Start 2015 in a cool Downtown Oshkosh apartment

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501 Merritt Oshkosh WI

A new year often encourages people to make big changes to their lives. One of the most common ways people strive to get a fresh start is by finding a new, exciting place to live. Whether starting a job in a different city or moving apartments within a current one, there is no better time to take advantage of the apartments for rent in Downtown Oshkosh 2014-2015 than at the start of a new year. Even though 2014 is coming to a close, Black Teak Properties still has some incredible places available for those looking to liven up their new year. Continue reading

Should you live with that person?

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How to vet a potential roommate

While it’s conceivable that some people will go from living with their parents to living alone to living with a significant other (or some variation involving one or more of the above), chances are if you’re like most people you’ll end up having to do the roommate thing for a while. This can be fun, and it can also be unpredictable. Moving in with someone might be the start of a lifelong friendship, or it can be the part of the story you’ll be forever telling right before the part where things get ugly. One thing’s for sure: it’s nice (and often necessary) to have someone to split the bills with, so we’re offering up some tips on how to pick someone you’ll be able to survive at least the terms of a 12-month lease with.  Continue reading

Menominee Park Shines Bright for the Holidays

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Celebration of Lights Oshkosh Wisconsin 2014

Oshkosh WI Christmas Lights 2014

Whether your personal holiday decoration tactics include the perilous journey up to the roof  of your house to string up a dazzling display or slapping a snow globe down on the table and calling it a day, driving around to check out the holiday lights that others in your community have put together is a long-standing custom that kids and adults alike can enjoy during the holidays. Here in Oshkosh, we’re lucky to have an annual tradition that takes these drives to a whole new level.

Since 2001, the Oshkosh Celebration of Lights has been delighting area families and attracting visitors from throughout the Fox Valley and beyond. We’ll tell you all about this year’s event so you can start planning your trip.  Continue reading

Ski’s Oshkosh is Open for Business

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Ski's Oshkosh

Ski’s Downtown Oshkosh

Newcomers to Oshkosh and the born & bred crew alike can all agree on one thing this fall: Ski’s Oshkosh is finally open, and we are all better for it. Especially for those of us living and working downtown, the necessity of driving to one of the big box grocery stores on a given weeknight for staples like bread, meat, coffee, and vegetables — a drag on our culinary inspiration if every there was one — has finally ended. Ski’s is the answer to “What can we get that’s close?” that doesn’t mean a sack of hot food plopped onto the table and our nice knife set in the kitchen — glistening, sharp, but horribly bored, unused. A walk through Ski’s Meat Market and Grocery right here in downtown Oshkosh (502 North Main Street, to be exact) and you’ll still be saddled with the question of what to have for dinner, but in the best possible way. Here’s a quick, though by no means comprehensive, virtual tour of the place to give you an idea of what we mean.   Continue reading

Time to bring the fun inside

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oshkosh winter family fun

Oshkosh Winter Activities

Winter can be a tough time for people who like to get out of the house in their free time. Sure, there are plenty of winter activities for the adventurous among us — Kids with boundless energy and adults with snow-centered hobbies like skiing, snowboarding, and ice fishing have a lot to look forward to. But those of us who would rather stay indoors might see winter as one long excruciatingly long dark day of couped-up cabin fever. It doesn’t have to be that way, though! There are plenty of Oshkosh winter activities (other than your standard dining and drinking options that never get old) that are well-suited for the indoor types and can help you stay on the move throughout the snowy season. Here are some of our favorites: Continue reading

Going Out in Oshkosh

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Bars in Oshkosh

Alright,  so you’re in Oshkosh and you want to go out for the night. Maybe you’re meeting some friends, maybe it’s a date, maybe you’re just looking for a place to sidle up to the bar for a few hours before going home to watch The Late Show. Whatever your intentions may be, Oshkosh – and particularly downtown — probably has just the right place for you to wet your whistle.  Continue reading

