DavidPuddy666 t1_j5ky1nq wrote on January 23, 2023 at 7:14 PM

With a budget like yours, you could either do a studio in some of the fanciest high rise buildings around such as 70 Columbus, or get yourself a nice 2BR apartment with a backyard in an historic brownstone in Van Vorst Park. I’d personally opt for the brownstone.

OpinionJuice OP t1_j5kz77n wrote on January 23, 2023 at 7:21 PM

I appreciate this! I was considering the larger complexes simply because I have more anecdotal reviews of them and don't trust myself to find a good apartment without some word from others (I'm a little dumb, and certainly naive when it comes to renting).

Is there a generally accepted way on how to find and vet these apartments?

moobycow t1_j5m4s5o wrote on January 23, 2023 at 11:48 PM

A couple of things to keep in mind, if you have a car, the decks at the complexes can be pricey, but having spot to park is nice. If you're going to do a brownstone, check out the noise level. Depending on the building you may hear every damn thing that happens upstairs or nextdoor.

I lived at Grove Point for a bit a while back, and it was great. If it made any financial sense at all I'd rather sell my row house move back into one of those buildings.

Best of luck.

DavidPuddy666 t1_j5kzxx3 wrote on January 23, 2023 at 7:26 PM

If you want to go the smaller building route and aren’t confident to DIY, the surest way to do such a thing would be to go through a broker. A rental broker will find listings on the MLS that meet your criteria, arrange showings, help you evaluate the units, and sometimes can even negotiate a slightly better deal for you. A broker generally charges the equivalent of one-month’s rent, but if you have a good broker they’ll try to negotiate that the landlord pays their fee instead of you.