10 Things to Know About Living in Dallas

Nicknamed “The Big D,” Dallas is the largest inland metropolitan area in the U.S. It’s also among the most diverse with a large-scale downtown area and laid-back living in the surrounding suburban neighborhoods.

Whether you enjoy finding new restaurant hot spots, going out to swanky bars or exploring the city’s culture, living in Dallas lends itself to an array of adventure. Here are the top 10 things to know about living in this big, beautiful city.

1. Dallas can be pricey, but worth it

Living in Dallas can cost you a pretty penny — 7.6 percent more than the national average when you factor in costs, such as groceries, housing, utilities, transportation and health care. Still, Dallas apartments alone can cost slightly less than elsewhere in the nation, averaging $1,544 for a one-bedroom apartment.

Keep in mind, that figure can vary considerably depending on where you decide to plant your roots.

• The average rent in upscale Uptown is about $2,020. But with its walkability to boutique shops, plentiful restaurants, retail salons and the Katy Trail, this picturesque and well-kept neighborhood can be well worth the price.
• If you’re looking for somewhere a little more affordable, there’s trendy and hip Deep Ellum. This neighborhood is made up of large-scale street murals, artwork from local artists, live music venues and different breweries on almost every street corner. The average cost of rent for a one-bedroom is right around the national average at $1,686.
• Meanwhile, Lakewood is a well-priced, highly desirable neighborhood due to bordering White Rock Lake and its accessibility to the Lower Greenville entertainment district. One of the best elementary schools in Dallas is in Lakewood, making this neighborhood attractive if you have kids. The average cost of rent for a one-bedroom is $1,534.

2. Getting around is easy peasy

No matter where you live in Dallas, it’s easy to get around and explore different parts of the city. The highways are fairly clear of bumper-to-bumper traffic, besides rush hour. There also are toll roads, rideshares and the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) system that runs from 5 a.m. to midnight to help get you from point A to point B, as needed.

3. We’re more outdoorsy than you might expect

When you think of Dallas, you might not think of outdoor activities or recreation. But, there are many beautiful lakes, parks and trails throughout the city. You can rent kayaks or a stand-up paddleboard on White Rock Lake, bike around Katy Trail and spend a day hiking at one of the many nature preserves.

4. It’s a foodie’s paradise

Everything is bigger in Texas and that includes the appetites in Dallas. This city is a foodie’s dream place to live. There are always different restaurant concepts and cool food trucks popping up. The drinking and dining scene buzzes with newness. Trinity Groves is a favorite place to head for diverse options within walking distance, not to mention views of the downtown Dallas skyline.

5. You’ll need a four-season wardrobe

Living in Dallas, you’ll experience scorching summers and mild, but tolerable, winters. During the summer, warm, dry winds will lend to an almost desert-like feel — there are days where it will feel hotter than a dry sauna. Temperatures rarely drop below freezing during the winter, but when they do, you’ll want to have at least one thick coat, a scarf and gloves in your closet.

6. Ever heard of “America’s Favorite Team?”

Dallas offers sports fanatics plenty of entertainment options, including the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas’s national football team may be the most iconic, but there’s also the Texas Rangers for baseball, Dallas Stars for hockey and Dallas Mavericks for basketball, to name a few. The games are enjoyable to attend whether you’re into sports or not. You can go to be entertained, enjoy a few overpriced stadium beers and feed off the overly energetic vibe of the fans.

7. No lack of shopping options

From shopping malls to antique stores, Dallas does not lack in the retail department. One of the best spots to shop like a local is Northpark Center, which is a 2-million-square-foot mall offering high-end designer stores to fast fashion. There are many open-air shopping centers around Dallas, too. Highland Park Village is in a ritzy part of town, so plan to spend some big bucks. On the flip side, you can score designer dupes and bargain items for less at Allen Premium Outlets about 25 minutes north of Dallas in Allen.

8. Markets happen all-year ’round

Shopping local is easy in Dallas, where you can find a multitude of handcrafted and fresh-picked products at the city’s popular markets. The Boho Market is one of Texas’s largest makers markets, popping up on weekends in different areas of the city. There’s also the Dallas Farmer’s Market, which offers fresh produce from regional farmers in an open-air shed downtown.

