http://hai.timeforcakeftp.com/index.php/site/index/ en melanieblevy@gmail.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-10T11:56:13+00:00 http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/living-alone-or-with-roommatesa-decision-guide/ http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/living-alone-or-with-roommatesa-decision-guide/#When:11:56:13Z Whether you’re new to Houston, or relocating in town, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make in your apartment hunt is this: Will you live alone, or with other people? Whether you’re new to Houston, or relocating in town, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make in your apartment hunt is this: Will you live alone, or with other people?   It’s a more complicated question that you may think. Even if you’ve always lived alone, or always shared your apartments, now might be time for a change. If you simply cannot afford to rent an apartment on your own, living with roommates is a great solution, but even if your finances are better, you may still choose to live with other people. Some renters choose roommates so they can afford to live in a more luxurious apartment or a more expensive neighborhood. Others do it just for the company, or to make housekeeping easier by sharing chores and errands. Roommate relationships aren’t just for young, single people, either: As the economy and culture shift, more families and people past their 20s are choosing to share their homes with roommates. Still, some people love the privacy, freedom, and drama-free advantages of living alone so much that they will tighten their budgets to make it happen.   The choice is a very personal one, and how you feel about living alone or with others will probably change as your life circumstances change. As About.com’s Apartment Living/Rental guide explains, a lot of roommate trouble starts when renters take a roommate just because external factors make it look sensible, because it’s what they’ve always done, or because everyone they know is doing it. This guide from About.com will walk you through the deeper, more personal reasons why living with roommates may or may not be right for you. Do you prefer privacy, or do you tend to feel lonely without other people around? Are you willing to risk personal conflict for a chance to save money and time? What matters most to you? Remember, though there are risks involved in sharing an apartment, you can take steps to set yourself up for roommate success, and in the worst case scenario, you can survive having a deadbeat roommate.   If you’re on the fence about whether to look for roommates or rent your Houston apartment on your own, read and listen to the stories of people who have done both. Which ones sound most like you, your lifestyle, and your personal preferences? Which story feels right to you? To get you started, check out “One is the Awesomest Number—5 Reasons Why Living Alone Rules” from Lemondrop, and “The Roommate Revolution: Why Living Alone is Overrated,” from Yes! magazine.   2012-05-10T11:56:13+00:00 http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/celebrate-mothers-day-in-houston/ http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/celebrate-mothers-day-in-houston/#When:17:59:32Z Is your family new to Houston and wondering what to do for Mom’s big day? Never fear. Houston Apartment Insiders has already provided guides for celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, and Halloween in our beautiful city. Here are some ways to enjoy Mother’s Day in Houston. Mother’s Day this year is Sunday, May 13. You have just over one week to plan. Is your family new to Houston and wondering what to do for Mom’s big day? Never fear. Houston Apartment Insiders has already provided guides for celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, and Halloween in our beautiful city. Here are some ways to enjoy Mother’s Day in Houston: These at-home activities are classics for a reason. This article from CBS Houston reminds us all of those classic Mother’s Day traditions: letting Mom sleep in, helping the kids make her breakfast in bed, making a book of fun coupons (for hugs, massages, time to relax, and so on), and spending quality time with her. Wherever you are, remember that Mother’s Day is about honoring the mother in your life for the unique person she is, and giving her well-earned time to relax. The best Mother’s Day ideas are simple, personal, and full of love. The classics never get old. Here’s how to find the perfect Mother’s Day brunch in Houston. One of the classic Mother’s Day activities is taking Mom out for brunch. If you’d like to celebrate this way, Houston has plenty of options. How to choose? Check out The Mother’s Day Thread on Yelp! Houston. There, you can read recommendations from your fellow Houstonites. If you prefer suggestions from professional restaurant critics, you can find them on Gayot’s post, “Houston Mother’s Day Brunch.” Once you have a few places in mind, you can look over their Mother’s Day menus at B4-U-Eat Houston Restaurant Guide. Enjoy great deals on gifts and activities the mom in your life will love. The deal sites LivingSocial and Groupon both have special listings for Mother’s Day in Houston. You’ll find local and online discounts on massages, photography packages, wine tastings, high tea with the