apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I'm living in one of the beautiful historic districts in Downtown Phoenix. I'm in an apartment building surrounded by very, very pricey amazing old homes. Most of the restaurants/bars/art galleries down here are old houses, which is fantastic to be within walking distance of...

I live in Glendale and at first I thought it was too far away from everything but I'm also an avid bike rider so most of the places I like are within peddling distance. I'm a mile away from the Atwater Public Libary, movie theaters, and I'm close enough to my parent's house to visit them but far enough to not bump into them. I love it in G-dale.

I live in the country where you can't help but notice the birds chirping during the day and the stars shining at night. I love that if you are out in the yard, everyone who passes by waves at you. Makes the world seem a little friendlier somehow.

I live a half-block away from Vancouver's most popular beach, Kitislano, as well as North America's longest outdoor pool. I am within walking distance (a long walk, but doable) to downtown Vancouver, and just down the hill from 4th Avenue, a destination shopping strip in the City. Being a stones throw from the beach is pretty incredible, even if it isn't warm enough to use the beach or the pool. I live in a very iconic part of Vancouver, a part of the city that I normally only visited once or twice a year when I was living in my old neighbourhood.

And therein lies the one downside. Kits is a great area, but if I weren't living over here, I wouldn't be spending that much time here. There are a lot of tourists come summer, and it is a rather homogenous neighbourhood. I used to live on Commerical Drive, which has a lot more soul, and I miss that.

I live within walking distance of a lake, the Basilica, the Walker Art Center and the hip gay bars in Minneapolis. I appreciate the cultural diversity I see every day.

Suburbs, here, so nothing is in walking distance. But there is a nice park (woods, trails, reservoir...) nearby, and the town (Nashua, NH) in general won "Best Place to Live in America" two times when Money Magazine used to feature an annual survey. 45 minutes to Boston, about that to the Atlantic, in another direction, mountains... My immediate neighborhood is attractive and quiet, but the broader concept of "neighborhood" is where the social attractions are.

South Minneapolis here. Within walking distance of two lakes, the Colossal Cafe and A Baker's Wife (best bread EVER!). Plus, there's a group of bagpipers who practice a couple of blocks away so we hear them from our backyard almost every evening in the summer. How perfect is that?!

I live in Old Pasadena. I can literally walk to anything I would ever want. I moved into this apartment from the burbs - and I'm never going back.

Walking distance to grocery stores, dining, entertainment, shopping - but tons of tourists.

Eh, small sacrifices.

West Philadelphia. Lots of perks-- heaps'o'trees, lots of young neighbors, easy PT access, but the finest part is Clark Park.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1474992351211031065

Over-the-Rhine, just north of downtown Cincinnati. Walking distance to everything I need on a regular basis, including the farmers' market, Contemporary Arts Center, and everything in between. Plus, as a designer, I'm constantly inspired by my surroundings -- lovely Italianate architecture, decorative details, street art, and vernacular signage up the wazoo...

My neighbourhood is quiet and residential, but only 3 blocks away from two main commercial thoroughfares. I am surrounded by greenery, low buildings and character houses.
It is very convenient and central.

The public market is a 15 minute walk away. Within a 5-block radius, I can find excellent coffee and tea, independent bookstores, a large park, several art galleries, a number of good restaurants and two supermarkets.

I am also very close to two bridges (open to pedestrians) that put the downtown core within easy walking distance.

It just has the perfect mix of quiet/residential and close to where the action is for me. I am not moving anytime soon! :)

I live in Louisville, KY. My neighborhood, the Highlands, is filled with tons of great shops, bars, restaurants, a beautiful park, grocery store, movie theater, library...the list goes on. It's a great place to live. I am in easy walking distance of all of these things, and most of my friends live nearby. I can also hear church bells from my apartment...that just adds to the charm.

