Monday, May 4, 2020

The Overlook Revisited – Part 1

As we get older, downsizing often becomes inevitable. You start getting rid of stuff, and eventually you just don’t need a big, old house to rattle around in.

But what do you do if you’ve decided to sell your house, but aren’t sure whether to buy another one yet? That’s the situation I was in a few years ago before I bought my condo in Vermilion.

The solution: you rent for a year. And if you write a nostalgia blog, you rent at the historic Lorain Overlook Apartments.

You might remember from past posts (here and here) that I lived at the Overlook before, back in 1984-85. Well, believe it or not, I ended up renting the very same apartment I had back then: #412.

It was the first apartment that I ever lived in – and, at this point, it may very well be the last.

So how was it back at my old, familiar perch on the fourth floor? Stop back here tomorrow, and I’ll buzz you in on the ol’ vintage NuTone N485 (below) for a look around. I’ll tell you what changed in the thirty-plus years since I moved out in the 1980s – and what stayed the same.

This NuTone N485 still worked great
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 4, 2020 at 6:57 AM

    Lived 402? a 1br faced E Erie in 75-76 then again rented an efficiency on the lake side 408 in 84-88. Paid about 150 for the 1 BR and it was going up to 400 for the efficiency 408 when I moved. Living there in the 70's the land lady had a Doberman named Lieba who roamed the halls and she had a big Parrot who would say "come in" when you knocked and other appropriate? or in appropriate phrases. The parrot would swear and she'd say "Polleeee" and he would reply "Grandma says it" In the 70's the milk boxes still existed and you could open into someones kitchen cabinet open the cabinet door and scare the heck of them!! Good times. By the 80's the building had been pasteurized and some things had changed though my efficiency still had the in wall ironing board. The lake view was beautiful. My Mother told me back in the day many a kept women lived there and she thought it a ritzy place at one time. Rae

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  2. Dan BradyMay 4, 2020 at 9:07 AM

    Hi Rae! Thanks for leaving the great reminisce!

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  3. -Alan D HopewellMay 4, 2020 at 10:14 AM

    An apartment with a lake view... suits you, Fancycat.

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  4. alexMay 5, 2020 at 10:03 AM

    my sister recently got evicted from 402, unfortunately she's the type of tennant that trashes the place.

    you could tell the building was really cool back in the day, must've been a neat atmosphere back before everybody was glued in front of their tvs.

    I had to move all of my sister's stuff from the opposite side of the building (south west) to the parking lot. down four flights. that was miserable. and the hallways and stairwells were barely manageable, and the door key thing sucked.

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