Royal Oak to extend parking meter hours, 11 a.m. to midnight
Posted by scasola | Filed under Apartments Birmingham MI, Apartments Clawson MI, Apartments Ferndale MI, Apartments Royal Oak MI, Apartments Troy MI, Detroit MI, Moving, Royal Oak, Urbane, UrbaneApts, life, property management
If you’re headed to downtown Royal Oak, get ready to face new, extended meter hours once again. C and G Newspapers has reported that downtown meters – currently in effect from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. will soon be enforced from 11 a.m. to midnight Mondays-Saturday. What’s the reason behind this switch?
Dollars of course. Staff Writer Jeremy Carroll reported that Royal Oak city officials estimate the move will bring in about $300,000 more revenue annually.
Those of us who’ve kept an ear to the ground and followed this story can collectively breathe a sigh of relief. The murmurs of Sunday parking meter enforcement have not become a reality at this time.
Keep an eye out for this change to go into motion soon. Once the signs are in place, the new rules will apply. It could take effect as quickly as July 1.
What are your thoughts on the new parking meter enforcement hours? Will it impact the way you do business in the downtown district? We’d like to know.
This post is brought to you by the good folks at Urbane Apartments and theUrbane Lobby. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter at@UrbaneLife
Tags: parking meter hours, parking Royal Oak, Royal Oak parking meters, Urbane, urbane apartments, Urbane Life
The Apartments of Left Bank at K Station
Posted by DaveMurr | Filed under property management, travel
Last week I was in Chicago for the fantastic SOBcon conference lead by Liz Strauss and Terry Starbucker.
I’ve always enjoyed visiting the windy city. Back in my college days we used to take the train from Ann Arbor to Chicago to visit our friends. At the time a round trip ticket would cost anywhere from $25-$50. This was in the mid nineties. Those were the days.
Living in a large city never appealed to me. Too much hustle and bustle. One wonders how someone could find sanctuary in such an environment.
So for this trip I was surprised to find that I would be staying directly downtown at Left Bank K Station Apartments. Apartments? That’s right, not a hotel, but a loft in a building where many other occupants call home. Curious, I looked up some pictures. My immediate impression of the space was that most of the apartment buildings I have lived in didn’t look anything like this. City living I suppose.
When it comes to travel lodgings, I’m pretty easy. I can sleep just about anywhere. Just as long as things are clean, I don’t need much.
The apartments at Left Bank K Station are definitely clean… and then some.
As soon as I rolled up, I was greeted by the staff who went out of their way to make feel welcome. I was given the keys to my room and a run down of the amenities that included an indoor resistance pool, sauna, exercise room, lounge, and business center. My room was on the 35th floor and the view was amazing. One wouldn’t think that a cityscape view could classify as majestic, but looking down on Chicago, you get the sense of its magnificence and the history that continues to resonate through the street lights and buildings.
I was under the impression that most city apartments were cramped with little elbow room. The largest apartment I ever called home was in Scottsdale, AZ which was just over 1200 square feet. This room far exceeded expectations. A one bed room apartment with plenty of space. The bedroom was spacious and the walk in closet could have served as a second bedroom. The kitchen was great, with lots of space for cooking or leaving carry out Chinese containers. Perhaps the best part of the room was the in house washer and dryer. A big plus in my book.
When I wasn’t busy with the conference, I would stroll around the area. The building has a large patio and lawn for it’s residents. The recreation room is a two fold room full of exercise machines and free weights. The neighborhood is in a developing area. So there is a bit of construction, however the noise was minimal and the surrounding neighborhood is beautiful with it’s share of restaurants and shops.
Needless to say, I enjoyed my visit. But the icing on the cake, was that on the day I was about head back home, I lost my car keys. By the time I had realized my predicament, the main office was already closed. Fortunately, there was always someone at the front desk. I explained my situation and the gentleman on staff said that the room was still available and he would alert the office in the morning. He gave me the number for a reliable locksmith to take care of my key situation and told me to enjoy another night in Chicago. Class act.
Despite that little snag, I truly enjoyed my stay. People were friendly and helpful. The location was perfect. And when I visit Chicago again, I can’t think of a better place to stay.
My sincere gratitude and thanks to Left Bank K Station Apartments and the staff. You’ve made this country yokel reconsider city living.
Feel free to check out pictures I took of Left Bank here.
Tags: apartments, chicago, conferences, futuremidwest, hotels, lofts, midwest, sobcon, travel
Don’t pay your rent – let strangers do it for you
Posted by scasola | Filed under Apartments Birmingham MI, Apartments Clawson MI, Apartments Ferndale MI, Apartments Royal Oak MI, Apartments Troy MI, Birmingham MI, Clawson Neighborhood, Cool People, Detroit MI, Ferndale MI, Royal Oak, Royal Oak MI, Urbane, UrbaneApts, life, people, property management, travel, trends
As a longtime renter myself, it never occurred to me that my own little Ferndale apartment could be an income generator. I’ve been more concerned with getting that check over to my landlord by the first of the month since as long as I can remember, at least since college. That all changed when I read the provocative post How I Generate Extra Income by Letting Strangers Pay My Rent, by Rebecca Rosenfelt on GetRichSlowly.org.
As a founder of her own site, RealSavvyRealEstate.com, Rosenfelt details how she’s managed to go years without paying her rent – or mortgage – in its entirety. And no, she’s not breaking any laws or in danger of being evicted.
