When we talk about rentals, we so often focus on the worst. While it can be fun to share nightmare stories and tales of bad landlords and unkempt apartments, let’s forget about all of that right now and take a stroll on the other side of the tracks.
Let's talk about the best place you've ever lived, the one you lucked out in getting, the one you still think about today.
For me it was a 1970's three-story condo in Vegas that we lived in from 1998-1999. There were these condos that I would drive by, fawn over, and fantasize about what they must be like inside. They were the kind of places that people bought and never rented out, so thoughts of actually living there never really entered my mind.
Until one day we (my boyfriend / now husband and I) drove by and spotted a for rent sign in front, and with bated breath flew back to our current crappy residence and made the call. That day we were in a giddy daze as we met the landlord and got the long awaited tour. It was much, much better than we could have ever imagined. It had a two car garage, three stories, 30 foot vaulted ceilings, french doors that opened onto the tree covered community pool, three balconies, a full laundry room and basement (that turned into a darkroom and studio), a sunken living room, a walk-in closet in the bedroom, an oversized circular tub with his and hers sinks in the master bath, and a built in library/office on the third floor that overlooked the living room. And all for $800 a month (which at the time was a huge stretch for us).
Now don't get me wrong, it didn't come without any flaws. It was from the 1970's and hadn't been updated, so it had the 'charm' of wall to wall orange shag carpet and yellow vinyl floors. But seriously, that is the last thing we cared about. For us it was like living in the lap of luxury. We stayed there for two years and the only reason we left was because we moved out of Vegas. We knew that after living at the Calle Del Valle that our future homes would only go downhill from there, and that prediction held true for the next eleven years.
What is the best place you've ever rented? You know, the one that was so hard to leave. The one you compare every other place to. Share below...
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A 2 bedroom 2 bathroom oceanfront house on Cortes Island in B.C. I would hear wolves howling outside my window at 2 am, bald eagles flying by constantly, and once while standing at my patio window, watched a pod of Orcas breach.
We found a huge 3 bedroom duplex in my kids' neighborhood school district (in Chicago, that can mean only a few blocks!) for $600 UNDER our budget. It was the owners' former unit so everything was beautiful. There was even a private yard with a deck. Man, I loved that apartment. Minus the horrible upstairs neighbors, who eventually drove us to buy our own single family house....
My best so far was an apartment outside of Charlotte NC. It was in a nice quiet area and in a building from the 1930s I believe, maybe even the 20s. It had wood floors, a lovely small but well laid out bathroom, a living room with huge built ins, cute dining room, two small bed rooms and a bright white kitchen with original glass front cabinets. All for...ready for it? $575 a month.
The reason for me leaving was complicated and mixed in with a rather hard break-up, but I still think about that apartment when my rent check goes out for $1500 for a semi-okay one bed room apartment in SoCal.
The one I'm in now... 2 bedroom 2 level 1,100 sf in the heart of a really expensive and central area. Things could be better, but we put lots of sweat and a little money (with the landlord also paying for materials) into it and ended up with a great place. We pay $1,500 but the apartment would easily rent for $2,100 or more after the re-do. We couldn't afford that, but we're protected by tenant laws that make sure the place stays ours as long as we're good tenants (pay rent on time). The landlord is hands-off which is nice.
We're currently living in our dream apartment. We have a nearly 1,300 sq. foot 1-bedroom with huge walk-in closet in Minneapolis. The floor-to-ceiling windows face east, overlook a lake as well as the downtown skyline beyond another lake. The light is amazing. It's tremendously relaxing to look out and watch various activities like kite skiing in the winter and sailing in the summer. The closest buildings are 1/4 mile away across the lake, so it's very private. We only share one wall in the living room with a very quiet neighbor. We have 24-hour security and concierge. A full-sized health club in the building next door is available through an internal walkway. The bike path I ride to work is next door and we regularly walk the path around the lake. A Whole Foods and pharmacy are only two blocks away. We were planning to buy a condo, but when the short-sale fell through two years ago, we moved in here and don't want to leave. I couldn't buy this view if I wanted to. We are very fortunate to be able to live here.
I had a studio apartment on Stanton Street between Attorney and Ridge in the early 90s. The neighborhood was beyond dicey at the time. But the apartment was a really good size, good floors (rare in the nabe at the time), and had the BEST TUB! All the appliances were no more than a decade old--also a rarity on the LES at that time. Kicker: $500 a month.
My first apartment was really lucky. It was in the Central West End neighborhood in St. Louis. Extremely high ceilings (about 13 ft), lots of windows, central air/heat, fireplace, built-in bookcases, separate dining area, and a large patio for $480/mo. The bus stop was literally right outside the building's door, which was great when I was coming home with groceries. I'm a Chicago condo owner now but I will always feel fortunate that I had such an awesome first apartment.
Did I mention it was on the 6th floor with lots of light and an unobstructed view of the Twin Towers?
I lived in a beautiful early 20th century apartment in Lower Queen Anne, Seattle. It was a corner apartment so I had windows on two sides. One of the windows perfectly framed the Space Needle which was gorgeous at night. Hardwood floors, built in kitchen nook table, radiators, french doors. It was small but wonderful...and only 350 a month in 1989.
