big apple, crowded living

                                                                                                   GR for the girly network

                                                                                                           

My neighbor, Millie, watches NY1 in the morning and HBO's Big Love at night. She's also gotten pretty sick this winter, some nights coughing up a lung...non-stop through-out the night.  How do I know all of this?  No, I'm not stalking her...just blame it on the super thin sheetrock that separates our apartments.

I've lived most of my life in an apartment setting, so I guess I should be used to it by now.  Our last apt in the Bronx was actually worst. Our next door neighbors were these 2 young roommates, lovely girls...but they loved to blast bachata for all their predominantly Irish/Italian neighbors to hear.  I can appreciate some Aventura...just not at outrageous decibels.  Thin walls or not...it was downright deafening...I couldn't hear myself think. So the cops occasionally payed them a visit. Then there was the young couple (early twenties) who lived directly below us. When they first moved in, they had a pretty consistent schedule...loud sex around 11pm, even wilder moaning around 3am and morning fornication around 7am.  Ruddy and I secretly hated them for several reasons...a) They were waking us up in the middle of the night...and we were sleep deprived because of them  b) We couldn't compete...who could?  Here's our theory...that they had just moved in together and it was their honeymoon phase. I think we were right because the madness stopped after a month and they transitioned to a more reasonable schedule...if you know what I mean.

NYC dwelling is not easy when you're in an apt with thin walls...which is more the rule than the exception. So, why do we choose to live on top of each other, crunched in such tight quarters?  I have to admit that I would do it again...and again...if it meant I had access to the greatest city in the world.  Maybe I'm biased because this is my place of birth...but there's such energy and vibrancy and life here...that I find it hard ever leaving it.  So, until we can afford to buy a house in the big apple, it looks like Millie and I will just have to learn to co-exist.

Comments

[B. Margarita Ramirez]

Trust me Gloria, when you live in a house it's the same. I often have to call my cousin to lower the volume in the T.V. upstairs, or lower his voice because he seems to want to "hang out" after midnight. And since I have to wake-up at 6:30am I don't appreciate losing my Zzzz's. The other day my Dad heard moaning sounds when he was in his office, so sex or what you call "fornicating" is something heard in houses too. I think the new houses and apartment buildings that are being built should have thicker walls. Saturday and Sunday's are the only days I could wake-up a little later. I am startled at around 7am hearing Merengue, Salsa, Bachata and Reggeaton directly from upstairs. And calling the Police on my Uncle and Aunt is out of the question. So unless you want to live in some desert or in a woodsy area that you see in Suspense and Scary movies and want to run the risk of running into Jason from from Friday the 13th...you can't win!