I spent the last couple of days determined to find an apartment in which to have a little more privacy, spread out, feel at home. Don’t get me wrong — my hostel’s the best. 100% of the staff is pleasant to deal with, kind, accommodating, and quite capable. My room? Huge, with 2 sets of French doors to a balcony that’s the size of one of my bedrooms in Oregon.
But I was determined. Prior to booking, I insisted on seeing the property (right, yeah?). Most owners declined, making me an even bigger non-fan of AirBnB (and other orgs whose name I do not recall, at this moment) whose policy is to book the place and, learn the address after the fact and, if it is not “as pictured,” you can get your money back. My preference is to know the address, walk to it and evaluate the neighborhood, and then to not only see the place: I want to smell it. I want to listen. I want to feel the vibe. These are all no-brainer requests.
I simply sought out owners who were willing to break the no-preview rule. There were a few, but the places were not to my liking. One featured no heat at all. The other agreed to run the furnace from 7-10 pm nightly. And since I am so crazy about my centrally-located hostel room, I gave up the dream of an apartment.
Took these photos while waiting for an owner’s rep to show up and show an apt.:
