it’s coming close to the beginning of 2011, which will make 6 1/2 years for me of living in madison. it will also mark the longest i’ve ever lived in one apartment (almost 1 year + 1 day…and counting). in recent months, i’ve been asked by several friends to help them find a new apartment, because, as you may imagine, moving 7 times in this time frame has given me quite the expertise on the madison rental-estate market. here is a recap of my madison moves:

sellery hall (august 2004/august 2005) roommate: ashley dieckman

highlights: well, it’s a dorm, so you can already imagine it’s highlights. i remember the absolutely terrified look on my mother’s face when she watched us loft the beds. after my parents left, i put up pictures of all my best friends from high school. 

there is no excuse for the michigan sweater (i blame ben leibovitz):

and of course, sellery hall is what led to the meeting of, and following years of, this:

palisades (august 2005/august 2006) roommates: ashley dieckman, andrea hilliker, chelsie larsen

highlights: the sophomore palace (not the sophomore slums, like the other half chose) that we decorated with true 18 year old class - life size posters from the notebook.

there were also the benefits of having the 12th floor balcony. also, remember when gaucho pants were cool? i do.

the bdh, part I (august/december 2006) roommates: ashley dieckman, chelsie larsen, ann dalee, kate jansen (formerly dvorachek), molly rutkowski, erin klug, dre reed

highlights: obviously, the creation of the bdh, which was started with a war with neighbors for the best wireless internet name. bdh stands for barbie dream house, and it was a suitable name for a house with eight girls. other notable highlights: the wall colors we chose, the 17 bats we killed throughout the year, the extensive water damage, the amazing game day parties, the rollerblading accident and recovery that followed, all the time spent on the patio.

it’s not so bad, right?:

ann’s color:

the beginning of the lime green, my room:

there were always people on the porch. seriously, always:

i only spent 1/2 a year in the first bdh, since dre, molly and i moved to spain for the 2nd 1/2 of the year. when i came back, we moved down the street.

the bdh, part II (august 2007/august 2008) roommates: chelsie larsen, ann dalee, molly rutkowski, erin klug, dre reed, andrea hilliker,  sami shapiro, tommy peters

highlights: the bdh added ken, which was good for me because i really hate taking out the garbage and having a male living with you automatically relieves you of those duties, right? it didn’t quite work out that way, but the year was still pretty fantastic. more badger game fun, more porch activities, and the beginnings of graduation.

the post-badger game destruction:

breakfast on the porch accompanied with music from ms. jones: 

the barbie bungalow e & f (august/december 2008) roommates: (e) ann dalee, andrea hilliker, (f) erin klug, dre reed, rochelle affias

highlights: we moved back downtown for super senior year, and it was about time. we owned the third floor of the apartment building that everyone knew the code to, some got mono (at age 23, seriously), some began their ‘cougar’ ways. we added bunny ears instead of cable and hors d’oeuvres at parties. ann, hilli, and i graduated mid-year, and gave our place up to a fascinating group of subletters who ended up being a huge disaster (sorry bungalow f).

i didn’t get the memo to wear black (notice sellery residence sign - still representing):

bungalow (e) on graduation:

the west side (january/december 2009) roommates: adam mais

highlights: after graduation, i had the idea that living on the west side was a good idea. let me fill all UW grads that are staying in madison in on something - stay downtown, the west side sucks. although, the closet space does make it tempting. other highlights included having an income, living with a chef who really liked making me breakfast, and a booming garden on our porch.

room for shoes, so satisfying:

delicious treats:

the planting begins:

the return (december 2009/current) roommates: n/a

highlights: i hired movers for the first time in my life. yes, these other 6 moves were done by me and friends. moving back downtown was a fantastic move. not only because i am back to 1/2 a block of important people like dre, ann, and  whitney - but because i can walk to the farmers market and to the 15 new restaurants that have opened up since the weather turned to summer and now back to fall/winter. other highlights include wood floors, plenty of wine and dinner parties, lots of new art on the walls, and just general happiness.

have i made an improvement over the years?

and cheers to new friends:

so, if you need advice on where, or how, or when to look for an apartment in madison, just let me know - i’ve got some skills.