📅 June 2006

Well, I'm still deliberating the trip to B-lo this weekend. A phone call in response to an ad for a 2 bedroom led to an interesting twist.
The 2 bdrm is gone, but a 3 bdrm apt on Hodge Ave near the Children's Hospital is coming available and it would be perfect timing for our August move-in date.

The location is on Hodge about a block west of Delaware. The apt is a huge (2200 sq ft) 3 bdrm on the 3rd floor and has 2 full baths, 2 working fireplaces, functional kitchen (important for us!), in-unit washer and dryer, off-street parking, and apparently is in "immaculate" condition. Allegedly, the balanced billing for heat runs $110-$120 and electric around $40.

The current tenants have apparently lived there 6 years and are leaving to move to NYC.

The neighbors on the first and second floors are single professionals, the one on the first floor has a well behaved dog (a lab) and the one on the 2nd floor apparently travels a lot.

It's pricey (near the top of our range, but manageable) but we have been assured it is a quiet unit on a nice street.

Any comments from the local experts on the Elmwood area?

Is it definitely worth looking at, maybe to grab it before it hits the market (plannng to list it in AV this week)? Or let it ride...? And what should I make of Hodge Ave just west of Delaware? How long a walk to good stuff on Elmwood, etc.?

Also, any thoughts on Rand Avenue in N. Buffalo? Cheaper options with garages up that way, and near Delaware Park.

--Chico

OK, so what's the deal with (MAP TO: RAND%20AVENUE)? Why do I have three appointments to see apartments on this little street between Delaware, Amherst, and Hertel?

Is it a depressing little street that people can't wait to leave?
Is it noisy? (there are train tracks 2 blocks away...do freight trains run through there all night long?)

Anyway I can hardly help but to be suspicious.... Hmm.

Other places I'm considering north of Delaware Park: a 3 br on Tillinghast Pl, and a 2 br on North Dr.(north of Hertel, off Parkside).

Nearer to Elmwood I'm looking at something on W. Delevan near Chapin Pkwy, on W. Utica near Norwood, and an expensive apt overlooking Gates Circle.

Comments welcomed...

P.S. thanks to @jenks, @leetee, @kara et al for the latest encouraging emails :-)

...what planet are you from? Being a newcomer I figured I wouldn't get much of a response to my post but instead I'm happily inundated with notes from @zobar, @joshua, @kara, @carolinian, @libertad, @hodown, and @dragonlady7...many thanks to all!

I really appreciate the help with the apartment search...the gf and I were looking all over town a couple of weekends ago and decided that we're most interested in the areas relatively close to Delaware Park...gf is jazzed about the Bidwell Parkway area (in part b/c it's close to Caffe Aroma); I'm still strongly considering other parts of Elmwood Village, but we're also thinking about areas north of Delaware Park too... we're trying to find a quiet street, gf gets up early and likes to get her beauty rest. ;-)

Was thinking about bombing on up to B-lo this weekend to look for apts and to check out the Allentown art festival... but I'm getting the sense that I'm a little early for my target move-in date of August 1... most of the folks advertising in AV are looking for 7/1... any thoughts? Would I be wasting time/gas money by making the trip this weekend?

Thanks again, Chico

hey e-peeps... okay so i'm a poser... i live in new jersey and haven't moved to buffalo yet but i'm on my way this summer. just landed a job in b-lo (this seems to surprise people...what, are there no jobs in b-lo or something?) ;-) i laugh to myself that i'm trying to singlehandedly reverse the population outflow from buffalo... ha!

anyway my gf and i are moving up around august and i'll be scouring elmwood and allentown looking for you e- types. beware! in the meantime maybe i'll write some journal posts about my search for a nice apartment near the park. suggestions welcomed...

chico