Week two – no luck yet
We’ve been looking at several 3-bedroom apartments in the last four days, but nothing has seemed right yet. One apartment was cool, the landlord seemed reliable, but the bedrooms were closets.
I did not realize it would be this difficult to find a place. It’s not like our requirements are that tough, either. We’re looking for an apartment on the top floor, a deck, decent size bedrooms, and a decent size living area. We’d give on the top floor idea if the other stuff’s there, even though a top floor would be nice. Heat would be cheaper—we’d catch all the heat coming from the second floor. Plus, there’s no-one making noise on top of us. The move-in would be rough, but that’s about it.
A deck would be hard to part with. I like the outside, plus summer is on the way too, a deck is so crucial. I can see myself sitting on my deck listening to music, grilling some food, a beer in one hand, watching the Cubs beat the Cardinals on TV—that would be awesome as hell. A deck is definitely an amenity that I’d pay extra for. Everything else—new appliances, laundry in-unit or building, A/C—I can do without.
I need to be able to fit a full-size bed, a dresser or desk, and at least one bookcase. That’s a normal request, right? I’m continually surprised at what passes for a bedroom in Chicago. It’s ridiculous. I don’t think I can budge on this. I’m content to keep looking until I have a big bedroom in an apartment with a deck.
I’m also pretty adamant about having a big living area. It would nice to have people over and still feel comfortable and not crammed. I’ve seen a lot of cool living rooms, but usually they’re the ones with a small bedrooms or no deck.
I got a couple places to see tonight. One place sounds like it might be the place. Top floor with a deck—this I know for sure. The person on the phone said the place had big bedrooms—supposedly each bedroom is big enough to fit everything I want—bed, desk, dresser, bookcase. She also said the living area and dining area were a “good size.” I’ll see what a “good size” is to her, I hope it’s cool—I’m bringing my check book just in case.
