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May 21, 2007
OMG shoes
The end result of my rusty horseshoe restoration project:
Soaking them in super-steeped darjeeling tea added an interesting black patina to them, but the shoe wax just made them look greasy. They don't feel greasy though, and don't shed rust anymore.
Hunting for housing Sux Donkey Dick these days and has brought back some charming memories from past roomate situations. Like the one time I came home and a roomate was using my cherished ramen pot to melt her armpit wax. As I walked into the kitchen she was applying it right there next to the stovetop. Armpit stubble and congealing wax coated the sides of my pot. Or the guy who would drink himself unconscious over the course of the weekend until all he could do was puke blood. I'd clean blood splatters of the toilet rim most Monday mornings. I'd like to opt out of any roomate situations because of those memories. When I lived in an apartment, there were the two potheads in the unit across the hall who would get together every Saturday and smoke weed until 4am and yell "HEY MAN! YEAH, MAN! WOW MAN!" over 4,000 times in an evening. I'm not keen on apartments either.
I've come to realize I really like my spider-infested hobbit-hole basement unit on Vermont Ave. It's very quiet, close to everything, and I get a front and back yard. I like basement units.
The only non-roomate, non-apartment options within my price range are in places like Deanwood. Have you ever taken MetroRail to visit the Kennilworth Aquatic Gardens? The gardens are beautiful, but I'm not excited about living in a "transitional" neighborhood again - walking from the station to the gardens is a bit of a multicultural gauntlet.
I'm not coupled and am on a university salary, no car and work is on the Green Line. Ashburn and Sterling are not an option either. My pay is pretty good for a university salary, but DC is now affordable only for overpaid lawyers, corrupt Bush appointees, and couples who are willing to live within 5' of each other at all times. Friends who lament my exodus from the gayborhood are all in fixed-price rental situations and have no idea how things have changed in just two years. Equivalent places like where I have lived have doubled in price in two years while my paycheck has not. There is supposedly a real estate crash going on, but I think that only means flippers won't get double back anymore - just like 1.75 times the original price (waaah!), and they don't sell in a week, more like a month (waaah!). An informal survey stroll down T Street between 10th and 7th this weekend found about 5 homes for sale, 2 for rent signs and 4 other cat-factory style run-down homes. I've investigated the squatting laws in DC and that option isn't viable (or legal) either.
I like my job, and I like where I live, and I don't want to switch jobs just to be able to pay for housing. The options dwindle after that decision is made. Convenience of commuting is also a factor - I drew the line at 45 minutes max long ago - either by car or mass transit. Anything longer than that is a significant drop in quality of life. I do lots of activities downtown and I don't like the idea of going back and forth all day, especially with the MetroRail system sucking as much as it has been lately. With my last two moves I've lucked out where places have fallen into my lap in one way or another, but I have a bad feeling about this move.
Posted by jimbo at May 21, 2007 7:50 PM
Comments
Have you tried Petworth or LeDroit Park. They are not as bad as they were 5 years ago. Aaron and I lived there for almost a year and the neighborhood was typical for the area....it is the city afterall and no place is 100% safe.
Posted by: Josh at May 21, 2007 10:47 PM
Aw, you can always come live with me out in Ashburn.
Posted by: Burl at May 21, 2007 11:11 PM
Well you have lots of friends I'm sure via a connection or two you will find something. What is your price range? Would you consider a basement in Arlington (Cherrydale) with access to both Clarendon and Ballston train stations w/fireplace, two separate entrances and a wonderful shared garden in the back?
John in Arlington
Posted by: John In Arlington at May 22, 2007 7:26 AM
Does this mean you're moving to Baltimore?
Posted by: Donald at May 22, 2007 9:14 AM
Yes, sadly the real estate bust is focused on sales - rentals continue to climb. As for Deanwood - it may be Deanwood, but it's a 2 bedroom for less than I am paying for a Dupont studio..... The other option I was thinking of was way up 14th (ish) St - you might have to bus to the subway tho.
Posted by: zz at May 22, 2007 10:34 AM
Have you thought about looking into areas like Takoma Park, places in Montgomery County or In College Park?
Yes yes I know its to far away from the "Gay Village" but there are good affordable areas in those locations and the rents are considerably less than in DC.
I use to live a few blocks from the Takoma Metro and it was a quiet peaceful place, walking distance from the Metrostation and the Farmers Market.. I had an apartment about the same size of what you have now and my rent was $625 a month.
Posted by: Dax at May 22, 2007 10:47 AM
You should think about buying rather than renting, Jimbo. Paying a mortgage--even for a condo where there's not gonna be a lot of appreciation--totally beats paying rent. You've got equity, and the interest you pay is tax deductible.
Talk to an agent. But not a gay one. Gay brokers, in my experience, show you fa-a-a-abulous palaces (that they'd like to live in) that are totally out of your price range. Rather, find a lesbian agent. Lesbian real estate agents rock. They work hard for you, they listen to what you want and what you can afford.
All the best,
Drew
Posted by: Drew Kramer at May 22, 2007 12:03 PM
Your situation has many parallels in NYC. My partner and I would love to move from the place we have lived for 14 years but it is impossible to do so. Only the top 10% of the city can afford today's prices for crap apartments, let alone something with some flair, and we do love our hood but want something a little larger and maybe a garden.(?)
Posted by: Gary at May 23, 2007 11:50 AM
Your pain is felt by many.
Posted by: Kameron at May 23, 2007 4:15 PM