in the city, DM Katie, let her know where we need to go do.
spk_0
And we'll talk about it.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
That's a good point on this podcast.
spk_0
And so we want to continue to find all of the gems that we know that in our lifetime,
spk_0
we'll never find all of the great gems in the city.
spk_0
But these are our top 10.
spk_0
So thanks everyone for listening.
spk_0
Katie, thank you for sharing.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
If you haven't yet, follow Katie at coming to NYC on Instagram, center, DMs, any questions you might have.
spk_0
And we would love to answer those either here in the podcast or in the DMs or both.
spk_0
But don't hesitate to reach out to Katie.
spk_0
And yeah, connect her on anything or if you need help, they travel.
spk_0
Katie would love to help you with your travel plans as well at coming to NYC.
spk_0
Thanks, everyone for listening.
spk_0
We'll talk to you again on the next episode.
spk_0
To beds, one on the right side, one on the left side.
spk_0
So they had like a little death.
spk_0
And then oh, they also had like a dresser thing underneath their bed.
spk_0
Yeah.
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Yeah.
spk_0
So we had a lot going on in that room, which worked really great.
spk_0
Almost like a dorm room.
spk_0
You know, if you've got like a dorm, that's exactly right.
spk_0
A couple of beds and dressers and then a couple of asks.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
And so the girls would go to school during the day and then you would work in there all day.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
And yeah, it actually worked out really well for us until COVID.
spk_0
And we'll talk about that in a minute.
spk_0
How long were there about four years?
spk_0
Four years.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
Were there four years?
spk_0
The girls.
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12th floor.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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12F.
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12F, you want to go find the place?
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
But it was great because it was a very like neighborhood feel, even though we were on the
spk_0
upper east side in Manhattan.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
You know, all the kids from the building went to the same elementary school.
spk_0
spk_0
They would walk to elementary school with their friends and come home with their friends.
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And we would constantly be seeing people that we knew.
spk_0
spk_0
spk_0
Even like trick or treating, they would just go up and down the building and hit all the
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start in the top floor.
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Yeah.
spk_0
And work their way down.
spk_0
spk_0
So it was a lot of fun.
spk_0
It was really great.
spk_0
The school over there was amazing.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
We made a lot of really great friends over there.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
And we had bike storage in that one, right?
spk_0
spk_0
So that was nice to have the girls had bikes.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
We were able to put it in the bike storage in the building.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
So in Brooklyn, we weren't able to have bikes because that would have been crazy.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
You know, with Brooklyn, the other thing is since we were all families, we all kept our
spk_0
strollers on the bottom floor, which I think was really rare because, you know, inevitably
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you're going to have an old person in a building that's like, I don't want these strollers,
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these scooters in the way and all that.
spk_0
But since we were all families, everybody was like, yeah, you got to keep your scooters
spk_0
in and strollers down here.
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And so that was really nice.
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That was a perk that we didn't.
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To go back to that too, part of what made that very livable in the Brooklyn apartment is,
spk_0
because we're all, just the people were incredible.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
You know, we didn't, nobody knew each other in advance, but they were all like, we're in this
spk_0
together.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
spk_0
And like, we'd leave our doors open and kids would run in between the apartments.
spk_0
And so it was like a super bowl together.
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Super bowl together.
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Yeah.
spk_0
It was, it was really special.
spk_0
But I think that like, this is, I feel like that's common in New York City of like, we're
spk_0
kind of in this together.
spk_0
Right.
spk_0
A lot of people have loved families, you know, other, you know, and other even countries,
spk_0
the city isn't thing.
spk_0
So, you know, there's a more community feel.
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Yeah.
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One of those families is from France.
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Yeah.
spk_0
So they really needed some extra support.
spk_0
And we're from Texas, like the country of Texas, and some of them are all coming from different
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international communities.
spk_0
spk_0
That's a joke.
spk_0
But it, yeah, but then the Upper East Side was like, you kind of this community storage area.
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The other thing we didn't have laundry in our apartment.
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Right.
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We had a laundry room in the basement.
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And I said, I guess it was bait.
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First floor.
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It was first floor.
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Yeah.
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And it felt like a basement.
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Yeah.
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But yeah, we had to, you know, have like a little laundry card and go down and do our laundry down there.
spk_0
Which is actually kind of nice because it was pretty easy in the building.
spk_0
Yeah.
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Of course, like you could do all your laundry in one day with like four machines at the same time.
spk_0
Right.
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If they open, you got to time it.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
Well sometimes you got to learn like when it's crowded.
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Yeah.
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When you can go in and do all your laundry at one time.
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But it was really nice.
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Like if there was nobody in there, fill up all the machines.
