Apartment Blog

Are you experiencing some difficulty decorating your apartment? As I’m sure you already know, decorating a small space so that it looks good and works well can be a challenge. There are several factors to take into consideration when you’re trying to figure out the style, space limitations, paint restrictions, budget, etc. So I’ve compiled some quick apartment decorating tips that should help get your creative juices flowing.

While you’re focusing on the aesthetics of your room make sure you remember it needs to be functional as well. You’ll need places to store your mail, groceries and paperwork. Whatever requires your daily attention must be readily available! You can have organization without sacrificing your style just by having colorful/patterned/textured containers to store those items in. Various shelving units also help with organization. Multi-functional pieces, such as storage ottomans which provide seating and storage, are a bonus as they make your smaller space work better for you.

If you’re in an apartment like mine, you aren’t allowed to paint the walls. This makes it tough to express your true design. However, there are plenty of alternatives to paint for putting color on your walls. For example, you can do a temporary mural, a large framed poster/artwork, fabric, etc. One thing I’ve tried at my apartment is cling stickers. I found them at the Dollar Store! In my guest bathroom there are little shells and fishes swimming on my walls! It’s completely different than any other decorative element I’ve tried, but it works and best of all: they don’t hurt the walls! So don’t be afraid to think outside the box when you are decorating your space.

Given that you may or may not be able to paint, accent pieces play an important role in getting the maximum impact. In any room you’ll notice the items that carry the most weight, meaning the items that have more vibrancy or add an interesting element to the space. They can include lamps, vases, curtains, pillows, etc. Whatever your motif, add an accent color, shape or pattern with these items; it’ll provide the extra glam that you’re looking for. For example, a paper lantern floor lamp or a unique arch lamp will create visual interest while being functional and cohesive to your design.

I hope these tips help you on your way to creating your stylish apartment. Do you have any more useful ideas to share? I know we’re all in the same boat trying to find unusual decorating ideas with our restrictions, so let your ideas flow!

St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

In the United States there are many festivities to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. It goes back to the first celebration in Boston, Massachusetts in 1737 where the first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade took place on March 17th.

From the major cities like Boston or New York to your home town. Here is a brief list of some major festivals, parades and events happening in the U.S. Feel free to add your city’s celebrations to our list!

Savannah, Georgia
Savannah’s Saint Patrick’s Day parade usually takes place on March 17th, regardless if it’s during the work week. However for 2008, the parade will take place on Friday, March 14th to honor Holy week in the Catholic faith. The parade route changes each year but usually travels through Savannah’s Historic Park District and Bay Street. In additional to the parade, Savannah’s Waterfront Association has an annual celebration on Historic River Street which mimics Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street.

New York City, New York
According to Wikipedia, the New York parade has become the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world with more than 150,000 marchers and close to 2 million spectators on the street! The parade marches up 5th Avenue in Manhattan and ends by the U.S. 69th Infantry Regiment.

Seattle, Washington
A unique fact I did not know is that Seattle and Galway, Ireland are sister cities given that Seattle has many Irish residents! The annual Irish Week Festival is enormous and includes activities such as Irish step dancing, food, historical and modern exhibitions and Gaelic lessons. It starts on March 14th and goes through the 17th.

Chicago, Illinois
The dyeing of the Chicago River has been a tradition for over 40 years. While many cities have tried to mimic it, none can get as true of a St. Patrick’s color as Chicago’s river can. This year the dyeing is to take place on March 15th. Chicago also has a St. Patrick’s Day parade that takes place on the same day.

San Francisco, California
On March 15th, San Francisco will have the 156th anniversary of its Saint Patrick’s Day parade. At the end of the race there will be a family festival with games, music and various other ‘green’ activities!

If you enjoy celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, there are many options to choose from! Regardless of where you are, cheers to you having a great time!

Source: Wikipedia.com

How much to you know about the United States’ first President? Did you know that there is actually no proof that he chopped down his father’s cherry tree with a little hatchet? And that contrary to popular belief, while he had several set of teeth made none of the sets were made from wood? There were actually comprised of hippopotamus and elephant ivory. To learn more about this honorable man read on!

George Washington, born in 1732 in present day Colonial Beach, Virginia, was the first President of the United States from 1789-1797. George Washington and Martha Custis married on January 6th,1750 just three weeks after they first met, at her home known as The White House. In 1775 Washington was chosen to be the commander-in-chief of the American revolutionary forces. As a result of his strategy, revolutionary forces captured the two main British combat armies — Saratoga & Yorktown - a big victory in the Revolutionary war. In the late 1780s, Washington presided over the Philadelphia Convention that drafted the United States Constitution. Washington became President of the United States in 1789 and established many of the customs and practices of the new government’s executive department. He supported plans to build a strong central government by funding the national debt, implementing an effective tax system, and creating a national bank.
Washington is a powerful symbol to the United States and he has consistently been ranked by scholars as one of the greatest U.S. Presidents. Henry Lee, a Revolutionary War comrade and father of the Civil War general Robert E. Lee, said of Washington in his funeral oration that of all Americans, he (Washington) was “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” Lee’s words set the standard by which Washington’s distinguished reputation was imprinted upon the American memory.

Today we remember a great man. Happy Birthday President Washington!

Source: wikipedia.org

It’s no secret that rents are skyrocketing all over
the United
States. People are constantly looking at ways
to save money as the cost of living increases. One thought I find extremely interesting
is that couples are now ‘shacking’ up to save some money!!

According to the Census Bureau’s latest research,
there were an estimated 6.02 million unmarried-partner households in the
U.S. in 2006! Forbes.com researched these cities by
collecting data for 40 of the largest metropolitan statistical areas for five
different categories: marriages per 1,000 people, divorces per 1,000 people,
starter-home affordability, income disparity and availability of couples or
family counseling.

