BarMNinc Apartments

Cafe, wine shop, & pub. The alley behind bldg is clean, safe and quiet. I use back door to toss garbage & access Howard terminal. The bldg is old; the spacious kitchens are old, but everything works. It's also very quiet here. Friendly, polite neighbors always greet you. Two men alone maintain the owner's many bldgs, but they are always very helpful & responsive when notified no matter how busy they are. The bldg Mgr is great. She listens & cares. All very important when you rent! The three of them are great, but I think they may be restricted by a penny-wise, dollar-foolish owner. CONS--Cosmetic-I taught at a design school, so I know great decorating brings in higher rents, but real estate investors are often short-sighted. The entire bldg needs a design makeover. Landscaping is overdone; yes, you can have too many unrelated plants and flowers, with no artistic plan in mind. Stairways need fresh new brightly colored carpet or attractive vinyl tile installed for aesthetics and safety. CONS--Lighting in all common areas (inside and outside) is on a movement sensor system, and lights minimally at best. None stay on, so if you drop something, you'll have to wait until daylight to find it--an inappropriate system for safety and convenience. Also, the private sidewalk leading to the back doors is not level, not a good situation when combined with darkness. I tell guests they must look down as they walk and never walk quickly. Despite all I've mentioned, this is a good building to live in for a safe and simple life. If I make big money again (please God, yes) my heart would take me back to the Gold Coast where I could once again bask in perfection.