CLEVELAND - Take it as a fact: Living downtown is becoming cool. Loft owners are flying high with a near-zero vacancy rate. And Main Street Wooster organizers are floored by the crowds who flocked to its second "Live It Up! Loft Walk" recently. "We had about 625 people, about 200 more than last year's event," said Sandra Hull, executive director of Main Street Wooster. Main Street co-sponsored the walk along with Muddy Waters Cafe and Roomscapes. "People enjoyed seeing the lofts and seeing is believing.”
But just what is it that attracts people to these second- and third-floor walkups, where rent can range from $800 to $1,500 a month and covered parking isn't an option? According to the renters and developers, the lofts offer a unique combination of amenities, convenient location and a slice of the urban renewal pie.
Talk to the people who came to the loft walk and they'll mention drawbacks -- inconvenient parking or long flights of stairs that aren't good for families with kids. But talk to the people who live in the lofts and there are no drawbacks -- it's the best place they'd ever want to live.
Amenities that earn top mention from renters are the exposed brickwork, the high ceilings and open spaces that allow for large amounts of natural light and the overall sense of sophistication.
I love the exposed brick walls. I like the high ceilings, the expansive windows that allow in a lot of natural light," said Dan Good, who lives in a newly renovated Liberty Street loft. The bricks are treated to reduce brick dust, he said. He also loves the "very private rooftop decks," designed so residents can't peek over from one loft to another. And he's a big fan of the "free-form, flexible spaces."
"I think it'll be a good entertaining space -- I love entertaining," he said. He pointed to gallery lighting that would illuminate artwork on the high walls, noting there was no direct sunlight that would cause artwork to fade. That combination is ideal for an art collector, Good said.
Lofts also feature walk-in closets and real gas fireplaces. Some even have skylights. Kitchens are done in a contemporary European style complete with dishwasher, garbage disposal and automatic icemakers. Washers and dryers come standard in each loft.
"When I saw the loft, I knew that's exactly what I wanted," said Mary Karen Vellines, who has found no drawbacks to living downtown. She looked at houses, apartments and condominiums before choosing the loft. The deciding factors included the "contemporary feel, high ceilings" and because the lofts are so "well-appointed."
"It's a great space. Very well done," Vellines said Vera Yardley was attracted by the uniqueness of the loft. She enjoys seeing buildings being renovated, she said. "I've always loved living in downtown areas, no matter what the area. ... I never considered anything but an apartment downtown," Yardley said. She, too, cited the original brickwork as a plus and said the whole area downtown is "visually beautiful."
The only time she misses having an elevator is when she has a lot of groceries to carry up the steps, Yardley said. "For the most part, it gives me some much-needed exercise," Yardley said. "It's a small price to pay for what I have in terms of a unique apartment." And there's the bonus that comes with nearly any rental -- no yards to mow, no gutters to clean. "I work long hours, so the upkeep of a lawn or shoveling snow isn't practical to me. Cleaning gutters is not attractive," Good said.
For Yardley, it's the right place at the right time. "At this stage of my life, as busy as I am, this is perfect. Low maintenance is huge for me right now. Beauty and low mainte
Source: The-Daily-Record.com