2015 Hearst Ave Apartments

Silicon Valley, the housing and rental market went through the roof and my hopes of returning to the cool, foggy city that, in my heart, was my true home, vanished. Fast forward a decade or so: out of the blue, we stumbled upon an unusual unit in a boarding house of sorts near the UC campus in Berkeley. It's a smallish unit for two people, and its charms are peculiar, including a built-in stage (I'm a singer) and a tiny Hobbit-door of a back entrance. And, as noted above, it is subterranean. But...to those who would object to living in a place with next to no natural light, I say: I feel like I'm back in the City. It is always cool, and the quality of the light that filters in through the few high, frosted windows reminds me of an average day in one of San Francisco's beloved fogbound neighborhoods. And to those who disdain the sound of the nearby subway, I say: nearby public transportation is the best thing this side of having a personal chauffeur. And to those who are bothered by the intermittent whoosh of water, I say: funny, it sounds like a waterfall to me. Add to that the world's kindest, most interesting landlady and a constantly changing cast of extraordinary, international co-tenants, all either visiting professors or grad students at the university; the place could scarcely be more stimulating. And everything we could possibly want or need is within easy walking or biking distance, another very San Francisco-like perk. If you had asked me to describe my dream apartment, I probably wouldn't have said I'd like to live in a small, nearly windowless cellar with concrete floors and noisy, exposed pipes overhead. But as it turned out, this IS my dream apartment after all. So, when you are reading through all those dry, concise apartment listings, don't go by cold, hard facts alone. Read between the lines for a hint of humor, or a nod toward some unquantifiable feature. Then follow your intuition. It might just lead you home.