Good apartment complexes... is it a hopeless search?

[TridenT]

That's why I skipped the whole apartment thing and just bought a house. Have to remember that renters are doing it for money, so if they can get away with stuff like leaving it ugly but still to code, they will. They don't have a reason to spend money on it unless they have to. Of course you do get some that care and will make everything look nice and stuff but you pay a premium for that.

And why did you leave Seattle? If you're trying to get into development, isin't that where lot of the jobs are given that's where Microsoft is?

Because Seattle sucks. The people are very cold and hostile. Read Seattle Freeze.

Microsoft isn't in Seattle. It's in Redmond. It's a huge fucking PITA to get out to Microsoft unless you love spending assloads of time on a bus or in traffic. It's like that for a lot of the companies. A lot of them are not actually in Seattle. They're in suburbs of Seattle and are wonderfully difficult to get out to, if you live in Seattle. (Which is really the only way to do shit because there's nothing to do in the suburbs)

 

[MrPickins]

Yeah.. "or some far out area". Round Rock and Georgetown being very far out. Unless I worked in Round Rock (unlikely, IMO), it would be a long ass commute to my job. I'd be spending over an hour everyday commuting. It just doesn't work for me. I'm used to riding my bike a few blocks and being at work. Being able to just walk home for lunch and eat what I want. Walking a block to the grocery store and back. And only having to drive for 10-15 minutes one way when I go out at night.

I don't think doubling or tripling or even more for all my commutes is worth it to me. I've lived in suburbia before. It makes it very difficult to do shit and you have to plan a lot in advance because of that commute. And with the people I tend to associate with, I can't bother with trying to plan shit so far in advance. Very few people I ever meet are like, "Yeah, we're doing this at X time on Saturday and it'll last at least 4 hours." Like, no, that shit never fucking happens. It's basically, "Yeah, I'm free. You want to hang out for a couple hours?" And then doing that, but if I have to be like, "Well, shit. It's going to be a 35 minute drive and I ain't ready. So, another 30 minutes on that..." It just becomes too cumbersome. I'd spend an hour driving just to see this person for an hour rather than living 10 minutes away and spending at least 1.5 hours.

It's just difficult. There's plenty of shit that I do like that too. Small meetings over the weekends or whatever and I don't have anything else planned. So, I go into town for an hour or two meeting but have to spend over an hour driving to fucking do that. For me, that shit doesn't work. I hate having to spend so much time driving like that. If I was on a literbike topping out at 190mph, sure... whatever, I'd have fun, but I'll be driving in my 15 year old honda civic instead. And while I like the car, it's not a super joyful experience.

Then don't move here, because the city is 30 miles across, the traffic is constant, and the affordable housing for someone in your situation is mostly on the outskirts (that, or in the ghetto).

I'm not trying to be Negative Nancy, just giving you a heads up as to the reality of the situation

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I'm confused. Are you working now?

Unknown, but it sounds like he found a city he can tolerate, now onto the next issue to whine about.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Because Seattle sucks. The people are very cold and hostile. Read Seattle Freeze.

Microsoft isn't in Seattle. It's in Redmond. It's a huge fucking PITA to get out to Microsoft unless you love spending assloads of time on a bus or in traffic. It's like that for a lot of the companies. A lot of them are not actually in Seattle. They're in suburbs of Seattle and are wonderfully difficult to get out to, if you live in Seattle. (Which is really the only way to do shit because there's nothing to do in the suburbs)

Oh right it is Redmond... I don't know why I thought Seattle. Probably really hard getting a job there anyway. And yeah commuting sucks, I don't know how anyone does it. That's 2+ hours of your day completely wasted.

 

[TridenT]

Then don't move here, because the city is 30 miles across, the traffic is constant, and the affordable housing for someone in your situation is mostly on the outskirts (that, or in the ghetto).

I'm not trying to be Negative Nancy, just giving you a heads up as to the reality of the situation

Between my two options, Portland and Austin... Austin is cheaper. That's really why I'm going with it. It's also a region that I haven't lived in and people think I should choose the unknown option rather than what I already know. But the cost is the biggest factor.

Similarly, it looks to be pretty easy to get around Austin if you stick on the Loop 1. (At least at night) The 35 is supposedly a nightmare all times of day and so I'll just stick with the 1...

There are 1 bedrooms and studios for 1k/month on that side. They're not luxury apartments but I didn't say that's what I wanted. I just was looking for a place that was not a horror show.

Where I work will dictate everything but right now I'm hoping for the region where 183 and the Loop 1 meet. There's plenty of grocery stores and shops there and plenty of apartments too. It's also very convenient access to fast roads.

 

[sze5003]

Oh right it is Redmond... I don't know why I thought Seattle. Probably really hard getting a job there anyway. And yeah commuting sucks, I don't know how anyone does it. That's 2+ hours of your day completely wasted.

