Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Temporary Housing and Pets

We've always had fur-children in our lives.

Esther has a Chihuahua-Pit Bull mix named Picasso and Sheila has a beautiful Maine Coon cat named Aslan.


You see these creatures every day.  You feed and water them, bathe them, cuddle with them. They're there to cheer you up when you've had a crummy day at work or when you simply want someone to watch TV with.


Pets are the bomb. And we understand that. That's why we welcome fur-family members--from cats and dogs to ferrets and birds--in our apartments.

And to make your pets feel welcome, we provide food/water bowls and toys.



We'd love to help you.
North Star Corporate Housing 
321-327-7222

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Relocating? Know your area: Local Attractions

Our final segment of the "Know your area" series deals with local attractions.  There may be several places worth checking out around you.
Source
To help give concrete examples, we're going to use Orlando, FL, as our model.

Orlando is one of those cities that has infinite things to see and do.  Besides the obvious Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks, there are a ton of other things the city has to offer.

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Blue Man Group:  A group that experiments with music and comedy to entertain audiences.  Unlike anything you've seen before!


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Lakeridge Winery:  I bet you didn't think Florida had wine.  Lakeridge Winery produces reds, whites, dessert wines and sparkling wines.


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The Orlando Ballet:  The Orlando Ballet offers performances every month, ranging from Snow White to the Christmas-time show The Nutcracker.


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Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge:  If golf is your cup of tea, then Orlando will not disappoint.  With more golf course than you can count, golfers migrate to this area to get their swing on.  The Bay Hill Club & Lodge has hosted the PGA Tour since 1979, which alone makes this course worth visiting.


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Kennedy Space Center:  Less than an hour from Orlando, Kennedy Space Center offers tours and tickets to rocket launches.  Also great for kids!


Monday, July 22, 2013

Traveling with a baby

Traveling with a baby can be a little tricky if you've never done it before.

My partner and I traveled from Florida to the United Kingdom when our little girl was three weeks old.

Honestly, it wasn't that bad. Our little one was pretty easy to please during the newborn stage. She slept for most of the plane ride, only waking briefly to eat and then go back to sleep. It was perfect.

Now that she's a few months old, however, keeping her happy during car rides that last a few hours can be difficult. These are the things, although obvious, are what we do to ensure a relatively peaceful journey:

1. Make sure she or he is dry. Sitting in a wet diaper, even if it's only a little wet, can be quite uncomfortable.

2. Keep him or her cool. I know that our carseat/stroller can get very toasty, especially during the summertime, which can be miserable if no airflow or air conditioning is reaching her.  Conversely, keeping baby warm in colder temps. is equally as important for comfort.

3. Give her or him a nice, long feed. So when baby does start to fuss when you put her in the carseat, she will most likely just fall asleep after a couple of minutes and stay asleep because she is full of warm milk.

All babies are different, of course, but we thought we'd share what worked for my little girl.  Happy travels from North Star!

Friday, July 5, 2013

Relocating? Know your area: Social Life

After you've unpacked your boxes and settled into your new place, you may be thinking about tapping into the local social scene.  That could mean many different things.

To show you what we mean, we're going to use Delray Beach, one of our most popular relocation destinations, as an example.


There is always something going on in Delray.  Whether it's a beach volleyball tournament, a poetry festival, a bicycle race, or a knitting group, you are bound to find an event or group that interests you.



Almost every month has something worth checking out:

January:  Palm Beach Poetry Festival

February: Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, the Annual Delray Beach Garlic Fest
March: St. Patrick's Day Parade, Delray Beach Twilight Festival (Bicycle race)

May: A 5k run to benefit firefighters
July: 4th of July fireworks
September:  Flavor Palm Beach  (special prices and menus at local restaurants)
October:  A 10k run supporting victims of domestic violence, the Annual Downtown Delray Beach Craft Festival
December:  Ice-skating downtown by the 100-foot Christmas tree

Also, ongoing events, such as those at the library and downtown, can be found online:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/  (Hagen Ranch branch)
http://www.downtowndelraybeach.com/events
http://mydelraybeach.com/

Monday, July 1, 2013

Relocating? Know your area: Food Edition

Moving to a new city, state, or region can be difficult.  You may face changes that you weren't prepared for:  Lack of friends and family, different climate, and unfamiliar stores can also pose challenges.

