Apartment Search: The Beginning

(Everything typed above “Later details” is directly from my iPhone Notes, typed as I was out and about searching. “Later details” was done after I got home.)

Just saw a surprisingly nice carpeted garden level 1 bd @ 14 Oak Grove. It's called a 1+ because there are actually 3 rooms. The kitchen is kinda small with a little-ish fridge & an apt-size stove, but it's open and has a breakfast bar with lots of storage space under it. The living room has a built-in bookshelf and could handle my couch & table okay. There’s also a decorative radiator cover (she said something about the radiators not working down there?) which would work well as a TV stand, esp. since the cable hook up is right next to it. The next room is technically the bedroom because it has the largest window and a (large) closet, but it also has the bathroom (w/clawfoot tub!), so it'd be better suited as an office. Excellent for my computer, desk, bookshelves, yarn stash etc. Finally, there's a back room with a small window, but a huge closet. That room could easily handle my bed & little dresser and telly. Other notables: 1 more closet (next to front door), right across from the laundry room, free laundry, only unit on that level, extra storage, bars on front windows, other windows in a secure area, one month free w/12mo lease, flexible move-in. It's $620 which isn't bad. The ceilings are kinda low and while the bars might be nice, garden level still creeps me the heck out.

Ann (that was her name...and I can also speak with Diane w/questions) also showed me a couple top floor 1 bds w/hwd flrs. They were more expensive and smaller than the garden level. One is getting a similar kitchen remodel, but it was $660 & it gets a lot of freeway noise.

Now, I'm off to showing #2.

Showing #2 was awkward because there was another couple along for the view. I saw about 5 units in 3 bldgs, but I'm kinda mixing up units & bldgs at this point. The first was a studio on 15th & Spruce. It had nice dark wood trim, a Murphy bed (do not want, but it’s a kitschy feature), a smallish, but cute kitchen with built-ins & shelves, avg bath w/soaking tub, two closets & built-in linen storage. Nice, but still a studio.

I think we also looked at a 1 bd in that building, before heading to 215 W 15th, but I'm not sure. I do recall the 1 bd rooms having kitchens similar to the studio’s with built-ins & shelves. The fridges were in a little nook of the kitchen, kinda like my place at 203 19th. They had small closets, no ceiling fans, one had painted wood trim (boo). The one with unpainted trim was kinda dark, but it had a ceiling light in the living room. Also, the climb to the top floor which is where the painted trim one was was steep. Not so hot for moving long objects like queen mattresses, couches & bookshelves. Dark trim was on the 1st floor. Meh.

We then saw an apartment on the 2nd floor of 14th & Spruce. Very similar to the ones across the street, but the bathroom was in the bedroom of this on which always weirds me out since some folks are nosy. Not that I ever have people over, but it could happen. Also, he said there is concrete between the floors so less noise from neighbors. After that lead-footed a-hole above me at 18th & 1st, I’m weary of people above me on hardwoods. Some folks are thoughtless.

So those are contenders. I've been dodging dogshit for about 1 1/2 hours while waiting to meet with Stevens Community at 2:15. It's 2:05. Close enough my thumbs are cold.

Dammit! I might be in love. Running late. Details later.

Later details:

Since I had finished with The Park Apartments at like 11:45, I decided to try out the new Chinese/Indian buffet place across from Ping’s. It was decent, but I’ll stick to Richfield, thanks.

I was unable to find a City Pages or Onion on my way in, so I decided to check out Craigslist stuff on my phone to see if I might schedule more viewings while in the neighborhood. I left a message for the Gladstone, then decided to check out Stevens Community. The next time they could fit me in was 2:15, so I finished eating and wandered around Stevens for about an hour.

Jaimin was super nice and very fun to view apartments with. She only showed me two places, but she got a good read on what I was looking for. The first place was a 1 bedroom in the Blackstone building which is on the corner of 18th & 1st. Someone actually put in an application for that one after we came back from viewing the second place, so I won’t go on about that one. It was a really good size and pretty nice at $580. It had a dining room with wood wainscoting (I think that’s what it’s called.

