Apartment Look

fastest growing city ." src="src" /> Downtown revival: Eau Claire is now Wisconsin's second- fastest growing city . Andrea Paulseth /Volume One The small Wisconsin city is enjoying a cultural revival, thanks to its gorgeous setting, a few well-placed boosters, and a knack for smart development . Justin Green lived in Austin, Texas, most of his life. He opened a music studio there, got married, and had two kids. But by 2016, the 31-year-old felt it was time to leave behind the heat, crowds, and costs of the state’s fast-growing capital. He thought about Madison, Wisconsin, with its strong music scene . But bands kept telling Green to look further north, to Eau Claire. The town is known to indie music fans as the home of the Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival, a two-day event co-founded and curated by singer- songwriter Justin Vernon of the band Bon Iver, who grew up there. So Green and his wife paid a visit. “We were just like, ‘Holy shit! This plac...

Six years ago, Mike Brown and Casey Lynch stood on Downtown Boise ’s 8th Street and wondered: Why don’t more people live here? Downtown seemed to have everything that a growing percentage of Americans wanted in a place to live. “I mean, there’s all kinds of jobs. There’s a million coffee shops and hair salons and restaurants, and there’s an active street life ,” says Brown, who founded the Los Angeles- based development company LocalConstruct with Lynch in 2008. Casey Lynch, left, and Mike Brown have made their mark in Boise. Provided by LocalConstruct But in 2011, fewer than 4,000 people lived in Downtown’s scattered apartment and condominium buildings and houses. On a typical weekday afternoon , most Downtown workers got in their cars and put the city in the rearview mirror. Brown and Lynch saw an opportunity. They thought Boiseans would trade ample floor space and vaulted ceilings in the suburbs for smaller, high- end Downtown apartments that offered amenities like gyms, a do...

Matt Boys recently bought a dilapidated triplex near Charles and Snelling avenues in St. Paul with the goal of leasing out one apartment the traditional way and listing two others through the short- term rental platform Airbnb . Given the ongoing construction of a Major League Soccer stadium down the street, the Airbnb opportunity justified the $40,000 renovation, said Boys, noting he might not have taken the chance otherwise. Likewise, not all the apartments at the Lowry Building on downtown St. Paul’s Wabasha Street are available for lease year-round or even month-to-month. Building owner Madison Equities rents out at least seven units through Airbnb, and a handful of year-round tenants have taken to doing the same. As a result, visitors to downtown St. Paul can spend a night or two at the Lowry relaxing in a more residential setting than the typical hotel. But soon both properties may be out of step with the law in St. Paul. On Friday, the St. Paul Planning Commission voted 11...

When it comes to condominium development , Cascadia’s two largest cities couldn ’t be more different. Last year nearly 60 percent of new housing starts in the city of Vancouver, BC , were condominiums; meanwhile, Seattle saw no new condominium buildings open . And that’s not changing anytime soon: less than 10 percent of all building slated for downtown Seattle in the next three years will be condos. What’s the difference—why the blossoming of condominium construction in one city and the almost complete dearth in the other? The short answer is economics. In Vancouver, apartments are saddled with an unfavorable tax code , making condos the more lucrative multi- family housing investment even despite high rental demand . In Seattle’s skyrocketing rental market , one that’s climbed even faster than the condo market in recent years, apartment buildings are much more financially attractive, while condos come with bigger risks and, typically, lower returns. Compounding this profit differe...

Boomer travelers love to travel in Italy . The culture, history and food—oh, that food—combine for an unforgettable trip . And following our recommendations for places to stay in Italy turns it up a notch. Alan and I enjoy Italian accommodations ranging from boutique hotel s to upscale bed and breakfasts. When choosing a place to stay in Italy, we opt for unique and local, rather than name brand luxury chains . Take a look at our favorite places to stay in Italy before planning your next trip. Our Favorite Places to Stay in Italy:  Northern Version La Tavola Rotonda for a romantic stay in an Italian castle. Click through to read about our favorite places to stay in Italy. Perfect for your next boomer vacation." width="800" height="600" /> Staying at La Tavola Rotonda makes for a romantic getaway in Italy. La Tavola Rotonda, Chiavenna Landi La Tavola Rotonda , near Cortemaggiore and close to Parma, Bologna and Milan, makes a convenient headquarters for exp...