Since I mentioned my housing, I wanted to explore the simple advantages of suburban house living vs. city apartment living. I've lived in both milieus, for commensurate periods of time, and both have their merits. Since I am currently an apartment dweller, I'm attempting to isolate the pros and cons of apartment living. I'm attempting to be objective, but let this serve as a warning to Hollaback Girl who is going from a house in the San Francisco Bay Area hills to an apartment in Manhattan.
Here's a few that spring to mind:
Pro: In an apartment, I never have to mow the lawn, weed the garden, trim a hedge or rake leaves.
Con: I don't have a yard. Not even a blade of grass. Which sorta sucks. I like to garden.
Pro: I can have whatever foodstuff I want delivered to my door at any hour of the day.
Con: I'd actually rather cook myself and what's more, grill the food, but there's no such thing as an indoor Weber.
Pro: I have a cute doorman who will accept my packages and dry cleaning, deflect unwanted visitors and open the doors for me when I leave and enter. He will even flirt with me when I get tarted up to leave for a night out.
Con: He requires copious annual tipping. (Screw that--so worth it).
Pro: I have so much less space that I have to clean every weekend.
Con: Hello? Storage space is at a premium. I am forever editing possessions.
Pro: I have a 24 hour valet parking service for my car.
Con: I don't have a garage in my home (my garage is three blocks away) and it costs me $300 extra each month (versus, I don't know, FREE!!)
Pro: I have every service I need at my figertips the moment I walk out the door.
Con: A silent, restful night's sleep might be nice.
Those are but a few aspects. I'm sure more will come to me tomorrow.
2 comments:
Reasons for a home Vs. Apartment
Pros: Grass and the like -- with the difference in price of a house and a NYC apartment (with Rooms) you could have twice as many rooms and several people to mow your grass, trim hedges etc. Possibly even clean on the weekends
Cons: Distance of commute -- Oh no, I guess not. The travel time is the same for 35 miles as it is for 60 city blocks (walk a block or two, a bus ride, 2 trains and a cab) ...
Pros: Food Delivery – we have it as well, other service are available (we even have walmart and Home Depot)
Cons: Less of a selection, We like to dine at the restaurant
Pros: Shop at Costco and know how to get it home
Cons: Hmm… You spend a lot at Costco
Pros: You can't hear your neighbor talk, fight or play that new cool Bose system to loud
Cons: a house may seem lonely and eerily quite
Pros: Your own heat and air system you control at your whim
Cons: you have to call someone to fix it -- Hmm I guess that's the same and the Pro side is the Non union laborer who fixes it will probably do it right the first time, on time.
Pros: A deck, a yard, a place to entertain
Cons: You clean it or pay for someone else to keep it up; including, painting, staining etc.
Pros: No massive HOA dues (unless you wish to live with snobby people, but even those dues are cheaper than NYC)
Cons: less of a tax break????
Pros: No door man snooping into your business (Don’t you watch Law and Order-he always has the dirt). In fact the front door is often left unlocked. As for unwanted visitors – Either Smith and Wesson will see them on their way or Browning will adjust their attitude, but really this never has to happen because people, here, as a general rule respect your private property/space, heck many nights the car sits in the driveway with the keys in the ignition.
Cons: Have your packages delivered to your office and bring them home in your car, which you can park in your 3 car garage.
Pros: A deck, a yard, a place to entertain
Cons: You clean it or pay for someone else to keep it up; including, painting, staining etc. (All the money you saved from not tipping the doorman or renting the parking space)
Pros: See Deer or Turkeys in your own back yard
Cons: Pigeons are eaten by red tail hawks
OK, that should give you some food for thought
A brilliant summation. I'm speechless (for once).
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