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Moving from Manhattan to North Myrtle Beach, part one

December 10, 2014 By pia

My life in New York was by any standard (except the billionaire one) a good life. My apartment was small but not cluttered, rich in bathrooms, and wonderful city views.

New York was home. I didn’t realize how comfortable I felt on every street in Manhattan. Having lived in Queens (Sunnyside and Douglaston) for twelve great years—otherwise known as my first twelve years–I had a special affinity for the borough.

But I had worked in downtown Brooklyn during “the bad old days” of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s so….and I loved my twice yearly walk from Sheepshead Bay to Coney Island and back by way of some New York City’s most beautiful beaches. (Later I was to fall in love with the ferry that went to the Red Hook Ikea and Red Hook itself.)

I had also worked in The Bronx during “the bad old days, part two,” otherwise known as the early to mid 1990’s.

I worked at some time or another in every borough but Staten Island and lived in every borough but Brooklyn. (Born in Staten Island where I spent my first three weeks.)

To say I was familiar with Manhattan is a gross understatement. When I lived in rent stabilized near-heaven on East 63rd Street off Fifth Avenue I set out to walk every street in the borough. In those pre-Internet, document every action you take days I didn’t think this a particularly incredible feat nor one that should be recorded for posterity. It was just a way of learning the city and getting easy exercise. Then it became my preferred mode of travel.

I often found myself in The Village where I had friends with clubs. One seminal club in particular where I found myself meeting famous people, refusing advances from incredible men and letting myself fall in love with—well he came well-recommended by a woman who would become legendary for her gravely voice and poetic lyrics.

I had friends and family throughout the city and suburbs. Being a third or fourth generation New Yorker I took feeling comfortable for granted. New York was a very large very small town to me.

I grew older—not wiser and wanted an easier life. I was tired of living like a perpetual grad student. My apartment was beautiful but it lacked space for things I began to consider essential to life—a washer/dryer and dishwasher. Blame it on blogging, I do. I found out that people much younger than me and less established lived in duplexes and houses three to six times larger than my 600 square feet.

At first I thought I would move to Santa Monica or San Diego. They were pricey but if I scaled back my wish list doable. Problem was I didn’t want to scale back my wish list. And I’m an East Coast girl. I grew up near the Atlantic Ocean, and it was the Atlantic that I had confided my biggest dreams to.

I had always thought I would end up in Miami Beach. As my aunt and uncle had moved to Miami in the 1940’s, my cousins were born there as were their children, and I had friends in Miami that seemed reasonable.

I loved the beach; loved the views from the Intercoastal; the intermingling of Hispanic and Jewish cultures (my two favorite); the growing art and design scene; even the buildings.

Miami seemed a perfect fit. But I couldn’t do it.

This is part one of a multipart series.

Filed Under: 90's new york

« Stirring The Pot
About Me–Part 500A »

Comments

  1. Helene Cohen Bludman says

    December 10, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    I look forward to reading the next post to find out how you transitioned to your new home. I’ve never lived in NY but I visit often and the walking is just irresistible. That is one of my favorite things about The City.

  2. Karen Gardner says

    December 26, 2014 at 9:34 pm

    Somehow “Blame it blogging, I do” reminded me of your “The Secret Life of Doormen & Contractors” blog.

  3. Former blogger known as Bone says

    December 29, 2014 at 7:19 pm

    This is simply perfect. It belongs in a memoir somewhere. Those first three paragraphs especially. Tell me you spent hours on them so I won’t be quite as jealous.

    I’ve missed your writing. Of course, it’s been here all the time. Sorry I haven’t.

  4. Former blogger known as Bone says

    December 29, 2014 at 7:21 pm

    I remember Secret Life of Doormen!!!! I linked to it for forever, hoping it might make a surprise return. Sort of the same reason I google “Seinfeld reunion” once every few months…

  5. Rena McDaniel says

    December 31, 2014 at 3:31 pm

    Okay last night I read part 2 thinking it was part 1. So now that I’ve finally figured it out I can’t wait for 3 and 4!

  6. Cathy Chester says

    February 20, 2015 at 10:31 am

    Good for you for taking a chance – and WOW about living in so many places. I am in awe of you. Except for living in Boston for the 4 years of college, I’ve lived (unwillingly) in NJ all my life. I’d move, as they say, in a NY minute if the hubs could find a job.

    Good for you, Pia. Kudos.

Trackbacks

  1. My move from New York to North Myrtle Beach, part 3 - Courting Destiny says:
    January 6, 2015 at 11:10 am

    […] part one […]

  2. Moving from NY to North Myrtle Beach, part 4—compassion | Courting Destiny says:
    February 19, 2015 at 11:56 am

    […] Part One […]

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About Me

I live in the South, not South Florida, a few blocks from the ocean, and two blocks from the main street. It's called Main Street. Amazes me too.

I'm from New York. I mostly lived in the Mid-Upper East Side, and the heart of the Upper West Side. It amazes me when people talk about how scared they were of Times Square in the 1970's and 1980's.

As my mother said: "know the streets, look out and you'll be fine."

What was scary was the invasion of the crack dens into "good buildings in good 'hoods." And the greedy landlords who did everything they could to get good tenants out of buildings.

I'm a Long Island girl, and proud of it now.
Then I hated everything about the suburbs. Yet somehow I lived in a few great Long Island Sound towns after high school.

Go to archives "August 2004" if you want to begin with the first posts.

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