Monday, September 24, 2007

Le Abode Nouveau, Part Trois









I meant to write this last week...

I had been thinking that my days in Montreal would be spent in my wiggity, run-down place on Rue Boucher with the fabulous 2007 Three-Channel TV® and the exclusive No-Spatula kitchen©, featuring the Non-Drain Drain© (now, because of Dollar Parity, available in the US).

So I posted that ad on Craigslist, right? The one the landlady saw. and since then, I got a handful of offers. Some just as wack as this place, and some, well, not everyone reads so good, if you know what I mean. One offer was $1500. (Mon dieu!), and another was a houseboat. Do I look like a houseboat guy?

One pattern that emerged was that I would go looking at a place, and I would see an apartment, and think, well, this is not so bad, and realize it was the wrong number. I would find the proper number, and there would be some dismal office/crash pad being paraded as a "renovated loft"!

I was ready to take this place in Outremont ("ooh-trey-mont"), described as a "contemporary second-floor furnished one-bedroom condo." Im sure it was. I never went in. When I finally walked up on it, guess what was on the first floor? A check cashing store and a 99 cent store. SO not going to happen.

And then I found St. Louis Square. Just about a mile and a half towards Downtown (I'm barely learning directions, since the city is tilted, compass-wise.) Just two blocks in from St Denis and a world away from Rue Boucher, a row of 1870-era homes sit surrounding a park with a beautiful fountain.

And once again, I am at the wrong address. Im looking for ---A. I'm stopped in front of ---, and I'm thinking, Hey, this is nice. High ceilings, hardwood floors, tall windows. Realizing I am on the wrong side, I walk across the park to ---A. Louis, the property manager, is standing in the doorway, inviting me in.

OK, this is the place. A remodeled foyer opens in to a grand living room facing the park. There is also a large dining room table, that can double as a desk (a problem at Chez Boucher). Peter, the owner, is an architect, which explains the amount of remodeling and attention to detail.

Built, as I mentioned, around 1870, the building itself was originally a birthing hospital, before being divided into apartments. I would say something at this point about new lives beginning here and all that pure fresh hope for a unmarred future, but that would be kinda obvious. I mean, wouldn't it?

There is a full size murphy bed, two (!) bedrooms, a hallway, and remodeled bathroom. There is something called an open induction oven in the remodeled kitchen, TV, DVD player, full cable and Internet service. All of which leads to the obvious: How can I ever leave?

I'll think of something.

4 comments:

lauren said...

sweet jesus in a leisure suit e, third time is def. a charm, eh? and talk about a total msp. whoops. i mean, talk about a way together crib.

but gaw, here I was feelin all sorry for you and picturing you hunched over your mac all jamcrammed onto some shocking pank Barbie beanbag chair. oh why oh why do you make us suffer so needlessly e?

seriously, glad yer good. and do keep us posted 'bout that oven/surgical instrument sterilizer. either the architect has a side biz you don't wanna know 'bout or it must make some BONAFIED CERTIFIED & all the way QUALIFIED toast.

ps--you gonna be back in LA Thanksgiving weekend? me and my much much much better half might be out that way and it's high time you all met...well, lettuce no!

EYESHOULDA HADAVATE

BuffState said...

Eddie,
Aucun........you ne ressemblent pas a un "type de houseboat" (toutefois un type de houseboat regarde), mais la vie sur un de ceux pourrait s'averer etre tout a fait l'aventure, aussi bien. Je suis tres excite pour vous et votre demeure recemment decouverte a Montreal et espere que vous obtenez d'entrer dans lui bientot.....le besoin de......gonna que table, si vous savez ce que veux dire je. I'admire votre ressource. ***

SoberCamel said...

Congrats. Toast in comfort, My Friend.

Edward Rivera said...

I am back in Los Angeles November 12.