I have gone to see 7 apartments so far, in 4 different districts. The apartments ranged from high-rise blandness to historical charm, 1- and 2-bedrooms, crappy to classy. Most owners spoke English, but a few did not (yes, Margaret, I did the talking-with-my-hands thing!). Basically, I dragged myself across a soggy city 2 evenings in a row, and have ended up with 2 very viable options.
Apartment 1 (the "slick" one) is modern and edgy, with a glass block section in a shower wall (nothing kinky, it's all wavy and not really see-through), cutting-edge lighting, and wired everywhere for sound and video projection. It has a fabulous kitchen with bar area, leather couches, radiant floor heating, air conditioning and a shower with a floor mosaic. It is directly across the street from a subway station, and the excellent windows block out 90% of the traffic noise. There is a little office, too small for a 2nd bedroom, but great as a crafts room. It is the bigger of the two apartments, but not the best layout for setting up a mattres for visitors. Other downside, the location is so-so, in a non-descript building with rather scary stairwells and elevators. Somehow the high-end apartment seems out of place in a building that looks like a dive. It's also located a 20-30 minute walk from most attractions and/or shopping areas. It is the most expensive of the two options, though not by much.
Apartment 2 (the "courtyard" one) is in the middle of the central historic district. It is in a building on a quiet side-street, almost across the street from a little church and down the street from the Haus der Musik - the local music Conservatory. The apartment is smaller than the first one, but much better use of space. The couch in the living room is a pull-out with a decent mattress. There is a working fireplace and a narrow but long balcony that looks onto private courtyard. The apartment is fully furnished, up to and including 2 TVs and a clothes iron. Sounds great, right? Here are the downsides: it is about a 10 minute walk from a subway station. It is centrally located, so there is the possibility of druken idiots on the street making noise and being annoying late at night. No really good spot for crafts, and no bookshelf. And the kitchen is tiny, the size of a large closet, although it does have a dishwasher. :-)
After crunching numbers and thinking about layouts, commutes and the like, I tossed all that out the window and went with my gut. Courtyard apartment wins the day! I was completely charmed by apartment and its furniture, and fell in love with the little courtyard. You can't really do anything in the courtyard itself, but I like the atmosphere of sitting on your balcony chatting with your neighbours, all surrounded by plants, cobblestones and a little fountain in a wall. Plus, right in the historical district, come on! This is basically the dream location to soak in the most atmosphere and history. The place isn't cluttered, so there is room to add a bookshelf and maybe a little table to accomodate my sewing machine. So if all goes well tomorrow, I will meet with the owner at the VIC Housing Service to sign a contract, hand over a large wad of money and possibly get the keys right away. I'm so excited!
I'll be severely ticked off if this doesn't work out...
