1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)?

2. What are the drawbacks?

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor?

4. What is the view from your apartment?

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours?

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")?

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it?

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything?

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay?

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it?

Just curious...

retina said:

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)?

no maintenance, free utilities, pool

2. What are the drawbacks?

carrying shit to the 5th floor

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor?

5th, for the view

4. What is the view from your apartment?

my apartment faces west, so i get sunsets and thunderstorms. the southern end of my view is downtown, the northern end is mt airy water tower; i love the view.

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours?

they all seem pretty nice, so far. i do have a trio of 'cat-people' who feed and maintain a hovel for a brood of feral cats around the building...they annoy me.

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")?

the apartment itself? modern.

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it?

with the same shit i've been lugging around for 20 years...homey. lots of books and bookshelves. furniture that my grandfather made. my mom's dining room table.

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything?

nothing i can think of at the mo.

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay?

been there 3 months, and i'll be there 5 years, i hope.

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it?

yeah, i've got room to spare. my bedroom is huge but empty except for my bed and a dresser. i've got a huge walk-in closet that could hold 3 times the amount of comics i have in there; let alone clothes, which i have very little of. my son's bedroom will run out of space before anything else. his imaginext collection is gettin out of control.

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)?

Mostly that it allows me to live downtown close to everything. I don't really mind mowing the lawn, fixing things and other stuff you have to do on a house but not an apartment.

2. What are the drawbacks?

Shared laundry facilities, worry about possibly disturbing the neighbours with loud music or TV, no garden.

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor?

The 11th floor. I used to live on the first floor and couldn't see a damn thing out the window (except a big wall) so I desperately wanted to live higher up. Now I can see really far, nobody can see in, and I even get more sunlight since the sun goes down quite a bit later up here.

4. What is the view from your apartment?

Lots of water, beach walkway, bridges, rooftops, a park.

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours?

The neighbours on my floor are a bit boring but friendly enough. They mostly keep to themselves which is fine by me. Luckily I don't hear the neighbours above or below, but one drawback with that is that I worry if they can hear me.

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")?

It's an old 60s building with mostly concrete walls so that's not too charming. The kitchen is decent but not super modern. I've renovated the bathroom though so that's really new and fresh.

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it?

Mostly muted colours, comfy sofa and armchairs, little lamps here and there instead of ceiling light, framed photographs that I've taken myself on the walls. My smallest room is like a little library with two bookshelves and a sofabed which allows me to turn it into a guest room when needed. There's a space in the kitchen that's meant for a dining room table but put my desk there instead since it had the best view of the apartment.

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything?

My bedroom is still a bit lackluster. I need to put up some curtains and some more things on the walls. Plus the kitchen could need a bit of renovating.

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay?

I've lived here for two and a half years and I'll probably hang onto this apartment for several years (although I might well spend some of those years abroad and rent it out in the meantime).

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it?

For me, yes. The only problem would be if I got into a relationship, and especially if we wanted to start a family.

peedub said:

retina said:

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)?

no maintenance, free utilities, pool

2. What are the drawbacks?

carrying shit to the 5th floor

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor?

5th, for the view

4. What is the view from your apartment?

my apartment faces west, so i get sunsets and thunderstorms. the southern end of my view is downtown, the northern end is mt airy water tower; i love the view.

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours?

they all seem pretty nice, so far. i do have a trio of 'cat-people' who feed and maintain a hovel for a brood of feral cats around the building...they annoy me.

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")?

the apartment itself? modern.

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it?

with the same shit i've been lugging around for 20 years...homey. lots of books and bookshelves. furniture that my grandfather made. my mom's dining room table.

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything?

nothing i can think of at the mo.

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay?

been there 3 months, and i'll be there 5 years, i hope.

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it?

yeah, i've got room to spare. my bedroom is huge but empty except for my bed and a dresser. i've got a huge walk-in closet that could hold 3 times the amount of comics i have in there; let alone clothes, which i have very little of. my son's bedroom will run out of space before anything else. his imaginext collection is gettin out of control.

Oooh, a pool! Sweet! We have a gym in the building which is great, but I sure wouldn't mind jumping into a pool afterwards.

Too bad you don't have an elevator. Seems a bit odd when the building has five floors.

