NYC is a shameless flirt

So for all (one) of you who have commented on my lack of posts, I will explain: I'm in NYC. I'm on my friend's computer (it's weird) and she also uses Internet Explorer which I don't like (Yeah Firefox!), so I won't be linking my usual randomness. However, I WILL tell you all about the shameless flirt that is New York City.

So first off, I'm here to audition for two things that aren't even in NY, but are having their auditions here and I'm also seeing a host of friends out here who are much more sucessful and/or daring than I. This city is a place I always imagined myself living, and the two or three times I have visited over the years left me with a deep longing and conviction that I was destined to live in Manhattan like an actor is destined to wait tables. But coming here now that I'm a little older and more married, I was like "meh, it's a big city with more arts, more theater, and more pretenciousness." But New York wouldn't have it. Let me tell you the ways New York City has teased me:

-The weather here has been insanely perfect. It's not August in this city right now. I think they jumped to early October/late September.
-I have heard horror stories about the rats, mice, and cockroaches in this city-yet have I seen a single one? Not even in the tracks of the subway!
-It's pretty laid-back right now (for the city.) Most New Yorkers are getting in their vacation time right before the fall so lots of places aren't as crowded.
-One of my friends is letting me stay at her place while she is off with her family to see the Olympics (in China.) She lives in a nice studio apartment right next to Central Park on the Upper West Side. The neighborhood is a beautiful one with lots of cute familes taking walks down tree-lined streets.
-There are tons of natural food stores and restuarants that aren't ridiculously over-priced. I mean, everything is overpriced to a point in NY, but at home, the natural food choices are way more expensive in relation to other food choices-but here they're only slightly more expensive and sometimes even cheaper! (Note: For those who don't know, I have to stay on a pretty strict diet, so this is a very good thing)
-I was going to take a class at THE Broadway Dance Center, but a friend of mine recommended New Dance Group instead and boy, am I glad! No dance-diva teachers, no overcrowded classes with overcrowded egos and actual individual attention! It felt so good to dance again and not feel intimidated by all the "big-city dancer" stuff.
-This is the biggest shocker: I haven't met any mean New Yorkers. In fact, I've had some great experiences with the people here. A few days ago I was lost on the Subway (got on a train going the wrong direction) and one of the Subway musicians yells over to me (in a true NY accent) "Hey, sweetheart are you lost? Do you need to find the Upper West Side?" Then proceeded to tell me exactly what train I needed to take and where.

WHAT IS GOING ON?

Obviously New York is shamelessly flirting with me..."Seee? (bats eyelashes) there are no rats here! And everyone is always soooo nice and helpful-see how all the neighborhoods are safe and beautiful with consistently perfect weather? I'm suuure you'll be able to afford to live here where things don't get too crowded and you can always eat healthy!"

Well, as long as NY is going to pander to me, I may as well enjoy it. I did get my bag of questionable character in Chinatown for $35 (though I'm still mad that I probably could have talked him down to 30.) It says it's a Coach bag. Let's not judge lest we be judged also-and bags can be very judgemental.

Well, I'll head home Tusday night after being torridly wooed by the seductive New York City. Will it work? Maybe, but I imagine that once I leave, all the rats get some signal that it's OK to come out again.