Jersey, Baby!

So, last time I wrote, I told you how we were hoping to find a place on Roosevelt Island. Well, while we were waiting to hear back from one application in that area (which was taking FOREVER and the hotel bills were ADDING UP), I decided to check out a listing I found in Jersey City while T.J. was at work. I went into it thinking it would be a waste of time and that it couldn’t live up to Roosevelt Island, but even with the pouring rain… I realized it would be a great place to live.

I saw three different apartments all with the same leasing company and one of the cheaper ones (yes!) had a larger and more open layout than the apartment on RI. Plus, it’s a block away from a HUGE mall and about four blocks away from Target. Guys, this is a huge deal. I know it seems lame and silly to be that excited about a Target. But now that we don’t have a car, having a Target in walking distance pretty much sold me right away. Also, the neighborhood is very nice. Lots of young families, parks, and very safe. The apartment is a ten minute walk through the mall to the train station and close to lots of restaurants and grocery stores. Plus, for all you Cake Boss fans out there, we are just a twenty minute walk from Carlo’s Bakery! There’s a dishwasher in the apartment and laundry on every floor of the building. I’m going to miss the days of free laundry, but at least I don’t have to lug my dirty clothes across town. I think my favorite part of the area is that it’s on the Hudson and so there are lots of piers, boats, and walkways right along the river.

After sleeping on it, T.J. and I decided to apply and then take whatever apartment got back to us the soonest with the earliest move in date. The Jersey apartment was moving really fast and we found out we could get in on Saturday. So, Thursday night we signed the lease and we moved in two days later.

The rest of our stuff that we shipped out here arrived on Tuesday and it has been a lot of work trying to unpack and get all of our stuff to fit in this one bedroom apartment. Thankfully, we got rid of a lot before coming out here but it is still pretty cramped right now and will be a work in progress for a couple of months as we try to buy some shelves and extra drawers.

Eva has adjusted pretty well and is sleeping great (exception for one night). When Eva’s happy, everyone is happy. If Eva’s mad, everyone’s mad. True story. But I think she’s doing well and is excited to see all the action around her.

We went to our new ward on Sunday and loved it. Let’s face it, going to a new ward in a brand new area is pretty scary. Especially coming from a student ward in Provo and knowing you might be there for a couple of years. But it was great. Lots of young families, so many friendly people, and activities already planned for the summer. I exchanged numbers even with a couple girls who live nearby! I have a feeling I am going to be called to play piano in Relief Society because I played this past Sunday and they were very excited to have a pianist. That sounds pretty good to me… it means no nursery calling, right?!

I think that’s about all to report right now. I’ll get pictures up soon, I promise! I don’t want to show too many pictures of our apartment until it’s all unpacked, but I might sneak a few in for my mom.

Oh, one last thing that I think is interesting. The prices here aren’t too bad. Gas seems to be about the same (no car to put gas in, but I just was noticing), and groceries and diapers aren’t much more expensive either. But milk. MILK IS SO EXPENSIVE. $4.00/ga at Target. Granted, I know Target already was a little more expensive than my $2.00/ga at Costco. But $4.00! Ridiculous. I found a grocery store that has it for $3.00 though, so even though it’s a little farther away, I will definitely make the trek to save a $1.00/ga on milk!

3 replies
  1. mom
    mom says:

    Just so grateful that you and Eva were not under the books. It scares me to think about it. I think your apt is coming together nicely. You have a knack of making a place into a home.

    Reply
  2. Bianca
    Bianca says:

    So happy for you Katie! When we were vacating there I told my husband that we would live in Jersey if we ever had to live in NYC. And so jealous about your short walk to Carlos bakery!

    Reply

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