Watch where you’re swinging those things. (Photo by Kyota Tanaka)
Adventures in Craigslist is a whenever-we-find-something-interesting series in which we dive headfirst into the vast complexities of the Washington region’s Craigslist. Today: A group house in Columbia Heights promises lots of fun that doesn’t even require getting dressed!
Whether you’re new to the District or just looking to move into a new place, the group house is a mainstay of the D.C. rental market. Some houses conduct personality quizzes. I once was asked to name my favorite episode of The Office (“The Coup,” if anyone cares). Still others we’ve considered vet potential roommates with trivia games or other competitions.
Today’s group house, on a block of 11th Street NW in Columbia Heights, isn’t so severe. In fact, the row house’s owners, a sales agent and his partner, seem to have quite the spread available to a potential new roommate, who will in turn help them find an additional tenant:
My partner and I share the master bedroom and private bath. There are two other fairly large rooms upstairs. Both rooms have two large windows. One room is slightly larger, the other has two closets. Both have cable hookups. Both come furnished with a bed, one has a dresser and night table, the other has a tv and shelving unit. (Both have cable hookups) The house is on a corner lot, so there are windows throughout which makes it open and bright. The kitchen is shared but is very large with plenty of cabinet space, granite counter tops, dishwasher, and stainless steel appliances. There is a full dining room, foyer, and living room with a 50″ plasma TV and surround sound. The downstairs has a half bath and you will share a full bath with the other roommate upstairs. The upstairs bathroom has new fixtures, is clean, and has a full bath tub. There is a FULL SIZE washer and dryer downstairs. There is a smallish back patio with a nice gas grill, bistro table, and a hot tub — 104 degrees all winter! The house was totally renovated a couple of years ago and has nice lighting, hard wood floors, and central heat/AC. Utilities are not included but are split 5 ways. (There is an english basement downstairs which helps bring costs down.) We have Direct TV with every channel they offer (Starz, HBO, etc. . .) and Verizon Fios wireless internet. Utilities usually come in around $110/month each.
Looks like pretty nice digs. And, located on 11th Street, the house is away from the hustle and bustle of the center of Columbia Heights but close to restaurants like Wonderland Ballroom, Red Rocks Pizzeria, Meridian Pint and Maple.
The owners are looking for someone professional (rent is $950 a month) and sociable to move in August 1. “We want the house to feel like a home rather than a typical D.C. group house,” they write. The owners are looking for someone they can hang out with, and we mean that in the most literal sense of the phrase “hang out”:
This means being somewhat social with each other rather than just walking by each other on the way to your room. (Weekly nude game/wine/tv night?) We also like the freedom of being naked at home (especially in the summer) and want someone who is also comfortable hanging out nude in their own home. It’s weird to some, but just makes sense to be able to be comfortable at home. (We also have the occasional naked Wii party and always make our way to the hot tub naked.) Also, continuing with the “home” theme, we are by no means “neat freaks”, but we are looking for someone who can take care of their dishes and keep the common areas free of clutter. Out of respect for each other, we ask that there are no parties. I hate to sound like no fun, but we had bad luck with a previous roommate’s friends lacking respect.
Whoa. Nude game night? Nude wine night? Nude TV night? This house is not for the unadventurous. Hey, we’ve got no problem with anyone wanting to go au naturel on their own time. But, might we offer a bit of advice?
Drinking wine, watching television and taking a dip in the hot tub all seem like fine things to do while in the buff. Board games could be a bit iffy, especially if there are any flying objects or repeated mashing of buttons—i.e., Hungry Hungry Hippos is probably not the best option for naked game night.
But really, it’s the naked Wii parties that have us worried. The most popular Wii games involve a fair bit of physical activity that might not be the safest thing to do with all that flesh flying around. Someone playing Wii Tennis could overreach on a powerful backhand and, um, injure their opponent. The guy on the left in the video below didn’t fare too well, and he was fully clothed!:
So, $950 a month for naked Wii parties. Good deal or not?
