Something livable. For living in.
I was starting wonder what might happen if I can't find THE ONE PERFECT APARTMENT. I had to remind myself last night that I'm just looking for somewhere to live for a year. I don't have to marry the damn place.
Poking around on internet message boards for advice about which neighborhoods are or are not safe has gotten to be downright comical. It's a lot of, That block is horrid. I was shot twice. In the head. On my way to church. Followed immediately by, That last guy is full of crap. I let my toddlers troll the streets alone here. At night. With pockets full of cash. It's perfectly safe.
The Baltimore police department's website maps crime in a two week period for each neighborhood. This seems a somewhat more objective way of assessing safety. In the places where I'm looking for housing, crime seems to be primarily "larceny from a vehicle." When I explained this to Graci, she said, "But what if you get larcened from your vehicle?"
I had to admit that I hadn't considered that possibility. And that it would, in fact, suck to be larcened from my vehicle.
But, I think all I can do here is use a little common sense. I'm just not going to leave any of my bitchin' mixed CDs lying around in plain sight on the passenger seat. (You know how criminals are drawn to Patty Griffin like moths to the flame.)
Once I realized I'm not searching for the fucking Holy Grail of rental properties, I actually started enjoying this online apartment hunt. It's easy to be flexible when you don't have kids, or pets, or much in the way of furniture.
I did have to pass on that $500/month basement beauty, though. I suppose it would be convenient to have your washer and dryer right there, next to your stove. But that "laundry room" was shared by all the tenants in the building, and something about the neighbors sorting their dirty whites on my kitchen counter killed it for me.
7 comments:
Oh the comedy! I think it would be so tough to make decisions on a place to live when you don't know many people there. The internet is a wonder for these things now and I can't imagine the hassle of moving states before it came along.
I was house hunting in Wisconsin this week(don't ask) and I couldn't believe how you could just stroll down the streets of town on google maps. Incredible.
That basement beauty might be just the way to make some quality acquaintances. I can't imagine why you wouldn't want Lenny and Squiggy popping in at their leisure day and night, biting on the meaty part of their hands at first sight of the new tenant.
I too have a terrible CD collection. Mostly Broadway soundtracks, burnt CDs labeled with the very enlightening term "MISC," and Disney Princess songs. Thieves are apparently drawn to this type of thing too, since my CDs get stolen on a semi-regular basis.
I really deplore thievery but even this you make sound amusing Dr. T. Apartment hunting is difficult at any time, more so when one is in a hurry. Good luck with finding something up high in a security building with a secure parking spot. I know I'm a bore about this but your safety comes first.
Just remember that it's better to be larcened from one's vehicle than to be larcened from one's self.
Also, if there's nothing in the car worth more than the window, don't lock the doors.
Yeah, I've heard things about Baltimore. I don't live in the best neighborhood, but I've found if you find the perfect apartment, you can often make the neighborhood work for you. Just be careful.
love your blog! linked to ya from matt's blog...fun stuff :)
Yikes, T!
The Baltimore Tourist Board are gonna LOVE you!
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