We’re just getting started, but Sachi and I have two potential choices. One is an apartment near where Sachi lives now, on the third floor of a building atop a convenience store. It’s 72 square meters, a 3LDK with two small carpeted bedrooms, and a sizable hardwood-floor LDK (13 tatami mat size), with a classic 6-mat tatami room which, with sliding doors open, opens up the LDK even more.

Pros: location (one station out from Meguro, 6 minutes’ walk from the station), and there’s a Cherry-blossom-tree-lined street right out the living room window. It’ll only be in bloom once a year for a week or so, the rest of the time it’s just trees–but it’s trees. Another big plus: there’s no key money, just 3 month’s deposit, just like UR’s selections (though we’d still pay a month’s rent for the real estate agent). Also, there’s a big park about 5 minute’s walk away.

Cons: the rent is fairly high, right at our upper limit. There’s a fairly high-traffic street right out front, which we can only hope won’t be too loud–though the bedroom is away from that, in the back of the unit (though its window is barred, and looks out on the hallway). There is a nearby supermarket, close to the station, but almost no other shops close by. And there’s a steady incline from the station to the apartment–though that’s a questionable disadvantage. (Why can’t I ever get a place which is uphill going to work and downhill coming back home?) There’s also virtually no balcony, and might not be any place to park a scooter.

The second place is one we’re going to look at today. It’s a UR property, so it’d be 3 months’ deposit and first month’s rent to get in. But here’s the corker: it’s a brand-spanking-new 38-floor high rise smack in the middle of Ikebukuro, just ten minute’s walk from Ikebukuro Station (almost across the street from the Sunshine City complex). It’s called Vanguard Tower. Apparently, we’ve just caught it at the right time–a lot of people had reserved apartments, but when the building opened, they had already found other places, and so canceled.

An example of one of the openings? A 72-square-meter 2LDK apartment on the corner of the 21st floor, all hardwood floors, with 2 smallish bedrooms (6-mat and 5-mat) and a 16-mat living-dining area–19+ if you include the kitchen. There’s a wide balcony (what will the winds be like so high up? Will traffic smog be an issue?) and the view will be to the south and the east, from Ikebukuro’s skyscrapers to central Tokyo, including the Imperial Palace. There’s even bike parking (bicycle and scooter) in the basement levels. It comes with built-in everything, though you apparently have to contract for your own Internet service.

The location is excellent. Sachi would have a direct train line to work, and I would almost have a direct line (which would change starting June next year, when the new subway opens up from Ikebukuro direct to my work). By scooter, it’d be a short 5-10 minute hop for me. It’s on a major boulevard, but so high up, traffic noise will not be an issue. There are no big parks in the immediate vicinity, and from so high up, trees would not really help much anyway. But the shopping would be unbeatable, not to mention movie theaters and lots of other stuff just a short walk away. (Though a good supermarket might or might not be available closeby; we’ll have to check.) Another benefit: Ikebukuro is a terminus for the Narita Express. No more humping through transfer points with major luggage every time I visit home, and coming back from the airport would be a breeze.

A possible major issue: wait time for elevators. We’re sure as hell not walking 21 flights, up or down. Sachi is worried about this, and when we go to see the unit today, we might see it at its worst: people just started moving in a few days ago, so there’ll probably be much worse traffic than usual. There are five elevators; one large car that stops at every floor, and four smaller ones. Two of the smaller ones are express elevators to the 18th floor and above; the other two service the 18th floor and below. People on the 18th floor have it sweet–they can use all five elevators. On the 21st floor, we could potentially (in a pinch) use the lower-half elevator to the 18th floor and then walk up three flights. Also, the empty elevator shaft above the 18th floor is converted into storage closets for the tenants on those floors.

Earthquake safety would seem to be an issue against, but frankly, I think it’s an advantage here. Nobody’s going to skimp on earthquake safety when it comes to such a high-profile high-rise, while smaller buildings could fly under the radar and not have as good protection.

The square meter-age and the prices of both places are almost exactly the same. Both are close in, though one is a station off the Yamanote, the other is right on it. The differences are obvious: high-rise with city view vs. just-above-tree-lined-street-level view; slightly older small mansion vs. brand-new high-rise. One would be more rustic, neighborhood-oriented with limited shopping, the other would be modern big-city style with downtown right outside the door.

I’m excited about the high-rise myself, but we’ll have to see what it feels like when we’re there.