Ooh Echo Park lake with a dragon boat! The Lotus Festival this year is (I think) the weekend of July 10-- definitely go if you are local. And the annual 4th of July party in Elysian Park for the free Dodger stadium fireworks is a plus... and Sunset Junction in August. I live in SF now (Alamo Square) but I grew up in Echo Park and miss it constantly. The best thing about our current apartment is probably being a very literal stone's throw from a giant park, but it's a fun and convenient neighborhood generally though not as diverse as we would like.

I actually live in Pelham Parkway in the Bronx - a very well kept secret!!! I live walking distance from the Bronx Zoo and Botanical Gardens, across the street from the library, 10 min. bus ride from the Beach and City Island (the best seafood in NYC), and finally down the street from the best pizza ever - slices are $1.50 AND BIG! Love it here - quiet neighborhood and friendly folks.

Less than a block walk to: a late-night deli, dozens and dozens of great restaurants, a Gelson's market, Best Buy, a five-screen movie theater, and a bunch of major bus lines. Plus, tons of parking for guests. I adore Sherman Oaks.

I live in Silverlake, Los Angeles and I adore my neighborhood for one reason: i can walk everywhere. My house is behind a big fence with lemon and orange trees in the front yard, but right outside the fence i can walk one block to Sunset blvd and get: coffee, gourmet treats, diner food, a facial, mexican food, sushi, cocktails under the trees at cliffs edge, or a pilates session. In the opposite direction, I can walk up into the hills and work some cardio -- as well as great views. Silverlake is one of the most delightfully diverse of neighborhoods -- nary a fake tits or plastic surgery job in sight. To me this is the only way to live in Los Angeles.

I live in Broad Ripple in Indianapolis, very much on purpose. I love our neighborhood, will all the preteens riding their bikes and hanging out outside like it's still 1950. I love the neighborhood feel in the midst of the city.

I love that we live within blocks of the Monon Trail, a vibrant walking/biking/rollerblading trail. That we're one block from the local library branch and that we're equal parts close to city nightlife and suburban retail. I love the trees and all the pretty old houses.

There is full-on **Beauty** everywhere I look:
From the glorious tree-lined streets (Garry Oaks and cherry blossoms abound), to meandering people whistling on cruiser bicycles, to the soothing sound of horse drawn carriages, to the invigorating feel of a Pacific ocean breeze...
I live in Utopia.

Adams Morgan in Washington, DC: In the same day we can wave to the Icelandic ambassador picking up his paper, hear seven different languages being spoken as we grab our Starbucks, walk our dog with a group of human rights lawyers just returned from Kenya, run into George Stephanopolus at the local bakery, watch gay boys cruise in the organic salad aisle at Whole Foods, and end the day sipping caiparinhas next to tired anti-war protesters who wandered here to see the 'real' DC.

@Jessica I so glad there is another Louisvillian here!
I have an apartment in the Crescent Hill Area of Louisville. I am literally two blocks from a local bookstore, library, coffee shop, a wonderful wine store, the coolest fair trade store around, several great consignment shops and a couple good bars. But the street I live on is full of expensive Victorian and Craftsman style homes. There are dogwood trees (in full bloom right now) in the partition of the street, and I am a bike ride (3 miles or so) from Waterfront Park. It is a relatively quiet area but full of families that are a little higher class than I am. (Which makes junk day a blast for me).
The traffic on Frankfort Avenue can be terrible during the Derby (right now) but I love being able to catch the Fat Friday Trolley Hops, one Friday a month when the Trolley's run for free until 11pm and all the shops stay open late.

I'm surrounded by amazing beauty in northern Westchester, about 40 minutes north of NYC. My house is within walking distance of 100 acres of state-owned forever-wild woods, a 50 acre horse farm that lets people walk on the riding trails, and a gorgeous country road with colonials, a cemetery from the 1700's, and a reservoir. We're less than 15 minutes from a huge number of restuarants, art film centers, coffee houses, bars, performing art centers, contemporary art museums, and a music conservatory. We're also minutes from many nature preserves, hiking trails, and one of the state's longest linear parks, not to mention the Hudson River. After over 30 years of living in Brooklyn, I have finally found the place that provides the perfect balance for me.

