The Quest

When I graduated with a PhD in September, 2010 and landed my first "real" job, I knew it was time to ditch my trusty but run-down grad student apartment. It's served me well, but the ugly carpet, nasty kitchen, basic bathrooms, and crappy windows just didn't suit a man of my new status. I'm a doctor now, after all!

Thus began the quest for the perfect place to live. So far, it's been a long road. I've seen units big and small, modern and ancient, quiet and loud, with and without views, cheap and expensive. I have scoured Craigslist and Westside Rentals. I've driven around neighborhoods snapping photos of For Rent signs. I've emailed, called, texted, and knocked. I've even put in some applications. Still, no apartment has my name on it yet.

What is the perfect apartment, you may ask? Well....

My current pad wallows in the mediocre middle of the apartment hierarchy. If not for the location, it would be close to the bottom. It sports:

• 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in 1000 sq ft.
• Carpet throughout that was once beige.
• A basic kitchen with an old stove, old refrigerator, and no dishwasher.
• Basic bathrooms I upgraded a bit myself.
• Non-insulating (sound or heat) single-pane windows that seem to amplify the noise of the garbage trucks in the alley.
• No balcony.
• One parking space (but really as many as we want now that the building is nearly empty).
• All this for the low price of $1700 per month!

My new place must be so much more. The wish list:

• 2 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms, more than 1000 sq ft.
• Hardwood floors, or floors without carpet
• Sizable kitchen with dishwasher and newer appliances
• Patio, balcony, or other outdoor space (a view would be nice)
• 2 parking spaces
• Washer and dryer inside
• Newer construction with double-paned windows
• In the Brentwood/Santa Monica/West LA area -- preferably a good location (I work in Malibu and don't want a longer commute)
• Under $2700 per month

At this point, I have probably seen over 50 apartments, and only one has truly fit all my criteria. I'll write in a future post about why I am not living there now.

As my list of rejected suitors has grown to ridiculous numbers, I felt I must share my story of woe with the world. Welcome to LA Apartment Hell!