Heading to my brownstone in NY

So, tomorrow I am off to NYC and have found a new place to call home for awhile. This was one of the many apartments I found off the on-line craigslist, which everyone talks about and uses for just about anything. Everything seemed great and worked out well with owner, originally from TO, who wanted to sublet his beautiful studio apartment, however, it didn't seem that I could stay there long enough so I let it be and looked around. The apartment owner called me on my way back to Ottawa and said that I was the best candidate he had interviewed, hoped I would take the apartment and we could negotiate the length of stay. It felt just like a job offer that I couldn't refuse, even more rigorous than the getting into the school.

I'll share some photos and some lines from the ad to give you a sense of the apartment and why I had to take it in the end...

... Fully furnshied studio apartment in a brownstone with three large south facing windowns looking out on one of the most beautiful blocks on the Upper West Side... Meg Ryan's brownstone in You've Got Mail is immediately across the street. The apartment features hard wood floors, 13 foot ceilings, an exposed bricked wall and working fireplace. Very safe block with its very own patrolman (totally unnecessary but a welcome luxury). I want to be sure to sublet to someone who is respectful, responsible and considerate...

Besides this, the apartment is sandwiched between two beautiful large parks, Central Park and Riverside Park, so I won't be too far away from nature and sports, and is in a neighbourhood filled with life and stores and restaurants. When I was last there, I was most impressed and excited by a large Barnes and Noble book store that I can see myself visiting often, one of my favourite women's clothing stores called Anne Taylor, and several large neighbourhood grocery stores.

Well, I aced the interview for the apartment and there you go. I'm on my way to stay there tomorrow night and head to classes on Tuesday. On Sunday and Monday, I need to prepare the apartment and most important prepare myself for school and the culinary arts, shopping for a variety of chef clothing and accessories. Dave is most impressed with the full knife set that I get in a stylish carrying case so no one would ever know as I'm travelling home on the subway with this case, except for me, hoping that I don't trip or have to go through a metal detector. So, more on the knives and other utensils later when I know what I'm talking about and they become my best friends.

Hope to hear from you as I travel down the road of food for thought, thoughts of food and thoughtful food...

Bon appetit, Caroline