I commute about an hour or so each way to get to where all the companies here are located. It sucks but it beats working in down town Philly and finding parking, paying for it, dealing with traffic either way on 95 or I 76.

 

[xeemzor]

Yes, give up now. I hear there are some nice homeless shelters nearby though.

 

[MrPickins]

Similarly, it looks to be pretty easy to get around Austin if you stick on the Loop 1. (At least at night) The 35 is supposedly a nightmare all times of day and so I'll just stick with the 1...

If you're going to move here, never call them "the 1" or "the 35".

Loop 1 : "Mopac"

I35: "I35"

There are 1 bedrooms and studios for 1k/month on that side. They're not luxury apartments but I didn't say that's what I wanted. I just was looking for a place that was not a horror show.

Where I work will dictate everything but right now I'm hoping for the region where 183 and the Loop 1 meet. There's plenty of grocery stores and shops there and plenty of apartments too. It's also very convenient access to fast roads.

That would be a pretty good area for you to look. It's not the nicest neighborhood, but it's not the ghetto.

(Assuming you're looking more north and east of the interchange. I doubt you can afford the west or south sides.)

Don't think you'll be doing much walking in that area, though. As long as you're fine with driving, it would be a decent choice.

 

[NutBucket]

The reasons for that in Portland are poor zoning regulations and ridiculously aggressive house owners. (They refuse to be rezoned for apartment buildings to be built near their houses because that would lower their property values. By refusing to cooperate, their housing values just sky rocket and they make a massive profit.)

If you were a homeowner you would feel exactly the same. Would you want some massive apartment building next door and have people looking into your yard, etc? There's no way I'd buy house that in an area zoned for multi-unit buildings. It's plain stupid IMHO unless you want to build one yourself.

 

[TridenT]

If you were a homeowner you would feel exactly the same. Would you want some massive apartment building next door and have people looking into your yard, etc? There's no way I'd buy house that in an area zoned for multi-unit buildings. It's plain stupid IMHO unless you want to build one yourself.

Oh I understand why they do it, but it's still a dick move to everyone who wants to move in. It's the same mentality in SF and bunches of other places.

It's good for the home owner temporarily but bad for literally everyone else. And even then, the home owner will eventually be wrangled out. It's just going to happen. So they'll experience something nice for some time but then their entire region will be transformed and overly expensive (to the point where they might not be able to afford it anymore; read: SF) because they refused to cooperate.

 

[TridenT]

If you're going to move here, never call them "the 1" or "the 35".

Loop 1 : "Mopac"

I35: "I35"




That would be a pretty good area for you to look. It's not the nicest neighborhood, but it's not the ghetto.

(Assuming you're looking more north and east of the interchange. I doubt you can afford the west or south sides.)

Don't think you'll be doing much walking in that area, though. As long as you're fine with driving, it would be a decent choice.

Yeah, I'll still have to drive for nearly everything but the commute will be relatively short. (Which is fine) I understand that I'll probably never get the situation that I had before. (Which was basically perfection... 1 block to Safeway and Walgreens... 2 blocks to college and my job. If I wanted, two or three more blocks to Trader Joe's and performance bike...) And my little studio apartment with a bike room and free laundry for only $400/month (later, $460/month) with utilities included... ughhhh. So easy to get onto the freeway from where I lived too. Parking was the only downside. You gotta understand what I was coming from. Super convenient for the last 3.5 years.

Before that, it was suburbs with 20-35 minute one way drives very frequently (Longer if there was traffic, sadly). Fortunately, Walmart was only a couple miles away. I rather not go back to that suburb situation. I really fucking loved how convenient and easy it was to get shit done where I lived. I had a really nice setup.

 

[sze5003]

Wow $460 a month for rent. Can't find a crack house here for that much.

 

[TridenT]

Looking at the walkscore map for Austin, I think I'll try to get a place that is in the NW pocket along 183 near "Mopac" or the two pockets south of intersection of Mopac and 183.

http://www.walkscore.com/TX/Austin View it there, might have to turn off adblock (that's only way how I could view it)

 

[Capt Caveman]

Yeah.. "or some far out area". Round Rock and Georgetown being very far out. Unless I worked in Round Rock (unlikely, IMO), it would be a long ass commute to my job. I'd be spending over an hour everyday commuting. It just doesn't work for me. I'm used to riding my bike a few blocks and being at work. Being able to just walk home for lunch and eat what I want. Walking a block to the grocery store and back. And only having to drive for 10-15 minutes one way when I go out at night.

