Catalyst Uptown

Curiosity killed the cat today. I had to do it. They just finished building a new condo building right next to our office building. They are the only high rise condos in Charlotte that are for lease. I’ve been online and checked out the floor plans and have been dying to see the inside of one of them.

So the cat died as curiosity kicked in this morning. It has been a little slow in the office so one of my co-workers and I decided we were going to go for a tour. As we were introduced to the leasing agent, I played the role of the girl looking for a two bedroom for me and a roommate and my co-worker was coming just as a second opinion. I filled out some paperwork (with absolutely no intention of ever leasing one of these units) and we were swept into an elevator and up to the 17th floor to a 2 bedroom, 1092 square foot condo with 2 baths. All appliances were nice and new, the paint and carpet smelled fresh, and . . . . . . . . That was about it. It was downhill from there!

$1600 per month would get you two tiny as* bedrooms, only one with a so called “walk in closet” (that is if you had steps the size of a two year old) and the other with a closet that would maybe hold three pairs of pumps and ten dresses (but that still might be cramming the hangers in a big tangle). It would get you a hall closet with a stackable washer and dryer (no air drying room here!) and a living room that would hold a loveseat and a wall mounted TV.

If you had enough money left over after rent to even eat, you could use the dining area that would require you to borrow your little cousin’s tea set and plastic playschool table just so you would have enough room to maneuver to the “master” 11 x 11 bedroom!

$1600/month also gets you a 64 square foot balcony which is highly useful if you are a stand-up smoker, but other than that, unless you enjoy the view of dump trucks and the sound of jack hammers constructing the office buildings next door, not a place you want to come home and relax. I discovered the only storage closet in the entire apartment out on the balcony, but after some questioning, found that it is a mechanical room and you are not allowed to keep stuff in it. Oh fabulous, more shit that’s going to go under the bed!

The kitchen was one wall of cabinets and an island, and…..that’s it. You have it; the nice new apartments of the Catalyst in uptown Charlotte!

Oh wait, I forgot two things, $1600 per month also gets you some “unfinished” ceilings walls that look like backer board (If you don’t know what that is check out this picture http://www.jupiter-contractors.com/images/c-shower-wall-backer-board-lg.jpg) because supposedly that is the new look (or the contractors were just too busy staring at women on the street (refer to my post several days ago!)).

And last but not least in your final list of fabulous apartment features, you get overhead lighting outlets on the ceilings in every room with caps so that you can buy and install your own overhead lighting or ceiling fans! Oh how nice of them to let me pick out and purchase my own fixtures that I will NEVER need again unless down the road I lease from another cheap property owner!

Ok maybe I was a little harsh about the inside and features of these apartments, but I had plenty of time to think about it as I walked outside of the building, down a long covered walkway and into a poorly lit six deck parking garage open to the public that the leasing agent admitted to recently having several car break-ins. BUT, don’t be alarmed because there are several security cameras located randomly throughout the garage that can catch the 5’10, 150lb male dressed in a black hoodie with jeans. He probably stands out in a crowd anyways! So, don’t worry about locking your car as you make 10 trips from the parking deck a block over up to your apartment on the 17th floor with groceries in hand; your car will be safe with Catalyst Properties!

Lease from Catalyst today! (Oh, and did I mention, you do have the possibility at this place to be a real idiot....you could buy one of these bad boys! ha)