three days. 15 apartments. a lot of walking.
no, it’s not the ‘high concept’ of a new hollywood tour de force … just what i’ve been doing the past three days since my return to the bay area, after my 13-month southern california sojourn. now, newly employed at a major financial institution with offices in the financial district (how not ironic), i am determined to eliminate as much of the potential commute as possible, and can do so best by renting an apartment in SOMA or north beach. sadly, despite the titanic exodus of dot-commers and launch-party crashers, the rents and competition for decent apartments are still more than i’d like. still, the experience of walking around these neighborhoods (as well as ‘lower’ nob hill’) has been a new and unique one for me. for far too much of my experience, the City (as we call it here) is viewed through the fogged-up (or artistically sandblasted) windows of chic nightclubs, bars, or restaurants. … in this case, though, it has been a far more visceral experience; one where more subtle quirks of the city can be observed and appreciated: quiet alleys and driveways, hidden nooks of lush green hidden behind doors, gates, and buildings… once-intimidating neighborhoods exhibit their softer side, and the city’s depth, complexity, and appeal grows with it.
still, it is not a lot of fun shuttling from studio to overpriced studio. mehopes that within the next two weeks i will find the rental unit that meets the ideal compromise among location, price, amenities, and charm. thus far, my imagined apartment has not revealed itself.
so time marches on, days grow short, and memories lengthen.