A 3rd floor studio in a turn of the century walk-up with huge 6 foot tall windows across teh front that overlooked a beautiful "best address" Dupont Circle building in DC. The street was wide and the building across the street was stunning. At night all the windows would be glowing. My building had a fire escape that I would crawl out onto at night. I'd sit there with a glass of wine enjoying the city sounds unbeknownst to everyone passing that someone was up there.....it was a secret spot right in the middle of everything. What great memories.
In graduate school another student and I rented a nice little house in a quiet neighborhood from a family that never rented it out before. A year later not only there weren't any attempts to keep our security deposit, but I also got back a little over $50 in excess of my deposit of $350 with an explanation that money were invested and that was the accrued interest.
I'm living in it. It's a very unique place, built in 1962. I can't make any changes to it, so there are some things I don't like that I'm stuck with (popcorn ceilings, white walls and carpet) - but the pros way outweigh any cons. It's 1,000 sq ft with four full size closets & one floor-to-ceiling linen closet. It's got 11 foot high ceilings and lots of natural light and trees just outside all of the windows facing east (including my bedroom window). The heat in the summer rises to the top, so for the most part, I stay cool. It also has a 100 ft balcony, facing west, overlooking a pristine pool (one I dove into several times last summer in the 100+ heat of the San Fernando Valley). I can watch the sunset from my balcony or just sitting on my couch drinking a glass of wine. I can walk to everything and my neighbors are all grown-ups who respect one another. The laundry facilities, which are kept immaculate, are literally just down the steps from my unit and I have a large covered parking spot. The landlord is incredibly responsive and nice. Best of all? I can afford it (given the area, I got a great deal) and it's under rent control. I come home and exhale with pleasure every time I walk through the door and I'm pretty much all over it with keeping it clean and clutter free. I pinch myself knowing how hard it is to find a great place with storage, parking, pool and charm in Los Angeles where you don't have to pay an arm and a leg (or sell a spare kidney!).
My very first apartment:
The cutest little first floor of an orange-yellow row house on a tree-lined street in DC. Washer-dryer, dishwasher, high ceilings, remote-control ceiling fans, 100 year old doors seperating the living space from the bedroom, and to top it off, private deck and a parking space. All for about $1,300 (6 years ago).
Blocks from everything!!! (I rode my bike to work in 8 minutes and sometimes went home to nap on my lunch. I could also walk to Whole Foods to do my shopping.)
Living in NYC, I miss that little tangerine-dream.
I've lived in a number of shiny glass condo buildings in Toronto, but my favourite rental was a 1 bedroom basement walk-out in a million dollar, century old house in a mature neighbourhood. It was newly renovated by a young couple who'd just bought the house, so I was the first ever renter and everything was nice, new and clean. It was my first apartment alone, without any roommates, so it really felt like my own space. The landlords were wonderful, the backyard was beautiful, the neighbourhood was ultra-convenient, and the unit had laundry, an ensuite, a dishwasher, central air, and a central vacuum system to boot! It was, for all intents and purposes a basement, but with all those little perks it felt pretty posh. I stayed for two years, and would probably still be there today if the couple hadn't started a family and wanted to take back over their space.
High up, facing a popular street, lots of privacy, and huuuuuge windows. Had a washer and dryer and a nice (though small) kitchen. It was an amazing rental. I would have stayed if not for the various small, but significant issues around the complex, like the gates and elevators breaking all the time. Otherwise, it was pretty great.
My current house is definitely my best rental. Although it's just a regular townhouse that hasn't been updated since it was a weird model home in the 1970s, our landlord lives out of the area and never bothers us. It has a spacious living room, dining room, and kitchen, and 3.5 baths for 4 girls. It has a big basement with its own laundry room and a good sized fenced back patio. I have the master bedroom with a walk in closet and my own bathroom for just over $600 a month, which is unheard of in the DC area. I'm looking forward to eventually living without roommates, but I know it's going to be a long time before I can afford a place this size with space to take on furniture projects and other things that require outside/workshop space.
Our last apartment was a fantastic, hidden number from the 40s in the Hollywood Hills. When we saw a photo of the living room on Craigslist, we thought it was a fake posting... it was too beautiful to be renting for so low. It had a huge living room with cathedral ceilings and the most gorgeous view of the hills. People used to wander down onto our terrace just to look at the view.
Alas, it had a few insurmountable problems. Poor maintenance had allowed termites to turn its walls into Swiss cheese; it only had one bathroom in the master bedroom (though our landlord offered to build another one out of a closet), and parking was enough to make you tear your hair out. But I do miss that living room and view.
Current rental. Bungalow in a wooded canyon in the Oakland Hills, quiet neighborhood, close to a massive regional park where we hike daily. The house is a small two bedroom with a detached garage and a hot tub in the back under a magnolia tree. It's not cheap, but our landlord is awesome; he and his wife brought us a complete meal for us to make after I had surgery for cancer in December. They are responsive to any issues we have and treat us more like friends than tenants, yet don't hover around or bug us. Our only issue is the high number of break-ins, even though this is a nice area. But that's Oakland for you.
The first apartment I ever lived in without roomates was above a mirror and glass store on sort of main street. It was safe, no one even knew there were apartments up there. It was big for a one-bedroom. It had a niche between the fridge and the window where my drafting table fit perfectly. Big living area, nice size bedroom. One block from the laundromat. It was the site of my first home fire (no harm done) and honeymoon haven when I dated my now-husband.
