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Luxury Apts WNY Win Awards

Receiving an award for one of our apartments here in New York is a wonderful thing, but winning multiple awards is exceptional, and we’re pleased to announce, that all four of our properties — Windsong Place , Autumn Creek Apartments , Renaissance Place Apartments , and StoneGate Apartment Homes — have all received the 2016 “Top Rated” Award by ApartmentRatings.com. This honor, places our four communities among the top 5% of listed apartments receiving good marks in all areas of customer satisfaction. ApartmentRatings.com is “the largest online rating community for rental housing, reaching approximately 30% of apartment hunters nationwide, and is among the Top 5 most-visited apartment hunting sites in the world.”* In other words, they know what to look for in customer satisfaction. The criteria used to rank the properties for the award includes the following: — 10+ total reviews — 5+ reviews in 2016 — Overall recommended score of 70% or greater. In addition to each property receiving this award, StoneGate also came away with the coveted ORA (Online Rated Property) Award (for the second year in a row), marking this particular apartment community among the Elite 1% of properties in the nation for 2016. This is out of 63,000 properties that were surveyed by J Turner Research . This award was recognized by the Multifamily Executive website . We are pleased with receiving these awards, but we feel that they are simply a reflection of the high caliber of people who call our Luxury Apts WNY communities, home. Thank you for being who you are: wonderful, individual, amazing residents. We will continue offering the services and amenities we’ve been recognized for with these awards. We couldn’t have done it without you! Thanks for being a part of this exciting journey. Next time our blog will focus on ways to add color to your apartment without the need for painting, so stay tuned and thanks for reading today’s post. *Information taken from the About page.

Tips for a Smooth Move

Last month we talked about tips for finding the perfect apartment, and we’re following it up this month with some helpful tips for a smooth moving experience. Chances are you’ll be moving several times throughout your life, perhaps across New York state or maybe across the country. In either case, learning how to pack and move is a good skill to have. Let’s begin with what is helpful to have on-hand for packing. Packing Supplies Be sure you have the following before you start to move: — Moving boxes — Packing paper — Moving blankets and tarps — Mattress covers, furniture covers — Stretch wraps — Packing tape Make a List Make a list of your furniture and take note of where each piece will be placed in the new apartment. There are apps available that can help with that task. It may be helpful to create labels or use painters tape to note where the piece goes in the new apartment. Also note fragile items to help you plan packaging materials you will need. Set Important Items Aside There’s nothing worse than needing a document, keys, medications, or other important items and not knowing where they are come moving day. As you pack, place these sorts of items in a clear tote in that is placed in a designated place. That way, you will have those items when you need them. Consider transporting sentimental, irreplaceable items personally. It’s also a good idea to pack a suitcase with clothes, toiletries, and electronics you will need for the first few days in your new apartment before everything is unpacked. Use Appropriate Boxes for Items When filling boxes, put heavier items on the bottom, topped by lighter items. Choose boxes appropriate for the item being packed. Use plenty of wrapping paper or newspaper for fragile or odd-shaped items. Be sure to label and securely tape the boxes. It may be worth getting boxes from a packing company to have uniform sizes. Stretch wrap is great for wrapping around dressers to keep the drawer shut or armoires to secure doors. Loading the Moving Truck or Storage Pod Place heavier items in first then build heavy to light in layer by layer. Use furniture as a foundation. Dressers, buffets, and tables all make a good base to hold smaller items in and prevent rolling. Protect your furniture with moving blankets (pick up some extra blankets at a thrift store to supplement the moving blankets). Put the items you will need first toward the back of the load. Adding box springs and mattress pads last is a good way to keep things in place. Use rope or straps to secure the load to decrease movement during transit. If it’s at all possible, we suggest loading and unloading on separate days. We hope you’re planning on moving into one of our Luxury Apts in Williamsville, NY soon! Thanks for reading today’s post.

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!

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.