Week 2

This week I had unbelievable luck; I found an apartment.  This may not seem like something so lucky in other cities; in a week’s worth of searching it may be possible to find several options.  The statistics here are about 60 applicants for each room/studio apartment.  I spent last Monday morning searching the online listings and calling people to set up appointments.  I think in all I must have called ten to fifteen people.  I ended up arranging about six appointments. 

Monday afternoon I found an apartment listing requesting either an Erasmus student (the European University exchange system) or a language assistant.  Both girls in the apartment were studying languages and they wanted someone in the apartment they could speak to in English, or perhaps another language. 

Their apartment was promising.  It was furnished and located centrally in the city.  The only issue was that the room I was going to be staying in was also the way through the apartment for one of the other bedrooms.  The girl living in it would have to pass through my room to get to the bathroom or kitchen.  Although she had let me come and take a look, she told me that she might be looking for another girl.

The second place I looked at was nice.  It was a single room in an apartment inside a sort of dormitory/ski lodge.  The room was a bit small, but all amenities were included.  What I liked about the place was that it was not actually in Innsbruck, but in a small village up on the mountain side.  It overlooked the valley and had lighter air.  This would be an issue, however, when snow came and I would be riding my bike up the slope every day.  The price seemed reasonable to me in comparison with other prices until he told me that a 1300 Euro deposit was also required; let me also mention that it was not furnished.  I debated whether I should try and negotiate about the deposit on the bus ride back to the city.  I decided to wait until the following day to finish up the rest of my search.

The next day I met a woman from a sort of real estate agency that had a few studio apartments being offered.  She showed me two.  The first one had a new interior with new cabinets and bathroom.  It was nice inside, but a bit small.  It was also unfurnished.  The area also seemed a bit dingy and grey and the apartment was placed somewhat in the middle of nowhere along a sort of highway leading to the west side of town.  The second studio was much nicer; it was located inside a neighborhood with several supermarkets and cafés.  The building was nothing special, but the apartment was furnished, and it had a south facing window.  The interior was a bit old, but the price was a little better than the first one.  I still wasn’t sure, so she gave me her number and we parted outside.

I sat down at a café nearby because my next interview was around the corner, but I needed to wait about an hour.  So what is a good price in Innsbruck?  It’s difficult to say because there are many hidden costs.  For example, all apartments require a deposit, but they vary.  Some ask for two months of rent; some ask for four.  All of the apartments I had looked at until now had asked for about 1000 Euros as deposits.  I would receive them in full at the end of my stay, but what good are 1000 Euros when I’m returning to the U.S. and not spending them in small trips around Europe while I’m here.

The other hidden costs are utilities and furnishing.  The first apartment I looked at was asking 425 Euros a month, but that included everything and it was furnished.  The second place I looked at was asking 270 Euros, but he asked for a high deposit for the room, and then another deposit for the electricity box and the internet modem.  Then utilities etc., the rent became more like 350 Euros a month.  On top of that I had to furnish the room, which he said I could do for about 300 euros at Ikea.  The two studio apartments I looked at were a bit expensive, but I looked into them just to see what was being offered.  The first one was 490 euros a month, but all expenses included, along with a similar deposit for the apartment.  The second one was 400 Euros, but I would have to pay for utilities.  Another charge that was added onto that was the commission for the realtor. 

The next place I looked at was really nice.  I was also a studio apartment, about the same size as the other two, but the vibe was better.  The guy living there was named Lukas.  He was also a student and he was moving to another place.  He had a Neil Young poster and a guitar in the corner.  The room was furnished with a bed, closet, bookshelf, desk, and a couch.  It also had a small balcony facing north, so I could see the closest mountains.  He told me if I got lucky I’d be able to see some famous skiers from there.  The rent was 310, along with utilities 350.  The deposit was three months of rent, and he said he’d sell me the furniture for around 300.  I thought it to be the ideal situation.  He told me he would call in a few days.