kids, flowers, jewelry, teddy bears, and more. Think of the mom in your life, and her unique tastes and interests. What would she love to have? There’s no shame in saving money on the perfect gift. You’ll just be able to spoil Mom all the more.   2012-05-03T17:59:32+00:00 http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/finding-health-care-in-houston-without-insurance/ http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/finding-health-care-in-houston-without-insurance/#When:13:07:42Z Need medical care in Houston and don’t have insurance? We have some key resources for helping your and your family get the care you need. If you’re brand new to Houston and you or a family member needs medical care, the easiest way to find providers is to contact your health insurance company. If you’re new to town, though, you may not have insurance yet, for a variety of reasons. Whatever the reason, if you’re uninsured, you’ll have to look harder to find providers who will see you, and you may need help paying for your care. There are resources in Houston that can help. If you don’t have insurance, and you or a family member needs healthcare now, here’s a starter guide to the possibilities:   If you already have a job, ask your company for referrals. Even if your insurance hasn’t kicked in yet, your company’s human resources department or relocation specialist may be able to suggest low-cost providers in your neighborhood. It’s worth asking here first. If you’re a college student, ask your school’s student services office. If you’re a student at one of Houston’s many colleges and universities, chances are good that you do have health insurance, paid for through your student fees, or that you can choose to join a student health plan. There may even be a convenient student health center on your campus. Check with your school’s student services office to find out what care your school provides. If there is no school plan, they may still be able to refer you to an affordable provider who will see you. Try these clinics for specific services. These Houston healthcare clinics offer affordable care for specific services, whatever your income and whether or not you have insurance: For patients 18 months old and up who need check-ups, sports physicals, immunizations (those needed before you register your children for school, and other vaccines), and treatment of illnesses and minor injuries, you can visit the Minute Clinic in some CVS pharmacies or the Take Care Clinic in select Walgreens stores. For women, men, or teens who need care that has to do with the reproductive system—including birth control for females and males, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, urinary tract infection treatment, and pregnancy tests and referrals for prenatal care—Planned Parenthood offers services with or without insurance, and on a sliding scale for low-income patients. Look into local medical schools. Houston’s two medical schools provide excellent care to insured patients. For the uninsured, they offer opportunities to participate in medical trials, and may have other opportunities for low-cost healthcare. Visit the web sites for the Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston for more information. If you need help paying for medical care, these sites can help. Services for low-income Houston residents will require you to show proof of your income level, work through bureaucratic application procedures, and possibly wait a long time in the hospital or doctor’s office, but they do provide care for patients who would not otherwise be able to afford it. The Harris County Hospital District Gold Card is a discount program that provides healthcare for Harris County residents on a sliding scale based on income. You can learn about more Houston healthcare clinics that provide care on a sliding scale through Healthy Houston or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.   2012-04-26T13:07:42+00:00 http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/resources-for-family-friendly-apartment-hunting/ http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/resources-for-family-friendly-apartment-hunting/#When:13:31:25Z On the hunt for a family-friendly apartment in Houston? We’ve got the best list of resources and apartment hunting ideas for you and your family. When you have children, everything about apartment hunting is different. Amenities that are optional for single people (like laundry facilities in the building) become must-haves, safety is a much bigger issue, and you’ll be looking for nearby places to play. We’ve already posted about four things to consider when you’re apartment hunting with kids: the most family-friendly neighborhoods in Houston, families’ rights under the Federal Fair Housing Act, noise issues, and safety concerns. Here are a few more thoughts on finding family-friendly apartments, along with online resources to help you.   Location: Think safety, schools, and play spaces. There’s a lot for parents to think about when choosing a neighborhood. If you’re new to Houston, you may need a little help finding the best location for your family. Of course you’ll be on the lookout for parks, trails, and playgrounds, which can be found in many parts of the city. For help choosing Houston-area schools and getting your kids enrolled, visit our previous post “Moving With Kids: Enrolling in Houston Schools.” You can find school rankings, as well as neighborhood-by-neighborhood crime statistics, at both Neighborhood Scout and CityRating.com.   