Apartment hunt

Living in the Triangle instead of New York or some other large and expensive city makes the apartment-hunting infinitely easier; I can pick up the book of managed properties, and see which features each one has, and do the tour of six or seven in a day. The downside to this is, well, the managed properties, which are the residential equivalents of strip malls and Targets and chain restaurants, and totally lacking in personality. Unfortunately, getting something with personality would mean going much more expensive, or much cheaper, in which case "personality" means roaches. (I'm keeping an eye out on Craigslist, still, and holding out hope).

All of the properties were satisfactory (one more than satisfactory, with built-in bookshelves and a bonus room, but I don't think I can afford it) except that none of the kitchens satisfy my inner Iron Chef, nor even my inner Dormitory Iron Chef. Why can one get a tennis court and a basketball court and a gym and a volleyball court, but not a decent kitchen? (Probably because one volleyball court is cheaper than three hundred kitchens). Maybe once I hit my next list of prospects, outside the student ghetto, I'll find the right thing--and if I don't, I've found almost the right thing, and I can afford it, and that'll do.