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And then your laundry is done for the week for the whole family.
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Yeah.
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But you need to be careful because if you don't go back, you will take them out now.
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There's definitely a.
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Yeah.
spk_0
spk_0
And people don't like their clothes being put into a basket with people like other people touching the clothes.
spk_0
spk_0
But also people don't like you leaving your clothes in there when they need to get laundry done.
spk_0
spk_0
So you need to be on it.
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If you're going to do laundry, you need to do laundry.
spk_0
Yes.
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But we never had any problems with anybody like stealing anything or anything shady going on.
spk_0
So it was actually, and this is a big building.
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I don't even know how many.
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A mid size apartment.
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I think there's 20 floors.
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Maybe.
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Yeah.
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Eight apartments of floor, 10 apartments of floor.
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Yeah.
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So it was a mid size building.
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Yeah.
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The building didn't have any amenities.
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Nope.
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It didn't even have a rooftop.
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But we figured out how to.
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An official roof.
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Well, that's I'm saying we figured out how to get up there.
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We weren't actually supposed to be up there.
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But we were friends with all the dormans or all the dormans.
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So, you know, nobody's going to tell on us.
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So we would go up there.
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Yeah.
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But as far as amenities go, there were.
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There were none just bike storage and.
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Yeah.
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And laundry in the basement.
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Yeah.
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And I think the other thing that I just went on highlight.
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Like one of the things when I look back at apartments is just the building.
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Like that one we really get to know the dormant.
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And that was our first time to have a dormant.
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Yeah.
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That was our first time.
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And they were so friendly, so helpful.
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But then too, like when you're doing laundry, you get to know your neighbors.
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You're riding the elevator with all your neighbors.
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Right.
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Going to school.
spk_0
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Yeah.
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Your neighbors.
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So that was just a really great season in the department.
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And Starbucks got a lot of our money.
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And that's easy.
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Because if we could just literally do a mobile order.
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Just take that elevator down and.
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Be right back up with our Starbucks in hand.
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Yeah.
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And like less than two minutes.
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Yes.
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It was dangerous.
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And we had a Dwayne Reed.
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Cady Corner to us.
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We had a grocery store.
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And next door.
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And next street to us.
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Yeah.
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It was it was crazy.
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And the thing is living in Manhattan.
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You can get anywhere really quickly, whether it's from the bus or we live by the queue train.
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Yeah.
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We felt like we could just zip up and down Manhattan so easily, which was really nice.
spk_0
But the area we were in was quiet.
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You know, we were really close to.
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Comparatively for New York.
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Yes.
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Yeah.
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Yes.
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Now our windows did face York Avenue, which if you know in New York Avenue, that's where a lot of the hospitals are too.
spk_0
And so, you know, there would be sirens and all of that.
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So.
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But we got used to it.
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Yeah.
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And we were just a block away from the East River, which was fantastic.
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We were a couple blocks away from Gracie Mansion, which was in the park there, which is where the mayor lives.
spk_0
So there were lots of really great things about that area.
spk_0
But like I said, this was our first time with a door man.
spk_0
And so maybe we could talk a little bit about the pros.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
I guess we'll say pros.
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I was going to a car.
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I'm a location though.
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Yeah.
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We were like a 15 minute walk to the park.
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To the bus real quick.
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We were we were sliding in five minutes.
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In Central Park.
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Yeah.
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I can't look.
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So we were in a location to the parks.
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It was also pretty great for Manhattan.
spk_0
Yeah.
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And for kids, you know, that were our kids elementary school age this day.
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Yeah.
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This time.
spk_0
So that was great for them.
spk_0
For sure.
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Okay.
spk_0
Door man.
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So in the brownstone, we would have our mail delivered.
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There was like this little underneath part.
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It was like just below, I guess below street level.
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So it would be like, I don't know.
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It's hard to use them, but not quite.
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My first floor.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And then there was.
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So I guess the mailman had a key to like the little gate that opened.
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So let's give a picture.
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So brownstone.
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People know there are steps.
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They go up the stoop.
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The stoop.
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Yes.
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So it's right underneath the stoop.
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Yeah.
spk_0
There you go.
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So the mailman would have a key to everybody's gate there.
spk_0
And they would open it up.
spk_0
And then they do your mail there.
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Yeah.
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And they leave packages under there.
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It's locked up then.
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That's locked.
