When it came down to choosing an apartment, and there were only two decent options, I didn’t like this one at first. Location seemed to be a dealbreaker. It seemed so far out o the way from, well, everything. The first apartment I liked was literally just a block away from the grocery store and Walgreens, which is a big selling point. The neighborhood seemed to be altogether nicer, too. However, I’m finding some pretty awesome upsides to this neighborhood:
- It’s older, so there’s a lot of neat architecture
- There’s a gas station within walking distance, and I’m close to everything that’s downtown
- I’m within walking distance from Mom’s house and my uncle’s, too
- There’s lots of alleys and parking lot shortcuts
- Trees! When you’re crossing the bridge to this side of town, all you see is a hill full of trees!
Although the neighborhood is kind of sketchy not too far away, I’ve had no problems living in this very neighborhood. In fact, it hasn’t been as bad as I’d expected; although, some of the neighbors in this building are effing rude. I’ve really enjoyed walking to and from Mom’s. I take some of the same roads as I did when I was walking to school as a teen because I’m only three blocks from the house where we lived during those years. It’s a trip.
I walked to the store that’s near the other apartment the other day. I realized that the neighborhood over there isn’t really any better, and it’s not quite as enjoyable. I get to take these winding walks now, across bridges and over train tracks, and it’s all just very enjoyable.
I guess that one word sums up how it is to live on my own, now.