Things I love about Downtown Los Angeles:
- Living in a really old (for LA) building
- The gorgeous view of Olive Ave. and the Eastern Columbia Bldg. from our living room
- Sitting in our roof garden surrounded by skyscrapers
- Easy access to the subway
- Easy access to the Music Center
- Quick drive to Burbank Airport (never having to go to LAX is a huge perk!)

Hell's Kitchen, NYC: I walk everywhere (incl. to work) but the E/C/1 subway stops are within a block, if I want. Around the corner from my apartment is restaurant row--blocks of diverse eateries, so if I want Thai food at 2 AM--they deliver. 24 hour grocery stores or bodegas abound. I am within 8 short streets of Central Park, 3 avenues of the West Side Highway path for biking/running/rollerblading or the boathouse for free kayaking (summer) in the Hudson River. Also within close proximity to Theater District and Lincoln Center. Lots of people, young vibe but still very much a neighborhood feel (lots of brownstones).

I live between Central Square and Harvard Square in Cambridge.

The good: quick walk to Groliers, Raven and Harvard Square Books, fantastic little eateries, everything is bikeable, lovely architecture around each corner, quaint streets, the Charles, close enough to city hall to hear the church bells.

The bad: Basement apartment living due to the insane rents in this area. No reasonably-priced grocery store. The smell of Central (which I've strangely come to embrace.) My centaur neighbors upstairs.

I'm moving to rural Illinois in two months. Oh, the things I'll miss.

i love living in santa monica. i'm only 4 blocks from the beach, have main street right there, the pier and promenade a half mile away. bars, restaurants, shops, and farmers markets are right there. i rarely drive when i'm off work, instead walk or ride my bike wherever i want to go. it's perfect!

sometimes i do think it would be fun to live in silver lake or even around sherman oaks with a lot more 'stuff', closer to downtown, the subway, etc, but being able to see the ocean from my windows always makes me change my mind.

Cheers,
M

I live at the beach in Santa Barbara. I have ocean, city, and mountain views from my home and never get tired of the views. I can see whales and dolphins from my rooftop terrace, as well as Fourth of July fireworks and the outrigger canoe club's Sunday outings and the occasional pro beach volleyball tournament. I can see sailboats and yachts cruising every day. I can walk to the downtown commercial district in just a few minutes and do a lot of my errands on foot, including going to our fantastic Farmer's Market. If I do need to drive downtown, the first hour of parking is free. Love it; wouldn't live anywhere else. It is almost worth the $2,000 per square foot it costs to live in this neighborhood.

For many years I lived on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. I loved every minute of it -- a beautiful park surrounded by restaurants and great shopping, and only a 3 block walk to work. Once I became a parent though, I began to dislike the noice and hubbub. Now we live in the Society Hill section of Philadelphia -- still city life which we love, but on a quiet street, with lots more space, a small back yard, parking!, a big park nearby and a small children's park less than a block away, and maybe the 18 block walk to work will help me loss the baby weight!!

ooh, south Minneapolis here, too. I live walking distance from an awesome off-leash dog park on the river and beautiful Minnehaha falls. Lake Nokomis is beautiful in the summertime and our neighborhood is full of kids playing and people walking around.

I live on the border of Morningside Heights and Harlem in New York. Gorgeous pre-war buildings, all the perks of being near Columbia University but still amidst real New York residents who've been here forever. Across the street from me, 24-hour deli and laundromat; down the block, authentic Mexican and Chinese food; over an avenue, Dinosaur BBQ and Fairway (the greatest supermarket in NY, bar none); and up the block, Riverside Park and Grant's Tomb. Couldn't find a more gorgeous block in all of Manhattan, and for a steal of a price.

Another vote for Glendale/Tropico! After living in LA all my life, I now love Glendale (i'm only one mile away from the LA border). We have a plethora of great libraries, a bunch of lil parks, grocers & indy businesses. I'm super close to griffith park, highland park, eagle rock, as well as the overly-trendy overpriced stuff. All the peeps walk in Glendale and very late at night too.
Only downside is the Glendale cops, which are just as bad as LA cops, and the fire trucks/ambulances/ghetto birds which speed around like everyday.