The view sounds great!

retina said:

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)?

Um.... none.

2. What are the drawbacks?

You have to deal with neighbors you have no real choice in having. Some can be great, others can be real assholes.

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor?

I live on the first floor in a multi-unit rent controlled building. It sucks... but its inexpensive. 12 units are in my building, most of the people here are nice and the good thing is my neighbors are a diverse group of people. I like that.

4. What is the view from your apartment?

The playground. Too many damned noisy kids, I thought it was nice when we first moved in but then I quickly got over it. But my kids love it and they like the access from the front door to the playground.

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours? I have quiet bitchy ass old cranky people and younger Christian Latino families that have taken up the trombone and congas... two families do this and I have real music being played by musicians in my building. There is a piano in the apartment down the hall... yes they get loud, but the music is welcomed.

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")?

Old as shit and cramped... but it is solid and warm and we are on the beach, which is welcomed in New England weather. Its a totally crappy unit in a great part of the city, but we made it "home" so its cool.

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it?

I have one Tuscan styled heavy leather couch but the rest is an eclectic mix of crap I collected here and there... I like to be comfy. People who visit me pass out on my comfy couch.

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything?

I need bigger closets and another bathroom would be nice. I miss having two bathrooms desperately.

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay?

6 years... and yes I'll stay put since income based units are rare here and I love the location. The building is crap, but the neighborhood is great and I live close to everything. Walking distance from shopping, hospitals, gardens, beach, parks and public transportation is steps away.

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it?

I am fine now because its taught me to not keep stuff I do not need. Before I had storage space and that space caused me to collect too much crap. Now, I toss stuff out on a regular basis and my kids and I live in a way where we only keep what we use.

Just curious...

retina said:

Oooh, a pool! Sweet! We have a gym in the building which is great, but I sure wouldn't mind jumping into a pool afterwards.

Too bad you don't have an elevator. Seems a bit odd when the building has five floors.

The view sounds great!

we've got an elevator, but it's still a pain in the ass to bring groceries from the parking lot, etc. i need to make a few adjustments to my shopping habits. i usually go to the market once a week/ten days, so it's a load. i think 2 trips a week would make it easier, as i could then just carry it in hand. as it stand, i've got to go from the parking lot to the basement to retrieve a cart, back to the parking lot to fill the cart with my groceries, through the basement to the elevator, up to my apartment to unload, then back to the basement to return the cart...there's gotta be a better way.

the view is awesome. i'm on the 5th/top floor, on the corner of the building, atop a hill with an unobstructed view for miles.

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)?

I never have to shovel snow.

That’s the main one, anyway.

2. What are the drawbacks?

Noise from the neighbors, or worrying about bothering them with your own noise. But that’s few and far between in my current building, so I’m happy.

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor?

I’m on the 9^th floor. The condo was perfect and it was a foreclosure so I got a great deal. The condos in my building are only on floors 9-12 so they all have a lovely view.

4. What is the view from your apartment?

I face south and the immediate view is all houses, the neighborhoods of South Minneapolis. There’s a park a few blocks away too with a lake, but the lake is only visible in the winter when the leaves are all off the trees. I can see the Mall of America and the Airport in the far distance and quite far beyond that as well. It’s gorgeous.

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours?

There’s a tiny little gorgeous Indian chick in the apartment next to me that used to throw late weeknight parties when I first moved in. She stuffed something in her vent that goes to the outside of her place so I wouldn’t be bothered anymore and now I rarely see or hear her. There’s an interracial gay couple across the hall from me who are super nice, my neighbor around the corner is the association president and he’s cool (he’s a flight attendant) and the guy next to him has the cutest dog in the world (a bulldog named Milo). There’s an empty-nesting couple down the hall from them I always say “hi” to, too. I’ve also met 2 lovely lesbian couples, another single guy I see on the bus and who I’m facebook friends with, an African guy who runs a restaurant in the base of my building and a nice lady who runs the gourmet cheese shop in my building. I have met lots of neighbors, now that I think about it.

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")?

This is my building: http://en.wikipedia.org/w...n_Exchange

I live in an industrial-looking loft with exposed brick and duct work and stuff.

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it?