As she writes: “I’m able to keep my condo and apartment because I let strangers pay my bills for me. I’ve created a situation where my home generates income.”
Rosenfelt details her tactics, which proved successful even in a high-rent New York City neighborhood. There’s no reason this process couldn’t work in metro Detroit or across Michigan.
From the concept of a seeking out a part-time roommate, with an opposite commuting pattern, fit to “share” her East Village apartment, she managed to save enough to buy a condo in Portland. She now rents out that space for longer stretches or extended vacations, using the services of a management company to make the process easier.
Rosenfelt is confident her methods would work anywhere. It takes a touch of creativity, an open mind and the discipline not to obsess over your space or the items you own. She does recommend homeowners and renters look into lease, zoning laws and condo bylaws before trying out her concepts.
Here are four ways to use your apartment or home to generate income:
- Vacation Rental – When you know you’ll be out of town for several days, post an ad for your home in the vacation rental section of Craigslist. Other great resources are AirBnB.com and SecondPorch (This could be a great opportunity for Detroit or Grand Rapids city-dwellers or those with homes Up North).
- Home Exchange – Consider doing a home exchange when you take vacations. A great place to start is HomeExchange.com, a vacation swapping website. (You never know when you’ll find the chance to trade your Royal Oak digs for a vacation house overseas)
- Room for Rent – If you have an extra bedroom in your home, consider listing it on a site like AirBnB.com, where travelers all over the world look for inexpensive accommodations. (Imagine your Birmingham bungalow as a B&B)
- Part-Time Roommate – If you travel regularly for work, find someone with the opposite commute pattern who needs a place to stay in your home city. Craigslist and social media like Facebook and Twitter are great resources for this.
For Rosenfelt’s complete story, click here.
Tags: apartments, Birmingham, condo, ferndale, filming location, GetRichSlowly, home exchange, let strangers pay my rent, Michigan Film Industry, mortage, part-time roommate, RealSavvyRealEstate, Rebecca Rosenfelt, renters, room for rent, Royal Oak, vacation rental
URBANE featured on Sharpie’s National Blog!
Posted by Ashley | Filed under Apartments Birmingham MI, Birmingham MI, Cool People, Urbane, UrbaneApts, art, design, drinks, events, fashion, food, life, marketing, music, people, property management, technology, trends, video
Ch-Ch-Check it out!
Urbane’s “Draw on the Walls” party at our new Adams Co-Work Space is the lead article on Sharpie’s blog!!
They included tons of great pics by photographer and Urbane on Thirteen resident Rachel Wade, plus a spotlight on first place winner and Urbane on Crooks South resident Ryan Gardner!
We’re famous! 
Read all about it here. Check out more pictures from the Sharpie Party plus great new pics of our clubhouse here. Watch Eric’s mini-cam video from the “Draw on the Walls” party here. 
Let’s Ban Smoking at Urbane!
Posted by Colton | Filed under Cool People, Health Care Reform, Rambalings, eco, fashion, fitness, life, people, property management, trends
Not very "Urbane" to me
I would like to propose a total smoking ban in the apartments. Afterall, smoking hasn’t been “urbane” in decades. In fact, its nauseating, foul, and vomitous. Not to mention unhealthy.
Let’s put the smack down on this, folks. Pitchforks. Water balloons. Rendition.
Your neighbor in peace,
Colton
Stinky
P.S. This smoker is cracking me up though. She’s got attitude. She’s the last resistance smoker:
Now that's what I call smokin'
LOL. Stinky punks
Tags: Smoking
Detroit’s Eastern Market
Posted by Colton | Filed under eco, food, life, property management
A great place to visit is Detroit’s Eastern Market.
The location is north of downtown and east of Woodward Avenue.
There are lots of vendors and shops.
In addition to being a commercial district, there are a lot of residents.
Some of the business anchors in the market are: Rafal Spice Company, Bert’s Marketplace, Roma Café, and R. Hirt Jr. Company.
Also, many people are working on development plans for the area.
Business incentives exist for new ventures.
A trip to this historic district is well worth it!
Tags: Affordable Lifestyle, Detroit, Detroit Neighborhoods, Diversity, Economic Development, Local Food, Organic, shopping, Sustainable Living, Urban Development, Urban Ecology
landing in plymouth, michigan
Posted by Eric Brown | Filed under property management, uncategorized
Downtown Plymouth is one of those fantastic small towns that radiates out from a central park and fountain.
People congegrate there, concerts and festivals are held there.The adjacent streets contain some of the best restaurants, pubs, and living accomodations in the metro Detroit area. One such residential development, located just steps from the park, is Penniman Place.
It’s a new build with established roots in the area. And it has some really terrific, high-end condos and townhouses for sale or lease.
Tags: condos, condos for lease, condos for sale, downtown Plymouth Michigan, Penniman Place, real estate
dare to be different
Posted by Eric Brown | Filed under marketing, property management, uncategorized
If a business’s website neatly and thoroughly presents itself, shouldn’t the purpose of social networking be to catch an eye, show some personality, and get those interested dancing back to its website?
There’s a lot of thoughtless blah in the world. Don’t be afraid to bust out of the same ol’ boring box once in a while.
Tags: apartments, lofts, marketing, rentals, Royal Oak, urbane apartments, video, youtube
