A Bed, a Bed at Last
November 11, 2007 at 1:04 pm 4 comments
Floor sleepers of the world unite! Rise up and defend yourselves against the overt discrimination that exists, be it your mother, kids or friends. What? You sleep on the floor? Poor you can’t afford a bed? Here, maybe we can help you.
Okay, it’s not for everyone but it works for me and probably more people than you realize. Last night, even with my knees screaming at me like banshees, it was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a while.
I hauled my bedroll in a black trash bag from my U-Haul storage unit (picture hobo Bob on the subway with his stash bag) down to the ‘studio’. Then it was off to Century 21 Department Store to find something to cushion the hard parquet floor.
The store was a trip. How many people know that discount shopping was born in NYC with the opening of E. J. Korvette? I remember it well. How many who now take discount shopping for granted know about the infamous ‘fair trade’ laws that Korvette defied. Plain and simple, discounts were illegal as in law breaking. Can you believe it?
The spirits of Eugene Ferkauf and Korvette are alive and well at Century 21, the operative word being alive. The store was a beehive of shopping energy to the max. After finding the separate home store building, I located the bedding department. I wandered around looking at bedding stuff and asked a young man in the department for advice. He steered me to a foam mattress pad. Guess what? He turned out to be a floor sleeper having to deal with his mother’s admonishments. Funny…but figures!
Next it was on to the bath department. I found a good quality bath towel for 3 bucks and was looking for a hand towel. There was a rack of I think “zero twist towels”. I had to peer around the rack to read the pricing sign. Shortly a diminutive woman looking like the towel fairy queen floated by and said “three ninety-nine, a dollar ninety-nine” in her lilting Brooklyn Jewish accent as she pointed to each bin with her wand (or whatever it was). I am going to wire myself and blog some of these sounds and conversations. I think they’re priceless!
BFN BB
Entry filed under: Cross County To Brooklyn, Life in Brooklyn. Tags: .
1.
Heather | November 11, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Hurray! You found a place and you have a bed! So are you anti-box spring and mattress, or would you like a bed at some point? I know you’ve been sleeping on the floor for years, but it’s much colder out there during the winter so a nice bed with a down comforter might ease that knee pain. Keep posting pictures of your place so I can send ideas. I’m really in to interior decorating lately.
We’re glad to see you have a place to call home in a nice area. There are so many great places to visit and fun things to do in NYC. Congratulations on living your dream!
2.
greenscaper | November 12, 2007 at 11:33 am
Hi Heather, no I do not want a bed! That is a down comforter on my pad and I’ve got a better looking comforter cover in storage. There’s no problem with the floor being cold. I’m sleeping well now…better than those hotel beds believe it or not. The best remedy for my knees right now is to not be hauling stuff up and down subway stairs.
We could have some fun with decorating ideas for the ‘studio’. Right now, I make do. There was a white 5-gal bucket with lid left by someone. It’s my only chair. The ergonomics leave a bit to be desired but it’s better than nothing until I buy some essential furniture e.g. computer desk and chair, easy chair and ottoman,
The big challenge is the bathroom. Frankly, it sucks but what the hell I don’t live in the bathroom. There’s a too-small vanity with a pink sink and top. Why in the world would someone install a pink vanity? How the hell do I change the color of this monstrosity? BTW, the toilet seat is also pink. That will be replaced for sure…but the sink. That’s a challenge for ApartmentTherapy.com
The bathtub is large and modern,. It obviously replaced one of those old fashioned claw foot bath tubs because the overhead shower curtain rod is a wrap-around. Per some advice I read on the web, I’m going to buy 2 inexpensive cloth shower curtains and change them periodically.
Slowly but surely, the studio will be a fun place to live and work.
BTW, are you ever going to tell me how you happened to link me to Virtual Real Estate or is that prosecuter priveledged information?
In any case, thanks again. It turned out to be the “magic key to the kingdom.”
BFN Grandpapa BB
3.
Heather | November 12, 2007 at 1:20 pm
I was searching craigslist for ads in the neighborhoods you mentioned. Several of the ads were listed by Virtual Real Estate. Rather than respond to individual ads, it’s always best to use an agent who is familiar with the area and apartment availability. I used West Coast Property Management to find my place in SF several years ago.
As for the pink toilet and vanity, you could use a high gloss oil paint to achieve a new look. Epoxy paints tend to peel, but I’ve read that high gloss oil paints work well. Pink toilets and vanities are vintage 50s bathroom fixtures though! You could have a great theme going!
4.
greenscaper | November 12, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Your mouse was guided!
“You could have a great theme going!” Nice try Heather. BTW, I’ve got a neat bridge for sale here if you’re interested.
The vanity is most likely a remove and replace project. It is definitely ugly. The 50s eh, that figures.