9. There are endless free things to do

If you like freebies (and who doesn’t?), Dallas offers plenty for the picking. Downtown‘s Klyde Warren Park features 5.2 acres with free outdoor movie screenings and fitness classes like Zumba and yoga. You can also explore Uptown by way of the free hop-on-and-off McKinney Avenue Trolley. Or, head to the Arts District where you’ll find free entry at the Dallas Museum of Art, one of the largest art museums in America. There, you can spend a day admiring more than 22,000 works of art without reaching for your wallet.

10. Parties and parades are always going on

Living in Dallas can be very eventful. There are always parties, festivals, parades and even the Texas State Fair to look forward to. The Dallas St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival is the largest in the Southwest with close to 125,000 people gathering to experience food trucks, exhibitor booths, family-friendly activities and live entertainment.

Living in Dallas

Come join the excitement of living in Dallas! Explore great apartment options here and trust that you’re making the right decision to move to Dallas because it’s a beautiful, unique and ever-changing city.

Rent prices are based on a rolling weighted average from Apartment Guide and Rent.com’s multifamily rental property inventory of one-bedroom apartments. Data was pulled in September 2020 and goes back for one year. We use a weighted average formula that more accurately represents price availability for each individual unit type and reduces the influence of seasonality on rent prices in specific markets.

The rent information included in this article is used for illustrative purposes only. The data contained herein do not constitute financial advice or a pricing guarantee for any apartment.

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Published at Tue, 22 Sep 2020 13:00:32 +0000

How to Keep Your Las Vegas Home Organized: 10 Creative Decluttering Ideas

Right now, many of us are spending a lot of time at home working remotely or simply limiting social contact. With all this time spent inside, your Las Vegas home could probably use a once-over. Between mail, books and other household items, clutter is quick to pile up. Your busy living room and kitchen may send you into a frenzy to restore order and organization in your home.

Decluttering might seem intimidating at first, but there are a few steps you can follow to help you take control of your home:

1. Start with a Decluttering Action Plan

Any efficient project starts with a plan, so why not apply the same principle to decluttering your home? It is up to you to determine the time commitment and the pace of your plan, but having one in place will help you track your progress. The first step is to create a checklist of all the home areas you need to work on. If you’re using the Becker Method – which follows a room-by-room decluttering system – you’re probably better off beginning with the room that gets the most traffic and then proceeding with the rest. Your goal is to purge your home of the misplaced and redundant items, so make sure to stick to the organization scheme you put in place as you declutter.

2. Get the Right Supplies

Every room you declutter requires organizers, storage bins and other supplies. Once you get started, you will have a better idea of what sort of supplies you need. Some common supplies include trash bags, brown bags for recycling paper, hanging sweater bags for closets, or drawer dividers. Before you run out to the store, make sure you truly need the supplies you intend to buy.

3. Reorganize the Entryway Purposefully

As the busiest area of the home, the entry area usually collects shoes, sports equipment and different bags which make it difficult to find your keys when you’re in a hurry to leave the house in the morning. Adding a bench with storage to hold keys and other items might just be the solution to that pesky morning chaos! For bags, jackets and backpacks, a coat rack or a couple of hooks are helpful to keep these items organized. A mail organizer is not a bad idea if you’re constantly battling strewn envelopes as you make your way out of the house. As a general rule, make sure that each item has its dedicated space.

4. Decluttered Living Room: Use Drawers, Shelves and Baskets

If your goal is to keep clutter at bay, then the living room is the trickiest room to do so. With fewer traditional possibilities for storage, your remotes and blankets are more than likely migrating from one spot to another. To make this room inviting and pleasing to the eye, use baskets to store extra throws, magazines or even children’s toys that make their way to the living room. Go for decorative boxes that best complement your home décor for a more personalized touch. Additionally, make sure to keep the coffee table free of the usual items like candles, books or flowers. If you do enjoy a few decorative items in this spot, why not incorporate a tray that can accommodate them? You can easily remove it in case you have guests and decide to use the coffee table to entertain.

