Moving to Mertojak

We were very nervous about finding a pet friendly apartment in Split. The listing websites are difficult to navigate and don't have a lot of options. Luckily Expat in Croatia helps find their clients apartments, and Lucija found us one we fell in love with very quickly. It was actually the first one we looked at. We had another showing scheduled but that one rented the morning we were supposed to see it. We knew this one was perfect as soon as we saw it because it has a lovely little garden, is in a quiet neighborhood, and has a beautiful view of the sea. 

We're in the neighborhood Mertojak in Split. Mertojak is East of Old Town and is one of the newer neighborhoods in Split. It has many multi-story apartments and skyscrapers. The neighborhood was built between 1979-1984 and has a population around 9,500. It only has one official park, but lots of beautiful green spaces that we consider urban parks in the US. The official park is called Mother Teresa Park and is a 5 minute walk from our apartment. The streets are named for cities who are friends with Split. 

Our apartment is on the first floor of a multi story apartment building. We have a little garden with 3 trees (lemon, unknown citrus, and a bay tree), a Komin (BBQ), and enough room for the pups to play. We have a large covered porch that is blocked from the wind on two sides by windows, and has enough space to hang our laundry to dry in the sun. We have an open living/dining/kitchen area, two bedrooms, and a full bath with a bathtub and a bidet. The apartment came completely furnished, all we needed to purchase was linens (bedding and towels). We also added a desk for Daniel to work from and some additional clothes storage for me. 

The windows have outside blinds that totally block out the light and heat when needed. I'm going to want them in all my future homes. The windows are all egress which will open like doors, and also pop out at the top to allow a breeze without puppies escaping to the yard. The living room window slides all the way open, making the porch truly part of the living room when we want it to be. 

The stoop in front of our garden seems to be a neighborhood gathering place. Different groups spend time there throughout the day. Retirees during the day drink coffee and beer and smoke and visit. In the evenings young men do the same. It's wonderful to hear the community going about their lives outside. 

We're a 10-20 minute walk to the sea and the Znjan Beach. And a 5-10 minute walk to the supermarket, pharmacy, beauty store, and bakery. There is also a small market in our complex less than 5 minutes walk away. We can take a 30 minute walk to the Lidl, bike shops, and more. Or a quick Uber ride anywhere we want to go in the city. 

We absolutely love the apartment. There's plenty of room for us, the view is magical, and the neighbors are kind.