And the top 10 wedding gifts for NYC apartment dwellers are...

By Alana Mayman | May 30, 2013 - 12:56PM

Wedding season is upon us, but before you run over to Crate & Barrel/Bloomie's/etc. to pick up a panini press or cotton candy machine, consider what New York City apartment dwellers really need.

Case in point: Engaged at the tender age of 23, I chose every crystal stem, sterling utensil, decorative charger, and small appliance with assiduous- some would say obsessive- care.

All of these beautiful things recently celebrated their Sweet 16 in boxes in my mother's suburban basement, having never seen the light of day. I barely have room for my sweaters in the co-op apartment I share with my husband and small children.

Here is our top ten registry list for NYC brides and grooms:

Inflatable air mattress--for when the MIL comes to stay and for hubby for the week after she leaves.
His and hers iPad minis with noise canceling headphones so they'll never fight over what show or movie to watch on the one TV again
A year's supply of kitchen sponges--for cleaning of course AND to put between the headboard and the wall lest the pesky neighbors get perturbed by connubial bliss (though this one may be better as a bachelorette party gift).
Bar cart accessories and basic mixers (vermouth and bitters at a minimun)...cooking is optional in New York City while drinking is necessary, especially during brutal winters and too-hot-to-leave-the-A/C summers.
Those fit-under-the-bed plastic bins for hiding the frat shirts he refuses to throw out and the pre-wedding jeans she will soon outgrow once she lets herself eat solid foods again.
Packtite portable bed bug killing heater unit, because maybe Ethiopia wasn't the best place to honeymoon after all.
A hanging digital picture frame -- because all the portraits from the wedding are so awesome but there's enough wall space to display just one at a time.
A seltzer machine, because who needs a coffee maker when there's a Starbucks on every corner?
Gift certificate to the nearest dry cleaner: Just because his mother ironed his shirts doesn't mean his wife has to.
Airplane vouchers or hotel gift certificates, because, much like a spouse, NYC is sometimes (and for brief intervals) best appreciated from afar.

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