About twenty years ago I spent 4 years living in a quite small apartment in Vancouver, B.C.; it was on the top floor of an old '30s stucco building. The rent was less than $300 a month. It had a separate entrance from the front up a long stairway. It had TONS of storage, including a giant closet I could crawl into over this stairway. It had sparkling wooden floors. There was also an entrance off my tiny kitchen, out to the building's lovely back yard. Big windows everywhere, including a very large west-facing window that went almost to the floor. The building was on a small hill that rose up from a side street, the side street rose up from Commercial Drive, this was all located in the Grandview area of east Vancouver; I would sit in that west facing window at the end of the day and watch the sun set behind the outline of Vancouver Island and with binoculars I could see traffic lights going over the Lions Gate Bridge in the distance. The building is still there and every now and then I dream of moving back there and getting the same apartment. :)
I lived in an old craftsman duplex in Uptown New Orleans when I was in college. The landlord was a great guy and an architect, and he lived in the other half of the house. He had painstakingly renovated it and had excellent taste. The windows were huge and the ceilings were high, and it was in a great part of town. I miss that house a great deal. (I especially miss the huge antique clawfoot tub in my bathroom!)
I had two dream apartments when I lived in Chicago... both of which were owned by the same landlord.
The first one was on the top floor of a greystone built around 1915. It got amazing light, since it was next to a church and across the street from a school- both of which were shorter than my building. It had gorgeous (and unpainted!) woodwork, high ceilings, two bathrooms and three bedrooms. We had a little fenced in "yard" (all concrete), and a shared roof deck. However, it was too expensive... not to mention the fact that my husband and I didn't need a three bedroom place. So we moved to another unit our landlord owned...
The second apartment was far more unique- it was a renovation in a building that was built in the 1880's. It still had a lot of the vintage details (tin ceiling and woodwork, which unfortunately had been painted... a lot), but the renovation had included using what had originally had been the building's attic as a bedroom. The bedroom was huge- I think it was about 15x25 feet- and it was lofted above the rest of the apartment. The living/dining room was a decent size, and had a very high lofted ceiling. The best part, though, was the yard. It wasn't very wide at about 12 feet, but it ran the entire length of the lot. Seriously, it was the perfect yard for greyhounds!
My best rental ever is the one I moved into last Saturday. Landlord is hands-on, but in the best way possible. His car gets broken into and the keys to a couple of his buildings get stolen in the process? He and his crack handyman were out here at 9pm last night re-keying our locks.
We live in the East Village in Long Beach, in a building that's JUST been renovated. 2 bed, one bath. The kitchen is open to the living room. The building is from the 20's, but has brand-new electrical, plumbing, etc. Gorgeous original hardwood floors and mouldings. Pretty much everything else is brand new. The stainless appliances and in-unit washer and dryer were virgin. Bathroom was almost a gut reno, and while it's small, it's totally functional thanks to a built-in that was spared during the remodel.
Rent is $1450 a month, no parking. BUT... I found a lot very nearby to rent a space. We hope to be here a good long time.
My studio in Chicago. Great layout, 2 large walk-in closets (one large enough for a dresser and/or desk). Tons of natural light, roof top laundry room and deck. And the best part about the building was that you couldn't hear you neighbors, not a peep! The building was well maintained but my what I really remember was the layout. It allowed me to create separate living spaces - an area for my bed, and a living and dining area. And even though the kitchen was small there was lots of cabinet space.
Well, I feel pretty lucky about the 1953 bungalow we're in right now, for just now three years. It has plenty of flaws (occasional foundation leaks into the basement, leaky roof until it was finally replaced last Fall, uninsulated brick and plaster, not enough modern electrical outlets, etc), but we get a cute Don Mills house, with a huge yard (bad), deck (good), oak floors, lots of great light, an okay landlord, and mostly quiet, tho our neighbours are mostly seniors. We pay just under $1600, and it could easily be rented for a few hundred more.
My last apartment in Vancouver was mostly awesome. I had 640 square feet of one bedroom, facing North to the mountains, 1955 three story walk up, top floor, wood floors (that I had to paint, they were in such rotten shape), a kitchen I loved, tons of space and light. My rent went from $500 in 2001, to $550 when I left in 2006.
And then there's the one that got away: Before we rented this house, we had applied for an amazing five bedroom heritage house out in Weston, ON. It's owned by the church next door, who wanted a quiet, childless couple. Man, this place was incredible. Huge separate foyer, cloakroom, formal dining, walk in pantry, wide back hall, gorgeous smallish yard and garden, two levels of bedrooms, oak floors, all the old trim and character. BUT. The day after we applied, a woman was shot in the head two blocks away in front of her three year old daughter. This made headlines, and had me researching our new neighbourhood a little more closely. It was a pocket of wonderful homes and neighbours surrounded by a troubled area, with quite high crime. I even went so far as to contact a guy who grew up there via his blog post about Weston, and he mentioned he was trying to get his parents to move out of the area, it was so bad. I still think about that house. Oh yeah: $1300 a month!!!!
Oh, the one bedroom in Vancouver is near 8th and Fraser.
