would you consider living above a restaurant? (update: lease signed!)

[nageov3t]

talk me into/out of it!

apartment is otherwise great. very big, very bright, good price, and a solid 30-45 minute drive to work... the downside is that it's on the 2nd floor above a restaurant.

the restaurant is a raw bar with good reviews on Google/Yelp/OpenTable. BYOB, open 6 days/week from 5 pm - 10 pm... tons of restaurants on the block we'd be living on, but they're all BYOB and about 4-5 blocks from the main drag in the town where all the bars/night life is (specifically, we'd be next to a butcher shop -- not attached to our perspective building -- and across the street from a Chinese restaurant, pizza shop, and a high-end French restaurant)

so, I'm not necessarily worried about noise or smells (their dinner menu has exactly 3 cooked items, the rest is all raw/salad-type stuff), but should the risks of rats/roaches make me run away?

update: signed the lease today after a super thorough inspection of the grounds on Saturday.

the apartment ended up being much bigger than it appeared in the online ad and it looks like the pictures online had been taken before a bunch of updates inside (brand new ceiling fans in every room, washer/dryer inside the apartment, bathroom remodel... only somewhat disappointing thing was that the kitchen was so bare-bones in such a huge kitchen; would have been a great place for a big fridge)

did a close inspection of the grounds, and it looks like the way the building is laid out, our apartment will be above the dining area and it's the studio apartment next door that will get any exhaust from the kitchens. the garbage bins were also a good +30' away from the building, which made me feel better, and the building owner apparently also owns/runs the dry cleaners next door, so presumably he's got some vested interest in the neighborhood not turning to shit... flashlight inspection of all the drawers/cabinets also revealed them to be clean of mice evidence.

went back to the restaurant for dinner around closing time last night and the crowd was pretty chill. seems like it's a date restaurant, not something that attracts a lot of dudebros hanging out.

now to get over the pain of having to shell out $6300 just to walk in the door :/ (broker fee, security deposit, first month's rent)

 

[Virge_]

How loud do they play the music?

Some people hate the smell of greasy food. If it's your thing, it wouldn't be terrible as long as you weren't constantly listening to the shitty distorted bass of bad pop music.

 

[zinfamous]

I would worry less about rat/insect pests and more about the arrogant hipster pests that will flood your living environment near a restaurant like that. .

 

[KeithTalent]

My last place in Vancouver was above a restaurant. It was a new building (only 2 years old) so the restaurant was new as well since it was a part of the same building. Never had any issues and honestly it was really handy to have on lazy days/nights.

Now I live in a hotel, so I have a full bar and restaurant below me at all times. I'm kind of used to it now.

KT

 

[IronWing]

How long has the restaurant been there? A change of owner/menu could have you living french fry grease or listening to bad music.

 

[nageov3t]

How long has the restaurant been there? A change of owner/menu could have you living french fry grease or listening to bad music.

true.

the restaurant has only been there for 2 years, but it's owned/operated by the same people who run the high-end French restaurant across the street, which itself has been there for about 10 years.

 

[cbrunny]

What's a BYOB restaurant? They serve three items? I don't understand. How does it make money?

 

[purbeast0]

wtf ... a BYOB restaurant? and there are a bunch on the block?

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I would worry less about rat/insect pests and more about the arrogant hipster pests that will flood your living environment near a restaurant like that. .

While far more annoying than rats and roaches hipsters are easier to get rid of.

 

[maddogchen]

my grandparents did....but then they owned the whole building and rented out the first floor to a restaurant.....they got free food from time to time

 

[Newell Steamer]

Pests can be controlled. If they don't do anything about it (for their restaurant), you can always file a complaint, etc. and it should be addressed. You can also make your apartment a death trap for pests.

I agree with IronWing - a change in ownership can turn this into a nightmare for you. The good news is that it sounds like that area is zoned for BYOB,.. so, you won't get a raging bar/night club. But, you do risk ending up having a deep fried pit of stinkiness under you.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

My wife lived above a pizza joint for a couple years, and it was an unmitigated disaster; infestations of mice and roaches and the place always smelled like burning sausage grease. And it wasn't just the smell, there was a palpable sense of grease in the air, so everything got dirty pretty much as you washed it. It was just utterly disgusting. Now, granted, that's a sketchy pizza joint, not a raw food place, but food preparation can have some pretty nasty byproducts, and you have no guarantee that it will stay a raw food place. So I would strongly caution against it.

 

[BurnItDwn]

BYOB just means they dont have a liquor license, but you are welcome to bring your own... There are many, in many states. I dont think they are very common where I live, but, I know i have seen a bunch of em.

As far as living above a restaurant, I dunno, I never have. I guess it would be good if I like the restaurant, as I wouldn't have to ever cook.

 

[Newell Steamer]

wtf ... a BYOB restaurant? and there are a bunch on the block?

Probably zoned that way, to prevent people from living above a bar.

 

[nageov3t]

What's a BYOB restaurant? They serve three items? I don't understand. How does it make money?

