Apartment Hunting

Do you have any long-term plans? Any daydreams you’ve been thinking about for a while? I bet you do. I do too.

My dream goes back half my life. I want an apartment in my favorite city of New Orleans. I began looking at places there before my kids were born. And since they are about to vacate the nest, I’ve started looking once again. 

I’m just back from a whirlwind apartment hunting trip where I looked at four properties in the French Quarter. I adore the architecture in New Orleans: the shutters, the brick, the balconies. Over the centuries, many grand old mansions have been converted to condos, chopped up into multiple bite-sized dwellings. Apartment hunting in the French Quarter is fun. You never know what you’re going to find when your realtor unlocks the door. The places are unique, quirky, and never to code. There, apartments have more than charm; they have personality. 

Not surprisingly, I loved all four units. Each one had something to offer. The first one had a bedroom (which is not always the case in my price range), two closets, a private courtyard, and a pool!

The second had 12’ ceilings, gorgeous terrazzo floors that looked like pink spumoni, a cool Murphy bed, and a tall (working) window with shutters.

The third was a two-story end unit with a spiral staircase, two fireplaces, two balconies, privacy, and views. That apartment may also come with a small dog because I saw one running around the yard. I would love to take our community dog on walks and invite him in to watch TV with me on the couch.

The fourth place had beautiful French doors and a friendly neighbor.

But alas, I did not make an offer. Two of the homes had technically already been sold. Another had a lot of damage and an offer on the table. And the last one didn’t have a view. I’ve come to realize that, as a daydreamer, I must have a view. 

I have also come to another conclusion: real estate must be seen in person. Shopping online is great but limiting. Pictures, even virtual tours, can’t convey the way a place feels. You don’t properly understand the setting until you’re standing on the street and in the apartment. You’ll want to meet the neighbors and feel the energy. These places are old, and some of the condos are in the former slave quarters. Energy is a factor, and it can’t be transmitted in a photo. You also can’t see any damage or other potential red flags. Listing agents don’t upload those kinds of images. In fact, many agents play tricks with their lenses and filters. I expected the units to look smaller and dingier in person. Three of the four places did. But I can see past the wear and tear. As a daydreamer, I’m good at seeing the potential.

While this trip may not have ended in an offer, it was nonetheless productive. In some ways, what I want is becoming clearer. In other ways, it’s becoming muddier. My realtor suggested I check out the neighborhood across the river from the French Quarter: Algiers. She told me Algiers is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans and that my money would go further there. So I went, and I was pleasantly surprised. I loved it. It has the architecture I’m looking for, but it’s quiet and feels more like a neighborhood. It sits along the Mississippi River and is just a 5-minute ferry ride (departing every 15 minutes) to all the action in the Quarter. Commuting across the mighty Mississippi almost adds to its appeal. How romantic! 

In conclusion, there’s no conclusion. Not yet. The dream continues. Following this trip, my head is up in the clouds and spinning. The funny thing is: I think I like it there.