Just in: My apartment rocks the hizzhouse! That’s right folks- I’ve got my own place and a great roommate to boot. I feel like I’ve joined some secret club. It’s great. Here’s one of many photos Judy took of Josh and me signing our lease. Look mom – no hands!
Our Place is Awesome
Here’s why I love my apartment.
- We have a pool! A POOL! It’s on the roof and there’s water and everything. I’ve started swimming most days and I’m enjoying the chance to cool my head in the water at the end of the day.
- Location. We are a block from the subway at Dupont Circle, 20 minutes walk from Kesher Israel Synagogue, 10 minutes from the DCJCC, and six blocks from Trader Joe’s and Safeway. A ton of our friends are nearby. Hurray!
- We love Mulu! Mulu is the woman who staffs the front desk during the day. She is spunky as anything and looks out for us.
- All the free stuff. Our place came mostly furnished and today we scored a ton of things from a woman moving out of another unit- linens, pillows, a stereo, paper goods, plastic drawers, and booze.
- Josh lives here too. I know, “Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww…”
On the Way
Today the final construction on our partition wall are being completed and Josh’s new bedroom will soon be carved out of the living room (no worries, we still have plenty of common space left). We still need Comcast to come out here and do their magic so we can use the internet, and this afternoon we’re heading to Target to buy cooking and dishware, but it’s shaping up fast.
You can find a sweet apartment in DC too.
Before we started looking we knew the general area we wanted to live in and we heard from lots of people that in a solid 2-3 days you can be pretty sure you’ll find a place. We found ours in a day and half. Here’s how you can do it too.
1) Craigslist DC is home base. Check here every morning and search for the neighborhoods you’re considering. For us that meant Dupont, Foggy Bottom, and Adams Morgan. Places go like lightning so try to make appointments for same day. If you are told the place has already been taken ask if the person is knows of or is renting other places in your price range.
2) Walk into apartment buildings and ask if there are vacancies. This is how we found our place. It may help to start by mapping out the locations of likely buildings on a google map. For starters try the Kesher Building List and the SAIS Building List. Pop into buildings on the list and any others that look promising along the way.
3) Call management companies in the area to ask about vacancies.
4) Have people you know in the area check on vacancies in their buildings for you in advance of your search. Friends may also know of people moving out whose leases you can take over.
5) Consider looking at one bedroom places even if you mean to have two people living in the place. If you find something big enough and the landlord and building consent, you can construct a partition wall to create a second bedroom. Plus, there’s always bunk beds 
Come Visit
It is really nice to be settling into this apartment. Friends, let me know when you’re in town – There’s a futon and a place at my Shabbos table waiting for you.
