the apt. search continues ...

We hope to hear from one if not all 3 of the apartments we have seen in the last week that we both like, can afford (relatively) can see ourselves living in and feel we have a good chance at getting (who knows?)

The 1st is a cool 3rd floor walk up in the young, hip area of Schmeide Weidekon. This is the one I previously wrote briefly about where the present tenant used to live in Manhattan and I 'worked' that connection ... hard. We even went back and dropped off our letter of reference which includes statements from Mark's company that we haven't racked up any debt here (yet - and thank goodness they don't check our mail in the US...) that he has a secure job, and is a good boy, etc...

I like this apt. b/c it is still in the city proper, we could walk to downtown -though taking the tram for 5 minutes would be faster - there are stores and bars and people right downstairs and the vibe is edgy and cool. It would be Williamsburg if it were in NYC. Of course I always said I could never live in Williamsburg b/c I was sooo not cool enough, but maybe here ....

Apt. 2 is another we found on line. It caught my eye because it had a huge yard and v. cool layout. It is in an area called Hongg. It took a while to get there by tram and it was just about all uphill. The place is nestled into the side of a hill so that however you chose to get to it, you need to either walk up about 50 steep steps or walk down about 40 shallow and steep steps. Not knowing we had an option, we ended up huffing and puffing our way up the stairs from the street below. From the yard and the huge windows in the place, you have an amazing view of the city. It is just up from the river that feeds into the lake and there are bike paths and all sorts of recreation areas very near by.

I think one of the reasons I liked this place so much is that I really loved how the guy who lives there now decorated/designed it. V. my taste. Antiques with modern peices, lots of tactile, artistic, small objects and adornments. Not too cluttery or busy. Calm and comfortable with an edge. There is a sleeping loft, 2 bathrooms, a small office/guest room, another bedroom and the cutest little kitchen with a mini banquette. But the outdoor space is what makes the house fabulous. There is a yard as big as the house behind it on the hill and on the flat of the hill above the house is another little, tiny 'house'. Kind of like a shed/lean to/open-air porch kind of place. There is a kitchen with running water and a fridge for stocking all the necessities for the types of festivities that could/would occur there. The present owner has a small table with mismatched chairs and a hammock in the space. Against the frame that makes the back wall of the 'room' he has 2 large framed peices of art - it's a really enticing area. I just wanted to jump into the hammock with a cocktail in my hand and look out onto the city while listening to Edith Pfiaf.

The big downer about this place is the distance from the city. It is still in the city proper, but would take Mark about 1/2 hour door to door on the tram or bus to get to work and there is not much of a town or area closeby. The house comes with a garage which we would not need, as we have no car, but I did use the opportunity to remind Mark that living in a place like this would be a great reason (for me) to have a spiffy Vespa ...

The 3rd apartment we just looked at yesterday. Mark found it in the newspaper, so there were no photos like many of the places we have found on-line. I find photos v. helpful, esp. since I can't read all the details which are in German. I think that many of the thousands of people who are looking at apartments are just using the internet and have neglected using the old standby of the daily newspaper as a resource. I say this because when we went to see this place, we were the only ones there and the only ones scheduled to see it - not like the 25-60 people that have been at the other places we've visited. Talk about overwhelming ...

This apartment is in the Zuriberg area of the city. The guy who showed it to us called it 'The Gold Coast', which we had heard before but thought that was reserved for the area closer to the lake on the same side, but I'm sure he knows more than we do in this regard. This is a v. classy area filled with villas and single-family homes that are just to-die-for. A totally different vibe from each of the other places we've recently seen and liked. Tree-lined streets, just up the hill from the University of Zurich and the Hospital. Apparently many doctors and lawyers live here so now all I have to do is pop down the hill, get my MD and we'll fit right in.

The apartment is on the 1st floor, which is not ideal in my eyes, unless you are getting the benefit of some outdoor space/garden in lieu of the balconies that most upper floors in these types of houses have. But this place makes up for that in many ways: Very high ceilings, dining room and living room with beautiful decorative molding on ceilings. Nice large entry way, perfect for the round, pedestal table I've always wanted in an entry way. 3 bedrooms, a tiny little summer porch/room off the master bedroom with lovely mosaic tiled floor. Great privacy screens in the windows. Beautiful hardwood floors throughout. All just been renovated. I could tell that this was M.'s favorite from the moment he walked in. V. civilized, and v. affordable for this neighborhood and the size of the apt.

If we were able to get this apt., it would be much easier to rationalize taking many trips and maybe even entertaining the idea of the aforementioned Vespa for a certain chick I know... but we'll see. How much easier it would be if we were just offered one of the three and our minds would be made up for us, but it rarely goes like that, does it? You are dying for just one yes, any yes, and get all nos, even for the lousiest place for which you've applied and then you find 3 that you really like and there is a chance that we could be offered more than one or even all three ... then what do we do?!!!

The owner, an elderly woman, lives directly above this apartment. This makes me a bit ill-at- ease, as I really like lisening to music at a number higher than 2... But, as I said to M. on the bus ride home, maybe she's deaf. Not that I would wish that on anyone, but the agent said she was old and hearing is something that goes with age, so...

So there we are. Be sure to check back next week and hopefully we will have news and you will feel like you know just where we are from the 'fabulous' descriptions above.

recap::
#1 - 2nd highest in price, about $500 higher than #3 - available April 1 // washer&dryer in apt. // 2 bathrooms // cool neighborhood w/shops nearby // easy commute for M.

#2 - most expensive. $1k more than #3 // available April 1 // washer&dryer in bldg. // 2 bathrooms // huge yard // great view // garage // most interesting/fun space // tough commute for M. // few shops nearby

#3 - cheapest // available immed. // washer&dryer 3 flights up in attic of home, but easy to install and we have the room in the kitchen to have our own // only 1 bathroom, but huge tub and brand new everything // small back terrace - shared // huge, high ceilings // pretty easy commute for M. // not many shops nearby // v. residential

thoughts::
number 1 is the place you want in your 20s/30s and you feel and/or are young and hip :: number 2 is the place to have when you have a slew of friends that will come over every weekend and party and enjoy the yard and space - kids and pets running around ::
number 3 is the place for formal dinner parties with 40-somethings, drinking much wine and rationalizing buying expensive peices of furniture for ::

more thoughts ::
1. Beastie Boys // The Clash // Bjork // Cake // Liz Phair // New Order // Bowie // X // The Ramones
2. Elvis Costello // Billy Bragg // English Beat // Bob Marley // Jeff Buckley // Talking Heads // Johnny Cash
3. This American Life // Dinah Washington // Buena Vista Social Club // Stevie Wonder // Nouvelle Vague