Main Minuses of Living in an Apartment

Life in an apartment might seem easy for those who have always lived in a house. Chores like fixing appliances, mowing the lawn and shoveling a driveway during winter might not bother the residents of an apartment. But these things are much more enjoyable to those who face never ending conflicts and issues hidden inside a multiple apartment building. Living in a two bedroom apartment with a family of six can get crowded enough, without other aspects that anyone can face residing in an apartment. Apartment such as the one our family lived in for four years. Although living in an apartment on 711 Third Street had its many perks, I would never go back living there, after experiencing life in a new house which rid me of much interference with neighbors, laundry inconveniences and parking problems.

While living in an apartment the most annoying aspect that differ it from living in a house, would be the continuous reminders of many neighbors. Our neighbor that at the time lived in an apartment next to us, every possible Saturday would clean his car. No one would be bothered with a neighbor trying to keep his belongings tidy, but the way he did it was completely unacceptable. At six am in the morning, he would drag a vacuum cleaner down the stairs making an apartment building shake a little. After, he opened all the doors in his car, turned on some patriotic music, turn up the volume on the loudest and start vacuuming the carpets. So on Saturday mornings the plan on sleeping in was usually unsuccessful. While living in a house at 102 Benoit drive, a Saturday morning would be a pleasant and quiet start to a productive day. The only thing that could wake me up would be a soft smell of hazelnut coffee seeping through under my door. While in an apartment, a cigarette smoke would constantly bother me. Since our landlord prohibited the residents from smoking inside, my neighbors from downstairs would smoke right outside their door. Therefore, all the smoke went straight up, through my broken window and into my room. If only that was the only thing about the neighbors from downstairs. They loved to have company over and there would be constant partying. All the noise would be so loud, that studying at home was not possible. Whereas in our new house, I can study at any time, in any room in a house without distractions of loud partying or smells from beyond.

Another thing that was most uncomfortable about residing in an apartment would be Laundry. It was located in the basement of our apartment building. With a full laundry basket, to save a trip and walking as fast as possible to avoid the cold in winter, balancing in my slippers on wet stairs was the thing that amazed me. Most the time the trip was successful and with no injuries. Yet in a house I could take my clothes and run down 10 carpet stairs without endangering my life. Because I didn’t have to conquer two flights of stairs making another trip didn’t bother me. Nevertheless in the apartment I also had to always have 5 quarters with me, because all the residents got charged for laundry usage. While in the house, the change from pockets would lay around unused on top of the machines, and I don’t have to worry about breaking money to have all the quarters. Anyone would thing if residents got charged for the laundry they would have at least a little bit respect for their clothes. Not in this case. While doing my laundry sometimes I got carried away with cleaning or cooking, I forget that I have clothes in the laundry. When I remembered about them, I had to run down the stairs because sometimes it would be too late. I come and have my wet clothes on the top of the drying machine or worst case in the dirty floor. Or even worse, someone being so nice put my clothes in the drier and in the result I receive three sizes smaller pants and shirts that look like they belong to a child. Instead in the house laundry, there are no one that could mess up someone’s laundry and if I ever forgot about my clothes washing. The washing and drying machines, when the cycle is done, beep loud enough to hear anywhere in the house and let me know that cycle is done and clothes are ready.

Parking would also be one of the issues for residing people in the apartment at Third Street. For all four blocks of apartments we have got a driveway of space for only two cars. So if anyone would be lucky to park there, that would be followed by complaints or parked in car. So then when in a rush I would get to my car, find out that my car is parked in by someone else, in despair trying to figure out as fast as possible whose car that. By the time you find out, knock on the door of the car owner have to wait for him or her to find their keys and slowly approach the car and free the blocked car. By that time usually anyone would be about 15 minutes late. However in the house we have two garages and driveway that could fit four cars. And there are never conflicts with neighbors or someone blocking my car. Most the time to avoid blocking in problems at the apartment I would park my car on the street. It was not so convenient either because there are odd and even day’s sides to park. And if I parked on the wrong side Right then and there I would get a ticket. Every time I approached my house I would end up making a U-turn because I could not park on that side of street that day. While in our house now, even if unlike situation would happen to park on the street, I would never get a ticket because there are no odd or even sides to our street to park and it would be very hard to get a ticket.

Even if I have to mow the lawn or shovel the driveway or take twice as much time to clean my house at 102 Benoit drive, I would do it with a smile on my face. Because these chores are much more enjoyable than the continuous collisions with neighbors and inconvenient aspects I had to face in the apartment at 711 third St.