I like this apartment

[redbird]

As I said in a (locked) post a few hours ago, I've had better days.

I started the day with an eye exam, though for a change they dilated my eyes enough for their purposes without making it difficult for me to read. After that, I met cattitude for lunch and went with him to a meeting with his financial advisor. ("His" because our finances are only semi-combined, and I deal with my retirement money by handing it to TIAA-CREF and letting them fret so I don't have to.)

That was already feeling like enough of a burden that we went to Tosci's for hot fudge sundaes afterwards. We were eating our ice cream when we got text messages from the landlord, asking if he could call to talk about the apartment, "it's important." I asked Cattitude to text back "we're out, can this wait an hour?" and the landlord said yes.

We got home, he called, and what he wanted to talk about is that we're going to have to move out at the end of August, because he and his family are moving back in here. *sigh* So we're going to be looking at neighborhoods and apartments, and then packing things up again.


I asked adrian_turtle to come over for moral support, which she did, and we spent some time talking about plans, in between going "wibble wibble." The three of us may be going to either Malden or East Somerville tomorrow to look around. Other possibilities include looking elsewhere in Arlington—we can probably find a similar-sized place for the same or a bit less rent if we're willing to be further from Alewife T station and/or from the Minuteman Bikeway. That would have advantages including that we could stay near Adrian without all three of us having to move, and that I'd still be near my doctor and in an area I know somewhat.

I wasn't expecting this. What I was expecting to do was say we were interested in renewing the lease, and finding out if we could afford what they were asking. (We have an eighteen-month lease because they wanted to get this apartment into the usual local pattern of leases ending in August; they were trying to rent in the winter because they had bought a house in Concord. It turns out they don't want to live in Concord, they want to live in East Arlington.)

Any Boston-area friends/readers who want to suggest, or warn me against, neighborhoods or realtors, or know someone with a place they're looking to rent, please let me know. We don't drive, so it needs to be near the T or a reliable bus line, but we don't care about the school district. (Also, we have cats, and would prefer few or no stairs.)

Comments

Thanks for the suggestion

[redbird]

Unfortunately, we took a look on Saturday, and Watertown won't work because the poor condition of Mount Auburn Street makes the otherwise fine 71 bus too bumpy, at a level that sets off adrian_turtle's motion sickness. (We're not looking for an apartment for three, but being near Adrian and able to visit comfortably is important.)