1/4/2009:

Go apartment hunting with strangers

The New York Times is currently running a Real Estate story titled “Apartment Hunters Chart New Territory,” which features a Hoboken resident and his NYC girlfriend shopping for apartments in Jersey City.

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The article basically tells you how Mattias Johansson and Diane Tider met, what they were paying in rent (Johansson had a “spacious” studio in Hoboken), where they work, and the “dilemma” they were facing (i.e., “I better get him to move in with me!”)

So like anyone looking for a new apartment, they go shopping around, compare pros and cons of various units, searching for a place that they both liked. By the title of the piece, I thought “Charting new territory” might mean something like a new state, different jobs, etc. (Did you know how cheap it is to live in Vegas? Holy crap!) They eventually settled for an apartment in a brownstone near Van Vorst Park (actually a nice ‘hood for Jersey City).

While the story might be enjoyable for some folks to read - it didn’t offer any helpful advice. Like how to avoid Realtor fees and get other concessions - or which websites to use to find the best deals, etc. Finding out they made gingerbread for their housewarming party - or that they have to roll a little cart out of the way to use the oven isn’t very interesting.

I suppose “Part II” of their story will be when the Times goes “shopping for slacks” with Mattias - and he’ll try on five pairs before finally “settling” for an after-xmas clearance item at Old Navy. But when Matty gets home, he finds out that Diane was hooking up with the male nurse at the clinic she works - they’ll have to do the real estate search all over again. Burn!

THAT would be a fun read!

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