Blog Posts

Finding the Perfect Apartment

Choosing the perfect apartment in the Buffalo/Williamsville area can be challenging. It’s a big decision, so this week in the Luxury Apts WNY Blog we’re providing some apartment hunting tips to help guide you through the process. Know what you’re looking for in an apartment. A good starting point to finding your dream apartment home is to create a checklist. Think about what you love about the places you’ve lived as well as what deal breakers are for you. List your top three must-haves are, and what you can be more flexible about. Some important things to consider are the size of the apartment, the layout, and how any furniture you could potentially fit into the space. Of course the monthly rent and any additional fees (for example, for keeping pets), how long contracts are, whether apartments are pet-friendly or not, and the design and features of your apartment all need to be considered too. Choose a community that feels like home. Meeting the staff and taking a tour of the apartment community is a good way to get an idea about how you actually feel moving around into the area. Be sure to check details —for instance, check that Wi-Fi works in all places it’s supposed to, test out the shower, and check the outlets. Drop by the apartment at night so you can see what it’s like at all times of the day. Even if you’re just driving by, you might be able to get valuable information about how crowded and what the typical noise level is at various times of the day/night. Be sure to completely read through the lease and any resident handbooks to get a feel for what exactly you’re dealing with before you sign! We hope you find these apartment hunting tips useful for you as you’re looking for a new home or learning more about our community. To see our apartments, visit us here . Thanks for reading this month’s blog post!

It's Comedy Tonight

April, along with showers, brings with it National Humor Month (and quite possibly, May flowers too). According to the official website, “National Humor Month was conceived as a means to heighten public awareness of the therapeutic value of humor. Laughter and joy — the benchmarks of humor — lead to improved well-being, boosted morale, increased communication skills, and an enriched quality of life.” Here at Luxury Apts WNY Blog, we can get behind something that brings an enriched quality of life to our apartment community! Check out the resources at National Humor Month , and perhaps make plans to head out to a Buffalo or Williamsville area comedy club soon. We’ve done some footwork and have several venue options to share, but first, some jokes! Jokes for NHM Q: Can a kangaroo jump higher than the Empire State Building? A: Of course. The Empire State Building can't jump. Q: How do you count cows? A: With a cowculator. Q: What's the difference between a guitar and a fish? A: You can tune a guitar, but you can't tuna fish. — You groaned, didn’t you? Now info for some local comedy clubs. Comedy Clubs Helium Comedy Club / Elements Bar & Grille “A hidden treasure of Buffalo! I've been to several shows here, the next is always funnier than the last.” — Paige C. from a Yelp review . 30 Mississippi St. Buffalo, NY Phone: 716.853.1211 Shows - Price Varies - Tuesday night is Open Mic (free) Check here for upcoming events. Rob’s Comedy Playhouse “Making Buffalo laff since 1987” 1340 North Forest Williamsville, NY Shows are $10 Call in advance for reservations: Phone: 716.888.1867 Ext. 1 Yelp provided some additional options in the area too, and here are some reviews for CSz Buffalo , Yelp’s number one pick: “It's family friendly but every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month is adult themed!” — Julie B . “We laughed throughout the entire time , the improv was genuinely funny, and they kept the audience involved.” — Pamela T . Where is your favorite place to go for stand up comedy? Let us know in the comments, and thanks for reading the Luxury Apts WNW Blog today!

It's Spring Let's Clean

Life is busy. Finding time to do deep cleaning can be challenging. We understand and today the Luxury Apts WNY Blog has some tips to help our apartment community make short work of a big job. Step One — Purge. This step may actually take some time, but when you have completed it, keeping up with daily/weekly cleaning will be much easier. The goal is to have a place for everything and to keep everything in its place. Begin with a drawer, a closet, or a room (break the task down into chunks so you can complete it a piece at a time). As you go through your things, decide whether you are going to keep the item, give it away,sell it, or toss it. Then follow through! For your give away/sell pile, give yourself a time limit. If you haven’t gotten rid of the item by your deadline, toss it. Decluttering feels so good! Right? Step Two — Work on keeping up with basic daily/weekly cleaning. Create a routine for yourself of tasks that must be done daily and weekly. Put the cleaning supplies you need in a convenient location for the job to be done. For some people, it is helpful to designate tasks to a day of the week. For example, bathrooms are cleaned on Mondays, floors are mopped every Tuesday, and dusting is done on Wednesdays. For others, creating cleaning zones may be an effective strategy. Each week during the month a different zone is the focus. For many people, having a checklist is helpful. We like this one: Apartment Cleaning Checklist . Step Three — Once you have decluttered and established a daily/weekly routine, start adding deep cleaning tasks to the rotation. Things like cleaning light fixtures, washing baseboards, washing windows, and deep cleaning appliances. Adding these tasks into the rotation means they will get done in turn and you will have the satisfaction of knowing the deep cleaning is on track. Of course, another option is to hire a cleaning service. Check out Yelp for the Buffalo, NY area or the Williamsville, NY area . We appreciate the pride and care our residents exhibit in their homes.Thanks for reading today’s blog post and happy spring cleaning!