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Yeah.
spk_0
So that was secure.
spk_0
Did FedEx and UPS have the key to?
spk_0
I feel like they put the packages by the door.
spk_0
And so that you had to be kind of quick.
spk_0
Like if there was something, we've never had anything stolen.
spk_0
Yes.
spk_0
But I felt like if we knew something was getting delivered that was a value,
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we needed to make sure that we could get it and pull it inside.
spk_0
And we would do that for our neighbors and things.
spk_0
So.
spk_0
But if we would have food deliveries or anything like that,
spk_0
we'd have to go down and get it.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
A few times, it kind of was hit or miss with the groceries.
spk_0
Some of them would bring them all the way up to the fourth floor.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
And some would just leave it there at the bottom.
spk_0
So it depend on who you got for your grocery delivery.
spk_0
So it's the biggest thing with having a door manage.
spk_0
You didn't have to worry about your mail, your packages, your deliveries,
spk_0
all of that.
spk_0
They would intercept all the packages and keep them down there at the front desk until you got home.
spk_0
And then if you had food delivery, they would send the delivery person up.
spk_0
And so it was very nice and very, very different from the brownstone because we just order stuff
spk_0
from the comfort of our 12th floor apartment.
spk_0
And it would come up to us or we could go and get it when it was convenient for us.
spk_0
So that was really nice.
spk_0
Yeah, for sure.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
For sure.
spk_0
Perfect.
spk_0
Then the pandemic hit.
spk_0
Then the pandemic hit.
spk_0
And we were all in that apartment that felt so big.
spk_0
And it did not feel so big anymore because the girls are trying to do school.
spk_0
You were trying to work.
spk_0
Yes.
spk_0
I was working for you at the time, trying to take meetings and things.
spk_0
And it was a lot.
spk_0
And you were working for a family business.
spk_0
Our family business.
spk_0
Yes.
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True.
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True.
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And at the same time, it was, since we lived on a major avenue that led straight to the
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Mayors mansion, there was also the Black Lives Matter protest that would go right by our window
spk_0
every day or most days because of COVID and our location close to the hospitals.
spk_0
We would hear a lot of sirens, a lot of helicopters, all of that.
spk_0
So it was, it was a really interesting experience for us to be in that location at that time.
spk_0
Obviously being in kind of like ground zero of COVID in the US.
spk_0
Yeah.
spk_0
It was very scary, you know.
spk_0
But it was also, I mean, I think what I remember the most in that season was people like the
spk_0
pots and pans, banging, you know, seven o'clock every evening.
spk_0
Six o'clock.
spk_0
Six o'clock.
spk_0
You know, if the kids were here, we would just walk every evening.
spk_0
Everybody would open up their windows and cheer and clap, and the girls remember that that
spk_0
was their time.
spk_0
They could play their recorders out the window.
spk_0
And so they could they can, you know, make as much noise.
spk_0
And so as much as we were clapping and stuff for healthcare workers, which we were.
spk_0
And I think that was fantastic.
spk_0
It was also time for our elementary school aged kids just to get out all their noise, because
spk_0
they've been inside all day.
spk_0
So and yeah, so it was a really interesting time, but during that time rent prices were going down
spk_0
They were going down, but not in our building. No, what the other thing I had to do is I had to get an office outside of the house
spk_0
Yes, so that added an exercise that's 1600 bucks a month, right? And so yeah, that was an added expense that so anyways we were
spk_0
So it's complicated in a yeah, we're at prices were going down our rent didn't go down
spk_0
No, they wanted to increase it. They know people don't want to move. Yeah, they knew what they're doing
spk_0
It was it was a business. Yeah, and so we started looking around
spk_0
Thinking like okay, maybe we should take advantage of other prices going down
spk_0
Yeah, and we looked at Roosevelt Island because that's one that we looked at from the very beginning thinking that could be a good place for us to move
spk_0
There was some appeal especially because
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There was more open space over there and we hadn't really experienced open space in a while with COVID
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And there was a four bedroom apartment, which I could not even believe I was saying those words in New York City
spk_0
I thought you told me about it. I was like that what's the catch? I yeah, I don't believe it, but let's go look at it
spk_0
Right. Yeah, pictures were amazing too. Yeah, and so and it was less than what we were paying for like this one bedroom
spk_0
And it was less the extra $1600 for my office. Yeah, yeah, you could have your own office in
spk_0
In the apartment and so we went and looked at it. We were like
spk_0
Sign us up
spk_0
Get it down before somebody else gets it right out about this in the work city. Yeah, exactly
spk_0
And so we took it and we moved and
spk_0
Moved to Roosevelt Island. It was probably
spk_0
It's a four bedroom seems to be people is compared to a house our
spk_0
Three bedroom house that we have was probably close to 3,000 square foot. This is four bedroom probably like 13 1400 square feet
spk_0
Huge for New York City not like a house
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So you know, so we're talking about like maybe like
spk_0
12 by
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12 rooms, you know, and the two bathrooms, but that had like pedestal not pedestal, but like regular sinks and yeah
spk_0
Good, so I think one of them had a shower when I'm didn't right. There's only one shower bath combo
spk_0
But I mean too bad things was amazing and it was two floors
spk_0
So when you walked in okay, so let's talk about the building first so
spk_0
Roosevelt Island was originally designed to be kind of this
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Family escape from the city is what they were hoping they were wanting to have a school there like
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You wouldn't never have to leave Roosevelt Island if you didn't want to and it was supposed to be this
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Haven for families and and this was probably back in the 60s when you know New York City
