1942 SE Ladd

Here it is: My dream apartment at 1942 SE Ladd.
Here's what the FOR RENT sign says:

One bedroom unit at 1942 SE Ladd (facing street to your right), totally restored with french doors, hardwood floors, period details, tile bath, natural fir cabinets in kitchen, new plumbing and wiring, gas range and heat, laundry facilities, bicycle storage, big courtyard, and this great location. Non smoking, pets with approval only. $995 per month, $1250 security. Month to month rental.

I've been watching this place since I moved to the neighborhood in early 2000, back when it was $550/mo. I think they remodeled it in 2007 or 2008 or so. If I lived there, I'd have those french doors open all summer long and have dinner parties with interesting people that drink pernod and fernet branca. I would sit in on Anthropology classes at Reed and go to strip clubs "ironically" instead of normally. I would smoke filterless Nat Sherman Lights and drive a Karmann Ghia. I would take up unicycling and vacation in places that have a swim-up bar and always vote for whomever was running under the Pacific Green Party. My girlfriend would have one of those names that sound like a normal name but is spelled funny, like Malyssa or Gessyka or Dyan. I would care about things--like Muscular Dystrophy or Ovarian Cancer--or at least pretend to. I would make my own shampoo out of comfrey leaves and rosemary. Yup, I'd be a real catch, I would.
You can call them at 503.239.5363

Dogs in Snow

Only at the Ardea.
Whatevs.
Totally not my demographic.
UPDATE: Whoever writes the ads for the Ardea is a total douche nozzle.
For example:
"NEED A MAN CAVE?"
"NUT NUT NUTTIN"
Oh my god. They keep posting more as I'm writing this blog post. I'm going to be up all night LOLing.
Here's a link to all of them.
I was kind of in a bad mood until I found this, so thanks, Ardea. Now whenever I'm feeling blue, I'll just think of you and keep Nut, Nut, Nuttin' along.

Cedarhusrt Village

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Although I drive by this place almost every day, I know very little about it. I know it's kind of new--maybe built around 2004 or something (portlandmaps.com won't tell me). I want to say that it was meant to be condos originally, but I have nothing to back up that assertion. At any rate, it's always given me a bad feeling for some reason. Their ad on craigslist doesn't help:

Please read the screening process and criteria requirements:

Move in costs are one half of the first month rent and last months rent plus $350 security deposit. $382.50 + $765 + $350 = $1,460.00 on move-in day. This is a 12 month lease.

The application fee for our 3rd party screening company is $35.00. The screening includes Rental reference, criminal history, and credit. Any bankruptcies or previous evictions would be considered a denial.

Also, your income must meet 3x's the monthly rent of the apartment. In this case your gross verifiable income must be $2,300 per month.

Like I said, I have no reason to dislike this place. Just something about it rubs me the wrong way. I don't think I'd rent an apartment from them. Of course, maybe they're awesome.

A very rare dog-friendly studio in SE

These are just so rare I just had to post it. Here's the craigslist ad. Don't ask me what that's a picture of. When I first saw it I thought it was overhead view of a bathroom I once saw in Morocco. I'm not sure if you garden, but when I read "Vegetable planting beds have quality soil and are ready to go for spring" I kinda wished I were a twentysomething with a golden retriever and a green thumb. Or maybe an asexual 40ish woman with a French bulldog and an unhealthy obsession with adding fresh okra to everything I cook. Okay, maybe not the latter.

Woot! Reader Question!

Martin. Avid reader of your site, even when not looking for a new place to live. I need help and a prayer- esp. considering what I am looking for. I have a yellow lab, looking for a 700+ sq. foot place (apt or house), close-in, and hopefully not over 900 a month....

Mission impossible? Yeah... I was afraid of that. But I was hoping that you may be able to help? I would forever be in your debt.

Hey Gerry:
If you're alright with the SE 40th and Powell, my Creston Villa Apts complex sometimes has 750 sq ft 2bds for $775-$825. I'm currently full, but I'm sure i'll have one in the next few months. APM has such a huge chunk of affordable 2bds in the close-in area, but they don't accept dogs.
What about this craigslist ad? I can't find them on the google though for some reason.
Or this downstairs part of a house on Mississippi?
Or this one on 61st? Too far?

A couple years ago when I started this blog I found most of the content just by taking my newborn son on walks around the neighborhood and seeing all the "for rent" signs. Our "territory" back then was bordered by Burnside and Division to the north and south, and 35th and 11th to the east and west. I always thought it was pretty amazing how most of the smaller complexes, plexes, and houses would rely solely on a sign. Maybe this weekend would be a good time to take the dog on an extended walk? Supposed to be 63 and sunny on Saturday.

In the mean time, I'll keep an eye out for dog-friendly places. You'll have to let me know if you absolutely want hardwood floors, because that might be the deal-breaker as far as "close-in" is concerned. Thanks for reading!

