Friday, April 13, 2007

Housing Poll

Option A:
Rent=x
Distance from campus=10-minute walk
Size=One-bedroom
Level=Bottom
Washer & dryer=shared with other apartments in house

Option B:
Rent=x+$35
Distance from campus=30-minute bus ride
Size=Two-bedroom plus (shared) yard
Level=Top
Washer & dryer=just for me

Both have decent-sized (but not large) living rooms and kitchens. Both are available more or less immediately. Option B feels more homey while Option A feels more studenty--it's just north of the part of town where all the undergrads live and party in their frat houses (and, by the way, shoot and mug each other on a monthly basis). I'll probably have the kids over one or two nights a week (we haven't worked out those details yet) and it would be nice for them to have their own room, but I'm not sure it's worth the extra commuting which ultimately means less flexibility in my schedule. The big unknown is where FoxyJ will be living--if she's north of Seattle Option B will be much closer to her but if she's south it will be much farther.

Your votes will be taken into account but your reasoning will be even more useful.
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10 comments:

Lisa said...

I would go for the 10 minute walk. It's not like you're going to live there forever. Convenience is a lot when you are in school.

4/13/2007 10:15 PM
Christian said...

Yay! It's another opinion poll wherein, despite my infallible logic and reasoning, you will choose the exact opposite of what I recommend. (So you may as well go and sign the lease for Option A tomorrow.) ;)

Here is why I would choose Option B:

Rent is essentially the same. Yes, I realize that already every penny counts, but the difference is rather negligible.

The extra bedroom will be nice to have when the kids are over. During this time of transition, I suspect it will help S-Boogie somewhat to have a space that is hers. (Living room sleepovers are only so cool for so long, and I know that once we got a house that had an actual space for the kids, they calmed down quite a bit and became more manageable.)

Personally, I always feel more secure on a top level as opposed to a bottom level. (Damn . . . reviewing my comment, you can read that in far too many ways. Yet you'll notice that I'm not deleting it.)

Commutes, especially on public transportation, rock! Now, I wouldn't recommend this to just anyone, but knowing what quirks you and I have in common, I think I can guarantee that you'll enjoy your commute time. That's 60 minutes of reading time built into your schedule Every. Single. Day. Looove it! And, depending on your willingness to engage in longhand (or invest in a laptop), you can look at it as built-in writing time. Added perk: Depending on how you are working out the pickup/dropoff of the kids, you get personal reading time built into your schedule without having to feel any guilt about personal time detracting from kid time when you have them.

Do you really want to feel studenty? And do you really want to feel frat studenty. And the big one . . . Do you really really want to feel undergrad frat studenty? I didn't think so.

4/13/2007 11:46 PM
playasinmar said...

option b = yard

yard = dog

dog = awesomeness

OPTION B!!!

4/14/2007 10:24 AM
dialogue10 said...

Maybe you should spend part of the weekend finding Option C, which would have the best features of both A and B.

4/14/2007 12:11 PM
Tolkien Boy said...

Of course, do as you think best. If you choose option A, though, I can park in your driveway.

4/14/2007 12:24 PM
Marcia said...

Option A sounds best to me. I think I would find the commute stressful (perhaps because I have poor time management skills). The location sounds less than ideal, but I would imagine your time is going to be at a premium. While it would be nice for the kids to have their own room, ultimately when they are with you what's going to matter is their being with you and the quality of the time and attention you will be able to give them.

My two cents.

4/14/2007 12:43 PM
Mama said...

I would do whatever kept me closest to my children. If it were possible, I'd try to wait to pick a place near where Foxy picked. Were that not a possibility (perhaps you must pick something now to keep the peace), I'd save as much money as I could on every expense so that I could spend it on visits with my children. If I could get by now with a smaller place, while the children are little, I'd do that and save, save, save.

Knowing that my (ex-)wife will be raising my kids with very little help, I'd want to make every effort to be nearby and support her - provided she wanted that. That's just me, though.

Best wishes for peace.

4/14/2007 3:34 PM
B.G. Christensen said...

Thanks, everyone. Amy, those are all the things that were most important to me in making this decision. I was going to wait until Foxy knew where she's going to be, but we both kind of felt that I should get my own place sooner than later, and I'll only be here for a year or so until I graduate, at which point I'll be better able to get a place closer to my kids.

4/14/2007 3:49 PM
Mama said...

Well, MasterFob, since you agreed with my points, you can now rest easy knowing you are as wise as your average middle aged SAHM of 3 little kids.

0_0

(That's my deer in the headlights face.)

You will make a good choice that is in the best interest of your family, I'm sure. Good luck and happy moving. Don't forget to hit the Elder's Quorum up one last time for a free move!!! :)

4/14/2007 3:56 PM
ecogrrl said...

I lived at my husband's apartment in that part of Greek Row for awhile. I'm a quiet person and a light sleeper. I generally wound up retreating to my apartment on Capitol Hill at 3 am when the neighbors wouldn't shut up or turn down the stereo.

If your kids are light sleepers, or if you like your sanity, I'd be tempted to move slightly farther north...it depends on the precise building you're in, but if it's the one I'm thinking of, it can be a little, well...loud. Have you looked slightly east -- Fremont? Or north to Ravenna? Either can be much closer than Option B, and neither is going to be quite the party environment of Greek Row.

4/14/2007 9:31 PM

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