Apartment living adapting

[SGExotics]

Well.... I've never lived in an apartment, and never want to... I like having a place to call my own (Technically my parent's own.......)... And i could never deal with people stomping around and making noise... I have a bit of a really short temper, and go outside and go crazy on kids making noise on the street while im trying to sleep.... I would probably go to jail if i lived in an apartment.... I've stayed in my cousins apartment and i couldnt stand the small space, but i liked it in a way, because there are only 3 apartments in the building, and the other two apartments are family...

[aaramire]

I live in a great little apartment complex similar to the one you are talking about. Two bedrooms, a kitchen and living room, two bathrooms and a little balcony. The neighborhood is great, quiet and friendly, and I love it. It's me, my roommate, two cats, three snakes (including a retic) and the occasional foster animal or two. I have no issues with the living space, there is plenty of room for all my critters, and the best part is that my apartment manager owns snakes herself so she doesnt charge any extra pet fees for caged animals, which includes rodents and reptiles. It is basically the best thing for me right now, and I consider myself really lucky. I hope everything is going great for you in Cali, I know its a big change from NY, in fact my family moved from upstate NY to NC about 6 years ago. Good luck with everything!

[DarkComeSoon]

I actually like living in a apartment when its just me alone I actually plan on living in a one bedroom apartment maybe 2 im sorta like a ball python in a way.

[Ginevive]

Wow; I must be lucky, to not have such horrible neighbors. I do know that bad neighbors can be a problem with homeownership, though. Back in Buffalo, my mom's had a series of horrific arguing, girlfriend-beating neighbors.. and she owns her home! Kinda harder for her as well, as she can't just pick up and move.
I love the fact that I don't have to spend hours mowing grass and plowing snow (not that there is anymore snow here!) And driving to work (walking is so much easier.) Granted, some might like cutting lawns and driving alot, but I don't.
And my social life has improved. Now if it is 8pm and a friend callswanting to hang out, I can drive 5 minutes to their house.. as opopsed to living in the boonies and calling it a night at 9 because of deer running around and long travels.
I should mention that when we arrived (with our pickup, uhaul, cat and snakes) we were technically homeless for the day. The apartment place that we were to move into, suddenly called and said that we were rejected b/cwe could not provide pay stubs as proof of income (my hubby tattoos.) This place did a quick credit check, and bam, we got right in that day.
Yay!

I live in a great little apartment complex similar to the one you are talking about. Two bedrooms, a kitchen and living room, two bathrooms and a little balcony. The neighborhood is great, quiet and friendly, and I love it. It's me, my roommate, two cats, three snakes (including a retic) and the occasional foster animal or two. I have no issues with the living space, there is plenty of room for all my critters, and the best part is that my apartment manager owns snakes herself so she doesnt charge any extra pet fees for caged animals, which includes rodents and reptiles. It is basically the best thing for me right now, and I consider myself really lucky. I hope everything is going great for you in Cali, I know its a big change from NY, in fact my family moved from upstate NY to NC about 6 years ago. Good luck with everything!

Thanks! I am enjoying it here. Northern Cali is alot cooler and foggier than southern cali; I like this just fine, because it means less tourists and annoyance.

[aaramire]

Sounds lovely, except for the being homeless part! I wish I could up and move somewhere like that, I love the ocean and there is no big body of water near here

[Argentra]

I've lived in apartments most of my life and I actually like it. The key is doing a thorough search to find a good complex with good management in a quiet area. You'll always have 'those people' in any neighborhood, home or apartment, so you just have to put up with it. But if you do your research well, apartment communities are really nice.

The place we live now is a very nice 2 bdrm 1.5 bath with good space. The complex is really nice and typically quiet, and the biggest problem here is parking...but we don't drive so NP for us. It's also an animal friendly place. The manager when we moved in really liked reptiles, so we didn't get charged at all, but then the manager changed to a woman who is VERY afraid of snakes and she made us pay the $300 deposit (only half of which is refunded). Sigh, oh well.
Sad thing is, we're moving in a week and a half. We like it here, but you do what you have to do. But guaranteed, we'll be doing a thorough search for a good complex once we get settled up north.

[HeartAche]

I live in an apartment currently. The complex is aimed toward students since its a 5 minute walk to school so I expected it to actually be pretty crappy. I've been here a little over a month and I have to say that its WAY better than I imagined. My neighbors to my left are so quiet that I just found out today that they lived there and to my right they are decent. They do slam the door a lot but I think its more of the door than it is them. The complex is also pet friendly which was my main reason for choosing it. I also dont have to pay a pet deposit as long as I dont get anything too large. My other plus is that I'm already in good with the maintenance so if something does go wrong I know it will be a quick fix.
All in all since this is my first apartment, I cant complain. Especially after hearing my parent's horror stories about their first apartments.

[AndrewGeibel]

I live in a two bedroom townhouse that I rent with one roommate. It is a pretty nice apartment and although I feel like rent is a little bit high my neighbors are absolutely silent and when something breaks they are here within 15 minutes to fix it. They are also snake and dog friendly. No complaints here. Being in college I don't have nearly enough stuff to fill up the 1,000 square feet so space isn't an issue either.

[Ginevive]

Sounds good. This complex is also very pet-friendly; although they do charge $25 extra a month per pet (meaning dogs and cats.) I was told by the manager (who's very personable and who we get along well with) that "aquarium" pets/reptiles are ok and not charged for. Lots of people have dogs, but I have heard no barking, ever (it is almost eerie) and they're always leashed. A few feral cats, but they're not that over-populated. They also refuse to enter an apartment if you're not home (unless ofcourse it was an emergency, like a fire or something) which I like; since so many people have pets, they don't want to accidentally let one out. It's great to getalong with your neighbors; one of ours is a nurse who is not home overnight. One is a middle-aged woman who's always making sure that her early-morning workouts aren't bothering us (she lives upstairs; no bother.. no kids!)

[Elise.m]

You live in a great part of the state. Unlike us, we live in the Valley where the weather is hot and gross!

Congrats on the awesome new place, and welcome to Cali! Heres to hoping your neighbors stay on your good side!