Apartment Blog

I’ve only lived with family for a roommate, but I still have some interesting stories. There have been awkward situations, tense moments and belly aching times (from laughter). Me being such an organized person, I don’t even understand how someone can live without actually being able to see the floor (literally covered with clothes).  But that being said, there have been many fun nights coming back from girls’ nights; staying up snacking and watching movies.

However, not everyone’s roommate experience is pleasant. Here’s a story from a contributor.

My college experience was jam-packed with great memories.  Fun times.  And repulsive roommates.  Not everyone has had the “pleasure” of having that roommate from “you know where”.  But many need only to think back to the past to remember when you fought for shower time or when you came back to your dorm room after an evening workout only to be surprised by something you wouldn’t even want your worst enemy to see.

My freshman year of college was extremely exciting.  Like many kids entering their first year, going away to school was a huge jump from high school life - that experience of moving away from home, no parents, getting to experience life by setting your own schedule.

Move-in day was great.  One of my roommates happened to be a good friend from high school.  The other was a mild-mannered girl from instate.  Or so I thought.  Everything started out great.  The three of us shared a rather large dorm room, which was attached to a suite bathroom.  But living with someone in close quarters magnifies their imperfections.

I’m not even sure if “imperfections” accurately applies to this girl.  We took the bunk beds; I was on the bottom and she was on the top.  She would get up for an early morning class; climb down from her bunk to her desk, hop on IM for a few and roll out for class.  Mind you, there was no time taken to change clothes, brush hair, let alone brush teeth.  Disgustingly enough, this was her normal routine.

I remember a night when there was a group of us hanging out in our room and she was eating some popcorn and some fell on the floor.  I don’t care if a floor is freshly vacuumed…it’s still the floor.  Well this girl proceeds to pick the popcorn off the floor and eat it.  She puts the popcorn in her mouth and a huge piece of lint is hanging from the corner of her mouth.  Gross doesn’t even begin to describe that situation…

Staying on the topic of food, that girl loved Easy Mac.  She ate it pretty much every night.  The smell started to make me sick after awhile.  That’s probably the reason I’ve never tried it.  I even stopped eating Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.  Too similar.

And she never cleaned.  Ever.  I don’t even think she knew how to work a vacuum.  We had come up with a schedule for cleaning the bathroom (which we shared with our suitemates, three other girls).  I’m not sure what her idea of cleaning was, but it was just that - an idea.  Someone else was always cleaning up behind her.  She was just filthy.

Unfortunately, my experience happens too often; I say often because once is too often.  But you live and you learn.  I wonder what she’s up to these days…well really I don’t.  Hopefully she’s somewhere taking a shower.

So I KNOW you guys have got some interesting roommate stories! So let’s hear them! Oh and they don’t even have to be funny just mildly entertaining because I am easily amused.  In fact, the contributor with the most unique story will get published on our blog! Happy writing.

 It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  My cousin’s favorite song to accompany her favorite sport - football.  We’re going to focus on college football for this one though. 

The Florida Gators are the preseason #1, no surprise there.  I’m not a Gator fan by any means (FSU all the way!), but I’ve heard it is a pretty nice area.  If you’re starting school in the fall you may want to check out some off campus housing near Florida State University or the University of Florida.  With Tim Tebow returning for his senior season, the Gators are predicted to win their third national title in four years.   The top ten also includes:  Texas, Oklahoma, USC, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Alabama, Penn State and Oklahoma State, in that order.

The top ten rankings don’t show it, but the SEC is going to be a lot stronger this season with five teams in the top 25 (Florida, Alabama, LSU, Mississippi and Georgia).  LSU has been known for their defense in the past, but have struggled since power defensive lineman, Glenn Dorsey left in ‘08.  I have high hopes for the Tigers, though.  Georgia is a school that continues to go after it year after year; they finished last year with a very respectable 10-3 record.  Coach Mark Richt has a no nonsense attitude and apparently so does the Bulldogs’ mascot, UGA.