spk_0
Manhattan was a little sketchy and so they were this was how they were gonna keep families in the city
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You know if you had to work in the city, but you wanted your family here Roosevelt Island was gonna be your your your spot
spk_0
And so this building was no dogs were allowed on the other side. Yeah, yeah, that's true
spk_0
And luckily that had changed because we had had dolly by this time
spk_0
And so this building was probably built in the 60s and no door man
spk_0
It did happen elevator, which was nice
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But the actual building itself was old. It was showing wear and tear and it was
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aesthetically not pretty it was not cute
spk_0
It was definitely cute
spk_0
So it's an understatement. Yeah, but a new company had taken over and they were slowly renovating each of the apartments inside
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So our actual apartment was renovated. It had new floors and countertops appliances
spk_0
I mean everything was new inside. So that was huge
spk_0
The apartment itself was amazing. Yeah, so when you walked in there was like this landing area
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Which kind of goes back to the Brooklyn apartment?
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But it was inside and we used that as our mudroom
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It had a closet up there for all of our coats
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We kept our shoes up there backpacks, you know all that kind of stuff
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So we kind of had this drop zone when you first walked in and then you walked down a little set of stairs
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And there was our apartment they kitchen was separate and then we had a living room and dining room and then two bedrooms and a bathroom on one side of the apartment
spk_0
and then a mirror two bedrooms and a bathroom
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Excuse me on the other side of the apartment and
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It was great each girl had their own room. Yeah
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Shall we had a queen size bed in her room so that if guests came they could stay in there
spk_0
Emory had a day bed with a little trundle underneath
spk_0
We actually got a king size bed, which we had never had in our whole lives
spk_0
That was exciting and then you had your own office in the fourth bedroom and
spk_0
Yeah, that was fantastic. I mean we felt like we were living large and we had oh gosh how many closets do we have?
spk_0
I'm an account. Yeah, so one two three four then we had a closet upstairs
spk_0
We had a closet downstairs. I mean we had like
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six closets
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It's amazing when you're fill us so quickly our bathroom had a closet. Yeah, yeah, so we had seven closets
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Which was like in sane
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Considering you know our first apartment had two
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And so this felt like we had so much space
spk_0
Yes, and you know the thing is if you have space you're gonna fill it
spk_0
Yes, and I would say that maybe the one thing that we did not do right is we were like oh we've got space
spk_0
I can get more Christmas decorations that I can get more clothes and I can get more
spk_0
Yeah, you know stuff and so we filled up that apartment. Yeah, but it was great because we
spk_0
Had a place to got a better
spk_0
Coffee maker and we had a place for that and so we had space and we used it. Yeah, yeah
spk_0
It's you know, I look back. I mean I remember we had a neighbor those next orders had been in that apartment for a long time
spk_0
Yeah, really friendly neighbors, but I think the reality is our apartment there amazing
spk_0
Maybe best part now it didn't have laundry in units
spk_0
That was probably missing there were some like we had some ghastly issues and there's things that just put an older building that happened and they I don't
spk_0
Link maintained it well. There weren't really amenities in the building they put in like a
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lobby and
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Like fitness at the end. Yeah, it was a great either right
spk_0
I don't even know if we ever used it once but and then there were some things where you know like
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You would smoke weed the whole ways the the stairs were like that's where first really
spk_0
Started like the weed was an issue in that we really didn't experience it in Brooklyn or the upree side
spk_0
But you know and during this time
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It became I don't know if it was legal, but it was like clear that
spk_0
In YPD you was not going to prioritize that and so yeah, that was an issue. We really really smelled it there
spk_0
Whether it was in the actual hallways or right outside and yeah, it was strong. Yeah, that was always interesting
spk_0
The elevators were quite rickety and you never knew which ones were gonna be working and we did have
spk_0
communal laundry, but the machines were not dependable at all. Yeah, it was
spk_0
The building itself was rough
spk_0
Yep, yeah, we'll say that so that was it but at the end of the day
spk_0
I think we loved it. I think it was a great season for its most community in a neighborhood
spk_0
Mostly because of our kids. Yeah, they went they both were in the school
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It was an elementary in a middle school the same building
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Yeah, so they both went to the same building every day
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Yeah, and then there was so much freedom on Roosevelt Island for the kids because it was a more contained environment
spk_0
And so they would walk to school by themselves and then hang out with friends all evening
spk_0
They went to theater and dance classes on the island and they would I mean there were some days where Shelby who was in what like fourth grade
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She'd be like, all right
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I'm gonna go to the playground with these friends and then we're gonna go to dance and then I'll be home
spk_0
And it's like great have fun which sounds crazy and I think our
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Families were like they're doing what?
