“What Renters Want” With Jessica Fiur

There’s an episode of Friends where Ross and Rachel are making lists of famous people, who, in the unlikely case that they meet them, are allowed to have affairs with them and not get in trouble with their significant other. Ross even goes so far as to laminate his list. And a lot of people make their own “laminated lists.” Do you have one? Who’s on it? OK, I’ll stop being nosy. Anyway, if this “Get out of jail free” rule is available in relationships (even if it’s unlikely you’ll ever get an opportunity to use it), I think it…

I hate to say it (actually I don’t hate to say it–it gives me blog fodder), but sometimes parties for apartment residents are lame. Like grab-a-slice-of-pizza-and-a-handful-of-fun-sized-Snickers-and-run-back-to-your-own-apartment lame. But summer is coming, which provides you with the perfect opportunity to make peace with the ghosts of apartment parties past. Here are some tips to help you throw the perfect summer party for your residents. One that they’d actually come to—and enjoy. Go outside. If you have outdoor space, like a rooftop or a pool (duh), have your summer party there. Way more enjoyable than a lobby, and people will be able…

One good thing about living in an apartment is that when things go bump in the night, it’s probably just your neighbor walking around, and not a deranged killer wearing a William Shatner mask and brandishing a butcher knife. Of course, one bad thing about living in an apartment is that when things go bump in the night, it’s your neighbor walking around. Hearing your neighbors’ TV, music, arguments, whatever, is one of the worst parts of living in an apartment. Developers, take note: People would probably trade the luxury amenities in your building just for thicker walls. This is…

This weekend, I finally was able to go see The Avengers. It was just as full as explosions, witty quips and plot holes as one could have hoped for. Anyway, even if it’s not going to win any Oscars, it definitely was a lot of fun. And it’s perfect to model an apartment community after. Seriously. Here are five things you can take away from The Avengers for a more successful apartment community. Have the “You got chocolate in my peanut butter,” You got peanut butter in my chocolate” effect. The Avengers took a bunch of things that are good alone…

Recently, my husband and I took a weekend trip to wine country. While driving around trying to find a vineyard, our GPS took us to a parking lot. We were meant to drive over a bridge, but it was closed due to construction. There was a dirt road, though, behind a bank. “Let’s just take it,” I said and drove on. “Our GPS will adjust and lead us from there.” Ignoring the “private property” and “do not enter” signs, we drove on, like every cliched teenager in the first five minutes of a horror movie. At the end of the…

When it comes to student housing, it sometimes seems like students and parents want completely different things. After all, parents—who are usually the ones paying—want value for their money. They want their kids to be able to study. They don’t want their kids just going to toga parties and starting food fights and pretending to be zits. And while most students want to do well in college, they also want to be near their friends, and the bars and the parties. But, despite what their parents think, they don’t want to imitate the zany Animal House antics. In fact, most…

It is finally, finally Memorial Day weekend. Do you know what that means? It’s Fleet Week, we can all wear white again, and even though it’s not technically summer yet, it’s the official kick off of the barbecuing season! (Though white sundresses, baby-back ribs, and the possibility of cute sailors asking you for directions around Times Square is sadly never a good combination.) And, of course, vacation! From now until Labor Day, people will be using their vacation days (or if they used them all during the winter doldrums, pulling a Ferris Bueller) and going somewhere tropical, and hopefully pina…

When I was a freshman in college, after going out to the bars, you’d come home with cigarette burns on your arms and your cute halter tops smelling of cigarette smoke. Sadly I was more concerned with the smell, but that might have been the amaretto sours talking. Luckily smoking is illegal in most bars and restaurants now. But what about in apartments? Many apartments are already smoke-free. And, according to a recent article in The New York Times, “Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg introduced legislation that would require most residential buildings to adopt a smoking policy and disclose it to…

There are so many decisions you have to make during a given day. Should you invest your money in a reliable bond or a riskier stock (and should you look up what stocks and bonds are or just nod and put the end of your glasses in your mouth indicating you’re giving it serious thought)? Should you ask for that promotion at work? Is it worth it to DVR the finale of Glee even though you’re 90 percent sure you’ll be home to watch it? And what about when you’re looking for a new apartment? There are several ways to…

You know what I like about baseball? Cute men in uniform, popcorn that has more than a day’s worth of calories and watching the people who clean up the field do the “YMCA” dance during the fifth inning. That’s it. But, apparently some people actually like watching the game. Whatever—who am I to judge? It is America’s national pastime, or so I’m told. Anyway, I recently read about a “baseball-oriented development.” The D.C. area, where this stadium is located, is experiencing a renaissance, though the writer of the piece is attributing more residents to the local condos to having nowhere else…