Your best friend just bought a condo. Your beautiful older sister who manages to do everything first - first boyfriend, first career, first to compost - just closed a deal on her first fully-owned home, and mom and dad are so proud of her.
Sure, they're proud of you too - you've got a great job as a stylist which has you jet-setting to locales around the globe (your sister helped you get that job, of course, through her work as an accessories designer for Ralph Lauren). But when are you going to move out of their beachfront cottage so that they can finally use it as the investment property they bought it for?
You're ready to leave the beach, but instead of a $10,000 down-payment, you have a pair of YSL boots, five pairs of Manolos, two pairs of Jimmy Choos, two pairs of Prada heels, and that Valentino dress that you managed to get on sale before the master retired. No problem, because better-than-condo living is now available right downtown and there's no down-payment necessary.
The Lofts
Oliver McMillan is building apartments for urbanites on the border of downtown's East Village and the Gaslamp Quarter. The Lofts at 655 Sixth is currently renting, although at the time of this writing there aren't too many vacancies left, and it is easy to see why. The apartment building is reminiscent of a Manhattan boutique hotel - art hangs on the wall and murals are painted in the elevator. When you pass residents in the hall your first impulse is not to pretend you're engrossed in thumbing through your mail but to say hello because everyone seems so damn interesting! Sharp dressers, fun jobs, and an income that allows them to afford the $1,400-1,900 per month rent for a studio.
But what a studio! All of the apartments at 655 Sixth, from the smallest studio to the three bedroom units, share wood laminate floors, exposed concrete walls, and floor to ceiling windows. There are open-concept floor-plans which make every unit seem airy and spacious, and little necessities such as a dishwasher and in-suite washer and dryer. Your small feline or canine friend can easily share your chic new space with you, and your extensive shoe collection will be more at home in your downtown closet safe from the ravages of sea spray and sand.
The Amenities
While it would be easy to be pleased with just your new apartment, The Lofts at 655 Sixth offer so much more. There's the exercise room with free weights and cardio machines, and the private screening room where you and your friends can watch television, dvds, or maybe even play a little X-Box. Those who work from home know the perils of trying to sit at your computer while your bed in the other room tempts you with thoughts of going back to sleep. OliverMcMillan has provided a business center for residents that is far more chic than any cubicle. And when your friends are tired of hanging out at the Hard Rock's Moonstone Lounge, invite them to your building's terrace where you can serve them canapés (whipped up in your fab new open-concept kitchen!) while they relax in cabanas.
The most priceless amenity at 655 Sixth is not the screening room or the terrace however, it is the front office leasing agents. Oliver McMillan operates on the Raving Fan Theory which basically espouses the benefits of service that goes above and beyond a customer's expectations. The staff at 655 Sixth will be happy to send out your dry-cleaning for you, will let your cleaning staff into your apartment while you're at work, and will call you to make sure that everything is fine with your home and in your life. A community gets created in Oliver McMillan buildings as residents meet each other while dropping in to the front office to chat with the agents there, or while attending one of the events that the staff throws on a semi-regular basis.
The Location
While the Gaslamp offers many fun places, it also has a lot of tourists and badly dressed partygoers. The key to The Lofts at 655 Sixth is not only that the concrete and double-pane glass will keep your apartment quiet while you're trying to sleep, but that it straddles the border between the Gaslamp and the cooler sensibilities of the East Village. That means that you can meet your co-workers for a couple of beers at The Field in the Gaslamp, or a date at Café Chloe in the East Village. It also means that you have access to a real community - you already have local bars, restaurants, and salons, and now a new Farmer's Market has sprung up in the East Village within walking distance of The Lofts, which means that you can stock your fridge instead of eating out every night.
Your sister was the first to own a condo but now she's struggling with her HOA who won't let her put a pink flamingo on her balcony (can you imagine?) and in this economy she has seen her property lose its value in the first three months that she's owned it. Meanwhile you've gotten back from a job in Paris just in time to score a cupcake and a high five from your leasing office - thank goodness you remembered to bring them some souvenirs!
Time for you to indulge in some sleep before heading out to meet your friends at Neighborhood in the East Village, and maybe a little dancing at the Red C Lounge in the Gaslamp afterwards. You know that your dancing shoes are up for it and your little black dress is ready - the front office had it cleaned for you while you were away so that you wouldn't have to worry about a thing.
See The Lofts at 655 Sixth for yourself in the photo gallery here.
For more information on Loft Living in the East Village, get the details here, courtesy of Oliver McMillan - your San Diego real estate experts.
Discover San Diego Hotels