HAPPYmanhattan Digital Art

I’ve been playing around with photos to enhance my blog (and soon-to-come website…shhhh….) and just had to share ‘em!

My friend’s going to be on Gossip Girl!!

I just found out that my improv buddy Neal Bledsoe is going to smooch ED WESTWICK in an upcoming GOSSIP GIRL episode! He’s also going to be in the new SEX AND THE CITY MOVIE TOO! YEAAAH, Neal! I am beyond pumped! Check out the full story here!

And here’s a pic of me and Neal with our old improv class!

Sex and the City Star Sighting!!

I was walking home the other day and enjoying the sunset over SoHo when I spotted bright filming lights on West Broadway…check out my up close and personal encounters with the stars of Sex and the City! Check out the video I made out of the experience!

Obama Motorcade!

Where does Obama go for lunch?? The West Village, obviously! After his address on Wall Street his motorcade drove up the West Side Highway, down CARMINE STREET to 6th ave to West 3rd. He dined at the delicious Il Mulino with Bill Clinton–then took the motorcade back down Carmine Street!

So I got to see Obama in a motorcade 2 times today! And made friends with an awesome police officer too! Yay NYC!!

E 9th Street Success!

My friend Dan’s lease was up, so we set out to find him a funky upgrade. He’d been living on the Upper East Side in a studio for a few years, and was craving that downtown lifestyle…and maybe a wall too!

But his current landlord was offering a pretty sweet deal for him to stay…so we needed to find an apartment that was right on target or it just wouldn’ t make any sense. So instead of running out and hitting the pavement, we did our homework! We narrowed it down to ONE apartment–either this was the one or he’d be better off waiting to make the move.

Turns out it was just what he was looking for–but there were other hunters there too so we knew we had to pounce! Unfortunately someone snagged it about 10 minutes before us (DRATS!!), but luckily the apartment just one floor below would be vacant sooooon…

So we wiggled ourselves in…and YESS!! It was perfect (and the exposed brick took the charm level up a few levels too) so we snapped it up!!

Congratulations Dan–welcome to the cool part of Manhattan!

I Heart Frying Pan!

This place is so awesome! I went this weekend with my parents–and we climbed up to the top deck on the boat via a ladder! The breeze and view from the top was incredible!

W 11th Street Success!

Alissa is relocating to NYC from California, and Victoria (who I moved into Perry Street a few months back) recommended she come to me for her apartment hunt! We set out to find her a one bedroom under $2000 in the West Village or the Upper West Side. We saw 4 in the West Village that kept getting better and better, and then headed to the UWS to see if she liked that vibe. Once we got of the subway near the Museum of Natural History, it was pretty clear that the UWS was nice, but not as good a match as the West Village.

So she loved this one near Abingdon Square, but she wanted to see something else in the same part of the West Village to compare. Unfortunately, there just weren’t any more under 2K there–but there was one for 2300 with one month free!

So we headed there…HOLY COW!!! Huge, brand new renovations, awesome block, gorgeous and sunny!! But, there were at least 2 other parties there too!! We raced back to my office to complete the application, and I then RAN to the landlord’s office to claim it!! YESSS, we totally beat out the competition and scored the HOT apartment! Yay!

Congratulations and WELCOME TO NYC Alissa!!

Celebrity Encounter: Ed Westwick!!

Spotted: Ed Westwick hanging with fellow pals with accents.

OMG!! So on Saturday night I was leaving Strip House (12th and 5th Avenue) and I heard, “Hey, I know you!” And it was a former Mark David agent Jacob. I LOVED Jacob, so I excitably chatted with him for a full 5 minutes before I realized that right next to him was…CHUCK BASS!! (He’s from Gossip Girl, just in case you didn’t know!)

“Womanizer, womanizer, you’re a womanizer” sang through my head as he aloofedly smoked his cigarette. I said “I know you from a certain TV show…” with all the charm I could muster–and he totally cracked a smirk! He shook his hand and said “pleasure to meet you” with the sexiest accent…EVER. I shook back and asked for a hug–and he gave me one!! Yay!!

By the way, you’ve gotta grab a date and head to Strip House. The red glowy light makes you look delicious and the incredible steak will make your man go gaga. Try it–but definitely make a reservation!

Sullivan Street Success! AKA: A Blast from the Past!

Not only is Kate my friend from Jr. High, but I grew up with 2 of her sisters AND I had BOTH her parents as music teachers! Mrs. Grande for 6th Grade Chorus (she assigned my a solo that I totally botched in the recital) and Mr. Grande for Marching Band (who gave me the best advice on boys when I got dumped right before a football game by this guy–”Jacki, boys are like buses: another one will come in about 15 minutes).

Now, this might be normal for you people–but I moved around growing up and I really don’t have these kinds of connections!

So when she told me she needed an apartment and would kill to live downtown and near The Peculier Pub, where she works…I HAD to summon the Apartment God! She had a roomie in mind, but they couldn’t do more than 1800 for a 2-bed.

I called up my sources for a secret 2 bed to no avail…but I did uncover a 3-bed for 2700! We sipped on some strawberry margaritas while we waited for her roomie Chelsea and my guy with the keys to meet us…and finally we got in…

BAM!! YESS!! They were confident they’d be able to find a third roomie, so we ran back to my office to put in the application. Sure enough, they got it AND their friend committed to be the 3rd roomie before we got to the lease signing! EXCELLENT!! Congratulations, Ladies!!

By the way, if you’ve never been to The Peculier Pub, you’ve GOT to check it out. It’s on Bleecker between LaGuardia and Thompson and has 400 beers or something crazy. And for the girlie girls, they also have an extensive martini list organized by color–LOVE IT!! (and the mozarella sticks are scrumptious!!)

Grove Street Success!

Arden, the fabulous star of MADtv and the upcoming Comedy Central series Michael and Michael, contacted me because she needed a “lilly pad” for her transition back to NYC. Her husband would be staying in LA for the most part, so she didn’t need a huge apartment–but it definitely had to be AWESOME!

We started off with a few that were OK, but didn’t have the quirky characteristics she craved…so on we trekked! Then we found this amazing on in a MANSION on Grove Street!!

So we made it hers! CONGRATULATIONS, ARDEN!!