I don't think doubling or tripling or even more for all my commutes is worth it to me. I've lived in suburbia before. It makes it very difficult to do shit and you have to plan a lot in advance because of that commute. And with the people I tend to associate with, I can't bother with trying to plan shit so far in advance. Very few people I ever meet are like, "Yeah, we're doing this at X time on Saturday and it'll last at least 4 hours." Like, no, that shit never fucking happens. It's basically, "Yeah, I'm free. You want to hang out for a couple hours?" And then doing that, but if I have to be like, "Well, shit. It's going to be a 35 minute drive and I ain't ready. So, another 30 minutes on that..." It just becomes too cumbersome. I'd spend an hour driving just to see this person for an hour rather than living 10 minutes away and spending at least 1.5 hours.

It's just difficult. There's plenty of shit that I do like that too. Small meetings over the weekends or whatever and I don't have anything else planned. So, I go into town for an hour or two meeting but have to spend over an hour driving to fucking do that. For me, that shit doesn't work. I hate having to spend so much time driving like that. If I was on a literbike topping out at 190mph, sure... whatever, I'd have fun, but I'll be driving in my 15 year old honda civic instead. And while I like the car, it's not a super joyful experience.

:biggrin:

 

[Capt Caveman]

Looking at the walkscore map for Austin, I think I'll try to get a place that is in the NW pocket along 183 near "Mopac" or the two pockets south of intersection of Mopac and 183.

http://www.walkscore.com/TX/Austin View it there, might have to turn off adblock (that's only way how I could view it)

I'll be hilarious when you find a place to live with no job and you'll then find any place that's going to hire you is far away from where you live.

 

[sze5003]

I'll be hilarious when you find a place to live with no job and you'll then find any place that's going to hire you is far away from where you live.

That happens a lot in big cities actually.

 

[uclaLabrat]

If you're going to move here, never call them "the 1" or "the 35".

Loop 1 : "Mopac"

I35: "I35"




That would be a pretty good area for you to look. It's not the nicest neighborhood, but it's not the ghetto.

(Assuming you're looking more north and east of the interchange. I doubt you can afford the west or south sides.)

Don't think you'll be doing much walking in that area, though. As long as you're fine with driving, it would be a decent choice.

Hey, he's doing the Lord's work, someone has to teach Texans how to speak :sneaky:

 

[Red Squirrel]

I commute about an hour or so each way to get to where all the companies here are located. It sucks but it beats working in down town Philly and finding parking, paying for it, dealing with traffic either way on 95 or I 76.

That sucks, makes me glad to live in the north, I'd hate dealing with a big city and all the traffic, commute etc. I can practically see the short cell tower at my office (telco CO) from my house. It's like 5 minutes away and barely no traffic to deal with. If the traffic light on the highway happens to be green when I make it it's more like a 2 minute drive.

 

[Capt Caveman]

That happens a lot in big cities actually.

Don't tell the OP that...

 

[sze5003]

That sucks, makes me glad to live in the north, I'd hate dealing with a big city and all the traffic, commute etc. I can practically see the short cell tower at my office (telco CO) from my house. It's like 5 minutes away and barely no traffic to deal with. If the traffic light on the highway happens to be green when I make it it's more like a 2 minute drive.

I lived right outside the city before switching companies. My job was a 5 minute drive, I would go home and make lunch and come back. The area had a lot of places near by but it also was somewhat shady and odd at the same time. Like it would have really nice parts then five minutes down the road it looked like shit.

My rent was cheap, the apartment sucked and my friends usually lived on the other side of the town. I liked it to a point but it's hard to find something like that.

 

[nageov3t]

ever try driving around looking for For Rent signs or local newspapers?

that's how I've found most of the places I've lived... generally had better experiences living in 2-3 family houses where the owner actually cares about the place, as opposed to a giant complex run by Super Megacorp Housing Management Inc

 

[Ronstang]

I can't stand apartments because in general people suck. I haven't been to many I consider nice and none I would live in. Thank God I've never had to live in one.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I can't stand apartments because in general people suck. I haven't been to many I consider nice and none I would live in. Thank God I've never had to live in one.

Pretty much how I feel. Moved straight into my own house when I moved from my parent's house. Best thing I ever did.

 

[OverVolt]

Pretty much how I feel. Moved straight into my own house when I moved from my parent's house. Best thing I ever did.

I'm currently renting and its nbd on the neighbors.

My apartments are actually pretty cheap. I just picked a good one via my own judgement really. I had okay-ish vibes in the area and its been pretty okay-ish.

 

[jaedaliu]

ever try driving around looking for For Rent signs or local newspapers?

that's how I've found most of the places I've lived... generally had better experiences living in 2-3 family houses where the owner actually cares about the place, as opposed to a giant complex run by Super Megacorp Housing Management Inc

That, and your neighborhood is a huge factor in how nice the residents are. You aren't going to get a feel of that just by looking online.