“They are hunting dogs. It’s in their nature. But as long as you’re aware of the dog’s limitations and strengths, they’re fantastic animals. But they’re considered primitive. I tell potential owners if they can’t handle a husky, they probably can’t handle a Jindo.”
“I’d feel pretty terrible if my dog killed some small animal,” I admitted.
“And that’s okay. A Jindo probably isn’t for you, then. My sister can keep an eye out at the shelter for a good dog that’ll fit better with you. I’ll still bring in one of the puppies for a meet and greet. It’ll be fun, and it’ll make your workday nicer. You have viewings tonight, right?”
“I do.” I checked my phone, which informed me I needed to leave within ten minutes to get out the door in time. “We’re checking out five units tonight, as far as I know. There was the possibility of more if the agent could find anything.”
“Keep me in the loop. As soon as you have a signed lease and move-in date, we’ll arrange for the movers to bring your stuff to your new home.”
“Thanks, Garret.”
“Glad to help. Drive safe and let me know how it goes.”
I took that as my cue to leave, exchanged pleasantries, and headed off to the next leg of my adventure into New York City and everything it had to offer.
Ten
That was a cockroach, wasn’t it?
My real estate agent, Margaret Donner, met me outside of her office a thirty-minute drive from work thanks to traffic. All things considered, it might have been faster to walk. Rather than contain or straighten her hair like many black women did in professional environments, she styled hers in an afro, and I appreciated her lack of conformity to society’s standards. I held out my hand, offered a smile, and said, “I’m Hope. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I love your hair. It suits you.”
She grinned in return, giving me a firm handshake. “I like what you’ve done with your car. Garret tells me you’re from the land of politicians?”
“Unfortunately. Give me the bad news first. How bad is the rent going to be?”
“It’ll be bad but affordable. As affordable as Manhattan gets, that is. I have a selection of apartments to visit today in the same area. I haven’t been to the first we’re going to before, but it is the cheapest of the lot. I don’t have high hopes for it, truth be told. The pictures were misleading.”
“Misleading? How were they misleading?”
“There is no picture of the bathroom, the kitchen pictures are taken at odd angles, which implies there is something they don’t want prospective renters to see, and there’s a lot of missing information on the unit. It’s a new listing, so sometimes information gets missed, but the price was good, the neighborhood is pretty safe, and it’s somewhat close to your work, so I thought it would be a good candidate to look at. My favorite is the second unit we’ll be looking at, which is in walking distance of your work, has an underground garage, good security, and a good view. I’ve been told it’s small, but it’s tolerable for one person. That said, the landlord didn’t tell me the square footage, and his definition of small doesn’t necessarily match mine. It allows pets. Garret had mentioned you might wish an animal but don’t have one yet.”
“That’s right. I’m thinking about a dog.”
“I don’t know if the other units I want to show you today allow dogs, but we’ll find out when we talk with the leasing office. Some do, some don’t. They change the rules all of the time. And some that don’t necessarily allow dogs will if the price is right.”
“And the ones that do are going to charge me a fortune in deposits and a monthly rate to have one,” I muttered.
“That’s usually how it goes. I’m hoping that if I show you a good spread of apartments, you’ll be able to set your expectations for the rest of the viewings. I’ve found most people new to the area get a shock when seeing the apartments for the first time. Most are small and expensive. The penthouses that are showcased in the movies cost millions and are hard to get a hold of. The economy matters, though. A few went up for sale recently, though one sold in a matter of hours.”
“Is that normal?”
“When it’s on the top floor of one of Manhattan’s premier buildings, it is. The last time