This post begins a series called "Apartment-Hunting in Seattle".
Jesse and I are moving in together in September (announcement!), so we have started looking for an apartment. We have a few criteria:
1. Under $1000/month. We want to prioritize paying off his student loans and saving up to buy the next place. So this would be "below our means" but would help us meet these two goals.
2. Dog-friendly. It's shocking how limited our options are with Boss, considering that every other person in Seattle owns at least one dog.
3. Easy on the commutes. I work in North Seattle and Jesse...well, we aren't exactly sure where he will end up after he graduates in December. But chances are he will be on the "Eastside" where Microsoft is if his internship there this summer goes well (which it will), which means across Lake Washington, requiring him to take Hwy 520 which gets crazy clogged with traffic and will have a toll starting in September. So we need to get as close to 520 as possible, which presents the next issue...
4. Not overloaded with college students. 520 is right by the UW. I work with students all day, and let's fact it...Jesse & I are getting old. We don't want to live on Greek Row.
I forgot what an absolute pain in the neck apartment-hunting is in Seattle. The last time I had to look was when I found Leah, or rather when Leah found me, in August 2008. The ridiculousness of shopping for shelter here led me to actually reverse the process on Craigslist and post my own ad.
Jesse and I have already had some experiences I could blog about in this process, so stay tuned for Apartment Hunting in Seattle: Part Two.
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6 comments:
apartment hunting makes my palms sweat and bile rise up in my throat like a geyser. i HATE it. last time i went apartment hunting a mgr showed me an apartment that looked like a crime scene.
the only thing worse? house hunting. it's like apartment hunting...only a million times more expense, permanent and more terrifying. so, yeah, HAVE FUN!
also, good luck living with a guy. i was SHOCKED that first month after chad and i lived together. and by shocked, i mean HORRIFIED. men are dirty and nasty and disturbingly hairy. unless he's a clean freak. chad is definately NOT a clean freak.
Yowzers. Your criteria all sound reasonable, but I totally understand that combined they will make your choices limited. Lyon had a housing shortage so I know it can be really stressful to look for/decide on a place...and never know if you should compromise on a point (or two, or three...) and just take what's available or hold on for another.
Oh - and although we never visited any possible crime scenes, there was one apartment that was created by cutting a bigger one into two, so you had to walk THROUGH the bathroom in order to get to the living room!! Can you imagine having anyone who come to your place walking past the toilet and shower to get the couch?!?
LOL @ Mrs. Darling's second post. AMEN SISTA!!!!!
Drat. We are putting up our townhone for rent which might meet a few of your requirements...but it's not available just yet.
Good Luck! Mrs. Darling makes me laugh - we're looking for a new house and it's so true what she says about crime scenes.
a FLY?! nope, i would totally draw the line there. chad will often walk around the house with a fly swatter looking for a fly he swears is there but can never locate(he HATES them)...pretty sure he's just seeing stuff.
i used to run on a jogging/biking trail at a lake here in town and there was an older man who had wore one of those doggie bjorn carriers while he rode his bike. he had a poodle that rode in the carrier and it was freaking hilarious! like, i would nearly fall on my face laughing everytime i saw him! the dogs ears were always flapping in the wind and i swear, that dog was SMILING. i thought it was adorable and totally wanted one for allie for awhile. in conclusion, YOU SHOULD TOTALLY GET ONE FOR BOSS.
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