From: Damien Broderick (d.broderick@english.unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Tue Dec 25 2001 - 20:24:38 MST
At 05:20 PM 12/25/01 -0400, Randall Randall wrote:
>> Where the heck *were* you??
>
>Columbus, GA. A decent 2 bedroom apartment goes (or went)
>for $300-$600 in the late 90s, there. One could pay more, of
>course, but I didn't pay more than $350
I haven't rented in decades, but maybe Americans can do some sort of
calibration from this:
I bought my current house three years ago for $A230K. It's now worth over
$A300, maybe over $A350K, because this area has boomed. (It pays to be able
to see into the future.) I have small grassy front and back yards--but
larger than Spike's--with tall trees. No garage, but you can park out front
safely (and many of my neighbors do just that, grrrr.) Three bedrooms, one
a guest room full of books and spare futon, the other with the weights
machine. Large study full of books and computers, with a big fireplace I
don't use because of the books and paper piled everywhere. Gas wall
heaters, because our temperatures rarely drop severely enough to need
central heating. Polished floorboards, leadlight windows here and there.
Separate laundry. Galley kitchen (is that the phrase?) open to large living
space with table, comfy chairs, TV/sound system, big windows everywhere to
garden. This joint is half an hour by rail from central Melbourne, tram
equally convenient. Half an hour by bike track to the university. Large
pretty Lake and creek walking distance away, big supermarkets and
vegetable/chicken/meat market five minutes away by foot. Library handy.
Patrick might have paid $A40 for a haircut, but I have much less hair (boo
hoo), so I pay $A12 every few months.
What would that cost in the States--in, say, SF, Austin or Boston?
Damien Broderick
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