Pond-hop

Pond-hop is a tiny blog about the big decision to live on the opposite side of the Atlantic ocean. If it's useful to you, I'd love to hear about it.

[pondhop]

Dogs now welcome in NYC bars and restaurants. Visitors wonder, why were they ever not?

Enjoy a hotdog with your dachshund, a pomegranate with your pomeranian or a shake with pretty much any four-legged friend. New York City’s restaurants are now officially dog-friendly. Sort of.

Governor Cuomo just signed the Dining with Dogs bill into effect. In short, it means a bunch of old ordinance is now reversed and dogs are officially sanctioned to share outdoor dining space with their owners. Cue begging eyes and much pawing of legs.

Of course, the decision to allow dogs on the premises is still that of individual restaurant owners but now they have a choice about doing so without breaking any laws.

It brings New York eateries into line with those in other major US cities, such as Los Angeles, which have allowed dogs at dinner for the last three years. If you’re coming to the Big Apple from somewhere like Paris or London, you might be surprised this was even an issue here until now.

In the UK there are no laws prohibiting canine companions from accompanying you to dinner, it’s just that most places frown upon it. In France, there are no legal or cultural barriers at all. Under New York’s newest bill, they’re restricted to outside areas and sidewalk tables, and the FDA still strongly recommends all animals be excluded from restaurants, citing "a risk to the health and safety of diners, restaurant workers, and other dogs.” 

But, now the law has changed, it’s unclear whether anyone need take notice of the FDA, unless there are dogs running wild in kitchens or pantries.  

It’s a shame the Dining with Dogs bill wasn’t passed in time for summer, since your pooch will now suffer the indignity of cold concrete while you chow down beneath a heat lamp above their head, but still - progress does not come without cost. Check out these tips for taking a doggy to dinner:

The Bring Fido website lists dog-friendly bars, restaurants, hotels and other attractions. They also have a free app for iPhones.

Branches of Shake Shack across the city sell dog-friendly snacks including specialist dog biscuits and frozen yogurt. Check out the dog section of their menu.

A handful of specialist bars cater specifically for dogs on the premises. Places like Fetch Bar & Grill, The Barking Dog at 94th St or The Park NYC will all welcome fido with open arms, although you’ll still be limited to outdoor seating.

Photography by Aurélie Jouan

[pondhop]

Cheap rides from JFK airport are no more: Uber just announced it’s killing off flat rate fares from New York’s east side airport. 

From now on, all rides will be priced on time and distance, rather than $60 including tip.

While you can get a live estimate from the Uber app, it’ll almost certainly mean higher fares for Manhattan residents who battle against unexpected traffic and clock up more miles getting into the city. 

On the other hand it could mean cheaper rides for those in the outer boroughs such as Queens and Long Island. 

NYC taxis remain flat rate of $52 plus tolls, the 50-cent MTA State Surcharge, and the 30-cent Improvement Surcharge, plus any tolls. In total, that should work out around $59 plus tip. Taking an Uber Pool from JFK is also a good option, sometimes costing as little as $43. If you’re not yet an Uber user, use this link for $20 off your first ride.

We’ll be taking a trip to JFK in the next few days to see how it compares to our last flat-rate journey from the West side of Manhattan.

[pondhop]

Pond-hopping tip: Check more than Direct Debits when cutting recurring payments

Cleaning up your Direct Debits through online banking will catch the big bills - the gas, the electric and council taxes. You might even nix the TV licence and gym membership that way, but don’t forget to trawl credit and debit card statements for infrequent, yet recuring charges that show up just once a year.

Amazon Prime, for example, takes a one-off fee every 12 months so it's easy to miss. Don’t get stung a year down the line when your UK account is bare and those memberships come calling.

[pondhop]

Cancellation stations

The hold music drills into my skull as I enter the second hour of phone calls to unpick memberships, policies and accounts in my name. Like much of the pre-move preparations, unravelling myself from the trappings of my old life and severing ties is a laborious process, but it’s throwing up a few surprises too.

Cancelling a gym membership, for example, is a famously arduous process. Most demand a hand-delivered letter as a ruse to comment on your waistline while pushing newer, cheaper membership options. But with Virgin Active, mine went like clockwork, even over the phone. A round of applause for Kevin-The-Customer-Service-Man for that.

Like an amicable break-up, we agreed to part ways without any raised voices. He knew I’d rarely used my membership, and now I never will.

And then there’s the habitual things I simply forgot I have access to… from roadside assistance to Amazon Prime and insurance against lost cards and keys. The stuff you take for granted is the last to trip you up when cutting the financial cords on life.

But battle through it - there’s a nice treat at the end. The feeling of catharsis as you un-hook each tiny financial leech is wonderful, and I'm slowly feeling the untangling sensation reach my mind, as well as my wallet.

From subscription snack boxes to all-you-can-watch cinema cards, I’m starting to wonder why I ever signed up to this stuff at all. And the hold music is still playing.

[pondhop]

Pond-hopping tip: Address for success

You’ve got the job, secured a visa, but without a temporary address in the US, you’re going to struggle very quickly.

You’ll be unable to open a bank account, since they can’t send you a debit card, credit card or any cheque books to get you started. And that means you can’t find anywhere permanent to live, since you’ll need a cheque to secure an apartment, and make rent each month.

