Weighing what is Important in a Place to Live

So, I am moving out of my apartment. A few too many cockroach encounters (including an incident involving me blow drying my hair, accidentally blowing a hiding cockroach off of the door jam and onto my body and a fateful choice between turning on the sink to wash it away or becoming electrocuted by my hair dryer) has led me to decide to pursue other accommodations. The cheap price of my current apartment convinced me that the dingy bathroom and strange kitchen were survivable. Now, my roach friends and mysterious pink dust puffs all over the apartment have me reconsidering.

Problem: I have bought appliances. I have a bed. So now in my search, there is this strange tension between getting a furnished and unfurnished place. If I get a furnished place, I bought the appliances for nothing- though I can bring my bed. If I get an unfurnished place, I have to buy MORE furniture.

I have a few choices. One is a beautiful two bedroom, close to the water. Has an office, is quiet, very clean. Unfurnished. I could bring my appliances- they wouldn’t go to waste- but the problem is the place is HUGE and doesn’t have closets. Not only would I need a couch, table, lamps, kitchen ware, desk- I would need places to store my clothes. It is so nice and clean- but it is also the priciest of my options- plus you have to pay into the generator in the building, when I am never even around during the day to use the electricity!

I saw another apartment today that has an unbeatable central location. It is right next to Bread Republic, my favorite spot. It is on Hamra Street- the main drag with everything. Across the street from a nice hotel- also a bonus is that the area is developed- no construction jackhammers torturing me. However, the bedroom is positioned right on the street. When I was looking at it I was too happy about the location to think of listening to the street noise level. That street is always hopping. May not be so conducive to studying. However, the place has two bedrooms (though they are basically connected) so it would be nice for when people come to visit! This is the cheapest of the options, probably because it is a little worn down and has no generator.

The third option I have not yet seen. It is close to the first, not in a commercial area, and is furnished. A small looking one bedroom, but it looks clean and livable. I’m going to look at it tomorrow. My only concern with it is that it looks so tight for space that when people come to visit it wouldn’t be very useful. And I think I am hesitant because the first place is so nice I would be willing to not live in a commercial area as a tradeoff. This one isn’t as nice and spacious, so I don’t know if I want to make that trade off.

Central location + noise? Peace, quiet and lovely bathroom fixtures + biting the bullet and sinking money into furniture I will only use for 20 months? Middle of the road? I always hate middle of the road. So… compromisey.

Hopefully I decide tomorrow…