Apartments!

Upstairs apartments have their own drawbacks, especially when moving in and out. Couches, washers, dryers and refigerators can be a reall hassle getting up/down stairs.

 

OK, that's move in and move out day... it's worth it for a peaceful slumber during the rest of the lease

 

Understood, but everytime during the move in/out, I tell myself: 'Next time I'm getting a ground-floor apartment.'

 

Or you can get one of those apartments where everyone is on the single floor.

 

I'm on a second floor. In addition to being at the top of non-load-bearing stairs and also being a heatbox in the summer, it's over a guy who's on disability, no work, no car, Section 8 housing (as in, state helps pay, not he went crazy in the Military). Guy goes nuts about how I dare to walk around my apartment, and if I happen to park on the wrong side of the driveway (for those of you just joining us, please refer back to the "no car" portion of your textbooks), he flips out, and either leaves a note taped to my car or just yells at me. Also flipped on my friend (female) when she parked alongside me for all of five minutes, threatening tone, the works. Were I not shaving, I might be in jail for very, very much voluntary manslaughter right now.

So, don't anyone go lauding the wonders of second-floor apartments. Havok, go find yourself something in a development, or bring a cot to the office.

 

That's what I've got now and I have no problems above me. The problems are around me..or used to be until the Mexicans moved out. When I moved here the three apartments around me were full with them...And I'm talking 5-10 people in each. They threw parties every fucking night and blared their music. Typically that doesn't bother me at all, but one night I had to call my landlord about it. He came over and everything quieted down after that.

Now, the people next door to us are all pot heads and you can smell the shit as soon as you come down our stairs. It's fucking retarted. There's a lady with a baby that just moved in across the hall, and the other apartment is still vacant. At least things are quiet.

 

Rather than an apartment, if there are older homes in your area you might consider a room off a garage or a converted cabana/guest house. Rent can be cheap, and you'll have your own entrance and more privacy.

 

Recently went through the hell that is apartment searching, and ended up in a pretty good place. Basically went driving around town and every time I saw a complex, walked into the rental office and asked if anything was available. I'm 22 and moved into a decent sized college town on the east coast, but it was much more difficult to find affortable housing that I would have thought.

On a complete side note, the apartment has a washer/dryer in the unit, but I have to wheel the washer out into the kitchen and hook some hose up to the faucet to work the thing. Never seen something like this before, but maybe its just me. Every time i do wash, water leaks out the bottom and onto the floor. Am I doing something wrong or is the damn thing just broken?

 

There is a town, err, small city that has several apartment complexes but it's a 30-minute drive. A drive in which I'd rather not make. There are tons of apartments in the resort town on the main drag above restos, shops, etc., but some of them are pretty shitty. I'm actually going to look at two today and maybe haggle the price a bit if I can.

The one in my initial post, isn't a complex, it's a house split into two apts: one on the bottom and one on tops. I'm not sure how loud I really am, I actually think I'm pretty quiet, but I can't promise not to have people over, music, drinking, three or four cars in the rather large (horseshoe) driveway...Plus the only option for internet is dial-up...

Now if I had one or two friends to live with, we could have had this sweet pad a few weeks ago. However, two of my friends bailed and decided to stick living with mom and pops.

 

I live in house that has no access to cable and is too far for the phone company to provide DSL. Yes, there are places in the world that aren't grown up. yet.

 

I don't know if there's a formula, but I can advise you on one thing: If you're going to live in aparrtments, which by definition means being in close quarters with people above, below or to the side, you just may have to forgo having "six or seven people over for cards, drinking and movies," or at least do it quietly. I never have been able to understand the attitude of many people that even if they live in an apartment, condo or townhouse, they're By God going to still have their parties and loud music, everyone living around them be damned. If you want to live like a frat boy, rent or buy a house in the country. If you can't afford that, resign youself to the fact that (gasp!! horror of all horrors!!) you might have to be a considerate neighbor and be mature enough to understand that those within earshot might not want to endure loud music and a stompfest at 2 a.m.

 

Just wanted to point out the hilarity of misspelling the word "retarded."

Do you hang out with my friends? I have three or four buddies who are all happily living at home rather than getting a place of their own. I've got a sweet spot picked out but can't afford it on my own. My friends all either live at home, are getting (or are already) married or live too far away from where I work to live with. Meanwhile, I'm stuck in a 6x8 cell at my parents house until I can find a one-bedroom place somewhere that I can afford. Fucking slackers.