5. Give Your Closets the Organization Treatment

Your bedroom closet is where most of your wardrobe resides. Start decluttering this spot by getting rid of everything you haven’t worn in the past year. If you’re not sure which clothes you still wear, hang your clothes on backward hangers in your closet. As you wear the items, rehang them facing forward. The hangers that stay backward are probably not your favorite items. It’s time to relocate them to the donation box. If your home is not large enough to make room for all your seasonal clothing and other seasonal items, self-storage can come to the rescue. Financially speaking, you’re better off renting a storage unit in Las Vegas than moving to a larger home with more space. Apartments in Sin City have an average of 884 square feet, ranking 40th among the top 100 cities with the largest apartments in the U.S, well below the national average, which is 941 square feet.

6. Make Use of Underbed Space

If your closet is too small to house all your clothing, under-the-bed storage can be a lifesaver. Bulky items and accessories can be placed in vacuum storage bags safely under your bed. Make sure that any items you decide to store in this way is in good condition.

7. Home Office Desk: Stick to Bare Necessities

The top of your desk is home to pens, highlighters, staples and more. Besides your computer and a landline phone, try to keep only three or four items on the desk. Other knickknacks can be placed on a nearby shelf. Store most of your office supplies inside drawers using various bins and caddies to keep things organized.

8. Keep Cords Tidy

Your desk can feel like a jungle of lamp cords, laptop wires and other cords. You can secure them in a cable box to keep them all tidy, or you can opt for a shelf equipped with ports. If, on the other hand, your desk has fewer cables, a decorative container might easily do the trick.

9. Less is More with Kitchen Counters

Kitchen counters tend to become overcrowded with many kitchen gadgets and utensils that may or may not see frequent use. Instead, keep most of them in pull-out trays inside the cabinets. This trick allows you to easily access items all the way in the back of the cabinet and makes the most of this storage space. For the essential small appliances that have to stay on the countertop, you can use baskets and boxes to hold them. As you reorganize your countertop items, add some of them to the donation box if they see very rare or no use at all.

10. Say Goodbye to the Junk Drawer

The catch-all junk drawer feels good to have around, but it only causes more clutter – unopened mail, scissors, rubber bands and other little odds and ends that don’t seem to find their spot wind up here. The easiest way to a clutter-free drawer is to simply move everything into their designated spots in the kitchen. If, on the other hand, you can’t give up that easily on your junk drawer, using a drawer organizer might be the answer.

11. Bathroom: Toss Expired Cosmetics and Medicine

You might have tried a wide slew of cosmetics over the years, but not all of them turn out to be favorites. Now is the time to sift through your collection and dispose of old lotions and shower gels that never see the light of day. Apply the same principle to your medicine cabinet. It’s time to look at the expiration dates on medications and safely get rid of them.

12. Use Under-the-Sink Storage

Being short on closet space isn’t a new problem. We could all use a little extra space to store household items. Why not use your under-the-sink space to bring your everyday bathroom linens on-hand? Use wicker baskets to store bath towels – it’s practical, and stylish too.

13. Enlist the Help of a Professional Organizer

If decluttering becomes overwhelming, don’t lose heart. It’s time to call in the professionals to lend a helping hand. It’s easier than ever to hire a certified organizer in Las Vegas. HateClutter, White Tie Organizing and Organized by Ginger are some of the professionals that can help bring back the Zen to your Las Vegas home.

Did we help you declutter your home? Let us know in the comment section below.

Published at Thu, 03 Sep 2020 16:14:19 +0000

Philly’s Old City is Immersed in American History & Local Culture

Tucked into the tiny cobblestone streets of Old City lies Philadelphia’s most historic neighborhood. A part of the original city of Philadelphia, Old City is where some of the nation’s earliest and most important artifacts are stored. Tourist draws like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence and the nation, bring visitors from all over the country, while locals delight in the area’s charming rowhomes, shops and restaurants.

Where is Old City?