First baby on the way? Here are tips you may not have thought of. Bruce Bahlman at the Baby in the City blog offers this collection of apartment-hunting hints for anyone expecting their first child. He gives helpful hints that probably wouldn’t occur to anyone who hasn’t lived in an apartment with a baby before. The most surprising: Think handicap accessible. Any doorway, apartment complex, or public transit stop that a wheelchair could get through will also be easy to navigate with a stroller. Read the rest of his post for more practical advice, from safety tips to conveniences you won’t want to do without.   Houston is a great city for families, with plenty of healthy, fun, and educational things to do. Check out our previous post, “Summer Fun for Kids in Houston” to learn about day camps for kids aged 3 to 18 and a wide variety of interests—plus a few Houston attractions for year-round family fun.   2012-04-12T13:31:25+00:00 http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/a-brief-guide-to-houston-bicycle-commuting/ http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/a-brief-guide-to-houston-bicycle-commuting/#When:13:57:51Z One of our previous posts offered several ideas for making your commute easier (or eliminating the commute altogether), but one we hadn’t mentioned is bicycling. Cycling to work may not work for everyone, but for some, it’s a great way to ease the pain of Houston traffic while getting a great daily workout. If you’re new to Houston, your daily commute may take some getting used to. In 2010, The Weather Channel reported that Houston was fourth on the list of America’s top 10 worst cities for commuter traffic. The difficult commute is a trade-off for living in such an amazing city. Houston is home to more Fortune 500 companies than any city except for New York, and we have sports and cultural events happening every day. There’s a lot to do, and a lot of great places to be. One of our previous posts offered several ideas for making your commute easier (or eliminating the commute altogether), but one we hadn’t mentioned is bicycling. Cycling to work may not work for everyone, but for some, it’s a great way to ease the pain of Houston traffic while getting a great daily workout. Houston is home to an excellent system bicycle routes, and also to an active cycling community.   Three Bike to Work Days in 2012—Starting Friday, April 13 National Bike to Work Day is May 18 this year, but Houston is getting started early. On April 13, Houston will celebrate the first of three Houston Bike to Work Days. In the morning, Mayor Annise Parker will join cyclists in Memorial Park at after 6:30 am for a 7:30 am ride to City Hall. Cyclists are also encouraged to meet at bike shops throughout Houston and ride in groups to City Hall, where Mayor Parker will greet all cyclists and host a press conference from 8:15 am to 9 am. Afterwards, cyclists are encouraged to ride to work. Afternoon rides from work are also scheduled. You can learn more about this and the two other Houston Bike to Work Days (Thursday, May 17 and Friday, May 18) at the City of Houston’s Bikeways web site.   Taking Bikes on Houston Metro Trains If your commute is too long to bike all the way, consider traveling by a combination of bicycle and public transportation. Houston METRO buses come equipped with bike racks, and Houston METROrail trains allow cyclists to bring their bikes aboard during limited hours. Visit the METRO web site here to learn how to bring your bike on a bus, and here for the rules for brining bikes on commuter trains.   How to Find Houston Bike Routes Houston is home to over 300 miles of bike lanes, bike routes, shared lanes, bayou trails, off-road trails built by Harris County, and rails-to-trails (trails built where railroad tracks once were). You can download a map of all of these trails, or maps of trails in specific Houston areas, at the Bikeways web site.   The Rules of the Road Blogger Cesema of Pedaling Houston has compiled this useful collection the Houston laws that affect bicyclists, along with a few bits of trivia about cycling laws around the country. For example, Colorado has a law specifically against throwing things at bicyclists, but Houston does not. Texas’ governor, Rick Perry, vetoed a similar law here, saying that such behavior was already covered under reckless driving laws. In other news, rude and ignorant motorists are sometimes a problem for Houston cyclists, as they are for cyclists everywhere. Let’s hope that more Houston cycling events and our active and vocal cycling community can better educate them.   Houston’s Cycling Community If you’d like to connect with other Texan cyclists, learn about Houston cycling events, find local bike shops, and get cycling tips, Texbiker.net is a great place to start.   