We've been settling into our new apartment--new to us, but standing and housing people for almost 100 years now. Generally, I love living in older buildings. The apartment we just moved from was built in 1928 and I lived in a sweet little house in the Coronado Historic District in Phoenix that was built in 1934. For better or for worse, I seem to always let the charm of these places outweigh their drawbacks. And I'm glad that I do, because there's nothing insurmountable in them. I'd rather live in a place with a lot of character and face some challenges than live in a new, bland, cookie cutter house. That's just me, though. I know plenty of people probably highly value and appreciate the ease and newness of their tract homes and wouldn't trade places with me for even a day. That's great--more vintage apartments available for me to inhabit!
These are some of the things you just have to accept when you live in a flat that's almost 100 years old. First, there's a severe lack of outlets, and even where there is an outlet, chances are it's just an old two-pronged one. This forces the apartment dweller to be creative with a lot of extension cords, and then, if you're me, to try to camouflage said extension cords because I hate having cords in plain view (looking at a tangle of cords running down or along a wall actually turns my stomach). This situation also makes you carefully consider which electrical items you really and truly need. So that's a positive--anything that cuts down on clutter is a good thing, in my opinion.
Second, you're going to be dealing with old windows. Old windows don't block out a lot of sound outside and also aren't very well insulated. It might mean that you have to get used to hearing some street noise and that you'll have to put on your robe and thick socks in the morning when you roll out of bed. But it also likely means that when it's raining outside, you'll be more able to hear the pitter patter of drops or the steady beat of a downpour, such as the one we had on Sunday. And it means that while you're soaking in a hot bath on a particularly blustery evening, as I was a week or two ago, you'll be able to hear the wind rattling the windows and feel all cozy inside. You'll get to enjoy beautiful old window casements, too, and a lot of light.
Next, you'll be faced with a bathroom that probably isn't updated in the least. This is the case in our new apartment. I'll admit I was a bit horrified when I realized (after we signed the lease, of course!) that the bathroom doesn't have even ONE outlet. Luckily, neither Cole nor I require a battalion of electric implements to get ready in the morning. About a week ago, it dawned on me that we could easily use the blowdryer in the bathroom--despite the dearth of outlets--by running a cord right outside the bathroom to a kitchen outlet. Problem solved. This bathroom is also equipped with a very old corner sink. It's one of the tiniest sinks I've ever seen, and has two separate taps--one for hot water and one for cold. It takes a special touch to get the temperature just right so that you're not washing your face with scalding hot water on the left and freezing cold water on the right. But this bathroom has its charms to offer, too--such as the delicate vintage black and white tiled floor and its big, sunny window.
If you're lucky in your search for an apartment, you might find a place with the original hardwood floors. We had beautiful hardwood floors in our last apartment--but unfortunately, so did our upstairs neighbors, meaning that we heard their every movement. This time around, our apartment has original hardwood floors in every room except the kitchen and bathrooms. The floors are a work of art, really--but they also have a couple of lifetimes of scratches and wear. They need some care to bring them back to their original luster.
I won't even go into the interesting/challenging state of the garage on the ground floor of this building. Suffice it to say that if a person were willing to brave some dust and cobwebs, s/he might just find some treasures in the piles of stuff previous tenants have left behind. This was the case in our old building too. Unfortunately, I'm not that into dust and I despise spiders. One of these days, though, I may brave the potential critters and inspect a vintage mirror that's hanging in the garage and appears to have been abandoned. Antiques Roadshow, anyone?!
Despite all of these challenges, I love living in older buildings. I can look up and see different decorative molding in every room, walk down the hall and smile at the vintage phone nook with its tiny seat, use the lever on the stairs to open the door from 10 feet away, and enjoy the beautiful built-in cabinet in the dining room. They just don't make places like this anymore, so I feel lucky to get to experience one for a year or two. Or ten--right about now, I don't ever want to move again.
