Friday, February 29, 2008
Colin Reed has two unique neighbors — Chipotle Mexican Grill and Mad Greek Restaurant. In fact, there’s a door in his apartment that leads directly to Mad Greek.
Danielle Littman, Chicago junior, and Nancy Wolens, Boulder, Colo., junior, can see the Granada from their apartment.
In addition to all the shopping and dining opportunities on Massachusetts Street, there are apartments for rent above some of the storefronts.
Danielle Littman, Chicago junior, and Nancy Wolens, Boulder Colo. junior, overlook Massachusetts Street from their loft on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008. Littman and Wolens love the location of their loft and say they especially love living right above Ingredient.
August Dettbarn, residential representative in the Douglas County Appraiser’s Office, said there were about 112 rental units in the downtown area last year.
When it comes to living on Massachusetts Street, Reed, Overland Park senior, said it was all about the location. Bars, restaurants and campus are all within walking distance of Reed’s apartment.
Littman and Wolens live in the newly renovated TenTenLofts, above Ingredient at 10th and Massachusetts streets.
Living above a restaurant also comes with certain conveniences.
Littman and Wolens eat at Ingredient all the time. They usually call in orders and walk downstairs to pick up their food.
Wolens said that one man who worked at Ingredient often called her his neighbor.
Reed and his roommates don’t eat at Mad Greek as often as they eat at Chipotle. It’s quick, cheap, and addictive, Reed said.
“Somehow I’m not fat yet,” Reed said.
Reed, Littman and Wolens all said that living above stores did not require signing any additional contracts or permits.
Reed moved into the apartment in August 2007 with some friends and said he has loved it. He moved from a house on 10th and Tennessee streets, which he said was a lot bigger, but his lease ended and he liked the Massachusetts Street location better.
Littman and Wolens moved to their apartment in August 2007 without even seeing it. Wolens transferred from the University of Colorado and Littman found the apartment for both of them.
While the activity outside was distracting at first, they’ve gotten used to it.
“I kinda like the commotion,” Littman said.
They don’t hear much from Ingredient, but hear the live music from the Jackpot Saloon next door.
Littman and Wolens said they could hear when the bars closed at about 1:30 a.m.
Even though they live directly above Ingredient, there’s hardly ever problems with the smell from below. They’re thankful that Qdoba Mexican Grill, which closed last year and made room for Ingredient, isn’t there any more.
“I’m sure the smell from Qdoba would have been a lot more pungent,” Littman said.
Reed doesn’t worry about the smells from Mad Greek, either.
He said he could hear music coming from downstairs through the door in his apartment that opens into Mad Greek’s wine storage room.
“Every once in a while we’ll hear, you know, it’s a Greek restaurant, so we’ll hear everybody downstairs yell ‘Opa!’” Reed said.
Rent for the apartments above Massachusetts Street is comparable to other housing options.
Littman and Wolens pay $597.50 per person per month, as well as cable and energy.
Reed pays about $325 per month, but he has two roommates and said he paid a lot for parking.
He parks in the free two-hour lot behind the building, but can’t always move his car every two hours.
He’s gotten about 50 $2 tickets so far this year.
Since the apartments are in the middle of downtown, some unusual things happen occasionally.
“Every once in a while bums will show up in the hallway; that’s probably the strangest thing that’s happened,” Reed said.
The door to Reed’s apartment opens directly onto Massachusetts Street to the right of Mad Greek. They usually keep it locked, but Reed said he felt safe living there.
Littman and Wolens witnessed the end of the standoff between Edward Wise and Lawrence police in January. Wise hijacked a car and hit several other vehicles on Massachusetts Street before finally getting tased directly outside their window.
— Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird
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