Weekend Brunch in Oshkosh

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Brunch Oshkosh WI

As downtown Oshkosh continues to grow and flourish, we get more and more opportunities to experience the types of options and activities that we may have otherwise traveled out of town for: community theaters, bustling farm markets, charming shops and cafes, and that glorious staple of the American weekend known as brunch. Where can you get a good brunch in Oshkosh WI? This list should help get you started. Our criteria: Local, non-chain restaurants (sorry, Perkins) where breakfast food is served on the weekends (Saturday, Sunday, or both) past noon. We’re also limiting this list to the downtown/main street area, because hey — folks from campus and across town need to get down here more. This is the heart of your city — come get some brunch!  Continue reading

Rain, Rain, Come and Play

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Things to do in Oshkosh

Things to do in Oshkosh

If you just moved to Oshkosh, or have been living here for 30 years, it’s easy to get distracted by a rainy day and get stuck in the house. But, there are so many things to in Oshkosh on rainy days that you should make it your goal to get your umbrella ready and go explore. Oshkosh is full of museums, historic sites, and exciting shops that can take away the rainy-day blues and turn them into a day to remember.
One place in Oshkosh that is worth checking out on a rainy day is the Paine Art Center. This historic mansion is full of art and amazing rooms that tell the story of the Paine family, who are historically notorious in Oshkosh and throughout the country. The Paine Art Center also has different art exhibits from all around that are rare for the Fox Cities and around the Midwest as a whole. Right now, you can see the intricate art of Matisse.
Another place that will brighten your rainy day is the Oshkosh Public Museum. This historic museum is just across the street from the Paine Art Center, it is also a beautiful historic mansion. The building itself is enough to check out, but the wonderful permanent exhibits about old Oshkosh and also temporary exhibits that tour throughout the United States make the experience even more memorable. Right now the main exhibit at the museum is Attack of the Blood Suckers, which is hands on fun for the whole family.
Other places to go on a rainy day are the EAA Airventure museum and the Oshkosh outlet mall. At the EAA museum, you will be shocked by the planes that have been preserved since the beginning of aviation and the planes that look like they are from the future. With so much to look at, you could take your whole rainy day just for this one building. After you are done with the museums, stop by the Outlet mall to get great deals on designer clothes, modern appliances, and fun accessories.
With all these fun things to do in Oshkosh on a rainy day, and so much more, never worry about the rainy-day blues again. Now, on your next gloomy day, get out an explore!

Ask the right questions before signing the lease

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What to look for when renting an apartment

What To Look For When Renting an Apartment

If you are searching for an apartment to lease there is so much to think about. Where do you want to be located? How much do you want to pay? How big do I need my apartment? While these are all very important questions to ask, there are some questions you might forget about if you don’t think about the long term image of living in this apartment. Here is a list of questions to ask and what to look for when renting an apartment.

One question you should ask is if there is residential quiet hours. This is good to know if you tend to have friends over at later hours, play an instrument, or have a pet. If any of these will bother other tenants because of noise, this might not be the right place for you. Remember, this goes for the other tenants too. If you are easily bothered by noise surrounding you, think about a place with more strict quiet hours.

Also, don’t simply assume that once you move in the space is entirely yours to make home. Make sure you ask if painting or nailing art to the wall is allowed. You won’t want to be charged for wall alterations when you move out. Most older places are okay with paint, so if art is important to you, think about moving into an older building.

Other things to be aware of are parking and garbage. Make sure you ask about parking before you sign the lease. If the apartment is already over your budget, don’t find out that you have to pay to park when you have already signed on the dotted line. Also, make sure that you know where the garbage goes, and ask about the recycling policy. Some apartment buildings are more strict than others when it comes to the recycling going in the right area.

It is important to remember that even if the apartment looks amazing, sometimes policies may take away that charm. Don’t be afraid to ask all of these question plus more so you are still happy with your apartment even months after you sign the lease.

Oshkosh is the perfect little Big City

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If you have always dreamed of living downtown in a great city but know that the price will always be too much, Oshkosh might be the place for you. Downtown Oshkosh is an up and coming place that provides 424-a-n-main-st-oshkosh-wi-apartment-frontmetropolitan] food and styles with a much smaller price tag. Yes, Oshkosh is a much smaller city than what you were thinking about living, but a smaller scale brings an opportunity to get a variety of atmospheres instead of just the city feel. Continue reading