Living in the Lake Merritt area of Oakland has been great. We have a lake with surrounding parks to hang out in, a Saturday morning farmer's market, stores, restaurants and a movie theater a block away and (my favorite part) much cheaper rent than the other side of the bay.

When I lived MidWilshire in LA, I loved walking. Not to any place in particular, just getting out and walking, which can't be done where I'm from (suburb of Pittsburgh). You miss so much when you ride in a car. I really felt connected to the neighborhood just walking through it and the kids playing and the women selling produce and the street vendors, etc.

I'm in Glendale too. I love having the view of downtown but being nestled right up against the hills. I like being really close to trendier parts of LA but living in the quiet. I also love that everybody walks here.

Beautiful Huge Lake w/ sailing and kyaking. Weekly bands and Shakespeare in the Park during the summer. The Best Off-leash park with a special place for small and shy dogs.
Magnuson Park on Lake Washington is my front yard! and my back yard is the Burke-Gilman Trail. I'm so lucky! and so is my dog.

JFS - my mom lives in just that corner of NYC, and I love that neighborhood. I walk my dog in Morningside Park, feed the peacock in the gardens at St John the Divine, shop at the bookstore (what's it's name? it's awesome - the big one near 110th St), have breakfast at Kitchenette. One of my favorite places in the world.

i live in north central austin, just a block or so from epoch's 24-hour coffee, great punk pizza from the parlor, and wonderful vintage stores like room service and blue velvet. there are at least 4 bookstores within walking distance, as well as the weekly farmer's market, a great dive bar, and some delicious thai food. wow, my neighborhood is pretty sweet! too bad i am moving soon.

I am moving from Los Feliz to West Hollywood in two weeks. I am sad to leave such a neighborhood-y type part of town, with walkable restaurants, Nature Mart, Los Feliz 3 theaters, a great Goodwill, etc. But as a "Hollywood type" who is not A list, it's an impractical place to live. I am driving to Santa Monica twice a week for auditions and even going to Bev Hills for meetings and stuff is taxing. My awesome gym is on Sunset way far away from Los Feliz, which means I go less and feel terrible about myself. I hate to trade the cuteness of Los Feliz for the practicality of WeHo, but I think day to day my life will be a little more stress free. Bonus though, I will be a block away from Gardens of Taxco, a simply delicious Mexican place. I won't miss the hipsters at Intelligencia in fur coats and shorts.

thai ocha classic!

I recently moved to Koreatown from Santa Monica, and am loving the Los Angeles city life. Every time I step outside, I feel like I'm in an entirely different world. There are a ton of great restaurants to choose from, unique shopping and best of all - I walk everywhere. I love that I can point to a country on a map, and pretty much find a restaurant that caters to that cuisine within a 3 mile radius. Koreatown even smells like food. There might be too many cars, too much traffic and a few too many homeless people wandering around, but I suppose that's why I chose to live in a building with a security guard on a quieter street.

College apartment neighborhood: Avenue A in Manhattan. Tompkins Square park 3 blocks away, thrift stores galore, lovely old men selling random stuff every Saturday on a school fence, and I literally live above the BEST cafe. It's called OST Cafe and I've befriended everyone there and actually have a tab. Such lovely kind people with a beautifully decorated cafe.

Boyfriend's neighborhood: Westchester, Los Angeles. Quiet little streets with roses, near Marina del Rey and Venice, his backyard with full sunshine (well that's not really the neighborhood, but whatever...:) )

My home: Santa Barbara, California...enough said.

I live in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco and I absolutely love it. We moved about four months ago from a more industrial area. Our new 'hood has trees, dog parks, old classic San Francisco Victorians (ours was built in 1902, and apparently survived the fires!) and cafes and restaurants. We're only paying $400 more a month and the place is twice the size of the old one, plus we have a yard that isn't made of cement. The best part is, where we are now is the geographical center of the city, so everything seems closer.