Creston Villa #12

Weird apartment coming up:

It's the only 2-bedroom townhome I have at Creston Villa, and it should be ready around the 21st or 22nd of December. I personally prefer the flats to this townhome, but with this one at least you don't have any upstairs or downstairs neighbors. And I guess it's slightly bigger than the flats, but just barely. $795/mo includes water, sewer, garbage. Rent this apartment from me and you can have the rest of December for free. And, um, I don't know. How about a $50 New Seasons gift card? 503.771.4040

Hawthorne Court

I see Kathy has her sign out again, which is always rare at Hawthorne Court. This is one of the few dog-friendly buildings in the neighborhood. At least, I'm pretty sure dogs are allowed since I see people with dogs coming in and out of there all the time. I'm not sure how much her apartments are going for these days but if her one-bedrooms are less than $800 then I'd tell you it was a pretty good deal. 503.233.8865

The 20

Live the 20! You can get a 2bd for about $1400 or so. They have a fancy garage that stacks your car somewhere like in the future. I was fixing a faucet yesterday, and my tenant's Mom or Aunt or someone like that lives there and has supposedly been very late to work a few times because of said futuristic garage. Also, I saw a youtube video (can't seem to find it right now) in which someone touts the garage as "sustainable." Does that word even mean anything anymore? It seems to me that unless it runs on solar power and grows fresh ripe plum tuhmaters, then "sustainable" is just a fake marketing term. So, other than the crazy garage, it looks like a really pretty place.

Creston Villa #6

Hey, I don't have a video for it yet, but it looks a lot like this one:

I'm even offering a $75 gift card to New Seasons if you move in before the 1st. If it were me, I'd spend it all on this. I gotta say, Creston Villa is getting more and more awesome. I would've avoided that place three years ago, but nowadays it's the bee's knees. Or many bees' knees. Call me and rent it! 503.771.4040

Creston Villa #30

Although this video is of #5, it looks exactly like #30. I'll have a video of #30 after I get it finished--which might be a little while. The girls that just moved out were YOUNG, 19 and 21. They were also artists. Or at least I'm assuming they were artists based on the amount of stray spray paint all over the walls, doors, deck, ceiling, etc.
Young girls and property management--like young girls and everything else--are kind of a mixed blessing. It's nice having them bake you cookies and pretend-flirt with you, but sooner or later they're going to move out and you'll have to scrape their glow-in-the-dark stars off the ceiling.
$785/mo on a 9-mo lease includes water, sewer, garbage.

2133 NE Halsey

Palisades Properties has an interesting 1960s 2bd with hardwoods in a nice neighborhood for $995. It's dog-friendly even. However, I'm noticing this new trend where you're actually paying a monthly rental fee for your pet. In this case, it's $25/month. I'm not really big on animals that you can't eat ("Is that a pet bunny or a food bunny?" my Mom was fond of saying), so maybe this isn't a big deal to pet owners. But I'd be pretty crestfallen knowing that my dog was costing me $25 per month. But whatevs. I think my cat saw me writing that line about eating animals and is now hiding under the filing cabinet.
Link to picture of property on google maps.

Ladd's Addition Apartments

Just noticed that these guys have a one-bedroom available, according to the sign out front. You'll remember them from last month.

Laurel Ash Apartments

UPDATE: Rented already.
Hey, I just ran into Kathy; she manages the Hawthorne Court and the Laurel Ash Apartments. She told me that she has a studio at the Laurel Ash coming up that is currently unadvertised. It's carpeted (ick) but it's huge (unick). Built in 1916, the Laurel Ash is an 8-plex on a dead-end street so it seems pretty quiet. The only downside that I can see from living in an 8-plex is the inevitable crazy cat lady that's lived there since probably 1981. And how you have to avoid her because she always wants to show you her commemorative plate collection. It happens.
Anyway, Kathy described the apartment as "funky," which is either awesome or seriously problematic. But for $530/month, you could do a lot worse. 503-233-8865.
As an aside, I think it's funny that Kathy has heard of this blog. Although, since she's not of my generation, she described it as a "log." Close enough.

1011 SE 21st

I saw the ad on craigslist today and I couldn't resist walking over there and checking this place out. This 1927 four-plex is being advertised as eco-friendly, including that PGE 100% wind power (although the ad doesn't specify if you have to pay the electric bill). I ran into one of the current tenants, and she seems to like it. Apparently, this building recently changed hands and the new owner is doing a lot of remodeling, including building decks on the backs of the apartments. I'd kill for a deck in this neighborhood.
Then again, $980/mo is a lot of money. If that includes all utilities, I'd say okay. But I'm just saying that because of the deck. I could actually have friends over--even the smoking ones. Sorry, no phone number. You'll have to check out that craigslist ad, in which he describes the parking situation as "safe."

Ladd's Addition Apartments

I was in the process of writing this post about how the Ladd's Addition Apartments had a studio available for $595, but I just called them and it's been rented already. Man, stuff goes quickly in this neighborhood.

Ladd's Addition Apartments

If you haven't heard about the incident last week at the Ladd's Addition Apartments yet, then I'll briefly fill you in (as I understand it): Some idiot that lives there decided it would be a good idea to microwave some mercury and caused a chemical fire. Said chemical fire caused a total evacuation of the building and now all of the other residents' possessions have to be destroyed by hazmat. In true Portland style, his excuse was that he was trying to build a fuel cell that would run cars on pure lavender oil. Or something like that.
I heard through a trusted friend of a relatively-reliable friend that some of the tenants are trying to sue either the building owner or the management company, but this is a lawsuit that they will lose. It is situations like this that are the reason you need renter's insurance. I pay a total of $10.58/mo for my renter's insurance, so there's no excuse not to have it.
Chances are that your building will never catch fire, but if it does, the apartment building is NOT liable for your stuff. Or your living situation. It sucks, but that's the way it is.
On the plus side, The Ladd's Addition Apartments are really cool, and I'm pretty sure some people are going to be moving out soon. Those hazmat guys can really clean stuff up, so I'm sure the place is okay.