There are few things more heart palpitating and anxiety inducing than shopping for a new apartment. Part of being an adult is finding a place to live and house all the material things you have acquired. Living in a city like Boston makes this a challenging and nerve trying experience.
Boston is a college town, which means there is high turnover for apartments. Lots of students entering and leaving, dotting the city with potential living spaces. This results in a lot of competition, particularly if you are looking for a lease beginning September 1st, as we are (though I am tempted to lease in August and take the financial hit just to avoid having to deal with everyone else moving that day). It is also a city, which means $$$$. It’s expensive to live here. Sometimes I weep when I see the cost of comparable apartments just outside of the city. More and more neighborhoods are pricing people out. Where am I supposed to gooooooooo???
If I were not picky, we would not be such a difficult position. Is it so wrong that I want to live somewhere affordable, classy, in a good neighborhood, and in walking distance to the T? It is all of these factors that make finding an apartment difficult. I am at a time in my life where I no longer want to settle for just any apartment. Unlike panicked college Jordan, I have the resources to be a little choosier. I want something that’s going to really feel like home. And be very clean. Cleanliness would be a major plus. Baseboards and windowpanes that aren’t eternally covered in a thin layer of grime that no amount of scrubbing can remove would be amazing.
Our current apartment is nice, but it also has the connection to my old, standards lacking college life. Even if we wanted to stay, it wouldn’t matter. We’re being priced out of our apartment. When my friends took this place in 2011, the rent was $2200. Right now it’s $3000 and if we wanted to renew would be going up to $3125, which is just out of our price range. Granted, it’s a four bedroom apartment in an up and coming neighborhood, but still. But my god. That’s a nearly thousand dollar difference in four years! And anyway, I really need a change. A place that says adult Jordan lives here. Please observe all the fancy prints on the wall.
My dream apartment is a chic two bedroom with lots of shiny new appliances and pretty floors. Sometimes I want a modern apartment, lots of white and sleek. Sometimes I want an older building with old century charm. To be honest, I don’t care what it’s like, as long as it is an upgrade from what I have now. I want something not too small, but cozy and fairly easy to maintain. I also wouldn’t say no to a sizable kitchen, but am willing to negotiate. I just want it to be livable. I want a place where I really want to live. No mice, no mold. Just pristine. A kindly landlord would also be pretty nice. Talk about dreams…
I know this is asking a lot and I am unlikely to find something that I really love in my price range. But is it crazy to want to find a good home? As distant August looms closer, I can’t help but fight back feelings of panic. What if we can’t find anything? I don’t want to settle, but we may have to. It really feels like all the good places are taken already. That may not be so, but I remain gloomily pessimistic.
I am lucky in that I have friends to go through this with. It’s such a strange process. There are literally hundreds of apartments in various stages of pending availability in the city of Boston, but when you add in all the factors, the pickings seem slim yet overwhelming. Here’s to hoping I can find a place to live!
Until next time!
xx
alittlejstillz 
One thought on “Rental woes”