Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Market Lofts

Okay, so I visited these lofts 4 times in the past 4 days! I think this development is fantastic. So urban and forward. The second floor, Podium Level, has terraces in some of the units with Zen-like rock gardens. They also have concrete floors which give a very industrial feel but not a cold feeling. The models show how they look glazed and stained with glaze looks very sexy.

The upper floors have varying views of Hope and 9th Streets. With two new developments going up on 9th, you can consider your view either blocked by the new buildings or enhanced by the beauty of them. It all depends on your perspective.

I appreciate the rentability (did I just make up a word?) factor of this development. They're priced right and being right across the street from FIDM doesn't hurt. The sales office gets so many rental inquiries that they've made up their own list of units for rent to help facilitate the process for potential renters and owners. That's a good sign.

It doesn't get any better than having the grocery store right downstairs. Their Ralphs is a very upscale market with wine tastings in the evenings. They have a great deli and loads of precooked food to purchase on the fly. The chicken artichoke sandwich was yummy. I got it grilled because there's nothing better than cheese...melted!

Coffee Bean is also downstairs as well as a UPS store. Roebeks and Quiznos are coming in too.

On a real estate agent note, there are some builder incentives that you can take advantage of and possibly more savings as well...if you have a saavy agent (ahem).

The Market Lofts website is www.Market-Lofts.com.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

A Cool Wine Bar

This past Thursday, Valentines Day, my husband and I checked out a wine bar on Spring Street called 626 Reserve. It's an intimate spot with nice ambiance and some decent wine selections.

We were fortunate enough to be there to catch a blues singer, Charlie Jene perform. She's going to be there again tonight and definitely worth checking out. It seems as though they're going to be featuring blues/jazz music on the Thursday Artwalk nights and Saturday nights too. But don't quote me on that.

I'm definitely going to return and next time I'll tour some of the art galleries first.

My vote for 626 Reserve is a YES and I'd recommend it!