I don’t know. If you saw it, you’d think it looks like me. The walls are lime green and white and black with black pillars and some grey walls as well. My big couch is lime green, the small is black. My bedroom is pink. A handful of good art on the walls. Black bathroom. Stainless steel appliances in the kitchen.

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything?

I want a kitchen island. I’m working on that this year. And I want my bedroom to be a real bedroom and not just a big storage space with a bed. That’s my other project this year. And I’m thinking about a different floor. It’s currently sealed concrete and I don’t particularly love it.

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay?

I’ve been there since September of 2009 and it’ll be another year at least. I probably won’t move till the bf and I decide to get married and buy a house.

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it?

There’s more than enough room for me and my kitties and all of my things. I have 940 square feet and a big storage space in the basement besides. It’s not big enough for 2 people, though. Only one bedroom. And no door on it.

peedub said:

retina said:

Oooh, a pool! Sweet! We have a gym in the building which is great, but I sure wouldn't mind jumping into a pool afterwards.

Too bad you don't have an elevator. Seems a bit odd when the building has five floors.

The view sounds great!

we've got an elevator, but it's still a pain in the ass to bring groceries from the parking lot, etc. i need to make a few adjustments to my shopping habits. i usually go to the market once a week/ten days, so it's a load. i think 2 trips a week would make it easier, as i could then just carry it in hand. as it stand, i've got to go from the parking lot to the basement to retrieve a cart, back to the parking lot to fill the cart with my groceries, through the basement to the elevator, up to my apartment to unload, then back to the basement to return the cart...there's gotta be a better way.

the view is awesome. i'm on the 5th/top floor, on the corner of the building, atop a hill with an unobstructed view for miles.

.... this sounds so

While I don't live an apartment now, I did for almost 20 years. So I know a li'l something about apartment living.

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)? Advantage #1 - No commitment, outside of a one-year lease. You can pack and go pretty much any time you want. Likewise, if you lose your job, you don't also risk losing your home. You can move to a less expensive apartment without worrying about selling a place.

2. What are the drawbacks? You can't deduct anything (mortgage interest or property taxes) on your federal income taxes. Your landlord gets those advantages.

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor? I always lived on the top floor. I'm really sensitive to noise - and figured it would drive me crazy to have anybody walking around over my head.

4. What is the view from your apartment? Usually, it was another building. But I once lived in an apartment that had a view of open fields - which was nice.

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours? I had both (nice and noisy) at various times. Noisy people make me crazy.

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")? I always lived in new construction because of my allergies. I just couldn't risk moving into an apartment in which somebody had had a cat - I'm terribly allergic to cats.

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it? My places were always nicely decorated, but somewhat sparse - I don't like a lot of bric-a-brac or stuff I have to dust.

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything? I always wanted to paint. When you rent, you're pretty much forced to live with white walls - unless you can prevail upon the landlord to let you paint. (Usually they make you take it back to white when you leave - which is a pain in the butt.)

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay? The longest I ever lived in a given apartment was four years. I've lived in my condo for almost 10.

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it? No - I never felt like there was enough space - especially for my clothes. I still don't.

Just curious...

We owned the last 3 homes we lived in, now we are in an apartment.. so here goes my answers

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)?

I dont "have" to do any yard work, scooping of snow, if somehting breaks I dont have to pay to have it fixed, I can move anywhere at anytime without worrying about selling...

2. What are the drawbacks?

I dont have a garden, I dont get to do yardwork "if" i want to.. I cant do any major renovations, I can smell what my neighbors are cooking when I go into the hallway..

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor?

There are only 2 floors and I am on the top floor, I like top floor cuz I like to sleep with my windows open in the summer, plus I dont want anyone living above me and i like my balcony.. I also loved the vaulted celings..

4. What is the view from your apartment?

Trees, then more apartment complexes... Sounds ugly, but everything is landscaped very nicely here..

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours?

Nope..

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")?

I guess modern since they arent that old..

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it?

IDK.. I dont stick to a certain style... Ive posted pics on fb... maybe someone can call it?

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything?

I dont care for the linoleum in the kitchen... id rather have tile... I did repaint all the rooms and changed out the ugly ceiling fan they had in the living room...

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay?

