Sunday, December 8, 2013

Officially No Longer Homeless

We are excited to announce we have finally picked a place to live in Stuttgart.  Our new apartment is in a neighborhood called Stuttgart-Süd.  We think it will be a great location, since it is within easy walking/train distance to the center of Stuttgart, and very close to the tunnel out of the city that heads towards Matt's work.  So far the commute has been great.




There are lots of restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores within walking distance, so we are excited to explore our new neighborhood.  There are only two downsides so far:  it is a 5th-ish floor walk-up and the parking situation isn't ideal.  Hopefully we'll become accustomed to the stairs (and our legs will look like a million bucks) and we can find a nearby parking space to rent (the closest rental spot we've found so far is 5 blocks away and usually we can find street parking that is closer).

And what you've all been waiting for ... the apartment glamour shots!  (Don't be alarmed -- it is really empty.  We haven't received our container yet.  It's still on a yacht in the Atlanta.  We hope.)

Here is our living/dining area.  Really big.  Too bad we only have one chair.  Kristin loves the chair -- it's from Ikea and will look familiar to anyone who has previously visited Abby and Jack's apartment. In the interim, Kristin has suggest using the room as a skating rink.   Matt has already made us warm fires in the Swedish stove.  We haven't figured out how to make s'mores in it yet, but we are working on it.  Matt insists he has it all figured out.  Kristin is just sneaking marshmallows out of the bags until she's sure he has.



 We have a great balcony with views of the city and the Stuttgart TV tower (a beloved local landmark).  We got a cute Christmas tree for our balcony (which we can hopefully keep alive for next year too).




The kitchen is really spacious and has awesome views of the city out the windows.  We also got a kitchen island to make sure Kristin has enough room for all of her cooking supplies when they finally arrived.  She's already made some delicious cookies and brownies, even though she only has a pot, wooden spoon and some disposable pans.  She's trying to figure out how much she can make with just $10 worth of cooking supplies.  If she continues to make good stuff, Matt is considering making her get rid of at least 75% of her cooking paraphernalia.  (Kristin stongly disagrees with that idea.)






We've really appreciated the notes and cards that folks have sent. They've brightened up the white cabinets!

The bedrooms are on the small side, and don't have any closets (a special European quirk), but we're working on creative uses for the spaces.  Right now we are using an air mattress until our container arrives next month.  It is fun to have to blow up your bed every night.  A real treat. 




We have a guest room and are excited for people to come visit.  (Ignore the fact that the 2nd bedroom is currently being used as a huge closet.  We'll fix that before the first guests arrive.  We promise!)



We have 1 1/2 baths, which is awesome.  We're excited to buy a washer and dryer so we don't have to use the laundry on base anymore!




And I'm sure you are all wondering where Matt has put all of his suits and dress shirts.  On the stairs up to our apartment, of course!  Closet space is definitely going to be an issue ... since we have none.  And I'm thinking Matt's creative use of space isn't a permanent solution.
We can't wait to have you all visit and see the place in person. Until then, we are toasting our new place together!


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