It’s clear that quarterbacks dominate discussion for this season with the top three Heisman candidates, Colt McCoy (Texas), Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) and Tim Tebow (Florida) all starting in the QB position.  Two of them hail from the Big 12 conference; Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford.  Out of these three, my vote goes to Colt McCoy because I’m neither a Florida nor Oklahoma fan.  My hatred for Oklahoma stems back to 2003 win they gave Jason White the Heisman trophy.  Larry Fitzgerald got robbed!  What ever happened to Mr. White anyway?  Has anyone seen or heard from him?  Is he even in the NFL anymore?  That would be a NO!  This is one of the many reasons why I’m looking forward to the Red River Rivalry even more this season.     

Last season Texas beat Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry even with the horrible officiating throughout the game.  And I will never understand how the Sooners jumped the Longhorns in the rankings last season when they clearly beat them in the head to head.  There will never be a logical explanation for that mess.  That’s the BCS ranking system for you.  But if you’re thinking about moving and you’re an avid college football fan like me, think about Texas as many would argue the Lone Star state is home to the best college football athletes in the country. Check out some apartments for rent in Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.

Schools in the rebuilding phase:  Notre Dame.  They are currently listed as #23 in USA Today Poll.  I think that’s rather high especially with Charlie Weis’ job hanging in the balance.  If the Fighting Irish don’t come through this year, he’s probably done.  The Irish have ranked in college football’s elite throughout history, but you wouldn’t know it from recent seasons.  They finished last season with a less than respectable 6-6 record.  That’s not going to get it done this year.   But if you’re still holding on to the Irish’s old glory days (like my father) then you’ll want to check out some apartments in South Bend. 

Miami is another school that’s had its share of struggles.  Miami really hasn’t been the same since the Ken Dorsey/Willis McGahee era (I’m not a Hurricanes fan, but I’m secretly a WM fan).   Even though they’re not ranked in the top 25, the ‘Canes have a lot of returning talent and look to start the season strong.  However, their first game is against the ‘Noles on 9/7 so that’s a guaranteed loss.  Sorry Miami. 

It looks like this is going to be a pretty eventful season.  Many analysts predict the Gators to win the 2010 National Championship, but I think it’s still up in the air.  Either way, I can’t wait for the season to start.  Everyone mark your calendar for Thursday, September 3^rd.  Hard hitting and pigskin, that’s what I live for.

Summer is here and everyone is antsy to get out of work and do something fun! But oh, what did you say…can’t go out because it costs an arm & a leg? That’s why we’ve assembled a list of relatively inexpensive activities for the summertime!

Rollar bladding-whether you have your own skates or not, this is an activity that can be less than $10!

Local sports game-it could be high school, college or even a minor league game. Tickets for the Norfolk Tides, the AAA baseball team, are about $8.00 per person! Just eat dinner before hand and you’re good to go!

Local book store-you could sit in on free readings for various story titles. Barnes and Nobles has events almost every day in the Hampton Roads area, including a group dedicated to help you overcome writers block!

Visit a museum-how better to spend a hot summer afternoon than in an air conditioned museum. Not all museums are boring either! The Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk only costs $7.00 per adult.  You could definitely spend hours staring at beautiful pieces of art work.

Festivals-the amount of carnivals, country fairs or festivals always increase during the summer. My favorite to attend in Norfolk is the Bayou Boogaloo & Cajun Food Festival at Town Point Park. For just $10.00 per person, you can see live entertainment; walk through the amazing New Orleans Art Gallery and more! For just a few bucks more, you can sample some of the mouthwatering Cajun spiced crawfish, jambalaya, gumbo and alligator.

Take a tour-whether it’s of an area you’re not that familiar with or perhaps a historical tour of the city you live in. Williamsburg and Jamestown, Virginia have great tours to really experience the true history our state offers.

Wine Tastings-local winery shops, such as Total Wine in Downtown Norfolk, have free wine tastings in their stores weekly. You would certainly become a connoisseur in no time!

Including some of these activities into your summer plans will ensure you have a slam packed adventurous season! More inexpensive and creative ideas for saving money are in our Nesting in These Economic Times blog.

Contemplating a move to Denver? Denver.ForRent.com has all you’ll need to make the move an easier transition. A customized apartment search based on neighborhoods in the Denver area as well as resources for living in the city, Denver.ForRent.com will be your guide to complete the experience.

This site will not only help you locate Denver apartments in your desired zip code, but will also provide you with rental information such as median pricing for one, two and three bedroom apartments. Search Denver apartments by a map, city search form, and Denver’s metro top cities, Colleges in Denver and military bases in Denver.

