Moving towards a move? 2004

This may come as a shock to those who know how much I love my current apartment, but I'm thinking of moving elsewhere in the city. My housemate is planning to move and, though we've managed pretty well, it's quite clear that this is not an ideal apartment for a non-couple. There just isn't enough privacy for us to have people over without the other person being affected by noise. Even a normal conversation level in one of the rooms with the doors closed still produces enough soundbleed for inflection if not words to be understandable in the other room.

It's a great place for a couple, though, so if the two downsides we've found with the place - no laundry and a perceptible slope to the floors - don't overpower your appreciation for the view, the quiet, the light, the efficently-laid-out little kitchen, the hardwood floors, the quirky curving front staircase, and the, let's say it again, amazing view, then you should let me know you're interested in talking to our landlady once we let her know we're moving out.

I have been thinking about keeping the place on my own, but the more I think about the impact of doubling my admittedly very low rent, the more I realize I'd probably rather weather the expense of moving and not have to give up going to so many concerts and dinner out with friends.

Which brings me to thinking about where to move to.

I still need an easy commute - I am not a morning person and do not want to have to get up more than 20 minutes earlier. That means I need easy access to Muni or BART to get me over to the Transbay Terminal (or all the way to the east bay where I work).

I like being in a neighborhood which is pleasant to walk around in (and in which there are no drive-by shootings).

I like being within 2 miles walking distance of most places I would like to visit.

I love the main sounds I'm hearing from outside being wind blowing across the trees in the neighbor's yards. (The joy of a house way up on a hill on a long street people tend not to drive on because it doesn't seem to go much of anywhere).

Ah, and that's the hardest thing about the moving idea. The noise. This is probably the best combination of "quiet retreat" and "2 or 3 blocks from Muni, movie theater, and restaurants" and "incredible view" it would be possible to find.

So then I come back to trying to figure out not to move, how to survive when approaching half of my take-home pay would be going to rent. Sure, I could have people over to my place for dinner & drinks instead of going out. I know it's unlikely, given my furniture and the space I'll need, that I won't be able to move without my current rent going up 150% and then saving an extra $100 or so a week to make up the difference just doesn't seem like that big a difference. And then I'd have a fantastic two-bedroom apartment all to myself. That's pretty darn attractive.

So maybe I won't move. Maybe I'll throw a large proportion of my pay out in the street every month for the benefit of living in a place that's bigger than I need and which permits setting a ball down so it can roll from one side of the house to the other.

But, man, then I'll be broke. And I'll still have to walk 5 blocks to the laundromat.

Here I once again break out the calculator and the budget and start working the numbers again...

***

But first I spent a few minutes looking through the apartment listings in Craig's List and after one too many "wall-to-wall beige carpet" listings, I find myself determined to make staying put work financially until fate drops another golden opportunity in my lap.

So, if you hear of a "quiet, big enough for my furniture, has a gas stove, isn't too far from muni/BART, no upstairs neighbors, in a nice neighborhood with laundry nearby" apartment in San Francisco, do let me know. Otherwise I'll be here trying to pinch my pennies everywhere else in my budget but rent.

Comments

Moving towards a move?

This may come as a shock to those who know how much I love my current apartment, but I'm thinking of moving elsewhere in the city. My housemate is planning to move and, though we've managed pretty well, it's quite clear that this is not an ideal apartment for a non-couple. There just isn't enough privacy for us to have people over without the other person being affected by noise. Even a normal conversation level in one of the rooms with the doors closed still produces enough soundbleed for inflection if not words to be understandable in the other room.

It's a great place for a couple, though, so if the two downsides we've found with the place - no laundry and a perceptible slope to the floors - don't overpower your appreciation for the view, the quiet, the light, the efficently-laid-out little kitchen, the hardwood floors, the quirky curving front staircase, and the, let's say it again, amazing view, then you should let me know you're interested in talking to our landlady once we let her know we're moving out.

I have been thinking about keeping the place on my own, but the more I think about the impact of doubling my admittedly very low rent, the more I realize I'd probably rather weather the expense of moving and not have to give up going to so many concerts and dinner out with friends.

Which brings me to thinking about where to move to.

I still need an easy commute - I am not a morning person and do not want to have to get up more than 20 minutes earlier. That means I need easy access to Muni or BART to get me over to the Transbay Terminal (or all the way to the east bay where I work).

I like being in a neighborhood which is pleasant to walk around in (and in which there are no drive-by shootings).

I like being within 2 miles walking distance of most places I would like to visit.

I love the main sounds I'm hearing from outside being wind blowing across the trees in the neighbor's yards. (The joy of a house way up on a hill on a long street people tend not to drive on because it doesn't seem to go much of anywhere).

Ah, and that's the hardest thing about the moving idea. The noise. This is probably the best combination of "quiet retreat" and "2 or 3 blocks from Muni, movie theater, and restaurants" and "incredible view" it would be possible to find.

So then I come back to trying to figure out not to move, how to survive when approaching half of my take-home pay would be going to rent. Sure, I could have people over to my place for dinner & drinks instead of going out. I know it's unlikely, given my furniture and the space I'll need, that I won't be able to move without my current rent going up 150% and then saving an extra $100 or so a week to make up the difference just doesn't seem like that big a difference. And then I'd have a fantastic two-bedroom apartment all to myself. That's pretty darn attractive.

So maybe I won't move. Maybe I'll throw a large proportion of my pay out in the street every month for the benefit of living in a place that's bigger than I need and which permits setting a ball down so it can roll from one side of the house to the other.

But, man, then I'll be broke. And I'll still have to walk 5 blocks to the laundromat.

Here I once again break out the calculator and the budget and start working the numbers again...

***

But first I spent a few minutes looking through the apartment listings in Craig's List and after one too many "wall-to-wall beige carpet" listings, I find myself determined to make staying put work financially until fate drops another golden opportunity in my lap.

So, if you hear of a "quiet, big enough for my furniture, has a gas stove, isn't too far from muni/BART, no upstairs neighbors, in a nice neighborhood with laundry nearby" apartment in San Francisco, do let me know. Otherwise I'll be here trying to pinch my pennies everywhere else in my budget but rent.

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