So many places, so little time

As IF I don't have enough to entertain my mind with, I now have a dilemma about where to live when I return to New York. Well, I guess it's a TRIlemma, because I've gone from having nowhere to live to having three possibilities. When I was in NY for the summer, l lived with friends in Astoria and we left it open for my return, but that got fucked up, which is why I had nowhere. Now, while I'm mulling over the two choices that have cropped up since Astoria was a no go, I was talking to my ex-roommate last night and it turns out, as I'm not back until October, I might be able to move back in with them after all. So I have made a little pros and cons list for each of the locations. I'll start with

Astoria

Pros

- I've lived there before, so I know the neighborhood.
- I like the neighborhood.
- You can control the heat in the apartment manually.
- It's a walk up but it's the second floor.
- It's super crazy cheap.
- I like my roommates.
- Laundromat is half a block away.
- I lived there over the summer so I already have some other friends in the neighborhood.

Cons

- My relationship with one roommate is volatile, to say the least. Since I came back to the UK, we've been talking a lot and decided to make a clean slate of things when I come back, but I can't help wondering if that clean slate wouldn't be better if it were unsullied by us living together.
- There would be at least 4 of us living in the apartment. I like my privacy and space. A lot. I need alone time. I don't know how much of it I would get working a full time job and living there.
- I need to go back to the gym. Thanks to my UK bank fucking things up, the NYSC two blocks from the apartment has blacklisted me.
- It's not Manhattan.
- The N/W line is the devil.
- I couldn't have a dog.


Tudor City

Pros

- It's a studio. I would be living alone.
- It's on the 21st floor, there's a lift.
- 24 hour doorman.
- The neighborhood is just GORGEOUS.
- I could walk to work.
- It's owned by a friend, so I would never have issues with my landlord.
- Laundry facilities in the building.

Cons

- It is insanely, almost prohibitively expensive.
- I have to sign contracts and show proof of earnings.
- I couldn't have a dog as the building doesn't allow them.
- Heat is controlled by the building.

Lower East Side

Pros

- It is living with my dear sweet wonderful friend Christina, who I love and will never tire of.
- It's a wonderful neighborhood.
- It's affordable, not cheap but not insane amounts of money.
- It's 3 seconds away from the subway.
- The F/V line is pretty great.
- The shower pressure is phenomenal (who doesn't love that?)
- The apartment is lovely, very well kept.

Cons

- The apartment is lovely, but it's very tiny.
- It's on the fifth floor of a walk up. And I'm lazy.
- Laundry is several blocks away, as is the nearest supermarket.
- Heat is controlled by the building.


So you see, Gentle Reader, I have lots to chew on. But, in typical PCB stylee, I am running before I can walk. I have to actually GET the visa for the job first, then I should worry about where I am going to live.