Celebrate Valentine's Day

Winter is with us still, but the upcoming Valentine’s holiday is a great opportunity to take some time out from the snow and celebrate. Today the Luxury Apts WNY Blog has some ideas to make this Valentine’s Day the best ever, whether you celebrate with your sweetheart or your family, or whether you get a group of friends together for a fun evening of food and games. Celebrate with Your Sweetheart Create with a “heart attack” — no need to call 911. Simply plaster your sweetie’s side of the mirror, closet, or office door with a multitude of heart-shaped notes filled with reasons why you love and appreciate him or her. Bundle up and take a Valentine’s night stroll to do some stargazing. Chances are you’ll end up gazing at the stars in each other’s eyes! (If it’s too cold, check out a local planetarium to see the stars.) Check out these Top 76 Dating Ideas from The Dating Divas , too, for a more customizable experience! Celebrate with Your Family Pull out the art supplies and spend some time making homemade Valentine’s cards for extended family and friends. Be sure to write a nice note on them. Check out the history of Valentine’s Day for a fun, educational addition to your evening! Make a batch of heart-shaped sugar cookies and enjoy decorating them with everyone in the family. We love this recipe from Allrecipes.com for a moist, tender sugar cookie . "Rich and delicious cut-out cookies - wonderful for special holiday celebrations! These are the best cut-out cookies the long line of bakers in our family has ever found." Celebrate with Your Friends Plan a Valentine’s Day party with your friends. Invite a few people over and have a dinner party, complete with a fabulous dessert . Perhaps go all out and plan a progressive Valentine’s Day dinner. It’s a fun way to get to know other people better and have some tasty food along the way. (Check out these examples of how to plan a progressive dinner.) Round out the evening by playing a variety of these Valentine’s Day themed Minute-to-Win-It games . Another idea for a small group is to get together and enjoy a classic Valentine’s Day movie. In addition to now offering residents SHOWTIME in our Ultimate Technology Package, we have free lending DVD libraries in our clubhouses. We invite you to stop by and check them out, and let us know if you have any special requests for a special Valentine’s Day movie today! Check out this 20 Best Romantic Movies to Watch on Valentine’s Day list or this Best Movies to Watch on Valentine’s Day if You’re Single one. However you decide to celebrate, we hope you have a wonderful experience. Thanks for reading today. Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone in our apartment communities!

Caring for Stainless Steel Appliances

January is here, and for many of us that means it’s time to set some goals for the new year. One of the most popular resolutions is to be more organized and tidy, so today we hope to do our part to help residents of our apartment community meet that goal via appliances; yes, that’s right appliances. Today we have tips for keeping your stainless steel appliances looking like new—so that covers some of the keeping things tidy goal, right?. (We offer a lot of amenities to our residents, so If you don’t have stainless steel appliances in your apartment you can upgrade. Simply check with management about how to do it.) Cleaning Stainless Steel With stainless steel, it’s as important to know what NOT to do as it is to clean it correctly, so let’s cover the Do Not Do items first: Do Not: — use any product containing chlorine or bleach — use steel wool, steel brushes, or scrub with anything abrasive — use abrasive cleaners (such as cleanser) or a pumice stone on brushed stainless steel. Now for some tips to keep your stainless steel appliances looking shiny and bright. — Clean your oven when it is cool to the touch (not hot or warm). — Clean in the direction of the “grain” going from top to bottom. — Wipe down your appliances with a damp, soapy dishcloth each time you do the dishes (before starting the dishes is a good idea); be sure to rinse the soap out of the cloth and wipe the appliances again to remove any residual soap; finish the process by wiping dry with a soft, dry terry cloth towel. — To remove heavier grease or baked-on foods use a mild detergent, hot water, and a nylon scrubby to clean. Be sure to rinse and towel dry. — To remove tough stains make a paste of baking soda mixed with liquid dish soap and scrub with a nylon scrubbie or old toothbrush. If stains are persistent, try using undiluted vinegar, scrubbing with a soft brush. Remember to rinse and towel dry. — Periodically, you may want to buff your appliances using a stainless steel polish, lemon oil, or a silicone-based spray. Apply the polish in the direction of the grain with a lint-free cloth; buff and dry with another lint-free cloth. Now sit back and enjoy your shiny, bright stainless steel appliances! Thanks for reading the BMW Management blog today.

