Apartment Achieved.

I spent two and a half days in ECC, looking for an apartment and doing the administrative things I need to do to be brought on board at PECMC. I was fingerprinted, etc. My background check requests were sent to the various state and federal agencies that they need to be sent to. And then I just walked and walked and walked and walked around ECC looking for a place to live.

In the end, I chose a place right in the middle of downtown, on the eleventh floor of a building about 1.3 miles from work. I’ll be selling my car rather than pay som $300/mo to park it, just to have it. I’ll be in such a different world there. All the restaurants and shops are walking distance from where I’ll be living. Or at least, enough of them that I’ll not want for things to do. There are museums and other things to do close by as well. And I’m going to embrace city living.

I’ve never lived inside a real city before. I’ve never lived in a big apartment building that wasn’t a dorm. But my new place is gorgeous. My bills will be substantially smaller than they are where I am now, because I’ll have a much smaller space to heat and cool. My apartment is just about 815 sqft. It’s divided into a small hallway, a bedroom (no windows), a bathroom, and a greatroom. The greatroom has a kitchenette in the corner, but as you can see, it has all the important attributes.

But the real selling point is the view. It’s got stellar floor-to-ceiling windows, including a corner. It’s going to make owning a parrot a little dicey, and it’s going to be a bit troublesome to find places for all my art. But my excellent @artologica piece will be just next to the fridge. Just like home.

And I only have to live here a year. If I hate it, I can move. In fact, even if I love it, I’ll probably move. Because I want to own rather than rent in the long run, and this place isn’t for sale. But I think I can be quite happy here for the time being. With no car and a wonderful new job.