Ahhhh.... My 2nd apartment in NYC was in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, 15 years ago. My co-worker's friend was moving out & wanted to find someone to take over her lease. As soon as my hubby & I walked onto the street, we knew we liked the place. As soon as the door opened to the building, we knew we wanted the apartment. It was an old fire station, converted to apartments by the owner in the 1970's. We lived on the entire 1200 sf 2nd floor. It had 1 HUGE bedroom, a small office, 13 foot ceilings, great light, wood floors, a huge bathroom (with 2 sinks!!!) and it was nothing short of amazing. I think the rent was about $1700/ month. We stayed 3 years. I would have loved to stay longer, but we just couldn't live in the city any longer. Too much of 80 hour work weeks, spending every last dollar on rent, food, drinks, etc. Sigh. I can only imagine what the rent is now that trustafarian hipsters have completely overrun the neighborhood.
When I relocated from Boston to Detroit, I came from a [nice] 650 sq ft apartment and got settled in a 1800 sq ft loft. I literally could cartwheel through the kitchen...and I had plenty of space for all my stuff--and more. Need I mention it was on the riverfront, had a parking garage (at no charge!), and had a gym with a pool? Beautiflly maintained, freshly updated. I mean, say what you will about Detroit--it was a very luxe upgrade for me. Prior to that, I did have a brilliant rental house about 12 years ago in Cambridge--it was pitched as a 3 bdr, and it wasn't renting because the '3rd bedroom' had no window and was about 8x8...but it was perfect for us as a 2 bdr w/office. It had a magnificent butler's pantry, 3 fireplaces--and a coveted washer and dryer. It was a fortune, but it was the first place I had ever rented that didn't look/feel like a rental...
My current place (see: Small Cool 2012 "Geoff's southern exposure studio").
It's the perfect size for me. It's bright, and in a great neighborhood. I have a West Elm, West Elm Market, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Restoration Hardware and Anthropologie (among others) all within 2 blocks of my door! There's an old theatre across the street, and a public transit hub a block down. I've got a patio, and face south, so it's nice and sunny spot to chill. New doors/windows, hardwood floors, plenty of closet space.
The clincher, though, is that I have a super cheap monthly parking spot (which my family abuses on shopping day trips) and my rent is well below what it should be for the area, thanks to a very kind/friendly/helpful landlord!
The shower switches from boiling to freezing every time I use it, and the neighbors can be a bit noisy, but I'm happy to ignore those flaws. I don't see myself moving any time soon!
My very first one… My best-friend and I took a cross-country road trip after college, found an apartment in Texas, and stayed for a year…We were 22… The apartment was totally generic, and we had no furniture—not even beds. We bought futon mattresses and slept on the floor.
We still joke it was the greatest space we’ll ever live in.
My college apartment: a studio with windows on three sides, an eat-in kitchen with built-in shelves up to the ceiling, exposed brick, hardwoods, walk-in closet, and a funky wood stove that I wasn't supposed to use but looked very cozy with candles inside. It was a block from the university and cost $490 a month in 2002 / 2003 (any Seattle apartment under $600 was considered a steal at the time). My previous home had been a big shared house with a bunch of party kids (they were the reason college kids can't have nice things), so having a place to myself for the very first time especially sweet. I left to move in with the fellow who's now my husband, but I still remember my sweet little studio fondly.
I wish I had these experiences. Every apartment I'd ever had was chosen based on affordability, where condition and location had to be sacrificed. I'd rate them on a scale of most to least miserable. :)
It wasn't until I was finally going to purchase my own condo that I actually had the chance to be picky about location, condition and other amenities. I love my location now, have a decent amount of space, it's a well maintained building, and I'm actually paying about the same as I was for my last rental. Now I'm looking forward to being MORE picky the next time and finding myself a nice little house in a great 'hood.
My favorite apartment was a small one bedroom in a four-plex on Galveston Island. We had a backyard on the water and my neighbors were quirky, fun, wonderful people. The building was old, lots of cedar and cypress. While it was the smallest apartment I ever lived in, the yard and dock made it feel a lot bigger and you can't beat being part of a nice community. Hurricane Ike took the building down, unfortunately.
My last apartment in Chicago. Our landlord was a dream. He really cared about preserving the history of the building and made such smart choices in his repairs. He took care of things, was friendly, and ran a good business. I miss you George.
My best place was a 5 bedroom victorian house in my little towns historic district, fully rehabbed and directly across the street from my office (an historic preservation org) and in front of the river. All for $500 a month plus utilities (which killed me but still so worth it). I loved that house and that neighborhood.
The best rental I ever had wasn't really a rental in the traditional sense. I stayed in the 1930s servants quarters of an old house while working a summer internship a few years back. The room had an ensuite bathroom, a river front view, and there were two lovely covered porches overlooking the river. The building's age showed in places, but the location couldn't be beat.
I live in my best place now. 1000 square feet 2 bedroom apartment form a triplex built in 1920. Gorgeous hardwood floors, original wood moldings, original textured wall treatment unique to northern Montreal apartments (imagine a 3dimensional damask), stained glass windows, stained glass french doors (one of them set in pockets), built in stained glass china hutch, huge bathroom with penny tile and a huge tub, laundry room/walk in closet, skylight, amazing light all day, 2 balconies, and a wood shed off the back for storage. All for $705 a month. Good lord I love Montreal rent control policies.....
I love the apartment I'm in now, but my favorite, best apartment ever was in 1988 - 1989. It was a second-floor, beachfront apartment on Folly Beach, just outside of Charleston SC. This was before Folly was discovered, and was still an old hippie beach.