Extra Extra Read All about Your Ultimate Technology Package

Entertainment at Your Fingertips! That’s right, high speed internet services and digital Cable from Time Warner Cable is included in your total monthly payment (at a substantially lower price than you would otherwise get). This is one of the perks residents living at one of our properties receive, and now it has become even better! That’s right, just in time for the holidays, we’ve brought you more, right to to your apartment! Here is what we’ve included for FREE* Over 130 new channels (from the current basic cable package you may receive) NOW - Digital HD TV with 200+ Channels and Premium Services such as SHOWTIME® 2.5X faster speed at 50 Mbps with our upgraded high-speed internet service In-home WiFi complete with wireless modem This means you can stream multiple devices at the same time — without lagging, with the convenience of using a wireless modem. Ultimate Savings! Because it’s included in your total monthly payment, there is no need for you to set up and pay for a separate monthly cable and internet provider! We are delighted to pass on the savings of our bulk-service contract with Time Warner to our residents. This means you’ll be saving more than 60% off retail pricing at your renewal! FAQs Here are some answers to your possible questions… Q: Why did we look into getting a better technology package for our residents? A: Many of our residents are currently paying for upgrades so ultimately they will be saving money! We found that many should see a savings of $20 to $70 per month. Q: What will I receive? A: You will now receive 200+ digital cable channels, an HD Set-Top Box, the SHOWTIME® package, a WiFi modem and ultra-fast high-speed wireless internet up to 50 Mbps. Also, free internet access away from home for all your devices. Connect to over 500,000 WiFi hotspots nationwide with the TWC WiFi Finder App. Q: What if I am already getting the services? A: If you are already getting upgrades to our standard cable package, such as paying for an HD Set-Top Box, SHOWTIME® or for a faster WiFi speed you will see a reduction in your monthly Time Warner bill. Q: How quickly can I expect my bill to reflect the changes? A: We anticipate approximately 1-2 billing cycles for your Time Warner bills to reflect the savings to you. If you have questions about your bill please feel free to contact Time Warner at 716-558-8921 or 844-725-4339. Q: What if I don’t currently have an HD Set-Top Box or subscribe to SHOWTIME®? A: No problem! Call our Time Warner concierge Nick at 716-361-1129 and he can assist you in getting your new equipment; then you can take full advantage of your new Ultimate Technology Package! Q: Where is my local Time Warner office? A: Time Warner is located at: 720 Maple Road, Williamsville, NY 14221 (near the corner of Maple and North Forest Road); Open Mon. – Fri. from 8:30am - 7pm; Sat. 8am - 4pm; Closed on Sun. Check the Time Warner website located at www.timewarnercable.com to confirm hours, additional locations and information. Q: This is a great package; can my friends and family ask for it from Time Warner? A: No! This is a unique package that only our residents can receive. Even though your friends or family may receive a promotional rate, their rates are guaranteed to increase. We’re keeping you connected at a better value, saving you the hassles of locked-in contracts and small print additional fees and charges. Q: What if I have additional questions? Contact our Time Warner Concierge, Nick Necovski at 716-361-1129, visit your Resident Portal, or ask one of our Leasing Consultants. Happy holidays to our residents! Thanks for reading the blog today. Let us know what you love about your new Ultimate Technology Package in the comments below! * At renewal you will notice that the rent and required discounted Technology Package Fee will be separately broken out on your Lease Agreement. Visit your online Resident Portal for more information or contact the Leasing Office