Recently,  I received a very short, and straight-to-the-point letter from my property management company, informing me that my rent will be increasing as of March 2010. I love my apartment very much, put i'm struggling to pay my rent as it is, and in all honesty there have been quite a few downsides to  moving, including a break-in, living above a very busy (and possibly deadly) intersection, an alarming number of car accidents (at said intersection), and an ever-so-hard to ignore large number of homeless people roaming the area.

The other day, i decided to do sum "just in case" apartment hunting. It didnt go so well. There is one building a few blocks over that I really like the look of - from the outside, at least. It was a gated building with lots of greenery and a fountain in the courtyard. The building had a very old, New York look to it, with brick exterior and patios for the units facing the street. I snuck in as a guest was coming out and was immediately disappointed by the disgusting carpet in the hallways, poor lighting, and filthy walls. I called off my apartment hunt right then and there.

Not only do I not want to go through the hassle of apartment searching again, I dont want to pack up all of my stuff, haul it out, and unpack it all over again.

I've already sent a letter to management asking them to please delay raising my rent, but if that doesnt work then i'm just gonna have to figure something out.. I can put up with the homeless people, the busy intersection or even the fact that I dont have a dishwasher, but,  I'm not giving up my hardwood (laminate) floors, my big spacious kitchen, or my tall sunshine-filled windows. If they decide to raise my rent, i'm just gonna have to make it work.

thats what Ugly Betty would do right? :-)