2012-04-05T13:57:51+00:00 http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/managing-allergies-in-your-houston-apartment/ http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/managing-allergies-in-your-houston-apartment/#When:12:15:46Z Whatever you’re allergic to, and however mild or severe your symptoms are, a well-chosen Houston apartment can reduce your suffering. Tips for going from sneezy to breezy! Spring is here, and for some, that means hay fever season is here, too. For others, allergies are a year-round problem. Dust, mold, smoke, pet dander, and a variety of chemicals cause different allergy symptoms—from the mildly annoying to the life-threatening—for different people. Whatever you’re allergic to, and however mild or severe your symptoms are, a well-chosen Houston apartment can reduce your suffering. Whether you’re moving to Houston or relocating within the area, the apartment hunt is a great time to reduce your exposure to allergens. Here’s how to conduct an allergy-friendly apartment hunt:   Discuss severe allergies with your manager or landlord before you sign your lease. If your allergies are severe, be sure to discuss them with your potential landlord. The presence or absence of your allergen can make all the difference in your happiness in your new Houston apartment, so it should make or break your decision to rent there. Read your lease and the apartment complex’s stated rules carefully, and ask questions if it’s not perfectly clear how those rules will affect your allergies. For example, if smoking is prohibited inside the building, is it allowed on the building’s grounds? Neighbors who smoke outside may be worse for someone who is very sensitive to smoke. If your allergies are very severe or even life-threatening, find out whether they can be considered a disability under the Federal Fair Housing Act. If so, your landlord may be required by law to make reasonable accommodations to help you avoid allergens. This post from the Fair Housing Institute explains how and when landlords must make accommodations for severe allergies.   Choose an apartment that’s easier to keep clean. Depending on your allergen, certain details can make your apartment much easier to live in. Most allergens, including pet dander, dust, and pollen, are much easier to clean from hardwood or tiled floors than from carpets. If pollen is a problem, effective air conditioning is a must to keep you comfortable while your windows stay closed. Look for an apartment with newer windows that won’t let in allergy-aggravating drafts. Whatever you’re allergic to, also look for an apartment with a dehumidifier in its HVAC system. If your apartment doesn’t have one, consider getting your own small dehumidifier. The ideal humidity level for controlling indoor allergies is 30 to 50 percent. The average relative humidity in Houston is 63 to 90 percent. A dehumidifier can make the difference in mold growth and the ability of other allergens to travel through your apartment’s indoor air.    2012-03-29T12:15:46+00:00 http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/choosing-a-pet-for-your-houston-apartment/ http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/choosing-a-pet-for-your-houston-apartment/#When:19:18:30Z If you don’t yet have a pet, but you’re thinking of getting one, here’s a short guide to choosing the pet that’s right for you and your Houston apartment. Would you like to add a loving animal to your life? It is possible—and quite rewarding—to live in an apartment with one of many kinds of pets. If you don’t yet have a pet, but you’re thinking of getting one, here’s a short guide to choosing the pet that’s right for you and your Houston apartment:   Ask first. The most important factor to having apartment pets with joy and peace of mind is making sure that your landlord is okay with your pet being there. Yes, many people have sneaked pets in against their landlords’ rules, but this is not worth living in fear, and certainly not worth the heartbreak of getting caught. If you’re shopping for a new apartment, Houston Apartment Insiders can help you find one of the many pet-friendly apartments in our great city. If you already have your Houston apartment, read your lease carefully and ask your landlord or manager before you get any new pet. This rule isn’t just for cats and dogs. Many apartments allow smaller pets (such as birds, rabbits, rodents, and reptiles), but some don’t. If your apartment’s official policy doesn’t allow the pet you want, there’s still a chance you can get them to make an exception. Apartment Therapy’s tips on negotiating pet policies may help.   Love dogs? Look for apartment-friendly breeds. Dogs can make great pets for apartment living. Choose a breed (or mix of breeds) that does well in apartments.  The Dog Guide blog lists 10 breeds and PetVR.com lists 20 whose space requirements and mellow, quiet temperaments make them great choices for apartment life. Many small breeds made the list, but there are also some surprisingly large breeds—including mastiffs, great Danes, and standard poodles—whose personalities make them great apartment pets. To keep your dog in top shape, check out our post about the many great dog parks in the Houston area.   Think beyond cats and dogs. Many small and exotic animals make great pets, and are more likely to get the okay from your landlord. Consider birds, fish, snakes or other reptiles, and small rodents (like guinea pigs and hamsters). Some surprising ideas may turn out to be the best ones for you: Pet rats are actually very clean, intelligent, and playful companions. Adorable exotic animals, including ferrets, hedgehogs, and chinchillas can also make great apartment pets. These and more possibilities are discussed in PetsDo’s  “Ten Apartment Pets That Can Be Better Than Cats and Dogs.” Keep in mind that some of these pets (We’re looking at you, sugar gliders!) require even more time and attention than dogs do. Do some research and choose the pet that fits your lifestyle.   