1900 Elm Street Lofts - Titche-Goettinger

First, I?ve loved this building from the moment I saw it ? Old department store, Titche-Goettinger, built in 1929, rock solid, and a simple walk from my office building. John Kennedy rode passed this store on his final ride into infamy. Lee Harvey Oswald was shot at the courthouse catty-cornered from 1900 Elm. Main Street Garden is just steps away. What happened to my love affair? When it was remodeled, obviously the cheapest materials were used. Sure I love the loft?s industrial look, high ceilings and painted concrete floors (maybe terrazzo underneath), but the thin interior walls do not support such close living quarters. The staff claim to be pet friendly, and indeed quite a few pets live in the building, but the building owners and staff are unsympathetic to any sort of barking. Not only that, the neighbors who complained about my dog?s ?incessant barking? during the day?I digitally recorded a sample and listened for 8 hours to background music, with only one barking incident when there was commotion in the hall?had no interest in working with me to live in harmony. Sure, I get up early and my mini-dachshunds bark at the excitement of food being prepared, but only for a few minutes. While I?m not there, the dogs are usually asleep and make no noise. Turns out the complainants who lived next door to me were an exotic dancer/boyfriend couple and I?m guessing kept unusual hours. Not that there?s anything wrong with that. Heck I could have made complaints about the myriad of seafood/fish cooking smells (or perhaps lack of feminine hygiene) coming from their apartment, but I didn?t. I respect living in close quarters with others and learn to adapt ? air sanitizers, headphones, etc. When management approached me with the condescending question ?What should we do?? I gave several options, all of which were met with the milquetoast-toned ?Well, what if that doesn?t work?? attitude. And, to make matters worse, the manager confronted me in the office full of people?not courteous enough to talk with me in private! I finally decided the day I was approached with my first warning to immediately remove my dogs for their own safety and move out. I cannot trust neighbors of that sort. I opted to break the lease 6 months early and pay the exit fee of one month?s rent + 85% of the next month?s rent. Mind you this building was 100% leased at the time of my warning, so I?m sure they would have no trouble putting in a tenant the day after I move out. Perhaps the goal was to get me out to charge a higher rent? Who knows? I?m leaving, but I guarantee I will not let them double-up on rent. They will not get my keys until the very last minute.