Jamie Allender
31, Cinematographer
Cody Brown
30, User Interface Designer
Details
Layout: Two bedrooms, one bath; second-story unit
Square Footage: 750
Each Pays: $997.50
Amenities: Washer, dryer, dishwasher, a/c, heat in unit; one parking spot; remodeled in 2018
Living together since:
May 2018
How they met:
Playing pool in Ocean Beach in 2017, when Jamie first moved to San Diego from Ohio.
Best thing about this apartment:
CB: “The fact that we’re upstairs and we have a nice view of the neighborhood. You can catch the sunset through this kitchen window. And we have a great breeze that rolls through.”
JA: “We can walk two blocks and we’re on Adams.”
The owners:
JA: “We’ve never met the landlord; we go through a property manager. They didn’t raise the rent after a year.”
Why Normal Heights:
CB: “I’ve lived in Normal Heights for eight years, on and off. I knew Jamie would probably like it because it’s very walkable. He said, ‘I don’t care, just pick somewhere.’ I found this place on Zillow.”
JA: “I like Normal Heights a million times better than UTC,” where he lived previously. “My apartment was way bigger but it was outdated. There’s no community in UTC; it’s just apartments for college students.”
How they divvy up chores:
JA: “It’s unspoken.”
CB: “If you see something that’s weird, clean it. Earlier I was sweeping and Jamie just took the trash out. I think we mirror each other, like, if I’m a little dirty, he gets a little dirty.”
Decor:
JA: “I have plants all around my computer. Cody has some in his room.”
CB: “I want to get some big Monstera leaves.”
Neighborhood recs:
Triple Crown Pub, Sycamore Den, The Rabbit Hole, Cantina Mayahuel
Long-term housing goals:
CB: “I’m saving to buy a house in the next five years. Because of San Diego prices, I’ve thrown out the idea with a friend like, dude, we should buy a house together. We could co-live in it or rent it out. Jamie and I make pretty good money, but it’s still impossible out here.”
JA: “It’s just scary, yeah. In Cincinnati, $500,000 will get you a mansion, probably a giant yard too. But I’d like to live in this neighborhood—I don’t want something big.”
On real estate envy:
CB: “It’d be nice to put your money into something you can own, but I try not to get too hung up on that because I’m saving money and I’m doing the type of work I want to do. A house will come someday.”
JA: “I’m in no rush. It’s not bad to rent. It’s just something I have to pay for. And repairs are free.”
A Snapshot of Normal Heights
How Much It Costs to Rent in Normal Heights
Households: 16,681
Households without kids: 84%
Median age of pop.: 35
Pop. never married: 49%
Homes built in 1939 or earlier: 28%
Median sale price of a house: $404,000
Walk Score (out of 100): 86
Greatschools.org rating (out of 10): Adams Elementary, 4; Normal Heights Elementary, 6; Wilson Middle School, 3; Hoover High, 3
Demographics statistics from point2homes.com; housing price from Trulia.com; Walk score from walkscore.com
How Much It Costs to Rent in Normal Heights
From left: Jamie and Cody | Photo by Dewey Keithly