Rabbits are great pets, but not great Easter basket filler. As of this writing, Easter is coming soon, so we must say a word about rabbits: They are playful, adorable, loving pets, and great pets for apartment dwellers. Know, though, that the average lifespan of a well-cared-for rabbit is 10 years, and they require as much time and effort as dogs and cats do. If you’re up for the commitment, visit the web sites for the North Texas Rabbit Sanctuary or Bunny Buddies of Houston to learn all about rabbits, including how you can adopt a rescued rabbit who really needs you. If you’re looking for a cute, low-maintenance Easter gift, please choose a plush, stuffed bunny, instead.   Save a life: Adopt a rescue pet! Besides rabbits, many types of rescued pets are available for adoption in Houston. There are cats and dogs, of course (including puppies, kittens, and even some purebreds), but many animal rescue organizations also have rabbits, rodents, birds, reptiles, and exotic pets. This web page from Citizens for Animal Protection gives contact information for 29 organizations that offer many kinds of pets for adoption in the Houston area. Once you decide what kind of pet is right for you and your Houston apartment, find out if there’s one waiting to be adopted. You will probably save money, and you will definitely save a life.   2012-03-22T19:18:30+00:00 http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/furniture-hacks-for-small-apartments/ http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/furniture-hacks-for-small-apartments/#When:14:32:19Z Whether you’re setting up your first Houston student apartment or downsizing after living in a house, the small scale of apartment living is something to get used to. Tips for furnishing small spaces. Whether you’re setting up your first Houston student apartment or downsizing after living in a house, the small scale of apartment living is something to get used to. As we’ve said before, one challenge of living in a small apartment is that most furniture simply isn’t designed for these types of spaces. Still, you can live in comfort and style in a small apartment, if you make the most of your space, use multipurpose pieces, and think creatively. With a little know-how, you can even customize your own furniture for small apartment living. Here are some resources to show you how:   Loft and Murphy Beds If your Houston apartment has high enough ceilings, turning your bed into a loft bed will free up a lot of space. Built-in, wall-mounted loft beds will likely be more apartment modification than your landlord will accept, but a free-standing loft bed should be an option for any apartment, if ceiling space allows. This post from the Dornob design blog will give you a variety of loft ideas for kids and adults. For instructions on building a free-standing loft bed cheaply and easily, visit this post from Instructables, or this one from HGTV. If you’re a more experienced DIY builder, you can build a fold-away Murphy bed (workable even in apartments with low ceilings) with these instructions from the DIY Network, or these from Moddi.   IKEA Hacks Houston’s IKEA store is one of our favorite sources of inexpensive, versatile apartment furniture. Many of their pieces will work well for small spaces straight from the store, but simple DIY projects can make custom furniture that’s even better suited to your unique space and lifestyle. The entire IKEA Hackers web site is dedicated to IKEA-based DIY ideas. You’ll find instructions here for everything from simple additions (like adding a recessed work bowl to a kitchen island cart) to complete furniture rebuilds. For even more IKEA hack ideas from around the internet, check out this post from the Houzz home design blog.   More Small-Space Hacks Furniture from all sources can be modified to do more in a small apartment. For more space-saving ideas, visit Lifehacker. You can search this blog to find a variety of DIY and space-saving ideas, but their post, “Top 10 Space-Saving Household Projects,” is a great place to start. You’ll also find lots of ideas on the blog, Tiny-Ass Apartment. Its writer, Simone Chavoor, lives in a 300 square-foot studio apartment, but wants to use her space well and with style. Every post on her blog is about living large in a small apartment, whether it’s decorating for an open feel, or modifying furniture for multiple purposes. 2012-03-15T14:32:19+00:00 http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/update-your-apartment-decor-for-spring/ http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/update-your-apartment-decor-for-spring/#When:02:19:03Z The first day of spring is less than two weeks away. Celebrate by giving your Houston apartment a fresh look! The first day of spring is less than two weeks away. Celebrate by giving your Houston apartment a fresh look! Whether you’re just moving to Houston, or you’re looking to change up your long-time home, the start of spring is a great time to try out new apartment decorating ideas. Here are some of the top spring decorating tips from around the internet:   Balcony or patio: Use it if you’ve got it. If your Houston apartment has a balcony or patio, you can decorate your own outdoor space and enjoy it all spring and summer. ApartmentRatings.com explains the most basic steps for setting up a patio or balcony you’ll want to spend time on. If you’ve got a green thumb, this is a great place to exercise it. Check out our guide to balcony and patio gardening, complete with links to more information and advanced container gardening techniques.   