So I know it’s only been a few weeks…but uh…want to look for a place together? I recently had this conversation last night. This conversation has a slight level of awkwardness no matter who you are talking with. This conversation had a level 2 awkwardness- friend level. See, I’m not being an idiot, I wasn’t talking to a man. I learned enough from a certain South African to know when (and if I ever) live with a man it will be a long, drawn out, carefully considered conversation. No, this conversation was with my new roommate. See, the place I’m living now is only a temporary sublet. Yes, I went through all that trouble of moving just to live here for two months. It beats being homeless. Now the move continues for November. But this time I’m not alone, this time if the movers are 4 hours late, I’ll be waiting with my new roommate who is awesome.

We met acting at a renaissance fair together. She is the chillest person ever, which means a lot considering how many San Franciscans I know. She’s hilarious and adorable all in an interesting, mellow way, with a little bit of an edge. Like a fine wine? I wish I could just sit on a porch, drink PBR, and shoot the sh*t with her forever that’s basically what we did all summer. We avoided beer bellies by running to the nearby lake during the day. We would reach the lake, admire the view, jump in, and run back. It’s the perfect way to exercise. In a beer drinking contest, Rose can drink me under the table (she’s from Baltimore, it’s not fair), but running and gabbing- we’re perfectly matched. Rose is the perfect person to ease my pain of not living with Miranda anymore (don’t worry, nothing happened, she can just afford the rent increase and I decided I couldn’t). She is also the person to bring back my Other New York Clichés Feature! Meet my new roommate:

Name/prefered pseudonym: Rose

Borough and neighborhood: Currently I live in Manhattan (Harlem), but I am waiting eagerly the day I can afford to move back to Brooklyn.

How are you a New York cliché?  

This is a tough one.  Probably I’m a cliché in that I, like many New Yorkers, feel like I’m a big blob of nothing if I’m not constantly busy and doing different things.  Since moving to New York I have moved my career focus from acting to writing (and gone back to school to pursue this path) but I will still jump at any chance I get to act, beat myself up anytime I get so much as an A- on a paper, and I take any work that comes my way. 

They say no one who lives in New York is actually from New York.Where are you from? Baltimore, Maryland (pronounced: Bawlmer, Merlin).  I still love my hometown and go back and visit my family and friends there every couple of months.

Bloomberg is banishing you from NYC. You have 24 hours before you have to pack up and leave for ever. How do you spend them?

 I spent my summer upstate acting in a Renaissance festival. I visited NYC once and had so little time before I had to return,  it was almost as if I had only 24 hours.   Here’s what I did with my time: I spent every second I could with my boyfriend, ate lunch at our favorite restaurant (look below), went to the Strand to get some books, walked around Williamsburg, East Village, Union Square, and West Village, and then got drinks with a few of my favorite friends.  I don’t think I could ask for a better day than that. 

What restaurant/bar you keep going back to, even though you’ve been meaning to try a dozen others?

I love Le Barricou in Williamsburg.  I started going there for Brunch when I lived only a few blocks away and, luckily, my boyfriend still lives close, so I’m there frequently.  I don’t think I’ve had a single thing there I didn’t like and there Bloody Mary’s are the best. 

Hot dogs or pizza?

PIZZA!  I love me dollar slices, brick oven, and run-of-the-mill New York slices all the same.

So you live in NYC, but what’s one super-touristy thing you secretly love?

I lived in Soho for over a year and I admit I love the shopping convenience of the Euro-Mall that is Broadway between Houston and Grand.

Ever had a run-in with a celebrity (A-D List)? I have seen several celebrities, but my most embarrassing celebrity story happened when I first moved to New York.  I had a friend who was in a show at NYU and while I was waiting in the lobby before the show I kept running into people I knew from high school productions, camps, pre-college programs, ect. and I felt like I knew everybody in the room.  I turned and saw a familiar face and I waved with a big smile and he waved back, also with a smile.  My presumed friend/acquaintance was Haley Joel Osment.  I do not know Haley Joel Osment.  As the realization and embarrassment crept onto my face he also realized that he did not know me and he turned away with a big huff. 

You totally saw something weird on the subway or street today (you may not have registered it was weird because you are jaded), what did you see?  

I once was waiting for a train and looked over to the orthodox Jewish woman sitting next to me, in her full religious clothes, digging through her shopping bag which was FULL of black bedazzled thongs.

What is your favorite fictionalized New York? How does it compare with reality?

 My favorite fictionalized New York is strangely found in the Nero Wolfe mystery series.  The series includes some 50 books and short stories and were written over four decades (1934-1974).  I probably read every story twice since I was given one for Christmas when I was thirteen or fourteen years old.  The New York of those books is of an earlier time, but I still get so excited anytime Archie Goodwin (the narrator and Nero Wolfe’s “legman,” a detective who does all the physical work while Nero stays at home and eats delicious foods and takes care of his massive orchid collection) mentions someplace I know or no longer exists but I can still see the evidence of.  Archie is observant, clever, and incredibly witty.  The New York surrounding Achie and Nero was constantly changing, but they remained the same.  The city the author, Rex Stout, presents is so colorful and fun and it is clear that he sees the humor in all kinds of people; I like to hope that I can do the same.

Plug something! Be it something you are involved in, your significant other/roommate/cat is involved in, or just something you think is extra-special going on in NYC.

I love The PIT (The Peoples Improv Theater).  I used to go to school in Chicago and I missed doing improv when I moved to the city.   Many of my favorite people I met through improv and on top of that I love watching it.  It’s always a fun night when I’m there:  the shows are fun and the people are great.  The prices are cheap and, if I were not currently juggling school and work, I would be there all the time.

Thanks, Rose, for bring back my Other NYcs feature! See you in the hallway! 

What do you think of this series? Love it so much you want featured? Fabulous! Email NewYorkCliche@yahoo.com.