decisions, decisions...
So, I went to Hartford yesterday to go apartment hunting.
I've decided that I want to live in the city, not the suburbs, for several reasons, not the least of which being that having to go to the hospital at 2am is bad enough- having to drive 30min each way is even worse. Also, I'm just not ready to commit to suburbia- even if downtown hartford is a shithole, and the suburbs are wealthy and beautiful.
Fortunately there's a guy at work now who trained in hartford just a few years ago, who recommended some places.
So the first place we went was his old building. It was great... 2 big highrise towers, super-secure, heat/ac included, garage parking included, a pool, a gym in the building... the apartments were big, and nice. They even had a 'penthouse' available, which has a little private balcony. And it's certainly more expensive than here, but I'll also be making more there, so I think it would be affordable- even the penthouse.
The only catch is that it's on the somewhat sketchy outskirts of town. The building is in a little park, and is very pretty- but I got the feeling that you wouldn't want to walk alone in that park. And there's nothing nearby- no cute cafes or anything. Really nothing in walking distance, and it doesn't seem like you'd want to walk in the area, anyway. But the building is really safe. And it's about a 5 min drive to work.
But if that were the only place I'd seen- I'd have taken it and been happy.
But then we decided to check out a few places, that are really out of my price range- just for the hell of it.
And I fell in love with one... in a renovated old department store, with lots of cool architectural details. The apartment is huge. Gorgeous modern kitchen. Washer and dryer IN the apt! And again, utilities and parking included. And, a kick-ass location. Lots of great restaurants, shops, parks, cafes all within a couple blocks. And still about a 5min drive to work- but really in the thick of 'the action'.
But it's way expensive. I think I could probably swing it, but it would make things tight. It's more than I should spend. I just can't tell if it's "well I'll have to go out a little less" or "I will be living on ramen".
So now I have to decide what to do.
Be reasonable and responsible and get the more-than-adequate apt in the less-than-ideal (but still ok) location, and have a little more money to play with....
Or go for it, and live in a gorgeous dream apartment in a fantastic location, and budget tighter.
This really would be easier if I knew what my monthly paycheck would be. I know my yearly gross salary, but have no idea what my monthly pay will be. Anyone know how to guesstimate?
(ok that sounds retarded, but I mean beyond just "divide by 12". How do I estimate my tax withholding etc?)
I've decided that I want to live in the city, not the suburbs, for several reasons, not the least of which being that having to go to the hospital at 2am is bad enough- having to drive 30min each way is even worse. Also, I'm just not ready to commit to suburbia- even if downtown hartford is a shithole, and the suburbs are wealthy and beautiful.
Fortunately there's a guy at work now who trained in hartford just a few years ago, who recommended some places.
So the first place we went was his old building. It was great... 2 big highrise towers, super-secure, heat/ac included, garage parking included, a pool, a gym in the building... the apartments were big, and nice. They even had a 'penthouse' available, which has a little private balcony. And it's certainly more expensive than here, but I'll also be making more there, so I think it would be affordable- even the penthouse.
The only catch is that it's on the somewhat sketchy outskirts of town. The building is in a little park, and is very pretty- but I got the feeling that you wouldn't want to walk alone in that park. And there's nothing nearby- no cute cafes or anything. Really nothing in walking distance, and it doesn't seem like you'd want to walk in the area, anyway. But the building is really safe. And it's about a 5 min drive to work.
But if that were the only place I'd seen- I'd have taken it and been happy.
But then we decided to check out a few places, that are really out of my price range- just for the hell of it.
And I fell in love with one... in a renovated old department store, with lots of cool architectural details. The apartment is huge. Gorgeous modern kitchen. Washer and dryer IN the apt! And again, utilities and parking included. And, a kick-ass location. Lots of great restaurants, shops, parks, cafes all within a couple blocks. And still about a 5min drive to work- but really in the thick of 'the action'.
But it's way expensive. I think I could probably swing it, but it would make things tight. It's more than I should spend. I just can't tell if it's "well I'll have to go out a little less" or "I will be living on ramen".
So now I have to decide what to do.
Be reasonable and responsible and get the more-than-adequate apt in the less-than-ideal (but still ok) location, and have a little more money to play with....
Or go for it, and live in a gorgeous dream apartment in a fantastic location, and budget tighter.
This really would be easier if I knew what my monthly paycheck would be. I know my yearly gross salary, but have no idea what my monthly pay will be. Anyone know how to guesstimate?
(ok that sounds retarded, but I mean beyond just "divide by 12". How do I estimate my tax withholding etc?)