Next month Im up to resign my lease for the 3rd year... DOnt know how much longer, hubby mentioned purchasing sometime again..

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it?

Yes... I downsized to move here... it was very cleansing...

[Edited 2/10/12 15:29pm]

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)?

You don't have to worry about maintenance (which can also be a disadvantage, see #2), if you get tired of it you can move.

2. What are the drawbacks?

You have no control over how long it takes your lazy-ass landlord to send the super to fix things (or if he even sends the super). Noisy neighbors, nothing to show for paying a ton of money every month, can't renovate/remodel, don't have your own laundry.

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor?

Fourth floor, walk-up (3 flights of stairs) in a five-story building. As a female I will never live on a ground floor apartment. It wasn't that I wanted the 4th floor, it was more that the apartment that was in my price range and fit most of my criteria happened to be on the 4th floor.

4. What is the view from your apartment?

We are in the back so we don't have a street view. There is a 10-story(?) building across from us; we can see right into everyone's windows (the kid who never wears a shirt, the bedridden older lady, the guy who plays video games all day and night, etc.). The buildings on our side of the street are mostly 5 story brownstones with terraces on the 4-story. Our neighbor to the west has a terrace that she fills with flowers in the summer; it's an okay view for NYC. Central Park is at the end of our block, so that helps, too. I'm a people watcher, I'd rather have a street view, but that means a lot more noise.

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours?

Our neighbors are nice. The guy who used to live upstairs was a jerk, but he moved. The new couple is noisy as hell. (In 15 years of apartment dwelling, I've only complained to neighbors about noise 4 times - they've gotten two of those times.)

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")?

It's a mid-century brownstone apartment building. Five stories, 2 apartments per floor. It has high ceilings and hardwood floors, a non working fireplace (but they stupidly painted over the exposed brick). The bathroom and kitchen are sorely outdated, decor-wise.

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it?

Comfy/practical, I guess. I'm finally at the point were the furniture is "grown-up" and not "just-out-of-college". Lots of contemporary art on the walls and plants. (I think plants really make a place look like "home".)

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything?

Update/gut the kitchen - new cabinets, countertops, and appliances. Same with the bathroom. I also wish there was a third closet.

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay?

Since November 2009, we'll probably stay here until at least November 2013. I want to move at that point, but it will depend on whether we can find an affordable apartment in the neighborhood we want that has enough room for our stuff. NYC apartment hunting is brutal.

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it?

I wish we had at least one more closet and better storage/cabinets in the kitchen. Like many New Yorkers, we have to be very creative about how things are stored.

.

[Edited 2/10/12 17:33pm]

retina said:

I live in a two floor town house, and I have the upstairs apartment.

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)?

Small apartment feel, less rooms to clean up, cozy, a big balcony, walking distance to downtown, not far from my uni

2. What are the drawbacks?

No bath tub and not enough storage space. Also my neighbour smokes inside her apartment downstairs and that shit always wafts up into my place. I have to constantly ventilate the apartment.

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor?

2nd floor. I didn't have a choice in the matter. There were already people living in the first floor apartment.

4. What is the view from your apartment?

It's a view of my quiet little street. In my balcony I keep flowers in the spring and summer.

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours?

Sometimes I hear tv late at night, but I compensate by blasting music or taking a shower after 10.

I kid. They're good people. And they have a well-mannered grandson.

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")?

Old and with character. It was built in 1865.

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it?

Thrift store/Bohemian chic.

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything?

I wish it had a bath tub and more counter space in the bathroom. There are days i wish to have a bubble bath after a long day of classes...

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay?

about 5 months...and I might move perhaps sometime next year. My father thinks I should get a bigger apartment that doesn't constantly have smoke rafting through it's vents. I agree...and if I find something better I'll move.But as it is, I'm happy where I am.

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it?

It's getting more and more cramped. I feel I might outgrow it soon. But it's within my budget and well, grad school is not cheap.

Just curious...

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)? As others have said, maintenance isn't my responsibility, and I could leave this place on a whim as soon as a standing lease is up.

2. What are the drawbacks? My landlord is awesome about upkeep (aside from replacing a crappy clothes dryer) and letting me do whatever elective upgrades I'd like. I suppose the main drawback, then, would be that I build no equity in monthly rental payments to someone else.