Preparing yourself for the move to a new area can help ease the transition and make life less stressful when you actually arrive.   

That's why North Star will be doing a series of posts to provide suggestions on familiarizing yourself with your new area.  We will separate posts by category:  Food, Social Life, and Local Attractions.

Let's get started.


FOOD
We all need it, and where we get it can be quite the complicated answer.


Grocery Stores
Grocery stores are oftentimes regional, but there are several chains that are national.  These stores will sometimes have coupons listed on their website, so be sure to check!

National:  Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, Safeway, Walmart Supercenter, Kmart Supercenter

Southeast:  Publix, Winn-Dixie, Food Lion, Harris Teeter

East/Northeast:  Wegmans, BJ's Wholesale, C-Town, ShopRite

Midwest:  County Market, Nash Finch Company, Sunflower Farmers Market

Southwest:  Fresh and Easy

Northwest:  WinCo Foods



Farmer's Markets/ CSA
One of the most overlooked sources of food is the farmer him/herself.  Farmer's markets are not only a fantastic source for fresh food but also a great place for meeting people in the area.

Nowadays, farmer's markets usually have websites or Facebook groups, so don't be afraid to type in a simple Google search for a market in your area.

And if you're really gung-ho for vegetables, try signing up for a CSA (community-supported agriculture) box for a week of fresh fruit and veg.  They usually run about $25 for one week's worth of fresh produce that can feed a small family.


Local Restaurants
Last but not least, don't forget local restaurants.

Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Urban Spoon are all great sites to help you find the gems of local dining in your area.

We hope these suggestions help make the move to your new area easier and less stressful!
North Star Corporate Housing
321-327-7222

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Videos galore!

According to this article, video is the new platform to showcase rental properties.

Instead of relying solely on pictures and text, renters now have access to video of apartment communities they're interested in.

Questions that came to mind when reading the article:  Does video really make finding an apartment easier for a renter?  If so, then how?  What does video show us that pictures cannot?  Is using video just an indication of the advancement of technology rather than a useful tool for potential renters?

In our opinion, video is a more appealing way to showcase a community and its apartments and amenities.

Here is our own video created just a few months ago.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

"Update" North Star Corporate Housing's New Video


NSCH LOGO
Our corporate housing is national. 
Our customer service performance is unprecedented. 
Our specialty is '4 star accommodations at a twinkle of the cost'.  
We are outstanding at what we do...
 
321-327-7222

        
  
North Star Corporate Housing's
May 2013 Newsletter


 
North Star's New Video
We're excited to present our new video featuring actual pictures from our accommodations throughout the United States.  Enjoy!  
North Star Corporate Housing NEW Video
North Star Corporate Housing's New Video
     
May's Recipe of the Month
         
Easy Guacamole
Submitted By: Denise Goodman at Allrecipes.com
"Simply a quick recipe for tasty guacamole! Great with tortilla chips or as a topping for Mexican foods!."
  
Ingredients  
  • 2 avocados
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 ripe tomato, chopped
  • 1 lime, juiced
Directions
  1. Peel and mash avocados in a medium serving bowl. Stir in onion, garlic, tomato, lime juice, salt and pepper. Season with remaining lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Chill for half an hour to blend flavors.
Yum!!

             
North Star Corporate Housing is the ideal choice for Business and Leisure Travelers throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Hawaii and Alaska.  Our accommodations are pet friendly and perfect for extended stays of 30 days or longer for both you and your companions.
Our short term housing solutions are comfortable and reasonably priced when compared to the cost, size and amenities of a hotel.  Our live Customer Care Experts are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week to make sure your transition is as smooth as possible, leaving more time for you to focus on your business or personal objectives.
North Star's product value, customer care and commitment to excellence make us the right choice for all of your temporary housing needs.  For more information, please visit
321-327-7222.
  
All the best, 
North Star Corporate Housing, LLC

Teacher



Temporary Housing 101: 
Do you offer accommodations within gated communities?  
Yes!  However, it's all based upon our availability at the time of your request.