Living in an apartment comes with its own set of challenges, lack of privacy among them.  You’ll know your neighbors in a way few others ever will, thanks to that off-key rendition of the entire West Side Story soundtrack traveling through your paper-thin walls.   

Sometimes there’s little you can do, and few places you can go to hear yourself think.

Depending on which room you’re in, you’re exposed to a different auditory experience.  In your kitchen, you hear your Broadway hopeful to the east, and in your bedroom, you hear your Riverdancer to the north.  

If you have a balcony, you’re in luck.  You can step out onto your piece of serenity (and sanity), slide the door closed behind you, hang a tuned wind chime and let the tinkling sounds be the only sound you hear in your corner of the world. 

Just because you don’t have a lot of real estate, it doesn’t mean you can’t set up your balcony as your own private oasis.  A small bistro set can fit on the tiniest balcony, and provide an inviting place to relax.  Consider folding patio furniture for a versatile solution. I guess there is truth to the adage “good things come in small packages”.