The Not So Big Move
About 11 months ago, I moved to Arlington, Virginia. I had just earned my undergraduate degree, landed my first big-boy job, and I was more than ready to make the move closer to DC to live the life of a “young professional" in the city.
And that I did! I moved into a brand new apartment complex as the first tenant of a brand new unit. I was stoked. I made the apartment mine as much as I could; hanging up pictures and designing the space to my heart’s content. If you know me, you know that I’m a huge geek about that kind of stuff.
Almost a year later, I’m ready to make another move. Don’t get me wrong… the apartment and the complex are awesome. Great finishes in the unit, convenient amenities, quiet neighbors, and an entire list of other pluses. What I’ve realized, though, is that I don’t need any of it. As a 23-year-old bachelor, there are several things in my current place that I could do without… especially considering the fact that I barely use any of the fancy amenities, and I certainly don’t need to be paying for things on a monthly basis that I barely use. If I’ve learned anything in 2012, it’s the value of a dollar. Literally. I don’t even like spending one buck.
All of that being said, I started on the search for a new spot. I knew that if I wanted to stay in Arlington (or anywhere near Arlington, for that matter), and stay in a 1-bedroom, I’d have to sacrifice some of the modern conveniences that I’ve grown accustomed to. And so I searched all over Arlington and some of it’s bordering cites. No such luck.
My search brought me back to my current block. I had been eyeing an older complex right behind where I live now for a few months, but I hadn’t yet stopped in to take a look.
I’m glad that I got around to it.
This place was built in the late 1930s (I think as overflow housing when World War II was starting out, but don’t quote me on that), and even though it’s visibly an older complex, there’s a certain charm to it that I can’t get over. I was able to take a look at the actual unit that I would be moving into in about a month. The previous tenant, who had apparently lived there for 15 years, had JUST moved out, so the place was an absolute mess. Beyond the 15 years of filth that I tried desperately hard to look past, I really liked what I saw. Original hardwood flooring, some interesting molding around the doors, and cool tiling in the bathroom. They’ll also be installing a new gas oven and bathroom sink, which is pretty awesome as well. On top of all of that, it’s significantly less pricey than where I am now. Score!
Like I mentioned earlier, I’m a dork about this kind of stuff (the original hardwood and such), and I’m excited to see how I’ll be able to inhabit a space that was built for someone in the 1930s in today’s world. I’ve already started geeking out on framing some new pieces to hang up, so I’ll keep this updated on the latest and greatest.