spk_0
But it's just the way that it worked on Roosevelt Island and everybody was a community there
spk_0
So it was great in that time. Yeah, it was great theater, you know, in dance program there
spk_0
Or like space and the island and programming there. Yeah
spk_0
Yeah, it was it was great Roosevelt Island was fantastic. I'd say we highly recommend it for others
spk_0
It wasn't necessarily our long term home, but it was great for that. It was perfect right after COVID
spk_0
It was it was the space and the freedom that we all needed to kind of regroup
spk_0
But because they were redoing all the apartments there. Oh, let's talk about Christmas tree. Yeah, I didn't talk about that before
spk_0
so
spk_0
In the upper east side
spk_0
We would go to the Christmas tree vendors that would set up on the street and so we would have a
spk_0
Real fresh tree every year for Christmas and we had a bigger last year
spk_0
Yeah, full-size tree exactly so and I had never had a real Christmas tree in my life and
spk_0
This was new, but it smelled good. It was messy, but you know, it was kind of
spk_0
It was cool and it was fun and so it was nice to go down to the
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Like Christmas tree
spk_0
Stands and pick out our tree and lug it up to the apartment and all of that so we actually had a
spk_0
Literature across the street. Yeah, yeah, it was literally grab it and drag it and take it on the elevator
spk_0
Yeah, yeah, it was so fun and then we'd take it down when it was time to recycle the trees and yeah, yeah
spk_0
I mean a lot of times we just even call our door man, you know, and it's in one of the main
spk_0
Minus up and they would take it down. Yeah, yeah in the service elevator, so it wouldn't get pine needles all over the regular
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elevator
spk_0
Yeah, so that was that was fun four years to have a nice fresh tree
spk_0
Yeah, and then when we moved to Roosevelt Island, I don't think they even had a tree
spk_0
Like vendor there, did they I don't remember I don't remember either so we got we were like we have seven closets
spk_0
We got an artificial tree
spk_0
So we got an artificial tree then and I think we stored it underneath our bed
spk_0
I guess after four years we were done with them. Yeah, I mean honestly
spk_0
They're under $150 tree that is true. It's like $100. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, and I am cheap
spk_0
And so
spk_0
Yeah, and the messiness of it. I'm gonna do think that it was cool for that season
spk_0
But I don't know that we're real Christmas tree people. Yeah forever
spk_0
And so the fakes tree's been good for us. Yeah, so got a fake tree in Roosevelt Island
spk_0
But we had plenty of space to put it up and store it and all that and then of course since they were redoing all the apartments and
spk_0
remodeling them
spk_0
The building was like oh we can charge more for this and they kept raising the rent every year and we were like
spk_0
Oh, this is yeah
spk_0
This is annoying because you just never know I mean there's no
spk_0
When it's a private company like that you there's no regulations on how much they can or can't raise the rent
spk_0
And so every time you'd get your lease back you're like holding your breath
spk_0
You're like oh what's it gonna be this time and it just got to be too stressful
spk_0
$100 a month increase or something it was crazy something crazy. Yeah, but then the then they we they
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Late know
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So management company was not fantastic
spk_0
They were not easy to work with and so I
spk_0
Had started applying for lottery apartments. Yeah, which I think we have a whole episode on that
spk_0
So if you're not sure what I'm not are you yeah apartment is go back go listen to it because it's
spk_0
It's a lot
spk_0
But I got in a call about a few different places in Brooklyn
spk_0
But we finally got the call about this one in Greenpoint and I drove by the area and I was like oh, yeah
spk_0
This this is something
spk_0
Yeah, good never really hung out in Greenpoint. We know I'm gone to sorgasburg here
spk_0
But hadn't okay. Okay. This could be something
spk_0
and then we got the tour of the apartment and this building with Brian new yeah
spk_0
And nobody had ever lived in it before. Yeah, it had amenities
spk_0
Abon amenities upon amenities
spk_0
I think we've talked about that in a different episode as well
spk_0
And we were like and I mean obviously rent stabilized meaning that yeah, they are we're locked in to rent essentially for a lifetime
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was
spk_0
the biggest draw
spk_0
because
spk_0
Yeah, we don't have to worry about our rent going up which is insane
spk_0
And so after years and years of living you know, yeah, one to two years at a time and wondering what's gonna happen
spk_0
Now to take that worry off of us is huge. Yes, plus
spk_0
This apartment is great. Yeah, I mean it has
spk_0
All the amenities now I wouldn't say it has the apartment. Okay, maybe it's too bad you're one bathroom. Yeah
spk_0
It's probably
spk_0
