Love Your New City? Here’s How to Show It in Your Apartment with City-Specific Art

July 2, 2015 | By doug AuthorMy First Apartment

Nothing gives an apartment that officially-settled-in feel like a bit of art on the walls. It creates a sense of place and personality; it’s a way for you to express yourself. For that extra sense of place, and as a shout-out to the world outside your windows, stock up on art that reflects the scenes,…

Rental Price Check: What Does $750 and $1,000 Get You in Eight Cities?

April 18, 2014 | By doug AuthorMy First Apartment

How far does your dollar stretch? We set out to check out some prices across the country and see what you can get at $750 (affordable rent for someone making $30,000) and $1,000 (for someone making $40,000) per month. It’s no surprise that prices vary from city to city, but the size of that variation…

Seven Tips for Moving in the Winter

March 1, 2014 | By doug AuthorMy First Apartment

We recently covered the Pros & Cons of Apartment Hunting in the Winter. If you decide to go for it, there’s probably one big lingering concern: the dreaded moving process. In the winter, it takes on an extra level of frustration, anxiety, and peril. All that ice to slip on (while carrying a box of dishes).…

Beat the Winter Blues: Throw a Summer Theme Party

February 15, 2014 | By doug AuthorMy First Apartment

Even the biggest snow-and-ice buffs have said it by now: Enough with this winter. Alas, the storms and chills just keep coming, with no end in the immediate future (in fact, some of you are probably reading this looking at piles of snow outside your window). The only thing to do, short of booking a…

How to Share a Kitchen Without Hating Your Roommate

January 9, 2014 | By doug AuthorMy First Apartment

There’s nothing like a great meal to bring people together. And there’s nothing like a shared kitchen to tear them apart. Surely this is the place where roommate relationships are most likely to grow tense, given the factors and the stakes. There’s all that clean-up to do. All that food to keep and prepare. All…

Planning Your First Dinner Party

January 4, 2014 | By doug AuthorMy First Apartment

Get the new year off to a festive start and throw a dinner party for a few friends. You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to have a successful party and impress your guests. You just need to put together your game plan and focus on a few key details. THE GROUNDWORK Plan your guest list carefully.…

What You Need to Do Before You Start Looking for Your First Apartment

January 2, 2014 | By doug AuthorMy First Apartment

In apartment-hunting, as with so much else in life, sometimes the most daunting thing is just figuring out where to start, how to wrap your mind around the task at hand. So let’s begin at the beginning–not moving in, not looking at apartments, not even searching listings. Before any of that, before you take any…

Making Every Inch Count in a Tiny Apartment

November 4, 2013 | By doug AuthorMy First Apartment

If you find yourself considering a tiny apartment, you’ll probably be thinking most of all about the downsides: there’s just not enough space for your stuff, or even your friends. Three really will be a crowd because no more than two people will fit in this living room! And, sure, that’s a shame. But small,…

Apartment-Hunting Deal-Breakers

October 23, 2013 | By doug AuthorMy First Apartment

When you’re apartment-hunting, sometimes the warning signs are obvious. A crumbling building overlooking the town dump? Stay away. The next-door neighbor plays “Who Let The Dogs Out” at maximum volume at all hours, while his real-life Dobermans prowl the hallways? RUN away. As fast as you can. Other times, you’re willing to overlook seemingly small…

So You Want to Get a Pet? Read This First!

October 18, 2013 | By doug AuthorMy First Apartment

The reasons for getting a pet are plenty obvious. Companionship, for one: a dog that trots next to you on your daily run, a cat that curls up on your lap when you watch your favorite movie. Even a fish or an iguana can have its own subtle charm and personality, as plenty of happy…