Old City is a small collection of blocks on the Eastern border of the city, wedged up against the Delaware River, Chinatown and Center City to the West, and Society Hill to the South. The Northern border is on I-676, which divides Old City from the now trendy neighborhood of Northern Liberties. The Delaware River waterfront has undergone a slow transformation over the years, now including small markets, pop-up seasonal festivals and stretches of green space with a bike path. On the western border of the neighborhood, Independence Hall, part of the U.S. National Park Service and Independence National Historical Park, houses much of the city’s and nation’s rich history.

History

Old City is seething with history. Not just for the city of Philadelphia, but for the country overall. Independence National Historic Park is home to Independence Hall, a UNESCO world heritage site and part of the U.S. National Park Service and Independence National Historical Park. This is the birthplace of the U.S.A. Both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were written and signed here, and it’s where the Liberty Bell, U.S. Mint and countless other historical sites are kept.

Lifestyle

What to do

History buffs have all the fun in Old City. Aside from the Liberty Bell and the rest of Independence Hall, there are also countless museums and sites to visit. American Philosophical Society Museum, National Museum of American Jewish History and Museum of the American Revolution (which has become increasingly popular since the launch of the Hamilton musical) are just a few of the cultural centers worth a visit in Old City.

Being at the center of many of Philadelphia’s most popular tourist attractions, Old City offers quite a few options for hotels including branches of Kimpton, Marriott and Aloft hotels. However, Old City offers a great quality of life even if you’ve never cracked open a history book.

Where to eat & drink

The food scene is varied and fun to explore, ranging from old, dark pubs to sophisticated fine dining dinners at restaurants like Fork. Arguably one of Philly’s best-known restaurants, Zahav, has won numerous regional and national awards for its delicious Israeli food served up in a cozy interior.

Locals and visitors in their early 20s often head to the bars in Old City on the weekends, spending their nights drinking and dancing into the early hours of the morning. Yet there are also quiet, completely residential streets in the neighborhood, offering a respite for young families and professionals as well.

Moving to Old City

Real Estate Snapshot

Old City is on the higher end of renting in Philadelphia. At $2,243, it’s about 36% above the city’s average. Over the years, Old City has become increasingly desirable. With mostly small townhouses and rowhomes, apartments are harder to come by, and when they are available, they tend to go quickly. If you’re decided to make the move, better start browsing through apartments in Old City now and choose your next home.

All to say that Old City costs a bit to live in, but for good reason. In spite of the numerous attractions that make tourists flock from all over the world to visit, the neighborhood retains a charming and local feel. Although it also has less of the necessities, like grocery stores, Old City is the perfect mix of quiet and vibrant streets.

Transportation

Bordered by I-95 and I-676, Old City is easily accessible by car from the rest of Philadelphia, NJ, and beyond. Due to its location and bustling tourist attractions, there are frequent and well-maintained public transportation options here as well, including more than a dozen bus lines and two stops on the Market-Frankford public transit line. Old City is also a very walkable neighborhood, with a short stroll of around 20 minutes bringing you easily into Center City.

Schools & Employment

Old City has plenty of options for schools, from Olde City Day School and Amigos Spanish Immersion Preschool for early education all the way up to high schools. Constitution High School is a local public school that takes advantage of its idyllic location, integrating trips to local museums and sites for an immersive experience into American history, for children between the 9th and 12th grades.

Perhaps not surprisingly, lots of the Old City jobs are involved in local tourism. From work at the sites and museums to jobs for the surrounding parks and green space, in addition to hotel, transportation and restaurant jobs, there are plenty of employment opportunities for hospitality and tourism careers in Old City.

Published at Tue, 01 Sep 2020 10:25:51 +0000

The trick to staying away from holiday snacks

Published at Sat, 01 Dec 2018 20:52:20 +0000

How to Safely Buy Furniture on Online Marketplaces

Online marketplaces are a convenient source for finding a bargain and buying affordable furniture and other home goods. Unfortunately, if you’re not careful during the purchase and exchange process, you might find yourself facing scams and dangerous situations. Here are a few ways to ensure your safety when buying furniture online.

