Living Quarters...

Housing is always a crapshoot. You can game it only so much because you are dealing with so many variables (commute to work, neighborhood, building amenities, size of apartment) that you can never get everything you want. Add to that the fact that there are limited housing opportunities because most housing is occupied already, and you really get slim pickings.I had thought about living near the embassy and beach, which would have been a great commute (2 minutes), but a friend pointed out how it would be better to live in a neighborhood separate from work. It would be easy to tire of local establishments if work/apartment were in the same 'hood. So, I requested to live near Rabin Square, which is about 20 minutes walking from the embassy, but is in a neat neighborhood with lots of cafes, restaurants, and other entertainment. I was given housing in the area, but I first have to be in temporary quarters.

When I arrived at my building, I was a little underwhelmed. It didn't seem very fancy and felt a little rundown. I did, however, note the huge pool on the way to the elevator. Anyhow, when I stepped into the actual apartment, my first thought was that it was drab, not updated, and had cruddy furniture. As the days have gone on, though, and as I have realized that the other apartment I'm slated for might be tiny, I'm beginning to like this place. It's a decent size--largish master bedroom with bath, a small second bedroom, and a third room that would serve as an office, but could house visitors, too. The apartment has a good-sized balcony, on which I am sitting right now while looking at a performance at the opera house just across the way. The neighborhood is nice; the opera is across the way, there's a park right next door, and stores and cafes are a 5 minute walk from here.

So, all in all, it's not bad here...some slip covers for the couches, replacing the fluorescents with regular lighting, and adding some color/art to the walls...and I'll feel at home. That is...if we can get the landlord here to be reasonable on rent, b/c that's all that stands in the way of me keeping this place. :(Let me know what you think of the pad... (see more pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/twoyearsinisrael/2008OctMyFirstApartmentInIsrael)