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor? We live in a top-floor apartment of a 3-storey building. I suppose it chose us, as so few other units were available in the area when we were looking. But as our unit is a somewhat recent rehab that historically had only been an attic storage floor/nanny's quarters for the families below, it has the benefit of amenities the lower units don't have -- e.g.., a floorplan unique in this building; a living room with an 18-foot vaulted ceiling, gorgeous exposed beams and a loft overlooking it; an outside terrace; a wood-burning fireplace; exposed brick and cedar walls; and a vintage cast iron clawfoot bathtub that was just never "upgraded" . Despite all this, we still pay less than our downstairs neighbors, because our unit is technically only a 1-bedroom (compared to their 2-bedrooms). We simply use the loft as our second bed. We were very fortunate to find this space.

4. What is the view from your apartment? A selling point is that it doesn't have a window view (and therefore neither the noise exposure) to the busy street out front. To the sides and back, rather, we overlook the manicured backyards of neighbors.

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours? We live above all of them, so we don't have to deal with them. They're all great, though, and we often have dinner together.

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")? My building is actually somewhat boring -- standard Georgian revival stuff popular in the 1930s.

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it? All the work I've done in our unit tilts toward French Alpine or Provencal.

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything? I'd love to upgrade the kitchen with newer appliances and older (or at least more rustic French-looking) cabinetry. That sort of thing is too expensive to justify in a place I don't own, however.

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay? We've been here for about 2 1/2 years. We'll stay at least another 1 1/2 years until my daughter graduates primary school. We may look to move into a house then.

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it? There's definitely enough space for me. Heck, I could comfortably die here. My wife and daughter, however, like "stuff" a whole lot more than I do, and they'll eventually need a larger living space to accommodate it all.

[Edited 2/11/12 9:52am]

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)? The maintenance/utilities factors already mentioned are big for me. I also have no interest in yardwork or garden maintenance. But my primary reason for renting is financial. I were to buy a house it would end up consuming a large portion of my income, and that means putting a lot of money in one sector in one region. You can’t buy a bathroom in Vancouver, a living room in Florida and a driveway in Dartmouth. Instead, I’ve chosen to rent a cheap apartment way below my means in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Canada, and as a result I usually save about 70% of my annual net income and put it into diversified investments.

2. What are the drawbacks? Extremely iffy neighbors, though the past few years have been mostly quiet on that front.

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor? I used to live on the third floor, but moved into a basement suite about four years ago. I just took the cheapest suite I could find that could contain my possessions. The only thing I don’t like about being in the basement is that I can’t put my a/c unit in the window, but that’s not too much of an issue since it’s usually reasonably cool in here.

4. What is the view from your apartment? Nothing. Since I’m in the basement, there are bars over my windows, and I keep black drapes over them so no one can see in.

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours? I’ve had fairly spotty characters living around me over the years, including a transsexual prostitute and a few dealers, but I’ve always kept to myself and they’ve never bothered me.

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")? Definitely a character building – it’s actually been declared a historical site by the city, so the owners are quite restricted in any maintenance upgrades they can do. A few years ago they wanted to install new windows, and the city nixed it. Apparently they decided it would change the building’s character. A movie called The Lookout with Joseph Gordon-Levitt was partially shot in the building a few years ago – a reasonably good thriller, certainly worth watching if you haven’t seen it.

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it? I don’t decorate. I spend very little time in my apartment, so I see little value in doing anything to it. I spend most of my weekdays and weekends in the office, where I can enjoy the company’s decorations.

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything? It’s very poorly insulated – freezing in the winters, and since Winnipeg is the world’s coldest city that means something. I don’t generally have a problem with cold and I don’t spend a lot of time here, so my heating bill never gets too onerous, but I’ve heard it costs several hundred dollars to keep some of the larger suites in this building heated during the winter months.

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay? I’ve been here for 13 years. I’ll stay as long as the rent remains a bargain, though I have tentatively planned to get into buying rental properties in about three years, with the vague hope it will become a sideline for me when I retire – if I buy a duplex I might move into one of them.

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it? I just look at this place as an area to eat, sleep and go to the bathroom. The two suites I’ve lived in here are both smaller than my office at work, but that’s all I really need.

