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September 30, 2006
housing, volcanos, who knows
Ben and I put down money to hold an apartment in North Portland -- roughly at the intersection of N. Ainsworth and N. Michigan -- this afternoon. We'll know by mid-week if we were approved.
The rental market has completely changed since March, when we moved in to our current -- and short-lived -- home. Suddenly there are hordes of cash-flush renters knocking down the doors of property management places. Rents are up several hundred dollars per month since the start of the year. We looked at a place yesterday that had received 18 applications before we even got there -- and had a number of people walk through who didn't apply, as well. I guess it's connected to the high price of homes.
I'm excited about this new place, if we get it.
It would be a two block walk to the MAX, Portland's light rail line. If Ben chooses to take the MAX, he'll probably halve his current commute time. This duplex is also closer to I-5, which I take to work, and that could shave five minutes from my 15 minute commute as well. The MAX could whisk us to Mint and Mississippi Pizza, two of our favorite food-and-drink establishments, which means we could both have fun without designating anyone to stay sober.
The neighborhood's not nearly as hip as Alberta Arts, where we live now, but it's got a lot going for it. We'd be just a few blocks from the North Portland campus of Portland Community College -- convenient, considering that I've been wanting to take a few classes. We'd also be near Penninsula Park, which has a large rose garden, a public pool and a community center. Nearby are New Seasons natural food grocery store and the farmer's market I've been getting food at all summer, as well.
I guess now we just wait to see if we got it, and then we can start making plans with U-Haul. We might as well pack up a few boxes in the mean time.
But there's another sort of packing I need to do first. Now that we have that squared away, I need to load up my car with camping gear and Ben. We're heading to the mountains this afternoon. Tomorrow before dawn we'll be climbing a steep trail toward the summit of Mount St. Helens.
I'm excited.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at September 30, 2006 01:10 PM