Huge rooms, open floor plan, giant front porch, beadboard walls and ceilings. Never needed air conditioning because of the constant ocean breeze. Oh there were serious issues with the place as it was old and had never been updated, but did I mention it was beachfront? And somehow, only $125/month. That's not a typo.
Sadly, it was condemned and eventually razed after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. *sigh*
For me it was in Santa Monica...
All the windows faced west...directly out to a literally breath-taking view of the ocean. The owner was also a designer and she even cut a window into the bathroom so that you could see out through the adjacent bedroom window. I really got to love brushing my teeth in the morning while looking at the ocean...and watching the sailboats that come out on Sundays from my couch on days when I didn't feel like actually being on the beach. It was also very near the Pier so at night if my windows were open I could sometimes hear the people screaming from the rollercoaster as it went around in the dark. The owner/designer had also installed a very large marvelous bathtub and when I wasn't enjoying the view, I was soaking in that up to my neck.
My first apartment, from about '77 to '79, (before a lot of y'all were even born!). It was on Main St. in Bethlehem, PA; a third floor studio with a giant picture window looking out over Main St. Hardwood floors, huge closets, a tiny kitchen with a separate entrance from the hall, great landlords who owned an optometrist's office on the first floor. Rent was 120.00 per month!
A total dump one block up from Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz. Grass was growing through the walls, but I could easily justify getting in the water for 20 minutes because I was so close.
I had a studio right on the corner of Clark and Foster in Andersonville, Chicago after a dramatic breakup like 5 years ago. It was tiny, but the perfect location, and at $570 a month, now that I live in San Francisco, it was amazing.
2nd floor studio with balcony in a fairly new well built 3 story building in ND; downtown, close to work, shopping, the Y & a bike path. Whole thing was dark NICE paneling, stove, fridge, dishwasher, QUIET carpeted hallways; don't remember any kids. Would have preferred 3rd floor, but vacancies seldom occured. IIR, rent was under $200/mo.
Haven't had any real dumps other than a short term (few months) basement apt, but every place I've left, I've gotten any deposit back and usually a "wow, we didn't have to come in and 're clean" note from the landlords.
I'm currently living in my dream apartment... 1,000 sq ft updated (only one tenant lived here before me, they did a great job at keeping the place up) one bedroom apt with beautiful hardwood floors, laundry, fully equipped kitchen, huge balcony, back yard, always filled with light, pet rent free... All for under $1200, which is unheard of my area of NW D.C.
My current place!
We found it online, and love it so much. 2 bedrooms, HUGE kitchen and dining room, huge windows, across the street from a lovely park, big veranda (and a small balcony), parking space is included, the neighbors are nice and the walls are (mostly) insulated enough that we don't hear each other that much, We are able to have a washer, dryer, and dishwasher in the kitchen... Bliss! Also, the landlord is really nice, and he's a contractor: whenever something breaks, he's there within a half-hour, and things actually get fixed.
Finding this place was like ticking off a wishlist for our ideal apartment... and it was 400$ under what we were willing to spend.
I have two--the apartment I lived in before I moved in with my now-husband, and our current rental house.
The apartment was a craftsman four-plex in the Irvington neighborhood of Portland, and our roughly 1,000 sq. ft. unit was newly remodeled with gorgeous hardwood floors, new appliances, a balcony, built-ins, and storage space for days. It was a fabulous neighborhood with shops, bars, and restaurants everywhere. Plus, my roommate and I paid less than $500 each for rent. It was amazing.
The house my husband and I rent now is in North Seattle, and it's a 1,200 sq. ft '20s bungalow and it's super cute. I have a walk in closet, hardwoods on the first floor, a gorgeous back deck and a balcony off our bedroom. Plus, I have a view of downtown Seattle and Mt. Rainier, as well as a fully fenced yard for our Lab. We're really hoping to buy the place when the owners decide to sell!
My current place. Given, I come from a long line of crappy, generic college housing, but I adore my little apartment. The radiators bang, it's drafty, it's always dusty no matter how often you sweep and clean, and it gets terrible light. It's in pretty poor shape, actually, but it's in the heart of the Heritage Hill area of Grand Rapids, MI and is surrounded by some of the most stunning Victorian homes I've ever seen. Amazing bakeries, neighborhood vegetable gardens, wine shops, and even a Frank Lloyd Wright home are all within walking distance. I wouldn't trade this neighborhood for anything, plus I think all the flaws of a rental built in 1901 are completely outweighed by the charms (in-unit laundry! Spanish tile! Tin paneling in the kitchen! All wood floors!)
I had a one bedroom, two level apartment, in the heart of a neighborhood called Hillcrest in San Diego. Two balconies - one off each level. $600 month from 1996 to 2001. I was young and single and this location (and price!) could not have been better at that particular time in my life! Oh, and the landlady was cool. It was sort of Mauin's "Tales of the City-esque."
I'm in it right now and even though we're saving for a house, this apartment has totally spoiled me for what I will find acceptable in another place. I keep telling my husband that I'm content to wait and keep saving if I can't find a place at least as nice as our apartment!
