Hi everyone,
So Mom and I visited 9 apartments yesterday, and about 6 more today. It's really between two of them. I even made a list of pros and cons for each. If you guys would like to help or have any suggestions, please feel free!
1. SB (9 miles from work)
Pros:
-3 blocks to the beach (really big plus for me, I love the beach, I live for it, and I decided that I would try to get in shape and start running on it).
-Nice area. As in, I can actually walk around, even at dusk, and feel safe. Albertson's is just a block away, as well as many other shops.
-Gated building, and secured underground parking. Laundry room. Nice landlady, small community feel, looks out for you.
-Apartment is really cute. There's actually two of them, my fav. one is on the second floor, has a small ocean view, a nice view overall, and the bedroom shares no common wall. It's a corner unit so fairly spacious (700 sq. ft maybe). It's SO bright, something I absolutely love. It's really clean too, another big one for me. Nice kitchen, nice bedroom, bathroom, just everything is great.
-Fridge and dishwasher included (do you know how hard it is to find an apartment with its own fridge? Holy cow!)
-Nice ocean breeze, quiet street, and overall... a nice area. This would be my ideal Californian retreat :)
Cons:
-There's no balcony. Now, with that said, there's a still a deck shared with all the other apartments, with BBQ's and all... so that's not bad.
-The apartment door is an outside entrance (motel style). It's a nice area though, and gated, so I still feel safe.
-It's about $75 more than I want... but most utilities are included, so it's still in my budget.
Price: $1425/month first floor, $1475 2nd floor (the one I prefer, of course). Utilities are included though, except electricity (about $20 a month)
2. M Apts (10 miles from work)
Pros:
-The property is very nice and luxurious. It's got a 24 hour large fitness center, huge laundry room (important for me), clubhouse, 2 pools, sundecks, 2 tennis courts, stainless steel barbeque pits... you name it, it almost looks like a tropical paradise with nice landscaping too.
-Apartment entrances are indoors. As in, you have to go through an indoor hallway (nice on the security side)
-The kitchen has what look like stainless steel appliances. Very nice. 1 bedroom apartment, very nice and clean. Has a balcony.
-The property is also gated, which is nice because it's not as nice an area as Redondo Beach, but still very decent.
-There's malls nearby, and it's about a 10 minute drive to the beach. Beats the 10 hour drive from Utah.
Cons:
-It's on the noisy street side. Although when the windows are closed, it's fine, suddenly the balcony's purpose of me enjoying a nice ocean breeze and quiet outside time has gone out the window.
-It's on the second floor of a 3 story building. Meaning, people above AND below you. Better not have noisy neighbors or little kids running around.
-The area is decent, but I can't really walk anywhere. There's not much... and I wouldn't try to walk too much either, especially when it starts getting dark.
Price: well, here's what makes it possible. Originally, this is $1570/month. BUT, 4 weeks ago when I visited, they had $200/month specials. Meaning $1370/month, so do-able, especially with all the amenities they have (no utilities included, just water and trash). Well, the specials don't exist anymore. BUT, by miracle, someone JUST cancelled their lease that was on that special, and because the leasing consultant remembered me and knew I was counting on the $200 off, she said she could honor it.
So, I want to post pictures, but I'm a little slow. Everytime I upload them, it shows up on top. I thought I could drag and drop them to the bottom, but it's not happening for me. So if you see this post, I still haven't figured it out. I'm waiting for $teve to give me call and tell me how :)
Before I let you go, something I'm grateful for today: my mom is so sweet. She just altered two work pants of mine. I'm pretty short, so all my pants are too long for me. Thanks, mom! What the h* am I gonna do when you're gone?!?! LoL. Something funny, unique exciting, or unusual that happened today? I ate shrimp cocktail and salmon chowder for lunch, while overlooking the beach and pier. I know, these aren't very exciting... I'll try to make more stuff happen to me and think harder about those little things that get you through the day...
Tomorrow's my first day at my new job in my new state! I'm driving my mom to the airport at 4:30 am though, and will work from 7:30 - 4:30. Plus, I'm still congested from that cold. But I know I'll be fine. Wish me luck & you all have a fantastic week!