Soon we will have a Denver Tips page which will assist you with your apartment living, dinning, recreation and entertainment needs.  Whether it’s checking out the city park, catching a football game at Invesco Field or visiting the performing arts center, there’s something for everyone!

So if moving to the ‘Mile High City‘ is on the radar for you, visit Denver.ForRent.com today to find the perfect apartment. Get more information and search tips on Denver Apartments, or view all Apartments for Rent in Denver, CO.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? I would like to think that’s the first thought that comes to mind for the average person when Las Vegas is the topic. When I think of Las Vegas, I picture casinos, big shows, and of course “The Strip”! Well according to Jana Gordon, former Nevadan, the number one misconception that non-Vegas residents have is that most people live on “The Strip”. Gordon remarked, “No, we have houses and neighborhoods! I think the mountains get ignored. It’s very picturesque with the waterfalls and people have their weddings there too.” Could it be that there’s more to Las Vegas than gambling??

Las Vegas has been aptly named, “The Entertainment Capitol of the World” and at the close of the century it was considered the most populous city founded in the 1900s¹. Las Vegas was discovered and founded by the Spaniards in the 1800s (in Spanish it means “The Meadows”)¹.

According to Wikipedia, the average age of Las Vegas residents is 34. With that fact, I would have gathered that there would be an overwhelming population of renters. And to my surprise, nearly half of the population (41 percent) is renters. Even still, rent prices seem pretty reasonable; in 2005 the average rental cost was $765². Of those who rent, the average number of rooms per apartment is 3.7².

So I asked my dear friend Jana, recent graduate of the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) and life-long resident of Las Vegas, what is apartment living like in Vegas? To my surprise, Jana actually resided in what we call “Senior Housing” during her college years.

Not so surprising is the idea that UNLV can be tagged as a regular party school, just as any other school in the country can. Per Jana, UNLV is definitely a commuter school, but there were parties in and around campus. The majority of students lived in apartments and duplexes around and near campus. “It’s very communal,” she says. To find Apartments Near the University of Nevada Las Vegas, check out ForRent.com.

Also, I was interested in what residents of Las Vegas did besides go to the strip. “We have the Arts, talent shows, the park, movie theaters, bowling and resorts.” So I guess you could say aside from “The Strip”, Vegas is like every other city in America, minus the gambling. “Without it, Vegas would be pretty boring,” Jana commented. It seems to me that Vegas would be a cool place to start out for a young person just graduating college. Nice apartments for reasonable prices. You can’t really beat that. So if you’re looking for something new, get more information and search tips on Las Vegas Apartments, or view all Apartments for Rent in Las Vegas, NV.

Sources:

1. Wikipedia

2. CityData.com

San Jose is the 3^rd largest city in California, located in the San Andreas Fault-a major source of earthquake activity. The city is approximately 50 miles from San Francisco in the Silicon Valley area.  As you may or may not know, the Silicon Valley is primarily known for the technological/computer oriented businesses, which could explain the employment growth predicted for 2008. According to research from the National Multi Housing Council, 38% of the San Jose market is renter-occupied housing and the median gross rent is $1,123 per month.

Did You Know?

San Jose is a Mecca of professional sports teams. They have the Major League Soccer team the San Jose Earthquakes, the National Hockey League teams the San Jose Sharks and an arena football team named the San Jose SaberCats.

The San Jose apartment market is going very strong. It has rose eight places in the National Apartment Index which was boosted by forecasts for low and declining vacancy and strong rent growth. A majority of the metro’s residential places will be in the form of for-sale projects, but given only 20% of metro households can afford the median priced entry level home; it offers very little competition to apartments.[1] Search for Apartments in San Jose, CA or close by on ForRent.com.

Colleges & Universities:

San Jose houses many higher education institutions. San Jose State University being the most well known, but in addition to the Spartans are: National Hispanic University, Lincoln Law School of San Jose, San Jose City College and Evergreen Valley College.  If you don’t see your University or College listed, you can always visit ForRent.com to search for apartments near colleges/universities in California.

 Get more information and search tips on San Jose Apartments, or view all Apartments for Rent in San Jose, CA