Touring any place is definitely key to whether the environment and attitude will fit your personality. It's not the only thing that matters, of course, but I've learned not to discount that gut feeling of whether you belong there. It helped me make my decision where to go to undergrad in upstate New York, which I loved.  And I know that I disregarded the unease I felt touring the campus where I went to grad school. Those ended up being two rather awful years, especially for my mental health, and I realized I should have listened to that uncomfortable nagging in the back of my head that the South was not for me.

 The real estate agent who is in charge of renting in the complex where I lived in 2004-2005 finally had something open up, so Friday morning I got up early and went to meet her, and it really was almost like coming home. The apartment she was showing was a HUGE 2 bed 2 bath but the brightness of the unit, the cleanliness of the grounds, the obvious care so many residents have for their patios/balconies bursting with plants, all mean that this is somewhere people like to live. 

So I gave my best pitch as the ideal tenant (which honestly as long as I stay sober I will be), and explained that while I do work from home a one bedroom would be plenty of space just for me. You seriously could fit a small family in that 2 bed apartment, and especially as I'm relocating from a NYC studio I barely have enough to sparsely furnish a one bedroom apartment. I don't even have a damn couch or desk!

But I loved it. I know the area pretty well still from living there before and it's even better now as an Acme and Whole Foods have replaced the A&P and Pathmark that used to be there. They're even walking distance for christ's sake, which in NJ is a big deal since NOTHING in the suburbs is walking distance. 

I think she liked me as well, and gave me the realtor listing with the link to a pre-screening service they use which I filled out today. Once my credit score comes back I'll likely be near the top of the waiting list so I will have a leg up on other renters. Most importantly, my gut says that I could truly be at home there, and I'm willing to wait another month or so to make it happen.