Anyway, the next place she showed me was at 1800 – 3rd Ave S. It was on the top floor and I believe it was a corner unit. It was SUPER cute and I kind want to take it to the zoo and buy it ice cream. The living room is perfectly sized with good sized closet, lots of outlets, a ceiling fan, and cable/internet connection. Dark wood trim unpainted is a nice touch. Next is the kitchen which, although small, is A KITCHEN! There are cabinets up the wazoo and counterspace. I don’t even know what’s that’s like because I’ve never had it in an apartment I’ve lived in. The only problem I have with it is the stove (apartment sized—not one of the places I saw today had a regular sized stove) was electric. I really want a gas stove. Jaimin suggested I might be able to have them change it out, but I’m not sure how easy that is. Not a total deal breaker, but one of the few cons this apartment had.

Across the hall from the kitchen is a built-in armoire. Extra storage is always a plus. Next to the kitchen is the bath which has a modern sink with storage underneath, but I still get my soaking tub. Finally, the bedroom which would fit my queen and chest of drawers just fine. The closet could totally handle my clothes (especially if I give away/sell some of them) and I might even still be able to keep my shoes in their individual boxes as I like to do. (Although I do get that putting them into a couple plastic bins would save time and energy during the move.)

I loved Loved LOVED everything about that apartment (well, except that stupid stove). It’s on the higher end of my price range at $615 (I’d really like to stay under $625, $650 if it’s REALLY nice), but it’s so worth it, especially considering what I’m paying $675 (and what they will be charging $690) for now and considering everything else I saw today.

Even though I was hella tempted to put in an application (and did I mention how awesome Jaimin was? She was the most personable of all 4 of the folks who showed me apartments today). I did already have that appointment with Mint Properties and being impulsive has gotten me into apartment hell before, so I didn’t do it. (That doesn’t mean I might not call her tomorrow after my JAS tour.)

So I met Mint Properties guy at a sketchy ass building on 21st & 3rd. I’m no snob…well, actually, I kinda am…whatever. There was some strange old man standing in front of the building and I wondered at first if he was the person who was gonna show me places. Then some thuggish looking character came out and started trying to chat me up. Apartment Guy must have been waiting in his truck for me because he walked up almost right away (thankfully).

The places in this building were okay, but the kitchens were downright dinky. It’s like when building the place, they almost forgot they needed a place for a stove and a fridge and sink, so they knocked out a wall to stick those in. The floors weren’t even real hard wood. Those were pretty much a no from jumpstreet with the sketchy thug and the high price of $640.

Next he took me down the street to a place also on 18th & 3rd. This one was at the top of my price range at $650. It was on the second floor, but it was probably the biggest one I saw. The living room was HUGE. The current tenant has a couch and two chairs as well as a freakin’ dining room table in there along with her telly and other accoutrement. Next was a kitchen that beats the Stevens Community one. Lots of cabinets and decent counter space plus a GAS (apt-sized) stove. The fridge is tucked into a cubby across the hall where there is a built-in armoire next to the cute little bath with its soaking tub. There’re even storage shelves by the tub for towels, soap, etc. The bedroom is almost as big as my current one as was its closet. (There was also a closet in the living room. And there are ceiling fans in both the bedroom and the kitchen. I remember watching house hunting shows back in the day and people hated having ceiling fans in the bed room. With no a/c, I’m all for it. I hate being hot.

Tenants also get a free storage locker in the basement and there’s a place to lock one’s bike in the laundry room. The Stevens storage lockers were extra per month (can’t remember how much), but I don’t necessarily have to have one.

So I’m totally trying not to swoon over the Stevens place. It’s tough because I thought it was just that awesome. JAS, my landlords for that sweet exposed-brick unit I lived in the 1st time I moved to the Stevens neighborhood (and where Rev. Winter was my neighbor), is doing an Open House tour tomorrow showing studios and 1 bedrooms in their various buildings. I’ll see what they’re offering, but I may end up giving Jaimin a call tomorrow after (SC is open 10 – 6 Mon thru Sun) and putting in an app. I really really really loved Loved LOVED that apartment.

Must calm down. Breathe. Don’t be impulsive. I never even heard back from Gladstone or Hornig. And you know they’ve condo-ized the old building Rebecca & I used to live in (and Heide’s old building where the old guy lay dead for a couple weeks and the only response to complaints about a strange odor was car air fresheners placed in the hallways). All the granite counter tops in the world wouldn’t make BUY in that neighborhood.

So that’s day 1 of the apartment search. I already want this to be over.