Apartment Amenities

Snowy Fountain in Dallas 2Have you ever noticed how shallow ads for apartment complexes are? They always promote things like swimming pools, gyms, crown moulding and chair rails. These are all nice things, don’t get me wrong, but they’re not as important as the basics. When it comes to apartment amenities, I want a good location, thick walls and floors, and good maintenance. But these kinds of apartment amenities just aren’t all that sexy, so instead apartment complexes advertise things like “gyms” that are nothing more than two treadmills and maybe a weight machine.

One of the big things that sold me on my current apartment complex was the social events. I’ve got to give them credit for trying. But I’ve never had much luck making friends at these things. When I go, it just a bunch of people with whom I have nothing in common. We share a parking lot. That’s all. And here’s the odd part. I’ve got several good friends in my apartment complex. But I didn’t meet them through one of the complex’s social gatherings; I met them through Meetup.com, Facebook or mutual friends. That’s why I think it’s better to make friends based on mutual interest rather than physical location.

The other apartment amenities that sold me on this place were new appliances and fresh carpet. But for me, this was less about form and more about function. At my previous apartment, my stove, refrigerator and dishwasher were Roper brand, and they broke down every couple of weeks. Having new GE appliances meant a lot less calls to maintenance, and new carpet meant less dirt and crumbs, and fewer Texas-sized roaches. Because at the end of the day, I just want a quiet, clean place that’s convenient to work and play. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

Steve Lovelace

Steve Lovelace is a writer and graphic artist. After graduating Michigan State University in 2004, he taught Spanish in Samoa before moving to Dallas, Texas. He blogs regularly at http://steve-lovelace.com.

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2 Responses

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