[Edited 2/11/12 8:47am]

CarrieMpls said:

Yeah you're right. All of that does sound very you. lol

CarrieMpls said:

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it?

There’s more than enough room for me and my kitties and all of my things. I have 940 square feet and a big storage space in the basement besides. It’s not big enough for 2 people, though. Only one bedroom. And no door on it.

940 square feet is not big enough for two people?

jone70 said:

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)?

You don't have to worry about maintenance (which can also be a disadvantage, see #2), if you get tired of it you can move.

2. What are the drawbacks?

You have no control over how long it takes your lazy-ass landlord to send the super to fix things (or if he even sends the super). Noisy neighbors, nothing to show for paying a ton of money every month, can't renovate/remodel, don't have your own laundry.

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor?

Fourth floor, walk-up (3 flights of stairs) in a five-story building. As a female I will never live on a ground floor apartment. It wasn't that I wanted the 4th floor, it was more that the apartment that was in my price range and fit most of my criteria happened to be on the 4th floor.

4. What is the view from your apartment?

We are in the back so we don't have a street view. There is a 10-story(?) building across from us; we can see right into everyone's windows (the kid who never wears a shirt, the bedridden older lady, the guy who plays video games all day and night, etc.). The buildings on our side of the street are mostly 5 story brownstones with terraces on the 4-story. Our neighbor to the west has a terrace that she fills with flowers in the summer; it's an okay view for NYC. Central Park is at the end of our block, so that helps, too. I'm a people watcher, I'd rather have a street view, but that means a lot more noise.

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours?

Our neighbors are nice. The guy who used to live upstairs was a jerk, but he moved. The new couple is noisy as hell. (In 15 years of apartment dwelling, I've only complained to neighbors about noise 4 times - they've gotten two of those times.)

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")?

It's a mid-century brownstone apartment building. Five stories, 2 apartments per floor. It has high ceilings and hardwood floors, a non working fireplace (but they stupidly painted over the exposed brick). The bathroom and kitchen are sorely outdated, decor-wise.

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it?

Comfy/practical, I guess. I'm finally at the point were the furniture is "grown-up" and not "just-out-of-college". Lots of contemporary art on the walls and plants. (I think plants really make a place look like "home".)

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything?

Update/gut the kitchen - new cabinets, countertops, and appliances. Same with the bathroom. I also wish there was a third closet.

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay?

Since November 2009, we'll probably stay here until at least November 2013. I want to move at that point, but it will depend on whether we can find an affordable apartment in the neighborhood we want that has enough room for our stuff. NYC apartment hunting is brutal.

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it?

I wish we had at least one more closet and better storage/cabinets in the kitchen. Like many New Yorkers, we have to be very creative about how things are stored.

.

[Edited 2/10/12 17:33pm]

Judging by your posts I've always imagined you as an art-loving New York intellectual, kind of like a character from a Woody Allen movie come to life. And I must say that a lot of this post reinforces that impression. I didn't even know that you actually live in New York! lol

Lammastide said:

Despite all this, we still pay less than our downstairs neighbors, because our unit is technically only a 1-bedroom (compared to their 2-bedrooms).

That's really odd, especially considering how nice your description sounds. You'd think they'd adjust the rent to what people are actually willing to pay for it (i.e. market value). But maybe the landlord is a huge company that only keeps track of the units through an Excel spreadsheet, and prices all the one bedroom units the same?

Either way, lucky you!

damosuzuki said:

Instead, I’ve chosen to rent a cheap apartment way below my means in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Canada, and as a result I usually save about 70% of my annual net income and put it into diversified investments.

Like what, if I may ask?

retina said:

Lammastide said:

Despite all this, we still pay less than our downstairs neighbors, because our unit is technically only a 1-bedroom (compared to their 2-bedrooms).

That's really odd, especially considering how nice your description sounds. You'd think they'd adjust the rent to what people are actually willing to pay for it (i.e. market value). But maybe the landlord is a huge company that only keeps track of the units through an Excel spreadsheet, and prices all the one bedroom units the same?

Either way, lucky you!

