No Freezer, Cute Town, and Will the Baby Fit in That Closet?

Last night we visited three apartments in a charming town called Grass Valley, in the Sierra Nevada foothills. We were told that snow actually falls in the area—a definite plus—and the downtown is perfectly lovely, with streets full of small shops and restaurants. We liked all three apartments, but only one turned out to be a truly viable option. The first was a cute townhouse with a fireplace and a perfect place for my office, but it was too far from the downtown—only a shopping plaza was in sort-of walking distance—not exactly a place I'll enjoy strolling with a baby. The second was great—a restored Victorian with pretty stained-glass windows and a brand-new kitchen. The third was a restored Victorian as well, but with a strange quirk in the new-ish kitchen: a refrigerator without a freezer. When I noticed it, I said to the realtor, “No freezer?” “Oh, you noticed,” he replied. “I was going to bring that up.” He pointed out a large freezer in the garage that he said we could bring into the kitchen if we wanted. That seems a bit…haphazard. And so one option it is.

The only real problem with Grass Valley is that it’s a 45-minute commute for Andrew, about 15-20 minutes longer than he has now. Not impossible, but not ideal. So we’ll just take our time and keep looking. Next up: Auburn. Much closer to Andrew’s work…but is it charming? Andrew’s headed out there tonight to do some reconnaissance and see a place. The search continues.

One thing about apartment-hunting in NorCal: you get a lot of bang for your buck. All three places yesterday were full single-family homes with 2 bedrooms, garages, porches, and backyards for about what I paid for my one-bedroom in NYC. As I’ve said before, I can complain about a lot of things, and do, but ICCA the low cost of living.

This is a funny apartment search. Usually I’m focused on where I’ll put my desk. Now I’m equally focused on where we’ll put a baby.