7425 New Utrecht Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, USA
I remember the very first day in my first apartment after Graduation, I spent two days with Will and Leslie moving my stuff from my college dorm into this old, smelly apartment above an italian deli which I was only able to afford because I promised to work in the deli parttime without pay and the last person who lived in the apartment had a breakin. Was that apartment safe and livable? Absolutely not. Did I love it with all my heart and make it my own? Absolutely yes. I knew that nothing had been done the apartment in years, so I spent my mornings in the deli, my afternoons at my internship and the weekends with friends DIYing every inch of my apartment. Everything I added to that apartment was either paid for in labor, food, beer or another favor of sorts. The only thing 'brand new' were the mattress and pillows which my parents helped with. I soon found out that yellow paint in the kitchen was a bad choice, when I had a hangover and the sun came streaming in - I still remember wearing sunglasses inside for 2 days over the 4th July celebrations. Sure, certain taps needed to be jiggled, I had to limit my intake of chinese cause of the smell, and the sofa cushions were kinda lumpy.... But that cold kiss of the key in my pocket always reminded me that I had a place of my own. It wasn't perfect, but it was wholly mine and I was sad to let it go 4 years later when I moved in with my boyfriend.
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