The round-up of the best cities for couples
were:

1. Dallas

2. Houston

3. Minneapolis

4. Denver

5. Austin, Texas

This is interesting news on Valentine’s Day!! We’ve
posted numerous blogs about the benefits of having a roommate, so why not
make that roommate your sweetheart!

For more information about how these cities were
selected, visit Forbes.com or Realestate.msn.

Mr. Abraham Lincoln, born on February 12th, 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky, was the sixteenth President of the United States. During his terms, he helped preserve the United States by leading the defeat of the secessionist Confederate States of America in the Civil War. He also introduced measures that resulted in the abolitions of slavery. His assassination in 1865 by John Wilkes Booth was the first presidential assassination in U.S. history. Booth thought he was helping the south, but instead made Lincoln a martyr for national unity.

Lincoln is viewed by many scholars as one of the top three U.S. Presidents. His everlasting influence on the United States will forever be remembered.

Remember him and all that he has done for this great nation today. Happy Birthday!

Source: Wikipedia.com

Did you know that there is a town called Valentine? It’s the “Heart City” of Nebraska with a scenic backdrop comprised of cliffs and pine trees. It was named after E.K. Valentine, who as a Congressman from Nebraska was chairman of the house committee on Agriculture for six years while in office. From 1870-1885, as a member of the House of Representatives, he was instrumental in passing a bill to protect settlers from ‘land sharks’. Due to his popularity in the region, Valentine, NE was named after him. This small town has a land area of 2.01 square miles with only 1,380 people per square mile! It’s comprised of 46.6% males and 53.4% females with the median resident age of 40 years old.

Something of particular interest for you apartment renters, is the “Heart City’s” median rent asked for vacant units, in 2000, was $283!! The median gross rent in Valentine, in 2000, was $435!! That’s amazing! I know that I pay double that where I live!! View apartments in Nebraska on ForRent.com.

During Valentine’s Day this town is always buzzing with festivities. For example, February 14^th, Valentine’s Day itself, gets many travelers from all over the country wanting to get married there! Another big event that happens on Valentine’s Day in Valentine, Nebraska is the Valentine’s Day Coronation. The Valentine’s Day Coronation, which is a community-wide celebration, is where students from each grade, K through 12, are elected to participate in the ceremony which has a different theme each year. The King and Queen of Hearts are crowned from the Senior class with a dance held afterwards for the high school students.

So if you’re not sure what your plans are this Valentine’s Day, you could always visit the quaint town Valentine, NE to celebrate your love!

This is the season for love! And let us tell you why you’ll love using our site…….

1. Easy to navigate site.
2. Searching for your next apartment can be done by searching close to military branches, colleges/universities, city/state, and property name or by zip/distance.
3. Great descriptions for you to get a feel for the communities.
4. Tons of pictures that will actually give you a better look at the apartment community.
5. A video of the apartment community AND surrounding area to give you more insight of the environment you are moving to.
6. Loads of floor plans available.
7. Room planner for majority of our floor plans. This allows you to arrange your furniture layouts prior to seeing the unit!
8. Multiple ways for you to contact the apartment communities such as phone numbers, email and texting services!!
9. Awesome Relocation Center (link) to help you on your move and getting settled!
10. The Apartment Living Blog (link) to provide you with tips and advice on apartment living!

So visit ForRent.com today! And let us help you find your perfect place!

On September 7, the For Rent Media Solutions office in downtown Norfolk was a little more quite than usual. Many of our employees participated in the United Way’s Day of Caring, an uplifting day of volunteerism in the Hampton Roads of Virginia. On this day, FRMS employees spent the day working side-by-side with co-workers outside of the office landscaping, painting, cleaning and working on whatever needed to be done at multiple project sites selected by United Way.

Employees made their rounds, assisting everywhere from local residential homes to shelters and museums. Erin Zarate, Marketing Manager, volunteered at a local residence, for a woman who dedicates the majority of her time caring for her child who is severely mentally retarded and physically and medically fragile. As a volunteer, Erin did yard work and helped paint the woman’s garage. Account Executive, Linda Perryman, volunteered at the Hermitage Museum in Norfolk, Virginia. While there, she showed off her green thumb, gardening and cleaning museum signs and preparing the flowers for show. Other volunteer locations included the Dwelling Place and the King House, local family shelters; as well as Meals on Wheels.

At For Rent Media Solutions, helping other is how we do business. Our company’s effort to give aid has extended beyond the traditional business-to-business and business-to-consumer relationships. How do you help in your community?

Full of rich history, Louisville, Colorado has risen to #3 on the best places to live list in 2007 according to CNNMoney.com.

Louisville lies roughly six miles east of the City of Boulder and 25 miles northwest of Denver. Just see what one reader says about the quaint city:

“Great small town feel, surrounded by the urban setting. Great food. Nice slow paced life.”

-Posted by GK in Tulsa, OK.

Other interesting facts include: The median family income of $94,385, job growth rate is 3.68%, and the median home price is $322,812. For 2007, the top ten out of a hundred best places to live in the United States are:

Information collected by CNNMoney.com

ForRent.com is the first national apartment Internet listing site to bring streaming video of an apartment community to you. Community Theater is a custom streaming video that is professionally produced and allows you to view features and amenities of apartment communities nationwide on ForRent.com .

Community Theater will enhance your apartment shopping experience! As a complement to the virtual tour, Community Theater will not only give you a glimpse into a property’s units and amenities, but the city and community that the property is located in, as well.

Check it out on our website ForRent.com