Copyright Newsday Inc., 2004)

About us: I'm Julie, and I grew up in Fairfield, Conn., and Joseph grew up in Manhattan. I am a stage designer by training, but right now I work as an assistant to the director for Student Health Services of Stanford; and Joseph is a supervisor at Albertson Deli in Albertson, but he is a graphic designer by training.

Our neighborhood: Glendale

Vital statistics: $1,300 a month. It's got two bedrooms, a bathroom, a full kitchen with two entrances, a dining room and living room, plus four behemoth closets.

How we got it: We were living with Joseph's grandfather for three years in Manhattan and decided it was time for us to find our own place. When we started looking for an apartment, it wasn't that easy, because I was used to looking in Manhattan and finding something the next day. But in other places, for instance Queens, it takes longer. We went to see so many different places, and when we looked in the Village Voice for apartments, most of them were with http://www.cityleases.com/, so that is where we ended up, for a small price of $39. One of the best parts of http://www.cityleases.com/ was that I would get e-mails everyday alerting me to new properties. After looking over a rental in Queens on the computer, I made an appointment with the landlord.

When we first walked in, we were amazed at how big the living room was. And when Joseph started to look around, he was reminded of his grandfather's place. The price was a little more than we wanted to spend, but as we stood in the dining room, we knew it was home.

The clincher: Our block almost feels like a walk in the park, from the trees along the sidewalks to the shrubs in front of our apartment. The neighborhood takes a sudden change when you go up the block to shop-filled Myrtle Avenue, which has bodegas, restaurants, supermarkets and, of course, your normal fast-food chains. Myrtle Avenue is a one-stop shopping neighborhood for brides and grooms. It has a strip of tuxedo and wedding dress shops, hair and nail salons, a catering hall and a church.

What is on our wall: We have a photo by Hag on our bedroom wall called "Hallucination." It is two photos into one: a city on one side, and the beach on the other. We really want to be on the beach but are stuck in the city right now.