The new apartment
I sign a lease tomorrow on an apartment that will make me cash poor for a moment, but that I think will be worth it. Space to read, cleanliness or messiness of my own will, and only half furnished to begin with... room to grow.
My paychecks will be sixty dollars bigger per month because I estimate it's about a 45-minute walk to work, through nice neighborhoods and the industrial section, and across the river (the return trip is 'over the river and through the hoods'!). In theory I'll be in an area supplied with free to twenty dollar wi-fi (pay to not have ads), but we'll see how that works in practice.
I got the call coming home from the grocery store. It's a call I've been waiting for all day. I've been holding myself back from calling him since I got up this morning. Trying not to be overbearing since I've already been verbose via e-mail to the poor guy... but apparently I pled my case well, because I got the place.
I pretty much hate looking for apartments and hope this is the last time for awhile. Here's a taste of what I went through:
APT 1
Went to look at a place across the river... well, two places in the same complex. The expensive one with the nice view didn't impress me, the less expensive one had charm and a patio. This place is in the neighborhood of some friends of a friend who I consider friends (not really close, but good people). They've had some issues with the landlord who happens to be a registered sex offender. He got one of his female tenants to give him oral sex when she had trouble making rent. There being two sides to every story, he's also something of a philanthropist in the Iranian-American community, and some female tenants testified on his behalf, but the police report left me feeling kind of sick. The apartment was cool, and I would've gotten it if I could've stayed ignorant, but I couldn't give him my money in good conscience knowing what I do.
APT 2
Too big. A nice place with seemingly good landlords, but a place that would need lots of stuff to fill. I downsized pretty dramatically when I left Denver, and that place would echo for months after I moved in.
APT 3
Very nice, charming place that's got the same layout as APT 1, but nicer and with vaulted ceilings. Even had one of those cool half-dishwashers that aren't overdoing it for a bachelor. Problem: only about ten feet and a concrete wall separated it from the interstate. Fine with the windows closed, but...
APT 4
Funky. The mail slot emptied into the bathroom. The refrigerator stood at an angle due to the kitchen floor being less-than-level. Kind of cool in a way, but not so much.
APT 5
Second floor apt in a very nice house in a very nice neighborhood with a nice 60-year-old lady inhabiting the main floor. Shared kitchen and laundry room, patio all to myself, she had some extra furniture to fill the living room. Moving in would require big things such as my boxspring to be hoisted up over the patio. Kind of low-ceilinged. So close, to be quite honest, but yet so far. I had to list the good and the bad, and the good outweighed the bad, but it didn't feel right. I think it was a generational thing, combined with the fact that the house was too nice--I didn't want to f-- anything up.
Anyway, there were some others, but those were the highlights. The one I got has a cool retro oven, a patio, a washer/dryer in the unit, and only shares a wall with one neighbor. The current tenant showed me the place, as well as several other people, and for some reason called the landlord after I left and said I'd be a good fit (with the neighbors). The landlord didn't know what that meant, and, frankly, neither do I, but it could mean that I'm about to have my own Melrose Place-type scenario. I never watched that show, so I don't know what I'm in for. Knowing Fox, I'm sure it wasn't too dramatic! Time will tell.
Stay tuned...
posted by leomange at 10:07 PM
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