When our lease was up at Edwards Communities Times Square, Kate and I made the decision that we were not going to go on and live there for year #3. We were ready for a change of pace, and really wanted something that felt more like a "home." We came to this conclusion after we had been on a wait list at another complex for about a month. We decided that we really need to keep our options open and not commit just yet to something that we didn't LOVE. We've all been down that path before, and if you're just not happy or excited about it, it will be a miserable year for everyone.
We were beyond lucky enough to find our condo on Canyon Creek. I suppose that I probably could have saved my money to actually PURCHASE something, but let's be honest - I like to buy shoes and buying something so big is a huge commitment for someone who isn't sure that they want to actually stay in Columbus forever. Between the two of us, we decided to rent this condo until September 2011 and re-evaluate our life plans at that time. Until September 2011, we are happy as can be with our current "home."
Last night, I took a walk to the mailbox after finishing weeding my garden and I couldn't help but smile at our adorable little neighborhood. It made me think of all the reasons why I love our condo and why I am so incredibly fortunate to live there.
10.) The peace and quiet of the surroundings. Our previous apartment, you could hear highway 270 at night, you could hear planes flying over your head, and you could hear every move your neighbors made. The only noises you hear now are the random train every now and again, the water fountain in the pond across the street and the crickets that chirp through the night. How wonderful is this?
9.) Because people actually "own" in our neighborhood, you see that owners take pride in their homes. Even though we still rent, we still treat our condo as our own in which we care what people think and how it looks. You can pull up to the street and feel proud, rather than pull up and see cardboard boxes in the windows. (Yes, this seriously happened at our last place...) People plant flowers, people have cute little chairs on their patio, and all in all are serious about keeping their place pretty.
8.) Two words: Garbage Can! I cannot even explain to you how fantastically wonderful it is to not have to walk to a dumpster/jumbo compactor every time I need to take out the trash. Even more so, a compactor that is never in working order and trash bags are left through out the parking lot because renters could not get their bags into the compactor and instead there is a mountain of trash for days lurking into the parking lot. Now, every Wednesday - we wheel our little trash can outside our garage and it is picked up. You don't know luxury until you have a trash can of your own!
7.) Don't have to deal with a rental office, ever again! We lucked out with our living arrangements and the owner. He is the most relaxing guy in the world and trusts us like no other with his condo. He is never breathing down our necks, he isn't flipping out if the check arrives one day late, and he knows that we will without a doubt take care of where we live. If we have a problem, he is quick to respond but is never breathing down our necks. The most painful part of complex living is the office and those inside. Once they get you in the door and leasing their property, they just don't care anymore. You are just a # living in their complex. It's very sad... especially when we were paying Edwards Communities ~ Times Square Apartments over $1,100/mo for noisey neighbors, moldy bathrooms, un-working dryer and the most unfriendly group of neighbors I've ever met in my life. (Sorry, I had to throw a little complaining about our past complex in their at some point!)
6.) We have a GARAGE! I have my own garage door opener. I have my own parking spot. I have ever programmed an extra garage door opener all by myself. (Who needs Bob Vila, when you have Becca Vila?) Now, when we come home late in the evening we don't have to run through a dark parking lot up 3 flights of stairs. Instead, we can pull into the garage, shut the door and feel safe. I cannot wait until Winter... for once in my life, I will not need to worry about scraping or de-icing my wind shield. Ahhhh, yahhhh! Pure heaven.
5.) Our spaces... have names! Kate and I have figured out that our rooms are filled so much with particular "themes" that they now have names. Her room is covered in Paris, France decor, along with other aspects of International Travel. We refer to her room as the "International Sleeping Port." My room has more of a domestic feel and most importantly, a Pacific Northwest feel. I collect art work (typically pictures of flowers or Mt. Rainier) from every trip I take to Seattle & Alaska - and my room is covered. My room is now to be referred to as the "Pacific Northwest Green House." Cute, huh??
4.) This condo fits our personality to a T. It is modern. It is cute. It is divided up nicely and quite frankly it is just us. We have three floors, and I will tell you that every single floor is covered with flower decor. We've named it "Flower Power" because there is just so much of it. It certainly isn't the Bachelor Pad that we originally toured back in winter! Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, IKEA, they all fit nicely with our decor. :)
3.) It's a neighborhood made for evening walks! There isn't a day that goes by that we do not see oodles of people taking walks. Whether alone, with their pups, with their children, when their loved ones, everyone is walking around and enjoying the neighborhood. One evening, we found a street which we refer to as the "Wiggly Street" which is a very curvy little street with lots of adorable little houses. It looks like a quiet little village with lots of people on their front porches, sipping on lemonade like you would find in the old days. It's very charming.