Houseplants: Bring some life indoors. No balcony? You can still make your apartment greener and more alive for spring. Houseplants will grow happily in any sunny window, and some even do well in shady rooms. If keeping plants alive is new to you, our blog post here will tell you how to choose inexpensive, easy-to-grow houseplants. More advanced indoor gardeners may be interested to know that you can grow your own food in your apartment, with or without a balcony.   Green crafts: Make old things new again. This Apartment Therapy post lists 25 ways you can repurpose old stuff into fresh and fashionable accent pieces for your Houston apartment. Transform old t-shirts and sweaters into chic throw pillows, wine corks into funky trivets, mason jars into fun and functional bathroom storage, and more.   Colors: Add some spring to anything. Some colors just feel like springtime, and adding those colors to anything makes it fresher, livelier, and more “now.” Pantone, creator of the color classification system that helps designers everywhere communicate just what hue they want, has listed the top colors for spring 2012. Their blog post here describes spring colors like Tangerine Tango, Sweet Lilac, and Sodalite Blue, and suggests ways to combine them for the perfect spring effect. Use these colors when you repaint furniture, cover throw pillows, choose wall art, or add anything to your apartment that you’d like to feel modern and fresh. 2012-03-08T02:19:03+00:00 http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/trend-watch-the-future-of-houston-apartments/ http://www.houstonapartmentinsiders.com/site/blog/post/trend-watch-the-future-of-houston-apartments/#When:14:18:47Z Here are the apartment building trends that will change the face of Houston apartments this year and beyond. What’s shaping YOUR lifestyle? New apartment complexes are being built all the time, around Houston and across the country. Though you may love your new apartment now, the new complexes coming soon may entice you to relocate within Houston to a place even better suited to your lifestyle and tastes. We’ve already given you a taste of what to expect in the Houston real estate market in 2012. Here are the apartment building trends that will change the face of Houston apartments this year and beyond:   Two Generations Drive the Trends According to The Philadelphia Enquirer, apartment builders across the U.S. cater to two groups of people: the young, up-and-coming Generation Y, and the affluent Baby Boomers just entering retirement. These two very different generations drive nearly opposite apartment building trends. Boomers are looking for more spacious, luxurious apartments. Even though many are downsizing from houses as they start their retirements, they want and can afford high-end amenities and plenty of space. Generation Y, those born between 1981 and 1999, are mobile, hip, tech-savvy, and mostly single people just beginning their careers. They’re interested in small-scale apartments, giving up extra space so they can afford to live in the part of town they like best. Both generations prefer walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods, where Boomers can easily get to everything they’ll need as they age, and young adults can stay on the pulse of everything fun and lively about city life.   Large Luxury Apartments Clifford Pugh of Culturemap Houston suggests that 2012 will be “the year of the mid-rise in Houston.” Houston city ordinances now make building high-rise apartments legally challenging, so local builders are planning four- to eight-story, mid-rise apartment complexes throughout Houston. These new Houston apartments are large and luxurious, catering to those who have given up on home ownership after the recent mortgage crisis, but still want the space and amenities houses offer. The goal is to make apartment living even more comfortable than living in a house. Some builders are aiming at young professionals—older Generation Y and younger Generation X renters—but the comfortable mid-rise lifestyle will also appeal to new retirees.   Small, Sustainable, and Efficient For the youngest, hippest adults, other builders are making tiny, high-tech, super-green apartment complexes. According to Ralph Bivins’ report on Culturemap Houston, many new Houston apartments (and apartments across the country) will be small and super-efficient, with tiny appliances and nearly nonexistent living rooms. These small spaces will make energy-efficient living in attractive neighborhoods affordable even to young adults just starting their careers. To make up for the lack of space inside each unit, apartment buildings will include attractive common areas, including well-equipped fitness centers, on-site dog parks, and community lounging areas. 2012-03-01T14:18:47+00:00