Research the item

To prevent getting scammed, research the furniture you want before buying it. Search various e-commerce sites to see the price for a new product, then compare the seller’s price to store prices. If the product you’re eyeing is practically new, it should be discounted at least a few dollars from the regular retail price. Additionally, products depreciate in value depending on the condition.

Review how other sellers are pricing the same item on e-commerce sites. If you have a question about the product, message the seller to ask about its condition. Don’t hesitate to contact the merchant just because they’re likely a total stranger — a trustworthy online seller should be happy to answer your questions.

Check the seller’s profile

If you’re using an online marketplace on which sellers maintain profiles, ask yourself: Does the seller’s profile look legitimate? Are they providing very little information about themselves? Take a note of the seller’s reviews and, if applicable, friends. It is suspicious if they have a small number of friends, and it can also be suspicious if they have very few reviews (or lots of negative reviews).

Beware of any red flags regarding what the seller uploads to their profile. You may be dealing with a scammer if the merchant posts many spam links in public posts. If applicable, do a reverse image search of the seller’s profile picture to see if the person is using a picture of someone else. 

Inspect the product before purchasing

How does the furniture look in pictures? Before authorizing a payment, ask to see the product. The item may have signs of damage that the seller doesn’t show in photos. If the furniture is expensive, bring an expert — or maybe just a friend who buys a lot of secondhand furniture — for a second opinion. If the product is electronic, test whether it operates correctly.

Safely meet the seller in public

The safest way to meet the seller is far from your home and in a populated public space. Some people believe it’s safe to meet at a police station in front of security cameras. Other options include a shopping mall, restaurant, or coffee shops. Bringing a friend while meeting a seller in public adds another layer of security.

Use a secure payment method directly from the seller

Make sure to use a secure payment method. Sellers may ask for an indirect way of paying through a third-party site. The Better Business Bureau suggests purchasing your item using a person-to-person payment method.

Shopping online can help you find a vast selection of stylish furniture at reasonable prices. You can find many different styles of furniture from various eras, and if you’re vigilant with your safety and against fraud, online buying can be an unbeatable way to get a bargain. 

Published at Mon, 17 Aug 2020 13:30:49 +0000

RentHop Rental Report Q2 2020 – Rents Dropped 5% in Manhattan

The NYC housing market continues to suffer in Q2 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic persists. Given the unprecedented health, economic, and social disruptions inflicted upon the city, it should come as no surprise that NYC apartment hunters are changing their preferences as to where to live and landlords are forced to adapt by reducing rents.

According to the RentHop Rental Report this quarter:

• Median 1BR rent fell 5% year-over-year in Manhattan as demand plunged. Some luxury neighborhoods saw the most drastic decline in demand, including Murray Hill (YoY demand -72%), Chelsea (-67%), and Tribeca (-67%).
• The impacts of the pandemic on the housing market were less severe in outer boroughs, specifically in Brooklyn and Queens. Both boroughs saw only 8% dip in terms of lead volume, with some neighborhoods experiencing growing demand such as Forest Hills (40%), Crown Heights (26%), and Astoria (10%).
• As COVID-19 becomes part of the normal life, outdoor space is now the hottest amenity in New York City, replacing doorman and gym. Interest for private outdoor space grew 59.3% year-over-year.

Manhattan Market Softened, with Median 1BR Rent Lowered by 5% Year-over-Year

The coronavirus pandemic has had severe impacts on the New York City housing market. Many neighborhoods across the five boroughs experienced price reduction due to reduced demand. Specifically, in Manhattan, one of the most expensive real estate markets in the nation, rent dropped in most luxury neighborhoods, including Chelsea, Flatiron, and NoMad. The borough saw a 5% decrease in median 1BR rent, and some premium neighborhoods saw even more drastic cuts, as landlords increased concessions to attract renters. The weak demand will likely continue as the pandemic remains a threat and companies extend their remote-working policies.