I had two more places to see, but I thought that my preferred choice would be that one, and since we had gotten along so well during the visit I thought I would be able to pick it.  I went to the next interview inside an apartment with two other people.  The location was very nice.  It was a few blocks north of the downtown area.  The interior of the apartment was very nice, modernly furnished and very clean.  There was a balcony facing the interior garden of the block.  Most of the blocks downtown have a sort of interior with gardens, and maybe parking.  I liked the apartment, and it was decently priced, but I think I seemed strange to the kids there.  They were undergrads.  I think perhaps I intimidated them somewhat even though I’m not much older.  Although I liked the place I left with the feeling that I wouldn’t get invited to live there.

I think the whole situation is a bit stressful.  You have to give the best impression you can to each place you visit because landlords or Sublette’s have so many interested people to choose from.  At some point it begins to feel like a popularity contest, and you can’t help but feel a little depressed after each attempt and each rejection.  You begin to feel when you aren’t a candidate in the running line. 

My last interview was at 6:30 in the evening, and I had a few hours to kill.  I went shopping, bought myself a frozen pizza, and came back to the apartment I was staying at.  The guys were out, studying or doing their daily business.  I was so exhausted from the whole ordeal that I got in bed dressed and took a nap.  I woke up to the sound of the guys moving around in the kitchen.  It was a little after 5:30 so I came in said hi.  They asked if I had had any luck with the interviews.  “Maybe” I told them.  I was still holding out for Lukas in a few days.  I told them that I had another interview, and I needed to leave soon. 

The interview was not far from where I was staying.  I had to walk downhill.  I got a bit confused about the address at first.  I knew of a road called Höttinger Au, and the Address I had was Höttinger Auffahrt 1.  At the time it seemed that Au was just an abbreviation for Auffahrt.  It was a simple mistake, but I couldn’t find Höttinger Au 1 because it didn’t exist.  I called the girl whose number I had for the apartment and asked her where it was.  It was up the street closer to where I was staying than I had thought.  It turns out that Höttinger Auffahrt is a road that goes up the hill and crosses Höttinger Au which runs sort of perpendicular to it along the base of the hill. (The Hill’s name, and its neighborhood is called Höttinger)  I made it, a bit late, but I had been in contact with the girl about my situation so it was no problem.  She was extremely nice; much less formal than all the other interviews.  When I walked into the apartment she told me to lay my backpack down.  She showed me the room.  It was furnished.  The apartment was on the fifth floor.  The room was as large as the studio apartments I had looked at, but it had a large balcony.  In fact the balcony was huge; all four bedrooms had an individual opening to the balcony, but the space was one large space, very long, and fairly deep.  To guess it was about 6 feet wide and 40 feet long.  The kitchen was spacious, and the toilet was separate from the shower.  The view was also spectacular since the building was so tall.  The girl offered me a glass of water, something none of the other interviewers offered.  We sat and actually were able to talk for a little while, discuss the situation.  I had a chance to think of questions, and to give information about myself.  This was the apartment I thought seemed to fit my criteria in price, location, and living situation.

I did not really want to live alone.  I wanted some roommates to share small conversations with as we passed each other in the kitchen or hallway.  That night I took a break and went to watch a soccer match with the friends I was staying with.  During the match I received a text from Barbara, the girl from the last interview.  She told me she had discussed it with the others and she wanted to invite me to live in the apartment!  This seemed almost as if divine intervention had united us.  I said yes and asked when I could move in; she told me anytime.  I moved in the next day. 

The week I spent wrapping up affairs, signing the contract for the room, getting to know my new roommate.  The other two roommates come back from vacation later this week, so I’ve been hanging out with Barbara, cooking, talking, watching TV in German, and shopping for food, bed sheets, etc.  Barbara also invited me out Saturday night to meet her friends at a bar to hang out and talk over a few drinks.  Several of them are architects who studied at Innsbruck.  They also were interesting people.  Most of them were from the Italian side of Tirol.

The region I am in is called Tirol, and the northern half is in Austria, while the southern half is in Italy.  In the Italian region they learn German and Italian in school.  It also seems to be much warmer on the Italian side, even though it’s only two hours away. 

Now I am preparing for school, and looking into architecture firms in the area.  I have discovered that I am allowed to do a few hours of work with my residency, and I would like to possibly to an internship with a firm here.  Maybe one day a week.   Now at least I feel as if I’ve finally arrived in Innsbruck.