Our episode of House Hunters

There are a number of reasons why we're anxious to find an apartment, not least of which is to have [an internet connection!!! and] someplace to call our own. Finally. It's more or less the first big joint decision of our married life, and it's going to be somewhat difficult, I perceive, given that we both have an extraordinary inclination for indecisiveness. Here's our dilemma (quadri-lemma?)

Apartment #1 is a large 2-bedroom apt in the attic level of a large house in a nice neighborhood of Greisheim, Southwest of Darmstadt. Positives: Guest bedroom, large living/dining room, really cool angles because of the sloping attic wall/ceiling. Beautiful large garden and yard for hosting barbecues. Negatives: Distance from GSI. We would need to buy a car because public transport would take ~1hr. Also, the angle of the wall/ceiling in the bathroom slopes so steeply over the tub that it might only be possible to bathe while sitting or laying in the tub..

Apartment #2 is a small 1-br/studio apt in a commercial building in a fashionable district of downtown Darmstadt. Positives: Near a lot of shops, restaurants, etc. The large window in the living room looks over a main street to a nice big park. The whole inside of the apt was just remodeled. Negatives: It's very small.

Apartment #3 is a large 1-br apt in a house (duplex) in a beautiful residential district just south of Darmstadt - lots of old German architecture, iron gates, ivy, trees, landscaping. Positives: beautiful location, and it's a fully-furnished apartment. Negatives: living room has a putrid shade of green (1970's) carpeting. The kitchen appliances also appear to be from the 1970s. Though the tram stop is only a block away and it stops right at the GSI shuttle, the entire trip from home to work would be about 45min-1hr. Or we could get a car.

Apartment #4 is a mid-size 1-br apartment in Downtown Arheilgen (city between Darmstadt and Wixhausen). Arheilgen isn't big, but there are plenty of shops and restaurants, etc in the downtown, which looks like a nice place. Easy access to trams that go to all the surrounding cities, and it is within two blocks of the GSI shuttle stop. Positives: Just re-modeled, "large" kitchen, fabulous location. It was a difficult decision, but we really want this one. Negatives: 10 other people are looking at it too. The game goes like this: of the people who say they want to rent it, the real estate agent will weed out a few, then present his "selection" to the landlord who picks the lucky winner. It's not an equal opportunity selection process, and we've been told that foreigners have a disadvantage. So, we told the real estate agent today that we want the apartment, and now we just have to wait...