So, my roommate surprised me and was very friendly and laid-back about my wanting to move out. Course, there are some benefits in it for him too (he and his girlfriend can finally be alone), but it also puts a burden on him for paying more rent. I was relieved that it didn't turn ugly, like I feared it might.
ANYWAY, now the apartment search begins. It's no secret that Manhattan is a very expensive place. Always being resourceful and independent, I figured I could find a nice place for somewhere around $800.
Well, the good news is that I have, though none of them will impress anyone with their style or luxury. I've looked around and around, and been to several apartments in my price range, but I found that the neighborhoods scared me, and that's probably a sign not to move there. Not to mention that if I want to live in Manhattan, I have to live so far up north that it doesn't even feel that much like Manhattan (140th - 200th street!!). I can live with that, especially with the help of the express subway train. But here's where it gets tough, the fees! It's ironic that you can be so poor and have to pay such awful fees. Obviously if you're looking for an $850 apartment (the bottom of the barrel), then maybe you don't have a lot of money to be throwing around at greedy brokers? No one gives a shit. People are dying to live in NYC and always will. It's not hard for them to get people to pay $2000+ per month for a one-bedroom. My $800 hopes are a joke. Here's how it works itself out:
$800 = first month's rent
$800-$1250 = security deposit
$1000-$1500 = fee.
In the end you are spending $2000-$3000 just to move in to a place. It's depressing the fuck out of me. I'm sleeping a lot, and when I'm awake, I'm on Craigslist reloading the page every 10 minutes to find that steal of apartment. Rest assured there are others doing the same as I.
I even tried calling up my credit card to get an increase. Now, I have only one credit card, a Capital One, which absorbed the balance of my evil American Express card. I have only had it a few months, but I've been paying them a good amount every two weeks, always above the minimum, so I was hoping to call up and talk to someone about an increase. Well, how sickening is it that you can ask AND be rejected by a MACHINE on the phone!?! I called up and pressed '1' for a credit increase. I waited to talk to someone, ready to plead my case (I need the money to move in! My payments will continue just as they have!). There was a pause, where I was soon to discover was the moment when the machine was "thinking about it" before it came back and basically said, "Fuck off, J!" No human being, just a machine. Boy, I really am a poor, pathetic bastard.
Seeing as I come from a genetic chain of people who are forever teetering on bankruptcy, there's not a single blood relative who can help me out. I can probably come up with $1700 myself including what's left on my credit card (which would also mean I will be eating dust for two weeks until the next paycheck comes), but that still leaves me short about $1300. FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!
There is one option. Crawl on my hands and knees to my roommate and ask to borrow from him. He might do it. He's always been generous to me in the past, which is part of the problem; I still owe him money. My god, this SUCKS! Where is my long-lost wealthy (dead) aunt? Where is that secret trust fund? Where is that valuable jewel I can sell? I HATE BEING POOR! And yes, I live in New York.
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