It's a 1400 sq/ft 1920s brick duplex with high ceilings, gallery moulding, hardwood floors, circular floor plan, 2 bedrooms, large sunroom, full dining room, breakfast nook, large kitchen, mudroom, w/d on enclosed porch, backyard and off-street parking for $750/m. We're both artists so we made the large, three-walls-are-windows sunroom into a studio that fits four large desks and lots of storage. The second bedroom became our library with floor-to-ceiling bookcases. The price is about $200-500/m less than comparable places around us, with more space in ours! The location is amazing. There are parks in one block in *every* direction around us, including the largest park in the city (with the historic stadium) only 3 blocks away. We are just three blocks from the downtown district proper, but have all of the same architectural charm and none of the traffic, crime or tourists. I adore this place!
Anybody know the source for that sofa? I think it might be exactly what I'm looking for...!
(the gray one in the left side of the image)
Wait, what? Did my comment get deleted? All I asked was...
"Does anybody know the source for the gray sofa? It might be exactly what I'm looking for!"
Thanks...?
What the F??? Why do you keep deleting my comment!?!?!?!
We once lucked into renting the last remaining old shack on a very exclusive beach in Malibu. Every other lot on the beach had a multimillion dollar home, usually owned or rented by a celebrity. The house itself was tiny with an old kitchen and baths, but who cares? It was on the beach!
The best rental I've ever had is the one I'm now. It's light and modern and close to work.
Does anyone know the source for the gray sofa in the image? I've been looking for something like that forever. It would be very, very helpful if someone here knew what it was and could tell me - one of the best resources for this kind of thing is right here on AT. That's why I'm asking.
Thanks!!!
Right before Prospect Heights got quite as hip as it is now, my then-boyfriend and I had a sweet little floor-through one-bed on St Johns just east of Washington for $1500. Yeah, it had a cracked window, the world's weirdest/teeniest bathroom (my friends still talk about how much they hated that bathroom), and three different kinds of floor, but all the kinds of floor were all nice wood (one regular plank & two different parquet patterns!), it was totally flooded with natural light, it looked out on a backyard (back) and a pretty community-celebrating mural (front), and it featured a sweet little office nook for my digital-freelancer boyfriend. I loved that apartment. First place I ever felt like a grownup. Best of all, it was an affordable price for a great location. We'd roll out of bed on Saturdays and be chatting with strangers on line at Tom's Luncheonette in five minutes.
@Pleiovn
I Found the original post here -->http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/marina-goes-upscale-house-tour-171592
It's from Cappellini - the Cuba 25 I think. Very $$
my current 1+1 in Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.
Los Feliz is pretty self contained. There are grocery stores, eateries, small boutiques, and service orineted businesses all within walking distance.
Lots of rental units, too, but vacancies don't last because this area attracts a lot of transplants.
My unit is an early 60's built therefore there's no vaulted ceiling, molding, faux fireplace, or hardwood floor. BUT, I have a large walk-in closet, a big hallway coat closet/storage, and a very good size bathroom. At 740sf, it is fairly big for 1+1 and I love it.
Twenty years ago I rented a little mother-in-law studio when I was in grad school in Albuquerque - it was an adobe cottage with loads of light, high ceilings, a fireplace, what seemed like miles of 1940's green linoleum counter-top (my favorite color), a 40s gas stove with a griddle, a bathroom with a solarium big enough to put a dresser in and a back yard with flagstones around a huge cottonwood tree. And it was $240 a month (for an extra $10, the land lady let me use the washer and dryer). I LOVED that place!
Then about 10 years ago, I rented the top of a 20s Cape Cod in NW DC. It was like living in a treehouse with all the light and the view. It had hardwood floors, a huge kitchen with a farmhouse sink (though a ridiculously small fridge) and a clawfoot tub. Unfortunately, the last year I was there, the land lady moved out of the downstairs and rented it to crazy tenants. When she finally decided to sell a few months later, it was time to move anyway but it was wonderful while I was there.
I love the house we finally bought a couple years ago, but I still remember those rentals fondly.
Now that all my comments are visible, I feel like a turd. Not sure if they were being deleted or if there was a technical error. Thanks for replying, Carrotsticks :) That is a pretty expensive sofa, maybe I can find a cheaper one with the same looks.
In the early 90's I had a tiny 1BR in downtown Wichita, KS. It was an old 1920's hotel turned apartment building. On the 8th floor, with huge wide windows, glass door knobs, French doors into the bedroom and huge walk in closet, and the pretty black and white octogon tiled bath. *sigh* SO beautiful! I didn't appreciate it well enough back then, but I'd have given my right arm to have a home with that much personality today!
I used to work in a church/school a year back and lived in an on-campus apartment. Well, it was actually a 2-car-port converted to a mother-in-law unit by the previous owners. All white when I moved in, with off white carpet, site made kitchen cabinets (koa wood Formica with the grain running left to right!), low ceiling (6'-9" to 7''-2"), small windows and hallway like common areas. Adequate, but blah. Then came the Great Flood of 2006: the adjoining house' plumbing backed up through my shower stall and deposited "ahem" chunky-monkey onto the living area carpets.
Out goes the carpet, in goes the light cherry laminate flooring, full front to back, even the kitchen. The room looks visually larger and harmonious. Magic-Roller used on the walls in a soft two tone green made the room calmer. Cheap natural finish tab top curtains form Walmart with electrical conduit as the curtain rod, with a curved conduit to delineate the living room area from the home office area. Mini lights strung inside of the folds of the living room curtains, on dimmers, of course! Track lights put in to highlight various corners and pictures. Finally, area rugs to cushion the feet.
