Wednesday, July 24, 2013

A Peek at the Next Rental

Mr. Tennis and I shuttled ourselves down to Orange, Ca. on Sunday to take a look at the condo we will start renting next month and get better acquainted with the surrounding area.

Walkway to our unit.

Yes, a condo.  
Orlando Grandma swears I will love it, but I'm skeptical about sharing my walls and about how the BTs will do without a "real" backyard. 


Courtyard out our front door.

When we were peeking around the small complex we noticed the sliding glass door off the back patio to our unit was unlocked. 

Front entry. Wooden fence surrounds our back patio area.

 "Notice" isn't exactly the word, I admit it, I tried it out and it slid open!  

View from sliding door off kitchen. Nice long space for The Bostonians to lounge around.

Lots of pretty plantings off the patio - Japanese Maple maybe?

Workers have been there laying wood laminate and other work and I suspect they were waiting for something to dry because a window was open too.

Mr. T by the kitchen entrance.

I can't remember the name of this one but I believe it originates in Hawaii. Anyone know?

Am I nosey or what?  While Mr. T kept a lookout I carefully slipped in and took some quick pictures of the rooms so I could share them with you and be re-arranging furniture in my head.

New laminate in the living room. I hope to do away with the dark curtains and make this a brighter space.

It's much smaller than our current rental, only 1100 SF.  Eeek!  What am I going to do with my "stuff"?


 Both bedrooms have great closet space and lots of light.


It comes with a one car garage, so that's where "stuff" will go until we figure it all out.  

Kind of a modern, yet throwback kitchen style.




Dining area off kitchen.  Pretty sure my dining table and hutch will fit.

This condo will give us a good launching point in the Orange area and it is only a few miles away from the historic district where I envision spending a lot of spare time.

Olde Towne Orange has a wonderful collection of shops, restaurants and civic organizations. Lots of old buildings.



We have the month of August to transition over to the new place and we will take advantage of that over several weekends moving small loads before the big move.

Park in the middle of the roundabout that forms the hub and the streets feeding off of it, the spokes, lined with pretty shops.

So.... will we like condo life? 
Will the dogs?  Will Bumby? 
 Will we get thrown out for barking and meowing? 
 Horseplay at the pool? 
Loud parties?

Stay tuned...

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is a lovely condo/area. I think you all will be very happy. Yes, that's a Jap. Maple - very pretty. I like all the natural light, too. We have downsized 3 times in the past three years....it will all work out for you, believe me!!!
You are going to love that historic district. Can't wait for you to share your trips there.

RURAL said...

It's lovely, now all it needs is a dog or two...and maybe a cat.

Japanese maple for sure..and I think that's a Oleander.

Very poisonous if it is...no dogs, or kids near it.

Jen

Razmataz said...

The dogs will be fine because there is an area for them to pop out and do their business.

That is a japanese maple and the second one is Frangipani (Pulmeria). It is indeed what they may Lai's from in Hawaii. They have the most delicious scent ever. If you pick the flowers they will scent the room beautifully. The come pink, white and yellow. We have them in Florida and I love them.

Mr. Connor said...

The first pix looks like a place you know about in Dunedin, right ? Looks real nice inside & out. Now WE see how the interior decorator does on this challenge ! A real fireplace ?

Decor To Adore said...

Fantastic! I haven't spent much time in Orange. Can I hang out in the historic district with you?

Hope the Maven has settled in and continues to do well.

Robin Larkspur said...

I lived in Hawaii for four years, and that lovely, very fragrant blooming tree is a plumeria, we had one in our yard in Navy Housing.
It will probably be quite the transition living in a condo, which we have done a few times ourselves. It looks very nice though, with a fireplace and I love the laminate flooring. The back yard may be smaller but it looks quite charming. I wish you a smooth move, and look forward to more photos and stories of the shopping (I have not forgotten that antique shop)!!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

It looks like a lovely place, very clean and fresh! Is that an end unit? The area off the kitchen looks nice.
I do know where Old Towne Orange is at. My aunt lived off of Katella and Imperial Hwy. Your close to Disneyland now! Debby

Olive said...

Ann, it looks fresh, clean, and comfy. I think it will work fine for you and the fur kids. xo, olive

Patricia @ 9th and Denver said...

I came here and read this post... but forgot to leave a comment before closing the tab!!!
So... I have never lived in a townhouse or an apartment or anyplace where the walls are shared. I'm going to be watching how this goes for you. The Honey and I kick this idea around a lot. We think it would be more budget friendly for us.
I bet you can guess the problems we might have if living arrangements were like this for us.
You have the Bostons to worry with...
waiting to see how this would go for you.
:P

RURAL said...

I see the blossoms are definitely a plumeria...how cool to see it growing out of a green house, they are very tropical here.

Jen

Sue said...

I'm a little late commenting, but as we ALL know,I am always working. Yes, the one you didn't know is a Pulmeria, but you already got the answer. Glad you are down in Country Roads "backyard"! I will get to see a lot more of you!

Take care,
Sue

Unknown said...

A big change coming up but you will like it once you are settled. I like it here . There seems to be enough room for the critters. A good place to get used to the area if that is the part of Cal you will end up working in. This remodeling has helped me to down size once again, it does not take all we carry around to be contented. Thanks for sharing.

Mullin Avenue Workshop said...

Ann,
This looks really nice, I like the light, the fireplace, and the laminate floors are lovely.The small wooden patio is such a nice addition, I think.
I think you will come to enjoy it, although it will take some getting used to. It's good you have the garage for storage. :)
It of course will take the pets some adjustment but they seem to have proven themselves good at changes.
What an amazing place to live, and there will be so much to do in your new neighbourhood, and surrounds, Ann.
Good luck with the move, it sure sounds like it will work smoothly.
All the best,
Brenda :)

Annie said...

Looks beautiful! Gosh I'm kind of jealous you live in a full-time vacation land for us mid-western peeps!!!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

It looks really pretty and I know you'll enjoy decorating it to your taste. I like living in a condo in NC...but we don't have pets. They are allowed there and they have a nice fenced dog park. I hope you have one close by. I love this location! I see someone said Oleander. I think that's what it is, too! Sweet hugs!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

Now I see others are saying it's something else! lol I never know!