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I went apartment hunting today. Lauren and my mom went with me. We left the house at 10:45 this morning and didn't get back until close to 5pm. The day included a nice lunch and a trip to Target as well as visiting four apartments.
Apartment #1 was so absurdly small that the fridge was in the living room. Well kept, clean, freshly painted and newly carpeted, so obviously the landlords care, but it was so little. Apartment #2 was the opposite: really roomy, excellent closet space, in a nice neighborhood, but in a building whose hallway floors hadn't been cleaned since it was built. Apartment #2 was filthy and stained. Also the maintenance man who showed it to us was, um, slovenly. Very nice, but he had the apartment number written on his hand, and then that turned out to be the wrong apartment. We just weren't into it. Apartment #1 was the cheapest one we saw, and Apartment #2 was the most expensive. Go figure. We had much better luck with Apartments #3 and 4.
Apartment #3 was really nearby to #2, but much nicer. Modern-looking apartment complex, access to a pool, very spacious place. The closets were orgasmic. God, I'm considering renting the place just based on the closets. Great kitchen, nice cabinets, plenty of counter space, a dishwasher. Nice bathroom with a good cabinet for towels. I... shouldn't really talk about the bedroom closet because I'll just get overexcited. The laundry room and storage area was right across the hall from the apartment, which was very convenient. About a 10-15 minute walk to the Ivy Ridge train station. $150 deposit for a cat. Definitely a good apartment--a little generic, but there's nothing really wrong with that. Walking distance from a CVS and a pizza place, drivable to Manayunk and other good stuff. Also, because of their "January Special", first month's rent is free. Rent includes heat and gas for cooking. Oh, and the windows have nice wide ledges for Mr. Sam to sit on.
Apartment #4 was great as well. Across the street from the Chestnut Hill West train station--literally, I would have a shorter walk from my apartment to the train than I currently do when I walk from my car to the train at Lansdale. If you're familiar with Philly geography at all, the apartment building is three blocks down from Germantown Ave in Chestnut Hill--very funky, cool, cute area, lots of shopping. Very Cambridgey, like that. Apartment #4 itself had more character than #3, but it was definitely smaller. It had sufficient space in the rooms, sufficient closet space (better than I've had in any of my Boston apartments--two bedroom closets, a linen closet, and a coat closet), decent bathroom, sufficient counter space in the kitchen with room to put a microwave cart or something. All hard wood floors--they require tenants to put down rugs, and I happen to have two excellent rugs. Built in the '40s, so the bathroom is a neat green color. It reminded Mom and I both a bit of my Greensboro apartment, actually. And no deposit required for a cat. Rent includes cooking gas but not heat, but the apartment complex provides a budget heat plan where I'd pay $40/month, so that's at least reasonable. I could join the pool that belongs to the apartment building across the street, so pool access is available here too, along with laundry and storage in the basement.
So I'm going to think it over for a day or two and then try to decide. Both apartments are completely in my price range, within an acceptable distance from a train station, and allow cats at a reasonable rate. Both are roomy enough for me and have decent closets and kitchens and bathrooms, off-street parking for residents, pool access, laundry in the building. Either one would be a completely fine and great place to live and I think I'd be happy in either place.
Apartment #3's major perk is the apartment itself, which is roomy and modern and has great closets, while the downside is that the neighborhood isn't anything exciting. Apartment #4 is in a really great, fun neighborhood, and it's got more character than #3, but it's got less space--not tons less space, but less. And I can't stop thinking about those beautiful goddamn closets in #3. The closets in #4 are perfectly fine and acceptable, and if I hadn't seen #3 I'd be loving them, but damn, #3's closets were sexy.
Lauren votes for #3--the kitchen and its dishwasher won her over. Mom votes for #4. Mom also said that she could totally see me living in #4 and Lauren living in #3. It's a shame Laur's not looking for a place right now. It would be only maybe 20 minutes from her work, too, so it would be convenient. Oh well. At least, whichever apartment I choose, *I* will only be 20 minutes from her work. That's important!