My friends where skeptical about me painting the walls green, saying it should stay white because the natural light was so poor and I needed all the light I could get. But even in the day, it was dim, so lights had to be used. If I had to use lights all the time, that opened up the possibilities for color. My friends came in after the marathon month of redecorating and were very pleased with the results.
I also utilized a small outdoor space between the carpartment (as my friends called it) and a storage room attached to the new carport. Walls were painted green with leftover paint from the interior job, Christmas lights strung with dimmers, draping plants on hooks, a fine circular old red brick patio, bordered by a pot fountain and potted herbs, with candle lanterns strewn about. Wonderful for small intimate gatherings.
It was my best place, because I had the opportunity to make it my own. It also showed that this maintenance/techie guy had a creative side too.
Sadly, I had to move out in 2011, as the house my carpartment was attached to was becoming unsafe due to ground termites weakening the structure. It all came down one Saturday, with the help of a very large backhoe. As a symbolic gesture, I threw a brick through the house's living room window, commencing the demolition.
I lived in a ballroom once. It was part of the 1820s addition to a 1776 coaching inn. One huge room, 40 feet by 20 feet, with a 16 foot barrel vaulted ceiling. A separate galley kitchen and bath on one long wall. Two fireplaces, massive crown molding, honey-colored hemlock floors. Two walls of windows. Deep windowsills perfect for cats to curl up on. Storage spaces in odd little nooks. A quiet little courtyard in the L of the building to sit and sip a cup of tea.
I had a massively stressful job, and it was pure relief to walk into the courtyard every evening and then up the stairs to my haven. In the morning, the sun would come in the windows on the east wall and the light would travel 40 feet to the west wall and light up the room.
On the downside, the floor had been specially made to be springy for dancing, and over 100 years later, the springiness was gone. Instead, every footstep caused loud creaks and squeaks. I always felt sorry for the people in the downstairs apartment.
Random - I just wrote a post about my apartment today (as we're moving into our first home next month): http://zachinson-themagicnumber.blogspot.com/2013/03/apt-for-rent-2-bedrooms-1-bath-great.html
the apt i shared in Ottawa with my sister. it was in a 1970s concrete monolith with horrid windows but it was 3 bedrooms and 2 baths and we had a HUGE balcony that wrapped around the entire unit - 43 feet long on one side, 27 feet on the other. one door leading out from the living room and one from my bedroom. from May to October we all but lived out there with a massive garden-in-the-sky.
the best part was the view from our 19th floor unit; straight up the Rideau Canal to Parliament and the Laurentian foothills beyond. we often had dozens of guests at our Canada Day parties and for flight-watching during the balloon festival.
i moved to Canada's London 7 years ago for work and my sister moved to a place closer to her office near the Supreme Court.
the day i moved, i stood out on that balcony in the brilliant sunshine of a frigid February morning looking at the canal crowded with skaters; i think i cried for the first 100 km of the 700 km drive across southern Ontario.
I am always bemoaning the $450 1000sf 1910 apartment we had in Spokane WA with 15 foot ceilings, rock maple plank floors, and a huge tiled fireplace. My rad gay uncle still lives in the building because his 1500sf 2 bedroom with the best view in town is about 850 bucks after all these years. I miss seeing him and his skittish abyssinians every day, too!
My current rental is the bomb! It's a small space in a historic home on Nicollet Island, which is the only inhabited island on the Mississippi. There are only a few residents and our neighbors keep an eye on each other and are quick to help each other out. The area is in the historic part of the city and there are shops, restaurants, and a nice little movie theater and grocery store just a few steps away. It's very quaint and peaceful but is only a five-minute walk into downtown Minneapolis - a perfect blend of country and city. Our landlord is nice and easy to work with, too. He's very hands off yet there when we need him. We feel so lucky, like we hit the jackpot, and hope to be here many years.
My last apartment in Boston as a student. I lucked into a 1st floor 1 bedroom split on Park Dr. My apartment looked out into the park,and was the first and only time in Boston I wasn't staring into someone else's window. Also, my bedroom was technically the living room, so it was huge, and had this beautiful bay window that flooded the room with sunshine during the day. It also put me about a 5 minute walk to the MFA, and just a few more minutes to the Gardener museum.
My absolute favorite was a converted carriage house in St.Pete,fl(sounds fancy but it was single story and rather utalitarian) but what made it so special was the yard and all the touches the owners brother who had lived in it 30 years had done.He liked to use salvage and parts from the curb so it had leaded glass french doors,stained glass transoms,wrought iron light fixtures from an old hotel,it was just wonderful to look at.The yard was old Florida,lush and overgrown complete with mossy fountain!Its drawbacks were it was tiny(but with high ceilings),no air conditioning,and the bathroom was the size of a coffin.Literally.But it was super private,the landlady traveled 6 months out of the year and $180 a month.Circa 1986-89.That was the happiest time of my life,and I still miss that place.
Six months ago I moved out of a 2 bed, 2.5 bath, 2 car attached garage in a part of the city that was within walking distance of any kind of restaurant, bar, shopping I could wish for and 5 minutes away from three major highways. The townhome community is well-maintained mediterranean-styled with beautiful landscaping. The large oak trees outside my window made me feel like I was sleeping in a tree house. It had it's flaws: terrible guest parking, no sidewalks within the community, small living rooms, but the managers were nice and maintenance requests were addressed quickly. I'll probably never live anywhere that nice again.
