Despite the fact that we are living in a beautiful luxury apartment building, my roommates and I still find things about which to complain. There aren't enough laundry machines, the gym is too small, the elevators too slow - the list goes on and on. I mean, after all, there are five girls and all their belongings crammed into this two bedroom, two bathroom, fully furnished apartment. The torture really is quite acute.
Our trip Wednesday took us to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, an experience that suddenly crystallized just how good we have it. Hearing stories of 14 people crammed into small dark apartments, garment shops being set up in these apartments, and bathrooms in the backyard made me realize both the space and the luxuries that living in NYC in 2004 can provide – at least with a good deal of money. The tenement had no grand entrance, no frescos on the ceiling of the lobby, no doorman welcoming you inside after a long day. Sometimes, a reality check is just what you need.
