The apartment I currently live in was the first I looked at in NYC. It was too easy, back in 2009. My roommate’s father was our guarentor, we didn’t even need salary checks or any of the usual mass of paperwork. I was living with my 3 best friends, we were all kinds of excited, and positively could not wait for September 1st. Our impatience was at such a fantastical level, we could not stay away from the neighborhood of out apartment to-be. One day we snuck into the building on a whim and a hope. Our apartment was unoccupied and someone had left the door open. We hung out in an empty apartment for hours, planning our brand new city life. It wasn’t all dance parties (though they are the absolute best option for an unfurnished, echoey apartment), there was business to attend to. We sat on the floor and drew straws to determine who got which room. I ended up with the shortest straw and the only room without a closet.

I never win anything. I thought with mild bitterness.

Maybe you never win anything either. But you can’t say that anymore if you’re Melissa! Because Melissa is the winner of my first give-away ever! She was named the winner by the straw drawer of the internet: random.org. One I ♥ NY shirt is all yours, gil! Just let me know what shirt size you want girl, and I get it to you!

Thanks everyone who entered! I plan on giving away more New York cliché things. Any ideas?