Return to ApartmentFinder.com | Home

Most Recent Posts

Leaf Plus Heart Equals Autumn

apirulis | September 3, 2010 | Choosing a Location

  It’s finally September! I’m already daydreaming about trips to the apple orchards up in Ellijay, Georgia … and our annual trip to the corn maze and pumpkin farm. Crisp, cool mornings by a campfire with an explosion of fall color all around me. It’s my favorite time of year, and even though it is still in the mid- to upper nineties, I’m ready to break out my autumn décor and fall sweaters. In anticipation of the north Georgia mountains being painted with reds, oranges, and golds, I decided to find the most spectacular places for fall color across the country. If you’ve never spent the weekend in the mountains during autumn, try it this year. No matter what stressful situation I may find myself in the rest of the year, I can close my eyes and imagine a crisp, quiet morning … [Read more...]

Lofty Aspirations

apirulis | September 1, 2010 | Choosing a Location

In my next life, I want to live in a loft -- a real, converted industrial warehouse from the 1800s. I want exposed brick, cement floors, wooden beams, ductwork and pipes, and a long wall of large windows. I want my imaginary loft to be in the heart of a major city -- Manhattan, Chicago, or maybe even Los Angeles. I'll decorate with antiques, thrift-store finds, and junk store treasures. It'll be sleek and retro at the same time with giant prints advertising animated movies hanging on the walls, funky light fixtures handmade by local artists, and maybe a farmhouse dining table that runs the length of the "dining area." Until then, I enjoy pretend-decorating my pretend-loft. If you have the chance to rent the real thing, loft living isn't for everyone -- but for those who enjoy a funky edge … [Read more...]

If You Want to Party All the Time

apirulis | August 27, 2010 | Choosing a Location

In honor of our very own University of Georgia being ranked the number one party school in the country for 2011 by the Princeton Review, I thought I’d put together a list of the best cities for those trying to decide where to hang their party hat. Starting with the obvious choice, Atlanta has long had a reputation for great nightlife: Piedmont Park’s concert series, great nightclubs and bars, hot new bands at the Dark Horse Tavern. Buckhead is the go-to hotspot on a Saturday night, but great entertainment can be found throughout the metro area. Want to dance the night away? The lights won’t go out in this part of Georgia. Of course, keeping with the obvious – Las Vegas. Las Vegas is the essence of gambling, entertainment, and – well, all things Vegas that are supposed to “stay … [Read more...]

Getting Back-to-School Organized

apirulis | August 25, 2010 | Apartment Living

It never fails. The beginning of the new school year always catches me off-guard. From the last-second store-to-store-to-store hunt for the dregs of school supplies left on nearly-empty shelves to the crazed chaos that is involved in dragging two adamantly-opposed boys to a plethora of clothing stores trying to find a pair of jeans that actually fit, I’m exhausted. But, finally, the big day arrives … So why is it that, every year, I am amazed and overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that inevitably finds its way into my home during the first few weeks of school? School forms, clinic cards, papers to sign, informational packets, fundraiser information, volunteer forms, picture order sheets, and in the case of my kids – a euphonium case, a saxophone case, and a trumpet case. (Yes, I could … [Read more...]

My Neighborhood for a Sidewalk

apirulis | August 20, 2010 | Choosing a Location

A few days ago, I had a small miscommunication with my husband about the exact location of where to pick me up after a parade. By the time I made it to the road that led to my house (not a major road, but still a busy one), the traffic was back up to pre-parade speed. As I trudged through ankle-high grass and weeds with traffic whizzing by me on this narrow, sidewalk-less road, I began to think about the importance of neighborhood walkability. My neighborhood is missing some very important elements, namely sidewalks and bicycle lanes. As these elements are gaining in importance across the country, “pedestrian-friendly” neighborhoods are seeing an influx of newcomers. Some communities are trying to increase or gain walkability. And, some cities are doing a better job than others. Living … [Read more...]

Daydreaming Away the Dog Days

apirulis | August 18, 2010 | Choosing a Location

It’s mid-August in Atlanta, with a string of record-breaking 100-degree temperatures to show for it. As the dog days of summer drag on, I’m daydreaming of cooler places … International Falls, Minnesota … as I type, it is a refreshing 64 degrees in this quaint town on the Canadian border. International Falls sits on the shores of Rainy Lake, a large lake popular for ice fishing. Voyageurs National Park is the nation’s only lake-based national park and contains over 200,000 acres of lake and islands. During winter, this is a great place for cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing. International Falls is nicknamed the “Icebox of the Nation.”  The average temperature is a downright chilly 36 degrees.  Imagine snowshoeing through the six miles of trails in Voyageurs … [Read more...]

Life in 500 Square Feet

apirulis | August 13, 2010 | Apartment Living

When my parents chose a studio apartment near Cocoa Beach, Florida because of its amazing river views, I wondered how they would manage in such a small space. They insisted the location – riverfront, near the beach – was worth the sacrifice in square footage. It was a great little apartment, but one room shared by two people? How could they manage without tripping over each other? They not only managed, but the space was beautiful – my mom, who is very crafty and a whiz with a needle and thread – made a screen covered in fabric to separate the bedroom area from the living space. She used trunks to store out-of-season and seldom-used items, then stacked them three high and put the television on top. She used floating shelves to display her collections throughout the space. When she … [Read more...]

Gardens, Gables, Gazpacho, Ghosts…and Bells

apirulis | August 10, 2010 | Choosing a Location

It’s one of the best places to visit in Florida. Most people would guess Disney World, but that isn’t the place I’m thinking of. Yes, Disney is great – but growing up an hour from the theme parks, I spent a lot of time there: class trips to Epcot, band trips to participate in Disney parades, and of course, it is the place to take out-of-town visitors – Orlando is hands-down The Florida Tourist Hotspot. But the place I’m thinking of is a little more off the tourist-beaten-path. It’s rich with history and significant for its geography. It’s a place you can visit a hundred times and never think, "This -- again?" The one place that I never grew tired of was beautiful, historic Lake Wales. Lake Wales is literally the heart of Florida. Right in the center of the state, Lake … [Read more...]

Let Wild Horses Drag You to Saint Marys

apirulis | August 6, 2010 | Choosing a Location

One of my favorite things about camping is being able to explore the natural areas of a new place – those hidden spots that lack the brightly-colored storefronts and themed restaurants catering to tourists. There’s so much you can learn about a place just by hiking through the woods or stumbling upon a country store frequented by locals. Probably one of the most memorable camping trips we’ve taken is to Saint Marys, Georgia. This beautiful riverside town features Victorian bed-and-breakfasts, sailboats dotting the wide, crystal-blue river, seafood restaurants, ghostly legends, and yes, I’ll admit it, great shopping. We stayed at Crooked River State Park – an idyllic spot that anyone who enjoys coastal Georgia should visit. Crooked River State Park is on the National Register … [Read more...]

Find Your Place in History

apirulis | August 4, 2010 | Choosing a Location

Having a great place to take visitors is only one reason to live near a historic site or in a historic district – living near a place that draws tourists helps keep the local economy strong, it helps keep property values stable, and -- let’s face it – you get bragging rights and very cool postcards. Not all historic sites are drafty old mansions or historic villages. In fact, some can be downright bizarre. Lucy, for example, is a 75-foot-long elephant built of wood and tin. It was constructed in 1881 on the Margate waterfront in Margate, New Jersey. Pittsfield, Massachusetts contains Arrowhead, the home of Herman Melville – author of Moby Dick. The House is now a museum and a National Historic Site. Speaking of Massachusetts, the entire state is practically a historic district. … [Read more...]

« Older Posts