850 square feet if I would have terrible measurements like that. I have no clue
spk_0
But it's gonna be way bigger. I say way bigger significantly bigger than our first apartment. Yes, probably a little bit smaller than our upper
spk_0
Reside apartment you definitely smaller than the rest of the island so yeah, but a decent size living room kitchen
spk_0
Um, and medium sized bedrooms and a medium sized bathroom. Yeah, it's not a pedestal bathroom like we had in
spk_0
um, and we have
spk_0
Washer jar in the unit which is really nice to have again apartment itself is
spk_0
Small but not like very livable. Yeah, we have coffee space. We have we can have micro and coffee here
spk_0
We have I guess we still just have one drawer. I don't know. We've got a couple drawers in the kitchen
spk_0
Yeah, we got a few drawers and some cabinet and so
spk_0
The girl share room again girl share room again, um, and we can still have a king size bed right couldn't have that in
spk_0
Park slow yeah, but the the game changer is all the amenity space and we've got a great outdoor terrace with barbecue pits
spk_0
We've got
spk_0
several you know areas to hang out so
spk_0
We don't have to be in the apartment you and we could still stay in the building and and for sure
spk_0
Spread out and we have places to go I mean we even have like an area that's basically like a big living room
spk_0
And so when we have guests over sometimes we'll go in there and play games or by the fireplace
spk_0
So it's just a lot of places
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We'll know that we have learned is
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That that a lot of times family will think they're gonna come up here and just get a hotel or we've just kind of said like
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Hey, we don't have enough space just to have guest space. Yeah, the reality is when family comes
spk_0
They're often looking at hotel prices. They're like oh, maybe we can like so we have a pullout couch not comfortable
spk_0
But it's just bad. Yeah, well, I say not comfortable. It's okay. It's a pullout couch. Yeah, it's a pullout couch
spk_0
But when you look at what hotels are you know in the city. Yeah, it's gonna be $300 more plus the night
spk_0
Especially, you know, we don't we have to hotels in our neighborhood
spk_0
But they're more like boutique hotels and so you're looking at like $400 a night unless you want to commute to us and then
spk_0
Yeah, so okay, so it's okay to find that family typically stays with us
spk_0
Even though it's not the most comfortable we just squeeze and it's part of the fun, you know, it's like yeah
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And we're on about all day most of the time anyway
spk_0
So it's the one bathroom. It's the biggest challenge
spk_0
But we we make do and I think that's what we continue to learn, you know about all of these spaces is like
spk_0
You think you need and of course is nice to have to it was nice to have two bathrooms
spk_0
Yeah, you know, of course four bedrooms was nice
spk_0
But at the end of the day evil and I think when we went from four bedrooms to now two bedrooms again
spk_0
We were like you know what I don't I didn't we didn't have to have my office in the apartment right
spk_0
I actually kind of like it that you and I think you like it too like you have
spk_0
You walked to your office. So you did get an office here in Greenpoint
spk_0
That's just a few blocks away. So you walk and you leave and it's only like $500 a month whereas paying
spk_0
$1,600 on their pretty side. Yeah, yeah, and so it's a lot smaller in my office, but it's all I need
spk_0
Yeah, it's just you and so
spk_0
um, and I think this is actually really great for now. We have teenagers
spk_0
And having the amenities space
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Because they can go and explore and do all that by themselves
spk_0
And this is like coffee shop and restaurant like heaven and in greenpoint. So they
spk_0
Go and do schoolwork from coffee shops and you know, we're outside and everything. So yeah
spk_0
That's been it's just really interesting to see how our apartments have
spk_0
Been great for the season that our kids have been in yes
spk_0
One thing we do have here. Well, we do have a door man. Yes, which is fantastic
spk_0
I think as we compare even some of the spaces
spk_0
Let's go through our department then let's like what are some of the things that we really value? Yeah, yeah
spk_0
So I was gonna say we have storage
spk_0
We have a storage room at this and so it's actually since we were one of the first people to move in
spk_0
There was this storage room right next to our like literally the next door over from our apartment
spk_0
Is a storage room and we were like hey isn't anybody using that and they're like no you can you can use that
spk_0
You know, it's like a hundred dollars a month. There's something
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And it's this whole room that we have storage and so our fate Christmas tree is in there all the
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all the crazy stuff we had purchased in
spk_0
Roosevelt Island to fill up those closets
spk_0
