12 Millennial-Friendly Pieces I Got for My First NYC Apartment
When I made the decision to move to NYC, I looked at it as an opportunity for reinvention. Minus one or two friends from high school, I could be whoever I wanted to be, wear whatever suited my mood and drink all the matcha in the city without a speck of judgment or the threat of running into someone I knew. It wasn’t until I started packing that I realized: 1) how expensive moving costs are, 2) some of the things I owned had some strong sentimental value, and 3) my bed is so amazing, how can an Ikea alternative ever compare?
But alas, here I was, smacked in the face with some serious self-awareness that only a cross-country move could induce. After a few tears, I packed my car—about 7 trips worth—of stuff to donate to various thrift shops. Goodbye marble chopping block! Goodbye wicker egg chair! See you never, bar cart!
I ended up bringing 3 suitcases, 2 carryon bags, and sent a big box of necessities to the new pad the day before my flight (among those contents were my Vitamix and my essential oil diffuser…that shit ain’t cheap!).
Losing sleep on a shoddy air mattress and using plastic utensils, I spent a good amount of time in that first week scouring the internet for cheap, but well-rated objects and oddities to fill the blank space. Now that I have a couch, a mattress, a desk, some greenery, and a few other additions, it’s starting to look like a grown up’s space.
See the above image for the core pieces that made my little Morningside Heights abode feel like home (excludes some misc. TJ Maxx buys for things like cutlery, pots, pans, cups and the like):
From the top, left to right:
Fresh eucalyptus from a flower shop down the street
A Casper mattress…a splurge, but worth every penny
A funky desk. I work from home so it had to be cah-yute.
A cheap futon. Not the most comfortable but looks cool and does the job *insert thumbs up emoji*
This Surya shag rug from Wayfair, which is now sold out but available on other sites.
A not-so-pink pink desk chair.
An aesthetically pleasing garment rack. This is New York. Getting suitable closet space is the equivalent to seeing a unicorn.
A shoe rack for the entryway because pee and gum don’t belong on my floors.
A lucite magazine holder so I can show off my collection of Bon Appetite mags.
A matcha whisk because, well…matcha.
Essential oils. I like Vitruvi or Saje, but whatever fits your fancy and your budget.