I also love the vibe of the area. It's the "gay" neighborhood and there's a feeling of love and unity (that probably sounds really cheesy) that is palpable. We've met a lot of great people and I hope we live there forever!

Matilde: yay Kitchenette! My favorite Sunday brunch spot:)

I am technically still Upper West Side but I'm almost in Morningside Heights. It's a great place...somewhat of a small college town vibe but so close to all the great things NYC has to offer. I would play in Riverside Park every single day if I could! It's finally Boat Basin season!

I live on Beachwood Drive in Hollywood, right below the famous sign. Our fantastic illegal dog park, the Beachwood market with their huge wine section and great butcher, wonderful sidewalks with lots of shade for the puppy, a little walk over to Franklin Villas for a used book, a frozen yogurt, a plate of pasta, and the gift shop. I can see the action of Hollywood without being overwhelmed by noise and crime. It's always sunny and the breeze blows just perfectly.

I just moved to a bigger apartment in a quieter building. I'm now within five blocks of public transportation, a new Brazilian restaurant, a great bar/live music venue, two parks, a bike shop, and an excellent brunch place, among other things.

When summer rolls around, I am going to miss being two blocks away from the farmers' market.

I can go all weekend without ever having to use my car! In Santa Monica it's beach cruisers all the way! I'm one block from the beach, tons of great coffee shops, and sushi, and biking distance from the library, stores, the gym, yoga and just about anything else! My place is small but this is California and you can be outside all day if you want.

I love my neighborhood but don't see myself EVER able to afford to buy a place here. Until them, I'm staying in my rent-controlled apartment and loving every minute!

Mangabanga-- I used to live in that neighborhood, but Tom LaBonge's refusal to limit hillside building drove me to downtown LA.

It's not remotely convenient to anything, but I love it. Long Beach is my airport, and La Favorita is my bakery.

I live in Redwood city, CA. "Climate Best By Government Test" is our city motto, and I couldn't agree more. We are located halfway between San Francisco and San Jose, right in the middle of the bay area. We are practically on SF BAY, but we are blocked by hills from the fog rolling in from the Pacific.

There are so many things to do and see within an hour and a half drive or less. I'm within walking distance to the train station and our downtown area so I really don't have to drive on weekends if I really don't want to. And I have a great apartment.

This article actually strikes pretty close to home. I used to live in Echo Park (right near Delilah's, Chango, etc) and I actually now live a stone's throw from Trader Joes.

The neighborhood is GREAT and my apartment is tucked into a nice quiet little gardeny area. I'm sure I'll actually send AT photos once it's all put together. I'm close to everything I ever go to and my commute to work is now a quick bike-ride away!

I live in Highland Park and am excited to live in a place where you can start to see the signs of upgrading and transformation, but just enough of the classic and cultural parts of Highland Park so special (Scary Chicken guy holding a bucket on Figueroa anyone?)

I walk absolutely everywhere and can get the BEST pan dulce on Figueroa and 56th.

Within walking distance of a bus stop, near several drug stores, five mins tops to the mall, less than ten mins from two or three different shopping areas, etc. But located where it seems like you aren't as located.

I live in South of Market in San Francisco. It used to be a warehouse district. Today, it's a mixture of residential, industrial businesses, bars, restaurants, etc. To get an oil change or new tires, I just drive my car across the street. When I needed a welder to re-enforce some table legs, there was one two blocks away. There's Benjamin Moore, Kelly-Moore and Sherwin-Williams for my paint needs, within two blocks. For shopping, there's Union Square in 10 minutes walk. There are two theater chains, one with a full IMAX dome, again in 10 minutes walk. There's an ice rink in Yerba Buena Center, along with bowling. The SF Museum of Modern Art and The Cartoon Museum are all within walking distance. The Moscone Convention Center is 5 minutes walk away for WonderCon, a comic book convention. For going out, there are three clubs within one block. My favorite is only two and a half blocks away. When I need to leave the city, the freeway entrances are two blocks away. To get to the airport, I take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to San Francisco International Airport in 30 minutes for $5.35 (a $40-50 cab ride). I really don't need to drive anywhere and my car has been suffering from dead-battery-itus (though I'm taking care to drive it once a week, to keep the battery charge up and the oil circulating...)