It is odd... and we try to avoid that topic when our neighbors come up to visit. They've told us on a few occasions how much they pay in rent (trying to tease out of us a similar response). We always derail the conversation somehow.

My landlord owns our building and the one next to it with just one other guy. He's a filthy rich widower, who explains that since his wife died, he's simply shifted his priorities from making money to family, his children, etc. I suspect when this unit became vacant, he simply wanted to get the quaint little American family in it ASAP and get on with his life.

Lammastide,

How are you?

love,

Spirit

SpiritOtter,

Tell us about your apartment.

love,

retina

retina said:

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)?

Pretty much the same as what everyone else has said. Other people can deal with the maintenance (Our dishwasher was playing up last week, the faucet in the bathroom was loose, they pretty much got fixed within 24hours). No lawn to mow on my day off. The facilities in the building are really good.

2. What are the drawbacks?

We're pretty much living in a holiday unit so it's really too small. Kitchen is too small (though bigger than the last one we had). Occassionally noisy. We were living directly opposite the back entrance of a large hotel and the garbage trucks and rubbish compactors or whatever the f**k they were used to drive us insane. Oh, also random fire alarms at 3am have happened several times with a drunk holiday maker burning their toast or whatever. Ugh. Definitely had thoughts of "I need my own house" at these points.

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor?

The 9th floor (There's 10 in the building). It was really the only one that became available at the time. We're just right of centre of the sign at the top of the building.

4. What is the view from your apartment?

It's gorgeous. We've got ocean to the right, the city in front of us and the hinterland to the left. The pic below is just about the same as we get but we're slightly higher and closer to the ocean.

This is a bad photo from the rooftop looking towards the ocean. You get the idea.

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours?

Our neighbours are pretty nice for the most part. They're a mixture of holidayers and permanent owners. The last unit we had in here (we were on the 6th floor) the lady on the top floor used to over water her balcony plant and the water would come splashing down onto railing of all the units below. We didn't like her.

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")?

It's about 10-15 years old but they just did an extensive refurbishment so it's well maintained.

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it?

It came furnished. Our stuffs in storage.

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything?

I would've loved a bigger unit but if you want bigger you kind of have to go into an older building or spend a bazillion dollars in the new ones

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay?

We spent 7 months here last year, did a 4 month housesit in Sydney and have been back here for 4 months and will be here for probably another 4 months, might be going back again to Sydney, see how it goes.

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it?

It makes me disciplined in purchases and I hardly impulse shop anymore because it just makes me pause and think Do I really need this thing in my space and the answer is almost always 'No'

Just curious...

mynameisnotsusan said:

We're pretty much living in a holiday unit so it's really too small.

It sure looks like a beach hotel, for better (great ocean view, pool etc) and for worse (apparently small). So you're saying that some people just rent a room for the holiday and others live there permanently? In other words it's some kind of a hybrid between a hotel and a regular apartment complex?

mynameisnotsusan said:

We spent 7 months here last year, did a 4 month housesit in Sydney and have been back here for 4 months and will be here for probably another 4 months, might be going back again to Sydney, see how it goes.

Wow, so you're really living a nomad's life. Has it been like that for a long time?

SpiritOtter said:

Lammastide,

How are you?

love,

Spirit

I'm well. And you?

Lammastide,

I am well, too. I am really glad to know that you are still alive and well.

love,

Spirit

retina said:

Judging by your posts I've always imagined you as an art-loving New York intellectual, kind of like a character from a Woody Allen movie come to life. And I must say that a lot of this post reinforces that impression. I didn't even know that you actually live in New York! lol

I've actually only seen one Woody Allen film (Mighty Aphrodite) and didn't really like it; maybe I should try another one to see what you mean. I've always imagined his characters as quirky and neurotic (like people who have only lived in Manhattan their entire lives can sometimes be); but I'll take "art-loving" and "intellectual".

jone70 said:

retina said:

Judging by your posts I've always imagined you as an art-loving New York intellectual, kind of like a character from a Woody Allen movie come to life. And I must say that a lot of this post reinforces that impression. I didn't even know that you actually live in New York! lol

I've actually only seen one Woody Allen film (Mighty Aphrodite) and didn't really like it; maybe I should try another one to see what you mean. I've always imagined his characters as quirky and neurotic (like people who have only lived in Manhattan their entire lives can sometimes be); but I'll take "art-loving" and "intellectual".

