Conversation

Gotta say, though I stan mansions that I’ll never have, modern well-appointed high-rise apartments with floor-level access control fobs, Nest, package lockers, good gym/amenities, 24/7 security, concierge... they’re pretty sweet compared to some dank old apartments I’ve lived in
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The high-rise part has unexpected positive effect even if you don’t live on a high floor with a view. The reinforced concrete frame makes noise levels lower. Especially from above. Though core variables like square footage have gone down, everything else has been tech-improved
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Software eating apartment living = generally positive all upside. Next to mansion, it’s my second-most favorite. And one within rental reach at least. Yes it’s premium mediocre stuff but actually getting steadily better, and the secondary features matter more than you might think
But damn... I’m now paying ~10x for a 1BR in downtown LA compared to what I was paying for 1/3 of a 2BR in Ann Arbor in 1997. Also making 10x more than grad stipend, but in some ways, it’s been like running in place 😂
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That first year in the US, I was so scared of spending $, I managed to live unbelievably cheaply. Shared larger of the 2 bedrooms with another student, ate out like twice in entire first semester, and managed to save almost half my entire first year stipend.
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Bought used car and a dirt-cheap 3 week backpacking trip the following summer (1998) with savings before loosening the scrooges and living in less of an acting-dead way. But still managed to live super dirt cheap life till like 2005. Then... marriage + living in big cities = $$$
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