So for the first time since the summer I now have a permanent place to hang my hat. As a bonus, my rent is cheaper than it was in Ottawa and I get to wake up to this view:
Of course this all comes at a price.
I have to share the apartment with two other people. Not just any people, but strangers I met off of craigslist. This is moderately terrifying as I've never done the move-in-with strangers-thing before. The live-with-a-close-friend-thing and the-live-with-your-boyfriend things went pretty well, but needless to say it's a pretty big risk.
The thing is, they seem kind of...innocent. Which is good, in a way. They'll keep me out of trouble. I do wonder how they'll react when they find out where I'm going this weekend, though.
Oh and I also live in the most densely populated neighborhood in the country. Yes, lovely St. Jamestown with over 25,000 people in a square mile. Some people call it an urban planning nightmare. I'm going to be calling it home. Still, I have to admit, the collection of 30+ story buildings is more than a little Orwellian.
People warned me about living here. They said it was unsafe, and so forth. But those of you who've known me a long time know that this is far from my first time living in sketchy surroundings. Hell, based on what I've seen so far it's not even that bad. And budget living in Toronto requires sacrifices.
Of course it's not perfect. The elevator is essentially an unfunny clown car, where you have to squish your way in if you have any hope of getting anywhere. And just when you think it's completely full, someone new will squeeze their way on at the next stop. While moving one woman informed me that if I waited for an elevator with room to breathe I'd be waiting all day.
But I'm reserving judgment for now. It remains to be seen whether this neighbourhood is as bad as it's made out to be. My craigslist buddies don't seem to scared so I'm cautiously optimistic. The location is good, the rent is great, the view is unbeatable and I have a kitchen sink. Let it never be said that I lack optimism!
So I was supposed to move in with a friend February 1st. He wasn't getting along with his roommate and I hate my place, so we were looking for a place. Last night he decides to tell me that it ain't gonna happen. Not only that, he KNEW it wasn't going to happen all last week, but said he was waiting until he had me alone on the phone to tell me.
I talked to him at least four times last week. The real story: he's a prick and a coward and procrastinated on telling me as long as he could. Clearly he made up with the roommate and decided to screw me over to make his life easier. Now I've already given my notice here and I've lost a valuable week of hunting time. Aint (ex-)friendship grand?
That's right, he's cut out. In fact, cutting people out has become something of a hobby of mine lately. As I've realized that most of my friends here suck, it's been highly therapeutic to shed myself of these hollow entanglements. When I told a (real) friend about this cutting out business, he said "that's a very Toronto thing to do." Maybe I'm getting the hang of this city after all!
Anyways today I looked at one apartment. It's $80 more expensive than the one I have now, is about the same size, but has a kitchen sink and a balcony. No thanks. On the plus side the Annex is a very pleasant area and I had a chance to come across the most ostentatious bargain store in all of creation! Take a look at that thing! Makes you wonder how they can afford to power it with those low, low prices. This place ranks right up there with Zanzibar on Yonge Street.
