Living above . . .

[digitS']

I can't really bear to read this:

Living Above a Funeral Home, NYTimes

First off, I don't think I'd be able to live happily in NYC! Secondly, I used to know a young lady who lived above a funeral home . . .

It hadn't been used for that purpose for years. Really, quite a nice building, remodeled to have 2 apartments above . . . I knew her quite by accident and she didn't start off by telling me where she lived. In fact, I knew the guy who lived in the other apartment and, after he moved in, realized who his neighbor was!

Okay, why am I not equally, ummm, uncomfortable with that guy living above a funeral home? I don't know!

Could you live above a business? Any experience doing that??

Steve

 

[journey11]

At least your neighbors would be the quiet sort...

 

[NwMtGardener]

I thought when we moved to this house oh, 7 or so years ago, that it might be weird to have the mortuary right out our back door. The BACK of the mortuary. I thought i might see bodies coming or going. But there's a secluded side entrance they must use, because for all those years i've never seen that. I do see when there are lots of cars gathered there for a service, and it does make me sad for those family and friends. I really should just take it for a reminder to live every day like it might be your last.

 

[digitS']

Now & then, I mention to DW that we could have a home above a business. We could have a place built like that and rent the ground floor as an office/shop. I don't know much about this but have seen places where everything is open downstairs and the tenants finish it as they wish. Seems simple and could be a way to go for olde folks.

The example I use is a building that has an insurance company downstairs. It is obvious that the upstairs is an apartment. Unfortunately for my little scheme, I noticed that the insurance company is now gone . . . so yeah, what happens if you have vacancy problems ?

I once lived above a pharmacy in a college town. I was single and lived there for about 6 months. I completely did not know what was going on down there - it was that quiet!

Another place I know of has that upstairs apartment but there's a brewery downstairs! Brewery? No, I don't think so. Bar might be okay - kidding !

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

In my early 20s I lived in the upper west side of NYC. Wouldn't trade those years for anything. A family member owned the aptment and only used it a couple times a year.Rents in NYC are outrages 1 bedroom in a ok building start at $3,000. My friend pays almost $700 a month for a indoor parking space for his car. I think if the rent was cheap a lot of New Yorkers would live inside the funeral home itself.

 

[so lucky]

In my early 20s I lived in the upper west side of NYC. Wouldn't trade those years for anything. A family member owned the aptment and only used it a couple times a year.Rents in NYC are outrages 1 bedroom in a ok building start at $3,000. My friend pays almost $700 a month for a indoor parking space for his car. I think if the rent was cheap a lot of New Yorkers would live inside the funeral home itself.

I wonder why prices are so high? Ordinary people don't get paid that much more than in other cities, do they? Or do they? How much would a grade school teacher make? A department store sales clerk?

 

[so lucky]

I'm not sure why the idea of a funeral home freaks people out. Maybe just the idea of restless spirits? I lived in Branson, MO for a while, in between a cemetery and a train track, with a very loud early morning train. The cemetery was very peaceful, though. Sort of a life of opposites.

 

[Smart Red]

I lived in between a cemetery and a train track, with a very loud early morning train.

We purchased an apartment building after a careful assessment of the neighborhood. Didn't notice the train tracks -- or didn't think they were active -- in the back yard. At first, that train bothered the heck out of me while I painted, patched, and repaired the rentals, but after a couple of days, I didn't notice the noise of trains at all.

 

[digitS']

I have always appreciated cemeteries. When I was that young college student, there was a cemetery right beside my place of work. Actually, the dog pound was right beside my place of work but if you walked around it . . . good thing the dogs were all kept inside 4 walls!

Anyway, I would go over to the cemetery to eat my lunch, when the weather was nice. During much of that time, I didn't have a car and that became a bit of a problem, getting to & from work on the outskirts of a small down. I lived right downtown and the university was very close. Yeah, I could ride my bicycle - except when it was snowing, then I walked about 2 miles! (Didn't hang out in the cemetery during winter months.)

These days, I'd just like to not think that I'm done - just gonna stay here. I've already lived here longer than anywhere else, ever. I got to thinking about moving and how that might play out. A reason for such plans is I realized the nextdoor neighbor might move and turn over her house to her Millenials!!!

Two boys, one still in high school and, maybe, their girl friends. Good Heavens! One girl friend just had a baby, the other is pregnant (yeah, high school). Neither of these guys have ever worked as best as I can tell. Story about the oldest working for his parents - I thought, yeah sure. He never leaves the house for more than an hour at a time. Parents are going thru a divorce. What if she just up and moves out with her new boyfriend??!

What if my good neighbor in the rental house on the other side moves? Would that place end up with the couple who had all the loud fights. The guy who the police came and put in the back of the squad car and who I never saw again? Or, the other couple whose marriage ended with a restraining order. DW saw the guy there later and ended up interviewed by the police because he came back and stole things out of their home.

See, maybe I need some options since there are things even more unpleasant than cemeteries and mortuaries.

Steve

 

[lesa]

I live above my storage business... It has its good points and bad. On Saturday we are open till noon. The reason I just checked into TEG, is because I am downstairs. I just rented a space. You see, if your customers know you are home- you must be open, right?? I have rented spaces everyday of the year- including Christmas! I guess I could just not answer the phone, but it is not in my nature. If my biz was a funeral home, not sure how I would feel. As mentioned, it would be very quiet!