This just in: some colossal idiot has bought a building in downtown Bryan and is renting out loft apartments, starting at $750/month for a one bedroom.
Those of you from larger cities might not see anything wrong with this. I should pause and explain that around here, a one bedroom apartment can be had for $400 if you know where to look. $600 will get you a two-bedroom, though perhaps not in the best parts of town. A nice two-bedroom might run you $750 in a good area, and in fact that is precisely what Michael and I pay for our apartment. We pretty much consider anything more than this to be exorbitant, given the insanely low cost of living around here. Generally, the cost of housing increases the closer you get to campus, which is in the north part of College Station – nowhere near downtown Bryan. In fact, there isn’t a whole hell of a lot in downtown Bryan, save a couple of good restaurants and some struggling thrift stores. It’s one of those mostly-abandoned downtown areas that are preserved because they’re “historical”, rather than because anyone actually lives or works there.
Now, it’s plain to me that someone – someone not from around here – saw this idea working really well in places like Dallas or Houston, and thought they’d make a buck by being the first to offer it in a smaller area. But they’ve forgotten the key to those urban lofts’ success: there are lots of places to go nearby. In order for the concept to work here, these places would have to be close to A&M – and in fact, there are three or four such things surrounding the campus, but they’re billed as “off-campus dorms” rather than downtown lofts. And they’re more expensive.
Do your homework, you idiot.