Oh, you should definitely rent Annie Hall or Manhattan or Hannah And Her Sisters then! They're all a thousand times better than The Mighty Aphrodite. As for the characters it's usually Woody's own that's the most neurotic one. The others might have their quirks, and they all talk a lot, but I think you'd find them interesting and likeable and not at all so quirky that you couldn't relate to them. Plus you'll get to see lots of well-known New York locations.

retina said:

damosuzuki said:

Instead, I’ve chosen to rent a cheap apartment way below my means in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Canada, and as a result I usually save about 70% of my annual net income and put it into diversified investments.

Like what, if I may ask?

Nothing too exciting – some conservative mutual funds that are fairly heavily weighted to bonds, GICs, precious metal funds, energy funds, that sort of thing, and some limited stock investments. My employer also provides a stock option plan, but I cash some of it out fairly regularly. At one point almost 10% of my total assets was in company shares, and I find having that much exposure in one thing fairly terrifying (particularly when I already work for the company, so a lot of my financial well-being is already attached to that entity), which is why I’ve avoided and will likely keep avoiding home ownership.

damosuzuki said:

retina said:

Like what, if I may ask?

Nothing too exciting – some conservative mutual funds that are fairly heavily weighted to bonds, GICs, precious metal funds, energy funds, that sort of thing, and some limited stock investments. My employer also provides a stock option plan, but I cash some of it out fairly regularly. At one point almost 10% of my total assets was in company shares, and I find having that much exposure in one thing fairly terrifying (particularly when I already work for the company, so a lot of my financial well-being is already attached to that entity), which is why I’ve avoided and will likely keep avoiding home ownership.

Yeah, I've always been in two minds about stock options offered to employees. From the empoyers standpoint it's a great way to tie the employees more firmly to the company (and thereby minimize turnover) as well as keep them motivated to work hard, and similarly it offers the employees an incentive to work since if they help the company do well, they will be part of reaping the benefits. So in that sense it's a win-win.

The problem for an employer is if the employees leave the company and keep their stock options that they've usually been allowed to buy at discounted rates. Then they're stuck with a stakeholder that isn't even part of the business, and they might not want to dilute the ownership further by allowing the successor a similar deal. And for the employee the problem is what you pointed out; too many eggs in one basket.

So I guess the success of the deal really depends on how things play out.

Personally I'm not great at spreading risk, but that partly has to do with the fact that I currently make a living out of trading stocks and bonds, and in order to generate enough income I have to take certain risks. Luckily I was very well positioned for the rally that's been going on so far this year but now I'm expecting a downturn for a few months so I've been short-selling lately. It's nerve-racking, for sure.

Although it's been quite a few years since I lived in my apartment, while I was there I really loved my particular unit.

retina said:

1. What do you think are the advantages with living in an apartment (versus a house)? No high utility bills. I paid only for telephone and cable tv.

2. What are the drawbacks? Privacy; if neighbors got noisy, I could hear them through the floors/walls.

3. What floor do you live on and why did you decide on an apartment on that floor? First. It was the only available unit in the entire complex. Since it was a walk-up with no elevator, I really liked that.

4. What is the view from your apartment? From the front, the courtyard, from the back, another apartment building.

5. Do you have nice or noisy (or perhaps nosy) neighbours? I had nice, old neighbors whom I didn't mind being nosey; they watched out for me.

6. What's the standard in your apartment (old/modern/"with character")? It was old, built in the Art Deco period, with lots of charm/character: hardwood, parquet floors, real plaster walls, arches, Art Deco influences.

7. How would you describe how you've decorated/furnished it? Warm and homey.

8. What would you like to change about it, if anything? Bigger closets, bigger kitchen.

9. How long have you lived there and for how long do you think you'll stay? I lived in my apartment 15 years before I finally boughta house, but stranely, I still miss that old apartment!

10. Do you feel like there's enough space for you and your things in it? Not now! I wouldn't be able to fit a quarter of what I own now in that apartment. But when I was there, it was just right for only me. It was a great apartment and cheap! When I finally moved, I was paying only $350 a month with free utilities.

Just curious...