On balance, the neighborhood does have the loitering drug dealer on the corner and some drunk day laborers... c'est la vie...

i love the walkability of our new place in West hollywood, I walk to work, Trader Joes, the w.hollywood park and library, and there are tons of great restaurants. I do miss the taco trucks and produce vendors on my old street in Koreatown, though.

I live just on the outskirts of Chinatown in Ottawa - a quick Saturday morning walk to little ethnic markets (Asian and Italian!) and a great farmer's market. The surrounding neighbourhood is hip without being overrun. There are great festivals and events in the summer, including an ongoing event where movies are shown on a big screen in a local park.

It's central while still being quiet, and a quick bus ride to anywhere I could want to go - and you always meet someone interesting on the Chinatown bus!

@ Rolen,
Glad Louisville is represented! Crescent Hill is great. I'd kill to be in walking distance of El Mundo!

its fun reading through all these comments and getting an idea of what types of neighborhoods we all live in and imagining them

i agree! it is fun reading abt what peeps like about their hoods!

Tulsa Rocks! I have the beauty of living on 5 acres, having my boat at the lake, driving anywhere I want easily without having to fight for a parking space, and so many other things! The sky is the limit here! I miss LA, but I love Tulsa!

Does anyone else live in Berlin? I am across the street from one of the oldest bakeries in the neighborhood (Prenzlauerberg) I think it was founded in 1906. It's incredibly tiny, but there's a good reason the line of customers stretches down the block in the mornings!

In my neighborhood lots of old buildings survived the war intact, or partly intact, so it looks quite charming. Perhaps because it was on the East side of Berlin so long, it's not developed with fast-food or chain-stores. The other wonderful things about my neighborhood are the train, U-bahn, and streetcar all within a few minutes walk. They run all night on the weekends. Cycling is also an easy way to get around, and there are so many small, local businesses that you would never need a car.

The downside is: Absolutely no good Mexican food!

Park Slope, Brooklyn NY represent! tree lined streets of brownstone townhouses, children outside playing, hardly any chain stores, people tending little gardens on the sidewalk (inside those wrought iron things they put around trees), Prospect Park - summer when the lawns are covered by people bbqing or sunbathing or children playing baseball...in winter, i can't imagine it looks different today than it did in 1900 - children sledding.... A real neighborhood. The Park Slope Food Coop since 1973, fresh organic produce from farms in and around NY state.

For those people who wish they lived in Europe it's perfect.

However, Instantzen, I have to say... I LOVE BERLIN. you are very, very lucky.

I live just south of downtown Tucson, in what some would call a "marginal" area (translate as "Mexican Neighborhood" by people who wouldn't dare say something like that out loud).

Pros:
- Can easily bike to downtown, 4th Ave, 17th St. Market and UofA
- Best Sonoran Mexican food in the US is within walking distance
- Fresh oranges, bananas and mangos sold by street vendors on most corners
- 10 minute drive and 20 minute bike ride to work
- Quiet neighborhood. Most families are multi-generational, and have been here for a long time. Lots of people "out and about" keeping an eye on things.
-Walking distance to Silverlake Park (the city's most underrated treasure, includes a library, swimming pool, baseball diamonds and football (soccer) fields)
- Can drive to multiple national and state parks in a matter of minutes
- Awesome weather! (Actually, this refers to the entire state, not just my neighborhood. But still...)

I live in Mount Vernon, Baltimore.

I think Wikipedia sums up the pros very nicely:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Vernon,_Baltimore

Very walkable neighborhood, close to work, some of the city's best restaurants, cultural institutions, and the neighborhood is very diverse.