We moved over there. Well, we saw the downsize because
spk_0
You know, it's still a smaller space, but it is really nice to have that storage unit. It is
spk_0
fully full
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Fully full and then some and we need to rearrange again, but we keep suitcases in there
spk_0
We keep like I said holiday decorations
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um
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Oh, we started doing camping
spk_0
Yeah, started doing camping. We started doing camping going camping. Whatever you yeah
spk_0
Yeah, so we actually have like a tent and sleeping bags and all that kind of stuff in there
spk_0
So that's been fun all of our camping gear
spk_0
So having that extra space is really nice
spk_0
It's an extra space in my office outside of the apartment
spk_0
Sure and your aster's chairs
spk_0
Aster's chairs when you're in the office. Yeah, yeah, which is fantastic if they have a home
spk_0
um
spk_0
Yeah, and so this this is really easy living I would say I would
spk_0
I do think that
spk_0
It doesn't have the charm of some of the other places we've been like every side and and Brooklyn
spk_0
Parkslope
spk_0
It's it's all new it's a big high-rise building with a ton of apartments and everything's brand new so
spk_0
You know, I do miss the charm. Yes, I would say a little bit, but
spk_0
You know, this is nice to have so let's go through okay favorite thing from each apartment
spk_0
Okay, so parkslope
spk_0
What's your favorite thing?
spk_0
Like the actual apartment or like the area? Yeah, let's say the apartment. Okay
spk_0
Oh, I mean does it count like
spk_0
Oh
spk_0
I'm trying to think
spk_0
There was not a whole lot of actual great things about the
spk_0
physical apartment
spk_0
I would say maybe
spk_0
Being in there with two other families. Yeah, is that something? I'll count that okay, so for me it was like the
spk_0
Uh, I loved the the stairwell
spk_0
It would creak and stuff, but I have like the wood bandesters and like you could just feel the 100 plus year old nature of it
spk_0
Yeah, and so there was just like a man
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And then it had this like glass like
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Ceiling what I don't you call that is like a stained glass thing on the ceiling
spk_0
So it was like a skylight that came in that was just like it was definitely like a modern skylight
spk_0
It was just like it's also it's kind of like just the history of the space
spk_0
Yeah, which just had and then they had like the the
spk_0
What do you call it like brick wall, you know in the living room? Yeah, yeah, I gave a little character right yeah
spk_0
Okay, upper east side
spk_0
The favorite thing about the apartment was the girls room
spk_0
Just how big like they had so much space in there. Yeah. Yeah, I really like that. I would say we had giant windows
spk_0
Oh, yeah, so it was almost like not quite floater ceiling, but really
spk_0
But a whole like line of them the whole back wall was yeah onto the main onto your cabin
spk_0
Um, so it just was like always something going on in New York. Just interesting. True watching out the window and good light
spk_0
And great natural light. Yeah, yeah, in that apartment. Okay, Roosevelt Island the space space space two bathrooms
spk_0
Yeah, I'll just say that two bathrooms my own office in the apartment
spk_0
Well, I like having that apartment out like I hit it was a big office
spk_0
And it was so convenient just to have it in the apartment and so I like to have a mon office in the apartment. Yeah
spk_0
Um, Greenpoint this office
spk_0
This apartment um
spk_0
I would say I mean obviously amenities yeah and
spk_0
I would say like the terrace in the barbecue place. Yeah, we'll come that as part of the apartment. Yeah, that feels like our apartment
spk_0
Um, I mean if I'm talking about this specific apartment. I would just say like the newness. Yeah
spk_0
We don't have bugs or mice or anything like everything is new and sealed and clean and with really big windows too
spk_0
Yeah, that's true. That's true. That's true. Yeah, I was gonna say the newness as well of like like we're not worrying about certain things breaking or doing things
spk_0
Yeah, so it just everything is
spk_0
brand new
spk_0
The price central air. Oh, yeah, that's true. Yeah, this is the only apartment we've had with central air
spk_0
Yeah, everything else has had like window units is our upper east side one had like these
spk_0
Basically window units like giant boxes that were connected to the windows are below the windows
spk_0
Yeah, I don't even know what that is
spk_0
But they controlled when the air conditioning was on and when it was heat. Yes, the building controlled that
spk_0
and then
spk_0
Parkslope and Roosevelt Island had window units and now we have central air central air. We have two units
spk_0
So we have one unit for the living room and then one unit for the bedrooms. Yeah, so we're like super bougie now
spk_0
Yeah, yeah, yes
spk_0
Yeah, so those are favorite things. Yeah
spk_0
It's if you were to
spk_0
Like just say like
spk_0
combine your like
spk_0
ideal apartment. What what would you include? Oh?
