kungfufelon's Profile

I know this thread is a year old, but my partner and I just went through the process in DC (the third time in the last year) and would like to share our experiences. (Besides, after getting a wee bit desperate we stumbled into this thread and found it helpful.)

- Don't hesitate to post an ad on the "Housing wanted" section on CL. My partner posted an ad the day after we moved to DC on a whim (with no plans beyond staying in a hotel on our first night) and got a response in the first 20 minutes for a basement apartment in Takoma Park. Our roommate was really chilled out and despite the place being a 15 minute walk to metro, it was only $400 a month for both of us, which definitely made the transition to the city much easier.

- Our second apartment was through CL as well. It is located in Glover Park (north of Georgetown), in a basement. The ad couldn't look any shadier (no pics, little details) but we took the chance and found out it's legit. Since it was a landlord-ran process (and the neighborhood has a lot of these landlord-owned and operated units), we were able to interact directly with him and answer any questions he had of our credit history, employment, etc. Don't be afraid if the area isn't Metro accessible: Glover Park is 15 minutes by bus to Dupont Circle, but that makes it more affordable compared to the areas east of Rock Creek. An added perk is that GP is one of the safest areas of DC, there are a ton of great restaurants, bars, grocery stores and shops in the area and Georgetown is a 15 minute (downhill) walk away.

- Our most recent search was for Capitol Hill. The search there is definitely more competitive, more stressful and the units more expensive. We still used CL and actually got some success in finding and seeing places that way. Somebody here mentioned looking at property management agencies for rental openings and we decided to try. These agencies have TONS of affordable units they don't advertise, but still competitive (and agents don't care if you're charming). We looked at the units through Yarmouth, Chatel and Willoughby (all highly recommended agencies, but Willoughby's app process is a pain) but still ended up using CL to get our place. In the end, we landed a sunny and roomy studio basement after two weeks of searching with all utilities included, 10 minute walk to Metro, a private outdoor patio and access to the rooftop with views of the Capitol. The owner-manager of the building took in applicants on a first come first served basis and a security deposit locked in our claim to the unit even before the app process started (I know that sounds shady, but it wasn't in this case). It's a little above our budget, but when searching for apartments, set your max price a little bit more to see units that would have otherwise been excluded but may actually be significantly better and cheaper with all costs considered (i.e. utilities). Also, April/May tend to be the busiest month in terms of renting, so there are a lot of great places available but also a lot of people looking to rent. Finally, PadMapper and LiveLovely definitely made the search easier by mapping units and filtering out scams.

"Combining African workmanship with Italian design"...if I didn't read the whole post I would have assumed AT is now openly advocating for goods made with cheap labor in the third world.

I think DWR is part of the problem, but isn't the problem. Modernist design's goal of integrating quality with mass production was forgotten when these same designs were sold as museum pieces and status symbols. Modernism wasn't just about "good design," it's also how that design will improve life for all (as utopian and idealistic as that sounds). More than any other store, Ikea's commitment to bringing design to large-scale production (with increasing quality) probably epitomizes what modern design is about. DWR is insignificant other than in reaffirming the (age-old, not so modern) idea that design is only available to those who can pay, and quality is not found in mass production. If it lives or dies makes no discernible difference.

I don't care about most non-dish things getting washed in a dishwasher, but Astur, toilet brush? I'm sorry, but pee stains and smells have to remain a bathroom issue, regardless of how "sanitized" your dishwasher is. And no, I'm sure your toilet is not that clean.

Oh ladymantle, then it would be from HAWAII, where he WAS BORN. You were almost right...

But...bottle tops and barbie legs? A few years from now the Obama girls will need that public option to pay for their psychiatrist.

I tried to vote, but voing is done. I'm sad.

Djluckyonline - If the primary standard for giving a positive vote is if we as individuals see our subjective realities and moods fit in a room, then crap, all of us would be submitting pictures and not merely voicing opinions. I agree that a home is one's "sanctuary," but that doesn't presume "plugging out" or "re-balancing." Sanctuary could mean a place to have your creative juices zapped into over drive, or a place to have your crazy imaginations run free.

The primary standard for a positive vote is "successful realization of one's notion of 'sanctuary' with the use of color." ("Edited and thoughtful" can be considered "successful," but not standards--what is edited and thoughtful to you may be cluttered and accidental to me.) This standard still requires us to use our subjective faculties to judge (to determine what is "successful" to us), but also forces us to realize our determinations beyond our personal subjectivity (ultimately, the room is of another person's, not ours). Ultimately, we are not lowering our "standards," but being conscious of the fact that our "standards" are to be applied to a reality different from ours.

As for good design, see http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20090318/a-good-argument

"With all the stuff he has to deal with, why does O stir up yet more controversy with this choice?" With all the stuff this man has to deal with, why can't people stop making controversy out of everything he does? Really, if "Black like me no. 2" doesn't go with your pink chair, it doesn't mean the guy's a socialist.

"You pick cotton. You Choose artwork." Progress!! (I know what you meant bepsf, it just made me giggle...)

I think the WH should get some cute Etsy prints to appease the AT community. "Buffalo Chase, with accidents" almost qualifies...

Wow. I want PCP too...

I can't believe somebody actually has the balls to sell these for $7.00. They are the scratchiest of fabrics sewn together and a drawstring applied on top. The military gives these out like plastic grocery bags.

Another one for a better angle. The original picture shows a bit of the great surroundings (no, not the ugly car and cement driveway, sillies), and it would be a wonder seeing this in that green-yellow field of flowers.