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Kevin Alexander's avatar

This is really interesting history, Liat! I’m curious though; how bad of shape was your apartment in that a washer was prohibited? They’re not that big of appliances.

Also, I’m glad I quit, but I really miss sitting outside in the morning enjoying my coffee and a cigarette.

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Liat Portal's avatar

The interior of the apartment was in good shape since it had been renovated. However, the building itself was old, and the owners only fixed what was necessary to maintain it. During my fourth year there, part of the ceiling of the closed porch (it wasn’t a balcony) fell, and part of the wall crumbled. Any building, especially those over 70 years old and built with old materials, must undergo regular maintenance.

The balcony on Yehuda Halevy St. was open and faced the street, so that was a completely different apartment. This one was old, not well-maintained, and the only comfort was the balcony, where I could have a cigarette with a cup of coffee and enjoy the city view.

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