spk_0
I would I don't know. I mean what do you mean? It's central to you
spk_0
Um, I mean wash your dryer in unit is not essential, but if I was gonna like choose I would choose to have it in there. Yeah
spk_0
Um elevator. Yeah
spk_0
Uh, yeah, yeah that fourth floor walk up
spk_0
That was a lot. I just remember Shelby was too and so now she would stop halfway through and just like look at me and be like
spk_0
I'm done. I'm like all right girl. He's in here until you're ready to come up. She was her knees hurt. Yeah, she was too
spk_0
It's true um
spk_0
Uh a kitchen with a built-in
spk_0
microwave and more than one drawer. Okay, it's fantastic
spk_0
Um, I mean, I'd love to have two bathrooms. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a door man
spk_0
Don't I don't like I'd want to be an outdoor man building anymore. Uh, is there anything that
spk_0
You want to give advice to somebody if they're looking for their apartment from what we've learned
spk_0
Uh from our our four unique apartments? Yeah, I think number one. I mean we started out with this
spk_0
tour
spk_0
neighborhoods decide which one feels like you because they're also different
spk_0
But to don't be afraid to move
spk_0
Um, once you get here um, you know, you have different seasons of life whether you have kids or whether you know
spk_0
Even if you don't have kids, maybe your job changes and the commute is different or you know, you just want to try something different
spk_0
If you want to if you're in Manhattan, you want to try Brooklyn if you want to try Queens, you know, something else
spk_0
Don't be afraid to move because um, if you're not in a rinse stabilized apartment
spk_0
Then you do have to kind of play the game sometimes and see where the rinse cheaper and you know that kind of thing and we felt like every
spk_0
apartment like neighborhood we were in was the best yeah, and so every time we could have stayed in Park Slope for the rest of our lives
spk_0
Oh, yeah, and not known better that as great as it was
spk_0
Upper East Harvest, I think where's what I want to fantastic and I now think Greenpoint is the best neighborhood
spk_0
Yeah, you will find great things at every neighborhood and I love that like don't be afraid to move
spk_0
Yeah, and if you need to but if you stay in the same place, yeah, that's great too. So you just have to be flexible um, and
spk_0
Uh
spk_0
Until you have a rinse stabilized apartment, you know, just be careful with how much stuff you fill up your apartment with
spk_0
Make sure it's stuff you need and and don't just because you have five closets
spk_0
You don't need to fill them all up
spk_0
Which is a lesson we're still learning every time and have a spring cleaning once a year and get rid of a lot of stuff because
spk_0
Um, in apartments it does start to feel a little claustrophobic if you have too much stuff laying around and so you've got to
spk_0
continually
spk_0
Weed stuff out and get rid of stuff and donate stuff and um, just to keep
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Just to be able to breathe and not be overwhelmed by clutter because you do have to be very strategic about where you put things and
spk_0
And how much stuff you have yeah, I think if there's anything I've learned it's like just how little
spk_0
Uh, how much I overvalued stuff, mm-hmm, and how little we really need
spk_0
To just be comfortable to have a comfortable place to sit watch tv have a comfortable place to sleep and
spk_0
shower, you know, um, and then at the end of the day this city has so much communal space. Yeah
spk_0
That utilize it utilize that communal space. You don't need to just you know live just in your house or your apartment right
spk_0
And so yeah, it's your home base that your place to sleep at your place to be a family but
spk_0
Yeah, you know, and but also to be accessible to get to those other places
spk_0
In the city that this city offers so much and so think about you know like how closer you to the subway how close are you to a park
spk_0
And some of those things outside of your apartment not just the apartment itself right. Yeah. Yeah
spk_0
Good good advice
spk_0
Grateful for the places we got to live and for sure if you have any questions
spk_0
There there was a lot in this podcast reach out to Katie at coming to NYC on Instagram
spk_0
Um, and if you have any travel plans or think about traveling make sure you reach out to Katie too
spk_0
And she would love to point you in the right direction and help you however she might be able to help you
spk_0
So thanks everyone for listening. We will talk to you again on the next episode
Topics Covered
hidden gems New York City
Cummings New York City podcast
exploring NYC
local attractions NYC
unseen places in NYC
New York City adventures
unique experiences NYC
Bronx Little Italy
Metropolitan Museum of Art Cloisters
NYC Transit Museum
Lower Manhattan Seaport
family-friendly activities NYC
off-the-beaten-path NYC
NYC food spots
cultural experiences NYC
secret places in NYC