Please, MTA, Don't Make Me Move Again

Due to the terrible economy (a handy excuse/escape clause of late), the MTA has proposed cutting the M8 bus in its "doomsday budget." That just happens to be the bus I take to/from work in the winter.

The walk between my West Village apartment and my employer's East Village office is lovely when it's nice out, but when it's freezing or rainy, that five-avenue trek is unbearable (y'all know I don't do well in the cold).

At first, I wasn't too agitated about the whole thing because I had already been contemplating a move. Since arriving in the city over seven years ago, I've lived in or lived with someone in probably seven or eight apartments. It used to be that everything I owned fit in a four-door car. Then a small van. But this last time, I had to hire movers and it was mind-bogglingly expensive. So, believe me when I say that only the direst of circumstances would lead me to do it all again.

Sure, the West Village can't be beat, but I live in a teeny-tiny apartment on the sixth floor of a walk-up. That was acceptable a year and a half ago when I was desperate and had about four days to find a place. But now it's bursting at the seams. My closet is overflowing. I keep shoes in the cupboards. I don't own real furniture and don't want to schlep any (or pay to have it schlepped) up all those stairs. My bathroom is divided in two! I need more more space, period. I was even fully prepared to move back to (gasp) Brooklyn.

But everything changed when my super came up this morning to take a look at my radiator and let me know that a bigger apartment on the second floor was opening up in a month or so -- and was I interested? Hell, yes, I'm interested. I love this street, I like my building, my super is super, I'm quite attached to my take-out places, the river is a short walk away, there are actual trees around and it's conveniently located. And a move within the building would be much less expensive and stressful.

So basically, the only problem would be ... the indeterminate fate of the M8. Now you can count me among the petition-signing activists. Solidarity!