Man, oh man, do I need to get out of my place. New environment needed, soon.
While I’d like to buy in the neighborhood, current prices are scary. So, I’ve recently (today) started sniffin’ out high rise leases. Maybe a one year lease while I watch the local market.
There’s obvious upside over my current situation: modern living, as in dishwasher, working kitchen, security, guaranteed parking etc.
Everything I’m considering is new construction.
There’s also the obvious consideration of whether rent payments v. home equity payments is a decent trade off.
But what I’d really like to know is, what’s it like to live in a high rise? It’s a relatively new situation in Houston. I just don’t know anybody well who has done it.
I’m guessing you mean a very tall apartment building, yes? I once lived on the 11th floor of an 18 floor building, and it was pretty much the same as every other apartment building I’d lived in. The major exception was the elevator… it’s a pain in the butt to bring in groceries if it’s going to take you more than one trip, and if there’s no freight elevator, it’s even worse. Yes, you can feel a very tall building sway VERY SLGHTLY in a very strong wind, but I never experienced anything as drastic as pictures on the wall moving or anything. I’d even go so far as to say the few times I felt it sway could very well have been my imagination, it was that slight.
The security was nice, but nothing I thought was out of the ordinary. You phoned from the lobby to get buzzed in, and there was a closed circuit TV so you could see the lobby on one channel on your TV.
Well, in college, I lived on the 24th floor of a 25 floor building that overlooked the beatific vista that is South Philadelphia. The first few weeks were weird, because the building does sway a little…though you get used to it to the point where it is not even noticeable.
Though, I must confess, that once I got stuck in the elevator on the 22nd floor. It took about 30 minutes to get me out…and was a general pain. And I was alone, too. Let me tell you, sex in an elevator is not nearly as erotic as they make it out to be in Penthouse when you’re by yourself.
You post this question just after I’ve finished reading the novel High-Rise by J. G. Ballard, in which residents of a massive building of 1000 apartments descend into primal savagery, killing each other, looting, & roasting pets for food. If you read this & still want to move into a high-rise, you’ve got what it takes.
I lived in a well managed high rise. I found the walls to be a bit thin, but there wasn’t any party people on my floor. I always liked the view. I never heard any street noise either, so that was a plus. Taking the trash out was just a few steps to the shoot. Bringing in groceries was a bit of a hassle, but I never bought more than a couple bags at a time. Some people had their own grocery carts (light-weight, 2-wheelers) that they used to carry their groceries. One negative, when they were working on the building it was a bit noisy, they can tap on the steel on the first floor and you can hear it on the 12th. All in all it was a good experience though, I would do it again.
I’d never thought about it before, Ringo, but the highest living quarters I’ve ever experienced was a in split foyer house. Even then the back of the house was at ground level. My college dorm building was 4 stories high, but I lived on the ground floor. I’m not much for apartment living in general, but it “floored” me to realize that, except for hotel stays, I’ve never lived more than 11 feet above groung level!
Damn you, Eonwe, you’ve spotted the biggest hole in that plan!
Really, though, while I enjoy knowing Katy (who does seem to, inexplicably, like me), I’ve always perceived that relationship as transitory. So it’s not a factor for me.
Thanks for y’all’s input. I’ve never lived in a big apartment complex, but they seem to market this as a little bit different from that.
I used to live on the 32nd floor of a high rise on Chicago’s lake front. It was fantastic. Great views and totally convenient to everything. If it was too snowy/hot/rainy to run errands I could always go to the dry cleaners, grocery store, restaurant, hair/nail salon, video store, etc. (ad nauseaum) in my lobby. If you prefer apartment living, this is nirvana.