Apartment Living

Apartment Living in Style

Homeownership is likely one of the top milestones in achieving one’s slice of the American Dream, yet people can also become mired down in the time and financial demands of maintaining a property. “I love not having to worry about anything,” states Penny Mappin, a tenant at The Adams in Christiansburg for the past year. She sold her Blacksburg townhome andchosetorentforacouple years while she arranges for retirement. The luxury apartment complex of 14 buildings plus a club house was completedinlate2018andoffers1,2,and 3-BR rental units. There are 12 buildings

Text by Joanne M. Anderson Photos by Kristie Lea Photography

and 168 apartments with attractive stone accent exteriors. The amenities list is impressive:

• Club house • Swimming pool • Game room with pool and foosball • Private theatre with stadium seating • Outdoor pavilion with grills • Fitness center available 24/7 • Business space • Coffee bar, club room, kitchen The apartments are 803, 997, 1,152 and 1,347 square feet with rents ranging from $1,095 to $1,619 per month, plus utilities. There is a one-time amenity fee of $250, and one-time pet fee of $350. Dogs and cats are welcome, and come with an extra monthly rent cost. Twenty garages are available for rent. “The interiors are universally neutral with stainless steel appliances and granite counters,” states leasing consultant Austin Lynch. “We do request thatresidentsnotpaintanyinteriorwalls.” The contemporary style blends well with

an industrial interior component and a touch of Adirondack outside. Each apartment has an outdoor patio or balcony. Mappin selected a 2-bedroom unit on the first floor in part to have a guest room and second full bath. “I also have a baby grand piano I did not wish to subject to a multi-story trip, plus heavy furniture like the solid wood Biltmore master bedroom suite.” She does find her entertaining style is a little cramped for space, yet she is happy for the view out over grass and trees, not the parking lot. Some of the apartments at The Adams have increased accessibility design like the microwave is on the counter instead of mounted at cabinet level; there are extra rails in the bathrooms; and the shower floor is level with the bathroom floor. Many units have vaulted ceilings, and all feature ceramic tile bathrooms, full size washer and dryer and large closets. On-site management and on-site maintenance are a major draw for those who wish to give up, or not even dip their toes in, the potential rigors of home ownership. Mappin and visiting relatives have enjoyed the pool and clubhouse. “All the wonderful amenities seem so under-used,” she observes. “We enjoyed things all to ourselves much of the time.” Mappin moved to the area in 2000 to work with New River Valley Research Institute which participates in FDA drug trials. The office is closing this year, and she has her sights on living and attending school in Oxford, England. Although the 60-something lady doesn’t know anyone there, she is enthusiastically embracing a new adventure in a distant land instead of a quiet retirement life. Virginia Tech grad student Carrie Cheung likes the more mature environment at The Adams. “It’s good housing for getting out of Blacksburg and being close to campus but not surrounded by undergraduate students,” she states. The biomedical engineering major has been here since graduating. The complex does not accept undergraduate college students. The location is convenient to shopping, highways and entertainment, and the contemporary apartments have been thoughtfully designed. For those reasons and others, there are minimal, if any, vacancies and usually a waiting list at The Adams.