Place I’ve Lived: Apartments in Baton Rouge and a Home in North Carolina

by Christina Rentz

Miller Dorm, LSU Campus 1997–1998 (I have no idea how much this cost)
Moved from a small town to a university of 40,000 people to live in a room the size of a walk-in closet. Roomed with my best friend from high school. She was obsessed with leopard print. We had leopard print EVERYWHERE including a giant framed painting of a leopard hanging in the center. Our dorm-sized fridge went in my closet and a good amount of my roommate’s clothing. She had a LOT of clothes. She was also in a sorority — along with everyone else in the dorm — except for me.

Varn Villa, Brightside Dr. Baton Rouge, La. 1998–1999, $315 a month (Parents paid half for about 6 months, and then I paid my full share)
First apartment: very exciting! Roomed with another girl from my hometown. All student apartments in Baton Rouge were super-nice. No shared bathrooms or communal washer/dryer units, a fancy pool, and the rent was crazy cheap. I had to get my first off-campus job to pay half the rent which was a much better way to make friends than not being in a sorority. Giant armadillos used to root around in the trash, and guys would sit in lawn chairs with cheap beer and “watch traffic.” Had my first “keg party” to celebrate my 19th birthday. My sister’s 16-year-old boyfriend had to teach us how to tap it.

Brightside Manor, Brightside Dr. Baton Rouge, La. 1999–2000, $285 a month (my half)
Decided Varn Villa was too “expensive” so we moved across the street. Two-story condo. We shared a giant bathroom and there was a half-bath downstairs. It was a pretty gross place as far as girl apartments go. My roommate’s older sister moved in for a while, too. Started waiting tables to make more money so I could go to rock shows every night with my new college radio friends.

Sharlo Townhomes, Baton Rouge, La. 2000 $250 a month (my half)
Moved in with a college radio pal. Super-insanely nice condo. Roommate’s parents had purchased it and set the rent for the girl who had shared with her before me. I don’t think we ever cooked in the kitchen, but we had a couple of great parties including my 21st birthday. Another friend moved in, and roommate’s parents let us just split our half, so we each paid $125 a month. I graduated a semester early, and continued to live here and wait tables. Got kind of depressed and drank a lot of drive-thru daiquiris while “laying out” in the backyard. Wrote the “landlords” a thank you note when I moved out telling them that I knew I wouldn’t live anywhere that nice for a long time, if ever!

Coolidge St., Chapel Hill, N.C. 2001–2004 $362.50 a month (my half)
Moved to Chapel Hill with a close friend from my hometown. We immediately secured our dream jobs, and also got waitressing jobs so we could afford them. We ate a lot of carbs, drank way too much wine, and watched Sex and the City constantly. She moved out, and a college friend moved in. She had an inexplicable habit of leaving coke cans in the driveway, but she cooked incredibly elaborate meals and let me use her internet for free. The weirdest thing that ever happened here was once I woke up on a Sunday morning and a cable guy I hadn’t called for was standing in my bedroom. Never really got to the bottom of that one.

Allard Rd. Chapel Hill, N.C. 2004–2006 $350 a month
My favorite apartment ever. My first time living alone. At the top of a 90-degree hill hidden back in a quiet neighborhood. I only had to pay for my electricity, and the landlords were great. My boyfriend moved back to North Carolina after grad school, and I wouldn’t move in with him, because I wasn’t ready to leave! Watched endless hours of Netflix before a houseguest taught me how to steal cable, and finally joined a gym so I wouldn’t become an alcoholic from drinking alone.

Glenn Lennox, Chapel Hill, N.C. 2006 (the price of rubber gloves and cleanser)
Moved into my boyfriend’s apartment for a couple of weeks before we moved into our first house together. The bathroom was such a disaster, I almost couldn’t go through with it!

Carpenter Fletcher Rd., Durham, N.C. 2006–2008 $450 a month (my half)
A cute little house with zero closets and a truly horrifying bathroom. Came with a huge yard and a cat! The first night we lived there, a snake crawled under the front door and slithered into the TV room. The dog and I calmly watched as my boyfriend killed the snake and had a slight heart attack. The best thing about this house was it was next door to our four closest friends. Oh, and we got engaged & married while we lived here.

Oriole Dr. Durham, N.C. 2008-present
We returned from our honeymoon and immediately began shopping for a house. We looked at 30 houses in two weeks and found our “little old lady ranch house.” Five years and one baby later, it’s still the best! And we got to keep the cat from Carpenter Fletcher!

Christina Rentz lives in Durham, NC with her husband and son. She still has her dream job.

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