The warehouse I lived in after college. It was pretty small as far as warehouses go and I shared it with two brothers. We built a room (for me) with a loft on top (for them). We salvaged an industrial sink and a gas stove to be our kitchen. It had a small (and admittedly terrible) bathroom already. We held shows in our living room and an electrician friend installed track lighting for us for theatrical lighting. We could do whatever we wanted, I painted a mural on a wall without a thought, we held band practices at all hours. Noise was not an issue since our neighbors were industrial during the day and gone at night. Our landlord only requested that we pay in cash which was fine with us, my share was $350. nearby was a great local park. hiking trails for miles and it was only a 15 minute walk/3 minute drive to downtown. It was maybe the perfect place to spend your early 20s.
A little one bedroom flat in London with a tiny kitchen. It was right beside the river (I mean if you looked outside the living room, kitchen or bedroom windows the river was only about twenty feet away) and I spent countless hours running countless miles along the river. The landlord was a lovely guy and used to babysit our cats when we went on holiday, and when every single appliance broke down within a year he replaced everything with brand new stuff within a few days of it breaking. Our heating bills were tiny because it was such a cosy, well-insulated building, we had a massive attic for storage, and the rent was an absolute steal, £750 per month which in London would sometimes only rent you a room in a shared house. Oh and we could paint or do whatever we liked decor-wise but I never bothered because I grew to love the landlord's mad colour choices.
We stayed four years and only left because we were moving several hundred miles away. Now we have a three bedroom house that we actually own but it has never felt like home the way our little riverside flat did. I wish I still lived there.
I love the apartment I just rented! It's 1400 sqft, on the top floor, with huge windows facing north and south that let in lots of light. I love the large modern kitchen and the gas fireplace, and the details like original molding and recessed lighting. Best of all, it's in an excellent location in downtown Hoboken and has a covered parking spot!
@pleiovn
If you come across another picture with something you want to know about, you can do a reverse image search on google. It'll return any website that uses that same image, and one of them is bound to be the original post with sources.
www.google.com/images
Click on the little camera icon in the search bar on the right. You can either upload the photo or give it a link. Uploading works best, in my experience.
New Orleans, 1985, Prytania Street, one block lakeside of Jefferson, two blocks riverside of St. Charles. Entrance and one room downstairs (housed the piano, staircase with stained glass windows) and entire upstairs (two bedrooms with private baths, Juliet balcony, living room, dining room, kitchen, sleeping porch turned into sun room). $500/month, utilities included. Landlord didn't care what we did (painted, removed carpet to expose gorgeous hardwood). He told us, check out the attic -- if you like anything up there, it's yours. I still have some of the attic furniture. Incredible old house, wonderful man.
The first apartment I had on my own was pretty awesome. It was a one bedroom with speckled rust carpeting and a wall of wood paneling. I wish I'd done it up with some paint, it would have been worth it.
The apartment I have now is my favourite, though. I've been here over 16 years, and I don't think I'll ever leave. It's truly home. <3
http://dodiegoldney.wordpress.com/
A mother-in-law apartment in a home in the foothils on the east side of San Jose. I had the main entrance, a deck with a hammock, a separate wrap-around porch with a (distant) view of the San Francisco Bay and gorgeous sunsets, a stone fireplace in the cathedral-ceilinged living room, all toward the end of a road that wound up into the hills but was less than 30 minutes from work. Biggest drawback was lack of laundry facilities. The owner was a bit of a kook but I hardly ever saw him or his wife. It was utterly silent at night. During the two years I lived there, several times there would be fog over San Jose; I would drive home under overcast clouds, only to emerge into a clear sky at home, looking down at the top of the fog, underlit in a peachy glow. I slept in the hammock a few times -- once I was there and could watch the fog as it came down and enveloped everything. I was so thrilled to find a showplace that, when the owners said they'd be interviewing applicants for another five days, I offered them $100.month over the asking price and never regretted it.
my current home.
about $500 (low to mid range here). i live on a tropical island.
a couple (my landlord) started their retirement here & they were friends w/ one of the guys who designs some of the top spas here. so, it feels like one. huge wall sized windows, balinese garden, fish fountains, high ceilings, outdoors shower w/ rock garden, etc. it's been a total blessing. living here is often very difficult, but this home helps me stay sane.
A FEW DETAILS:
unlike most places in this country i have a western kitchen (cabinets FTW) & a normal sized fridge (most here are dorm sized)
i have a washing machine. i'd spent a year & a half washing everything by hand outside. it's still outside, but YAY!
amazing bathroom w/ an outdoor shower & a deep tub (also unheard of unless you're in a hotel).
completely air conditioned w/ free electric.
gorgeous private walled in garden.
about 15 min from anywhere i want to go.
amazingly nice landlord.
bed is like over 9 feet wide!!!
& a closet carrie bradshaw would die for. also, this is a country that does not normally have closets.
*not bad considering my last place didn't even have a sink & i was constantly waking up to frogs in my kitchen!
My husband and I currently live in the best rental either of us has ever lived in... A recently renovated one bedroom, third floor apartment in the Oakleigh Garden neighborhood of Mobile. The neighborhood is gorgeous, with greenery and oak trees lining the streets and a nice shady park a block away. There are exposed brick walls in the living room and office, and it's definitely a bonus to have a super nice landlord. Of course there are little things that bug us, but every single day I think about how much I love this apartment and it makes me feel really, really good about things.