Goodbye Queen City, and Hello Big Apple!

On July 2021, our family decided to leave our home in Charlotte, and move to New York City! My husband decided to work as a travel nurse and New York was one of the places where we wanted to go to. Were we a little crazy to move in one the most populated cities in the world during a pandemic? Maybe a little! Nonetheless, we did the thing and we are proud to say that we are thriving.

Where in NYC?

We live on Roosevelt Island (see pictures below), about 2 miles long, lying in the East River right in between Manhattan and Queens. We can see the Empire State, the Chrysler Building, and World Trade center on one side, and Long Island City, Queens on the other. If you’ve ever seen any of the Spiderman movies, the famous Roosevelt Island Tram is our regular commute to the Upper East. I think we lucked out on this place, especially for first time New Yorkers. It’s a quiet area, a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.

What’s it like living in NYC during the COVID pandemic?

I will say, that during the summer, I felt like people were more compliant to mask regulations here than in NC. Vaccinated people were allowed to come in and out of operating businesses without their masks, and we never got sick. Most people were not wearing one while walking outside, but even if there was that option to not wear one inside stores and such, people still wore them. Masks were still required inside subways and buses. But now, with the Omicron variant, people are wearing masks and “trying” to social distance (it’s impossible in a highly populated city). There are many vans parked on the side of the road, offering free vaccines and free testing, but with the capacity of people in the city, it’s seems like there are not enough. My son’s school was affected, especially his particular class, but luckily we didn’t get the virus. We are still on the fence about bringing him back after their Holiday break from school. We had experienced homeschooling, and we enjoyed it, so I am not too worried about making that decision, although I know many families don’t have that advantage. We never know what might happen, so back to quarantining we go.

Am I still teaching piano and voice lessons?

A lot of people are asking if I am still teaching lessons online! I am — I brought all my gear with me, so everything is still operating the same except this time I have a city view of Queens! It’s quite the view, especially at night. I’ve gotten a lot of messages from people living in NC looking for a piano teacher, and thought I should explain to newcomers where I am at right now. I will be taking more online students in the summer of 2022. As of now, I am only working certain hours, in preparation of a new baby! Yes, that’s right, a new baby! We are expecting any day now.

Some people think I will not be teaching lessons anymore! I enjoy teaching so much, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop any time soon. I’ll be taking a quick maternity leave and should be back on track as soon as possible. With that being said, enjoy these pictures of where I live right now, and see you on Zoom!

Baby #2 due January 2022! Taken in Central Park, November 2021.

(Disclaimer: I do not own any of these pictures.)

We moved to New York City during a pandemic!