Apartment #1 was so absurdly small that the fridge was in the living room. Well kept, clean, freshly painted and newly carpeted, so obviously the landlords care, but it was so little. Apartment #2 was the opposite: really roomy, excellent closet space, in a nice neighborhood, but in a building whose hallway floors hadn't been cleaned since it was built. Apartment #2 was filthy and stained. Also the maintenance man who showed it to us was, um, slovenly. Very nice, but he had the apartment number written on his hand, and then that turned out to be the wrong apartment. We just weren't into it. Apartment #1 was the cheapest one we saw, and Apartment #2 was the most expensive. Go figure. We had much better luck with Apartments #3 and 4.
Apartment #3 was really nearby to #2, but much nicer. Modern-looking apartment complex, access to a pool, very spacious place. The closets were orgasmic. God, I'm considering renting the place just based on the closets. Great kitchen, nice cabinets, plenty of counter space, a dishwasher. Nice bathroom with a good cabinet for towels. I... shouldn't really talk about the bedroom closet because I'll just get overexcited. The laundry room and storage area was right across the hall from the apartment, which was very convenient. About a 10-15 minute walk to the Ivy Ridge train station. $150 deposit for a cat. Definitely a good apartment--a little generic, but there's nothing really wrong with that. Walking distance from a CVS and a pizza place, drivable to Manayunk and other good stuff. Also, because of their "January Special", first month's rent is free. Rent includes heat and gas for cooking. Oh, and the windows have nice wide ledges for Mr. Sam to sit on.
Apartment #4 was great as well. Across the street from the Chestnut Hill West train station--literally, I would have a shorter walk from my apartment to the train than I currently do when I walk from my car to the train at Lansdale. If you're familiar with Philly geography at all, the apartment building is three blocks down from Germantown Ave in Chestnut Hill--very funky, cool, cute area, lots of shopping. Very Cambridgey, like that. Apartment #4 itself had more character than #3, but it was definitely smaller. It had sufficient space in the rooms, sufficient closet space (better than I've had in any of my Boston apartments--two bedroom closets, a linen closet, and a coat closet), decent bathroom, sufficient counter space in the kitchen with room to put a microwave cart or something. All hard wood floors--they require tenants to put down rugs, and I happen to have two excellent rugs. Built in the '40s, so the bathroom is a neat green color. It reminded Mom and I both a bit of my Greensboro apartment, actually. And no deposit required for a cat. Rent includes cooking gas but not heat, but the apartment complex provides a budget heat plan where I'd pay $40/month, so that's at least reasonable. I could join the pool that belongs to the apartment building across the street, so pool access is available here too, along with laundry and storage in the basement.
So I'm going to think it over for a day or two and then try to decide. Both apartments are completely in my price range, within an acceptable distance from a train station, and allow cats at a reasonable rate. Both are roomy enough for me and have decent closets and kitchens and bathrooms, off-street parking for residents, pool access, laundry in the building. Either one would be a completely fine and great place to live and I think I'd be happy in either place.
Apartment #3's major perk is the apartment itself, which is roomy and modern and has great closets, while the downside is that the neighborhood isn't anything exciting. Apartment #4 is in a really great, fun neighborhood, and it's got more character than #3, but it's got less space--not tons less space, but less. And I can't stop thinking about those beautiful goddamn closets in #3. The closets in #4 are perfectly fine and acceptable, and if I hadn't seen #3 I'd be loving them, but damn, #3's closets were sexy.
Lauren votes for #3--the kitchen and its dishwasher won her over. Mom votes for #4. Mom also said that she could totally see me living in #4 and Lauren living in #3. It's a shame Laur's not looking for a place right now. It would be only maybe 20 minutes from her work, too, so it would be convenient. Oh well. At least, whichever apartment I choose, *I* will only be 20 minutes from her work. That's important!
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no subject
Date: 2007-01-07 12:43 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-01-07 12:48 am (UTC)From:But I'm really leaning towards #4. I'm filling out the rental application for it now. I can picture myself living there, while it's harder to actually picture myself living in #3. Having sex in its closets, yes, but actually living there, not as much, except that I can imagine Mr. Sam on the window ledge. It gets points for that, but I'm still leaning towards #4.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-07 07:32 am (UTC)From:...however, location is totally key. Anyway, I'm totally excited for you!! Can I come visit you?
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Date: 2007-01-07 07:35 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-01-07 12:57 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-01-07 04:44 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-01-07 01:51 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-01-07 02:00 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-01-07 05:29 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-01-07 05:32 am (UTC)From: