Now what?

Okay, this is where I start to freak out. Who knew searching for an apartment would be this difficult? I've gotten my hopes up one too many times and it's resulted in the inevitable - utter lack of hope. Right now, I live in relative luxury - my roommate and I have a brand-new apartment (as in, they were still doing paint touch-ups and hanging light fixtures when we moved in), we have assigned parking spaces in a heated underground lot, the management is courteous and helpful, the location is fabulous, and we haven't had any neighbor problems whatsoever. And there's a pool, workout facility, and secure entrances.

My only complaint? I don't want a roommate anymore. I lived by myself last year and enjoyed it more than I ever thought I would. I want that again.

Hence, my search for the perfect (one-bedroom) apartment began. And, just as I tend to rush the seasons, I also tend to rush everything else - I won't need this apartment until August. Better to start early, though, right? That's what I thought.

Turns out the earlier you start, the sooner you'll be disappointed. I looked downtown first and was excited to see the abundance of lofts available, at fairly affordable prices to boot. I earmarked my favorites, looked at the floorplans with wistful eyes again and again, calculated what I would really be able to afford, and began decorating in my hopeful little head.

Ha.

That was before I read the reviews on these places. Dreadful. Horrible management. Walls so thin you can hear neighbors clearing their throats. Bums camping out in the halls. No parking. Break-ins. Pets doing their business in common indoor areas.

My urban dreams flew straight out that 7th-story loft's window.

So I turned to the suburbs. Where I found that anything even remotely decent was too far south, too far north, or too expensive.

"So move to a one-bedroom in your current complex," you say.

Double ha. The price of a one-bedroom here is nearly as high as the mortgage on a two-bedroom house. Not gonna happen.

Now, I ask you, what the hell do I do? I've looked everywhere in the metro area, including undesirable spots. And I'm stuck. And no, I can't afford to buy a house. I'm a single woman in her early (okay, almost mid) twenties. I've got a few years yet before that happens.

At this rate, I might as well move to Seoul with the boyfriend. (For those of you whose hackles were just raised: I'M ONLY KIDDING.)