Appropriate-Ad-4148 t1_jcfmqeh wrote
Reply to comment by LeoMarius in My “luxury” apartment buildings trash compactor is next to our apartment, wakes me up all hours of the night, and the building refuses to do anything. What should I do? by CCIRMAJOR26
I find anti-shoebox folks are far more likely to come from a wealthy background where they grew up with tons of space(or a neighborhood with character) and were surrounded by groups of folks who look down on small apartment renters(that's for college kids!).
Run an actual cost comparison on a brand new building marketed as "luxury" versus some run down converted row house with stompy and sons living above you next door. There's typically no difference because the baseline for a room for rent STARTS at 1.2k, and once you start accounting for all the demand from people who want "yards", more "square footage", or a parking spot, it's literally all within hundreds of bucks a month.
morganwr t1_jcftj66 wrote
I'm very pro-shoebox - you can live small in the best walking neighborhoods and spend money on activities instead of amassing stuff, less to deal with (no yard, no need for car, no maintenance you personally have to deal with, less to clean). Simple life, happy life.
bageloclock t1_jcfqyfs wrote
I think this is honestly more about neighborhood than anything; it’s quite a generalization to say people who rent older units are all wealthy. I come from a middling background (single mom public school teacher in the Midwest), but I’ve avoided the “shoebox” luxury buildings because they’re frankly way out of my price range.
Take our case. We’re in Brookland in a 2B2B, rent-controlled condo. The price for a 2B in one of the new-build apartments on Monroe is anywhere from $300-$1200 more a month than what we’re paying. To us, the extra amenities and potential for issues like OP is having were frankly not worth it in our calculation.
just offering another perspective!
Appropriate-Ad-4148 t1_jcgczaj wrote
That's true. If you're paying $2,000 a month for 2/2 that's a great deal anywhere in D.C. proper. I guess I'm saying people cast judgement on new, small apartments with nice finishes when they've never really checked the prices.
They have 2/2 950 SF units on the 2nd and 3rd floor right now for $2700-3k here.
Do you have in unit W/D or central HVAC?
bageloclock t1_jcgg52v wrote
Yes! And a parking spot though our street is never crowded.
I should also add I’ve always had a better experience with a landlord who owns their unit than corporate.
On top of everything else, the buildings owned by big corporations seem to nickel and dime you, plus it’s much more difficult to contest your security deposit deductions. Happened to us in our last apartment, a more dated but still corporate-owned building, and it was an unpleasant experience.
LeoMarius t1_jch1lim wrote
It also depends on how much of a homebody you are. If you just crash at home and go out a lot, then why bother with a lot of space?
If you stay home quite a bit, more space is appreciated.
If you don't go out as much, then you can live in a more remote neighborhood.
This also changes with age. Someone just out of college is just happy to have his own pad. Someone in his 40s needs more space but a quieter neighborhood.
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