2.) Directly across from our front door, we have a huge pond in our neighborhood. Not only is there a pond, there is a large area of grass with various benches for people to stop and take a load off. There are many summer nights when the benches are filled with voices of people who have stopped to chat on an evening walk. It is honestly a joyful sound, all of the voices of the conversations going on around the sound of the water fixture in the middle of the pond. Very relaxing.
1.) Being out of the way of the busy part of Dublin and Hilliard, we are a little more isolated. More "country." With being out in the middle of no where, we've started to notice the views of nature more. By saying that, I mean that the sunsets out our living room window tend to be breath taking and make us want to stare out the window watching the pink tints change into orange, change into purple until it is dark. Once that sun has finally set, our night skies are totally clear and we can see every single star in the sky. I would be lying if I said we've never gone outside at night time just to look up at the the clear, star-filled sky!
Welcome to Canyon Creek, Friends! You're always welcome!
7.) Don't have to deal with a rental office, ever again! We lucked out with our living arrangements and the owner. He is the most relaxing guy in the world and trusts us like no other with his condo. He is never breathing down our necks, he isn't flipping out if the check arrives one day late, and he knows that we will without a doubt take care of where we live. If we have a problem, he is quick to respond but is never breathing down our necks. The most painful part of complex living is the office and those inside. Once they get you in the door and leasing their property, they just don't care anymore. You are just a # living in their complex. It's very sad... especially when we were paying Edwards Communities ~ Times Square Apartments over $1,100/mo for noisey neighbors, moldy bathrooms, un-working dryer and the most unfriendly group of neighbors I've ever met in my life. (Sorry, I had to throw a little complaining about our past complex in their at some point!)
6.) We have a GARAGE! I have my own garage door opener. I have my own parking spot. I have ever programmed an extra garage door opener all by myself. (Who needs Bob Vila, when you have Becca Vila?) Now, when we come home late in the evening we don't have to run through a dark parking lot up 3 flights of stairs. Instead, we can pull into the garage, shut the door and feel safe. I cannot wait until Winter... for once in my life, I will not need to worry about scraping or de-icing my wind shield. Ahhhh, yahhhh! Pure heaven.
5.) Our spaces... have names! Kate and I have figured out that our rooms are filled so much with particular "themes" that they now have names. Her room is covered in Paris, France decor, along with other aspects of International Travel. We refer to her room as the "International Sleeping Port." My room has more of a domestic feel and most importantly, a Pacific Northwest feel. I collect art work (typically pictures of flowers or Mt. Rainier) from every trip I take to Seattle & Alaska - and my room is covered. My room is now to be referred to as the "Pacific Northwest Green House." Cute, huh??
4.) This condo fits our personality to a T. It is modern. It is cute. It is divided up nicely and quite frankly it is just us. We have three floors, and I will tell you that every single floor is covered with flower decor. We've named it "Flower Power" because there is just so much of it. It certainly isn't the Bachelor Pad that we originally toured back in winter! Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, IKEA, they all fit nicely with our decor. :)
3.) It's a neighborhood made for evening walks! There isn't a day that goes by that we do not see oodles of people taking walks. Whether alone, with their pups, with their children, when their loved ones, everyone is walking around and enjoying the neighborhood. One evening, we found a street which we refer to as the "Wiggly Street" which is a very curvy little street with lots of adorable little houses. It looks like a quiet little village with lots of people on their front porches, sipping on lemonade like you would find in the old days. It's very charming.
2.) Directly across from our front door, we have a huge pond in our neighborhood. Not only is there a pond, there is a large area of grass with various benches for people to stop and take a load off. There are many summer nights when the benches are filled with voices of people who have stopped to chat on an evening walk. It is honestly a joyful sound, all of the voices of the conversations going on around the sound of the water fixture in the middle of the pond. Very relaxing.
1.) Being out of the way of the busy part of Dublin and Hilliard, we are a little more isolated. More "country." With being out in the middle of no where, we've started to notice the views of nature more. By saying that, I mean that the sunsets out our living room window tend to be breath taking and make us want to stare out the window watching the pink tints change into orange, change into purple until it is dark. Once that sun has finally set, our night skies are totally clear and we can see every single star in the sky. I would be lying if I said we've never gone outside at night time just to look up at the the clear, star-filled sky!
Welcome to Canyon Creek, Friends! You're always welcome!