Bring Your Own Beer -- aka: the restaurants don't have a liquor license, but you're encouraged to bring your own beer/wine and they'll provide the glasses (so, from a renter's point of view, the restaurants aren't likely to have the same kind of drunk/rowdy clientele as a restaurant with a full bar might)

3 cooked items on the menu (duck, pork shoulder, and fish).... the rest of the menu is the raw bar (ie: oysters, clams) and various salads/tapas.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

3 cooked items on the menu (duck, pork shoulder, and fish).... the rest of the menu is the raw bar (ie: oysters, clams) and various salads/tapas.

Duck and pork shoulder have a lot of fat/grease that renders down as they cook. If the kitchen doesn't have an adequate ventilation system, that stuff will get into your living space, and it will be disgusting. And I don't know if I could deal with the smell of cooking duck all day; it's a strong aroma, regardless of how you feel about eating it.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

true.

the restaurant has only been there for 2 years, but it's owned/operated by the same people who run the high-end French restaurant across the street, which itself has been there for about 10 years.

Are you gonna get hook ups to the high end spot?

 

[LevelSea]

Duck and pork shoulder have a lot of fat/grease that renders down as they cook. If the kitchen doesn't have an adequate ventilation system, that stuff will get into your living space, and it will be disgusting. And I don't know if I could deal with the smell of cooking duck all day; it's a strong aroma, regardless of how you feel about eating it.

Maybe you could work out a deal where you get to keep the duck fat. Everything is better cooked in duck fat.

 

[cbrunny]

Bring Your Own Beer -- aka: the restaurants don't have a liquor license, but you're encouraged to bring your own beer/wine and they'll provide the glasses (so, from a renter's point of view, the restaurants aren't likely to have the same kind of drunk/rowdy clientele as a restaurant with a full bar might)

3 cooked items on the menu (duck, pork shoulder, and fish).... the rest of the menu is the raw bar (ie: oysters, clams) and various salads/tapas.

Oh cool. I wouldn't expect any of that to be a viable business but then again I'm not a restaurateur. Thanks for the explanation.

How long is the lease? Most around here are 1 year. I've lived in dumps for a year that seemed great before I moved in. A year isn't long and then you can find something better. I'd probably go for it if there weren't any better options.

 

[nageov3t]

Oh cool. I wouldn't expect any of that to be a viable business but then again I'm not a restaurateur. Thanks for the explanation.

liquor licenses are super expensive in my state (ranging from $400,000 if you're lucky/connected enough to buy one from the city, or +$1,000,000 resold on the open market) and there are other restrictions associated with them like only being able to own so many (which is why very few chain grocery stores in NJ sell liquor) and towns only being authorized to have so many establishments with a liquor license... so BYOB is pretty commonplace especially in more casual restaurants.

How long is the lease? Most around here are 1 year. I've lived in dumps for a year that seemed great before I moved in. A year isn't long and then you can find something better. I'd probably go for it if there weren't any better options.

yeah, it'd only be a 1-year lease... going to checkout the place in person on Saturday morning, I'm going to have to pay close attention to the condition of the area where the garbage is stored and where the kitchen vents to. might also go back there for dinner on Saturday night to see what the neighborhood is like.

 

[rudeguy]

I would in a heartbeat. I'm not a cook, so having food close is a must. Right below me? Sign me up!

Our downtown district is hugely popular. Most if not all of the high end apartments are above restaurants. I have a couple friends living downtown and I have never heard any complaints about pests, only parking.

 

[smackababy]

While I wouldn't necessarily avoid it, I'd be extra watchful during the inspection. I live near a Chinese place me and the smells!

 

[momeNt]

Air systems is a HUGE factor in this decision. As others have said, it can be awful having all your clothes and you smell like you moonlight as a line cook, even with 3 cooked items, that means their cooking equipment is going to be running and if they dont have a good air system you're screwed.

The other considerations would be pests.

Will they let you inspect the restaurant for general cleanliness?

 

[DrPizza]

My wife lived above a pizza joint for a couple years, and it was an unmitigated disaster; infestations of mice and roaches and the place always smelled like burning sausage grease. And it wasn't just the smell, there was a palpable sense of grease in the air, so everything got dirty pretty much as you washed it. It was just utterly disgusting. Now, granted, that's a sketchy pizza joint, not a raw food place, but food preparation can have some pretty nasty byproducts, and you have no guarantee that it will stay a raw food place. So I would strongly caution against it.

Rodents/insects - very much depends on the restaurant. More respectable places have regular visits from extermination companies to make sure they NEVER have so much as a single bug walking around inside. (Pizza shop I worked at had a guy spray every 6 months or so. In 30 years, I've never seen a bug crawling around inside.)

As far as odors, it depends on 2 things: menu (doesn't appear to be a huge issue in your case), and construction. Newer places are more air-tight. The air would tend not to travel from one unit into the next quite as much as in older construction.

Me: I'd never live above a restaurant. Though, that's because I'd never live in an apartment. If for some unforeseen situation, I was forced to live in an apartment, I don't think I'd mind a restaurant at all, except perhaps some particular ethnic restaurants that have a lot of strong smelling spices in their food.

 

[Insomniator]

I'm shocked people don't know what a BYOB place is. They are all over Jersey because licenses are so expensive.

BYOB is awesome, you don't get screwed on drinks like every restaurant normally does. Saves literally like $30 a person. Its a factor in where I choose dinner with friends.