Renter Interest Shifted to Outer Boroughs

Meanwhile, rental demand seemed less affected by COVID-19 in outer boroughs. In Brooklyn, specifically, searches were only down by 8.1% year-over-year, and some neighborhoods farther away from the city center even saw spikes in inquiries, including Ocean Hill (+70.1%), Central Slope (+40.5%), Crown Heights (+26.1%), and East Flatbush (+15.8%). In Queens, similarly, demand was slightly affected by the pandemic, pushing the searches down by 7.8% year-over-year. Demand, however, soared in affordable neighborhoods including Steinway (+48.2%), Forest Hill (+39.6%), and Astoria (+10.5%).

Private Outdoor Space Became the Hot Amenity, Replacing Doorman and Gym

Doorman and gyms had long been key features driving the rental rates in New York City until COVID-19 hit. Now, people tend to avoid large residential rental buildings to minimize the risk of catching the coronavirus. According to our renter search data from April 17 to July 16, 25% of the searches involving private or common outdoor space, while only 14.6% of the searches included doorman and 11.2% gym. While elevator remained one of the more popular features, the demand fell by 6.2% when adjusting to listing and lead volumes.

Methodology

Released on a quarterly basis, the RentHop Rental Report analyzes the NYC rental market using the platform’s rental listings and traffic data. The lead volume, most inquired apartment type, and year-over-year changes are determined based on inquiries sent by renters visiting the RentHop site. The median asking rent is calculated using all listings created between April 17, 2020 and July 16, 2020, across all apartment types, whereas median 1BR rent is calculated using only one-bedroom listings created during the same time period. Please email press@renthop.com for a detailed report covering all NYC neighborhoods. Note that unlike other RentHop studies that analyze and summarize data using the Neighborhood Tabulation Areas, the RentHop Rental Report adopts a more granular neighborhood shapefile for the analysis, which is consistent with the listing search criteria on the consumer side.

Published at Tue, 21 Jul 2020 13:00:05 +0000

FINDING AN APARTMENT DURING COVID-19

23 Apr FINDING AN APARTMENT DURING COVID-19

It looks as though social distancing will no longer be the new norm, but the way that we will now be living our lives. It was only 2 months ago that we had never heard of PPE, unless we worked in healthcare or unless you were a scientist, flattening the curve was about weigh loss. Mostly about flattening our stomachs. So here we are all settled at home wondering how to move forward. (Source: NAA)

But what about the folks who were thinking about moving or who were in the middle of a relocation? Any sort of housing transition is stressful enough without having to deal with a national health crisis. But during social distancing it could be additionally stressful.  Take heart, there are many technologies that can help us lease an apartment while keeping you and your apartment community staff safe.

There are many digital advertising sources that you can access from the safety of your living room or kitchen. You can search by typing the word “apartments” into any browser. This will give you a very broad search. After you feel comfortable with user experience with an Internet Listing Service provider, narrow your search by location, price, floorplan size, schools and amenities. Or you use a “long tail search”. For example, a “two-bedroom apartment in Richmond, Virginia with a pool”. This may be more time efficient than a more generic search such as “apartments”. It will provide a short and more refined list of apartment communities that fir those criteria.

Another new aspect to think about during physical and social distancing, is the systems that the community uses to communicate with their residents after you move in. Can you pay your rent on-line? How do they let you know about any community events or repairs? Many communities use Call Assist 24/7. It’s a way that you can send a video or photo of your emergency service request to the on-call maintenance technician.  This will keep you informed via text throughout every step of the process. You will even get a photo of the technician coming out late at night. How cool is that!

Most listings have virtual tours of generic units or their furnished model. Seeing a furnished apartment is always a good way to get a feel for what the space may look like with your own furnishings. (Source: Realtor.com) Many leasing agents are happy to use zoom, skype and Facetime to show you the actual unit that is available if it is currently vacant. Ask the agent to walk through the community as well so you may see the location of your apartment home. Is it close to the pool or does it have a view that you like? Google maps is a great resource for information on shopping, parks and interstates. If you are moving locally, go drive through the apartment community at different times of day to see where the sun sets or where the bark park is located. So there a lot of great resources to help you navigate through finding the perfect new apartment home during Covid-19. Be safe and have fun!

Published at Thu, 23 Apr 2020 12:40:08 +0000