now that mike and i have decided to settle permanently (or as permanent as this generation ever gets) in new york city, i have stopped wondering what the heck we're going to do to started wondering how the heck we are going to do it.

it seems simple enough: find another apartment some time before september. move there.

in manhattan, though, nothing is simple.

first, we have to find an apartment in one of the most competitive real estate markets in the country. (it is, after all, a pretty small island). the timing of this is crucial: too soon and we have to pay rent before we can afford to and too late and mike will start his job before we're in our new apartment. it could take a day to find a place or it could take months - and there's no way to predict it.

then, we have to be able to afford it. in order to sign the papers, we need first month's rent, last month's rent, deposit, and (if we use a broker) the broker's fee. now imagine that monthly rent is $2,000. you do the math.

finally, to even sign the papers, we need to bring along the following: two forms of ID each, bank statements, credit records and scores, proof of employment, two past checks for each of us, bank statements, and our taxes from the past two years.

after lurking around craigslist for several days and starting to despair of finding anything reasonable (factoring in location and price), i looked for apartments in kalamazoo (apparently i'm a sucker for punishment). turns out, i can get a three bedroom house there for less than a studio on the upper west side.

on the other hand, i bet the rents are cheap in nebraska, too.