Make sure you have somewhere trustworthy to treat as a temporary residence and that can receive mail for you. Even if it’s your office or a friend’s house in the US, being able to put a solid address next to your name will speed up banking applications and let you make payments for apartment deposits, mobile phone plans and all the other basic things you’ll need when moving to a new city.

[pondhop]

No fixed abode

It’s easy to take your address for granted. I can say this now I am, to all intents and purposes, homeless in the US. Apartment hunting and setting up bank accounts while sofa-surfing my way around New York City is teaching me one thing: bouncing between hotels and AirBnB bedsits is not a long-term solution to living in this city, and I need to move quicker.

The problem stems from paperwork. No matter how many companies claim to have hopped online for your convenience, they’ll still expect a letterbox with your name on it at some point.

That makes opening bank accounts tricky, and without a bank account, it’s hard to put a deposit down on an apartment. The circle of homelessness is clear, and vicious.

Other expenses aren’t too tricky, even though I fail every credit check that’s thrown my way, paying a hefty deposit or a month’s fee up front seems to work wonders. At least with T-Mobile. Although doing it on a British credit card comes with a hefty non-Sterling transaction fee on top.

My solution, so far, has been to use my office address whenever asked for a residence. At least they’ll accept mail in my name, letting me receive cheque books, credit cards and all the necessary paperwork to go with them. Had I known in advance that this problem would crop up, I’d almost certainly have booked my first month’s accommodation in the sort of places that allow post to be delivered - temporary “executive housing” might sound soulless and bizarre, but it might short-cut the beaurocracy a little.

[pondhop]

Pond-hopping tip: Work backwards

Pick a date for departure as soon as your Visa and immigration status are confirmed, then work backwards from there to organise yourself. It’ll focus your mind, help prioritise your to-do list and give you the go-ahead to plan all the stuff you couldn’t pin down yet. Like your leaving party.

[pondhop]

A one way ticket

I bought my one-way ticket to America quickly. Hurling credit card details into Virgin Atlantic’s website and rattling through the seating options. In five minutes flat I’d made everything much more real, and while I kept the ticket type flexible and double checked that the timing could be changed later on, having a date of departure really helps to focus the mind. 

Suddenly, there’s a countdown timer ticking away at the back of my conscience. Everything now points towards one date, and the pressure is on. To-do lists suddenly seem more urgent and the knot in my stomach is starting to grow. It’s happening, and quicker than I realised: In 32 days, I’ll be on a plane with no return stub in my pocket.

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Breaking out of limbo

For everyone but you, the process of hopping across the pond is a blur - in no time at all you’ll have made your announcements, said your goodbyes and boarded the plane, but before all that there’s a lot of waiting involved. Agonising waiting. The sort that makes you doubt it’s ever going to happen at all. That all comes to a halt the day your Visa arrives: Everything surges forward, and you’re dropped out of relocation limbo with a bump.

Today was that day for me. After months of feeling like a liar, telling people I’d be moving to America without so much as a date in mind, let alone my paperwork, there was a ring at the doorbell and a ruddy-faced courier handed over my newly visa-stuffed passport and a bundle of paperwork to go with it. I’m now legal, and the rest of my moving plan can kick into action.

Depending on your own visa, and how much help you have along the way your experience might be different. For me, cosseted within an employer-sponsored L1 Blanket Agreement, the majority of my visa application process was handled by HR departments and American lawyers.

My processing by the US Embassy in London was my only real involvement and, whether through luck or by the grace of a finely-greased bureaucratic machine, it was blisteringly quick. From filling in a DS-160 form online to being seen at the Embassy and finally receiving my passport took seven business days in total. And now I’ve shaken off the limbo for good, I’m ready to get on with the rest of my move.

[pondhop]

The long goodbye to London

The announcements have been made, the news broken to various family members and paperwork to officially move me from London to New York is finally in motion. But while the VISA application is batted between solicitors, HR teams and finally the US Embassy, I'm left with an odd feeling of anxiety in London.

It's not that I'm having second thoughts, but knowing that I'll soon be turning my back on the city I've called home for ten years is an odd sensation. London has cared for me, been the proving ground for an entire career and given me incredible friends and memories that'll last a lifetime.

But now it's time to say goodbye, and I'm realising how little of London I've actually seen. I took a look through Time Out's 101 things do do in London and the number I can tick off is staggeringly low. Just 23.

In an attempt to rapidly rectify this, and make myself feel a little less guilty for not notching up more sightseeing kudos while living here, I'm kicking off a bucket list of things to do before leaving the city.

Building a bucket list

I've got roughly four months before leaving the UK's capital, so here's my list. It's cobbled together from a range of sources, but I'd love a few more suggestions. Please send them to me here, and I'll add them as I go.

The Tate Modern (I know, I know)

Stargazing at the Royal Observatory

See historical documents at the British Library (they've got The Beatles original lyrics. Not that I particularly care for The Beatles, but I'm sure there are other things too...)

Visit Kew Gardens. If only for a little wander around. 

Have a drink at the top of The Shard. Even if it is over-priced. 

Go to a secret speakeasy bar. Like this one.

See a film in the open air (I've done Back To The Future at Secret Cinema, so technically I could tick this off already)

Afternoon tea at the Savoy / The Ritz

Swim at Hampstead Heath ponds (I'm sure my friend Joe can help with this one)

See inside St Paul’s cathedral 

Cross the Thames in a cable car

Climb the Monument (and get a certificate)

Walk over the roof of the O2