All New! All Different! Electrical Outlets!

More and more clients are using their spaces here at 2nd Avenue Storage as more than just a place to put their old furniture and clothes. The western hall is quickly turning into Artists' Row, with more and more people using our units as studios. We have hosted painters, illustrators, mixed media artists, woodworkers, and even a personal recording studio. We have one customer whose home office got too big for his home and set up shop inside a 9x9 unit (we offer wi-fi for a $10/month adder). We're especially excited about our newest customer who will be teaching piano lessons out of her storage unit. Should I keep calling them "storage" units? Maybe I need to change the name to 2nd Avenue Studio Spaces.

With all the new activity, we decided that Artists' Row needed some electrical outlets. Previously anyone needing electricity had to string an extension cord down to the lonely single outlet by the bathroom. No longer! We just added outlets down the eastern wall. 

If you need a space at 2nd Avenue Studio Spaces (or have suggestions on a better name) give us call at 205-332-1624.

Works every time...

Paint the Wall Crazy

Self Storage is boring, and I had no intention of running a self storage business, much less putting one into the Counts Brothers Building. However, I had 4500 storefrontless square feet that I desperately needed to lease out in order to pay the bills. I didn't want to split it up into residential lofts, but the question remained "What kind of business do you not want to SEE?" My friend and real estate agent Jerry suggested self storage, which I immediately turned down. But when I started asking neighbors what kinds of services they needed, it turned out that everyone with whom I talked had a storage unit and they all had to drive to get there, and would love to be able to walk to their unit. So I went with Self Storage, but tried to come up with ways to make it more fun. We painted the walls white, in order to create a canvas. Space 111 art studio is a block down the street and Rachael, Margot, and Suzanne came over to make art on the walls. Some examples are below (thanks to Sarah Miller for the pictures). There's also a bonus picture of somebody's hand on my glowing countertops.

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2nd Avenue Storage Begrudgingly Sets Up Facebook Page, Eats Crow

If you're one of those people who enjoy using Facebook, please like our 2nd Avenue Storage page. I'm not terribly fond of Facebook, myself; the interface is noisy and confusing. However, a day after we opened up the page I got a call asking about renting a unit, so I guess it was a good thing. Also, leave some feedback on what you would want to see on a Facebook page about a storage facility, because I sure don't know. On an unrelated note, The Counts Brothers Building is a block away from Levy's Fine Jewelry and I just want to say that Ms. Rhoda's radio commercials are my favorite part of Christmas. Happy Holidays, everybody!

Smile! You're on Camera

We installed security cameras around the building. 2nd Avenue Storage runs unmanned several hours a day and we wanted our tenants' belongings to be as safe as possible, monitor traffic, and be able to see what was happening remotely. All feeds can be viewed on the TV screen in my loft. To notify customers they were on camera, we made some signs. Honestly, self storage is boring, and people associate it with an unpleasant chore, so I try to make it easy to use and less boring than other storage facilities. Keeping with this idea, I didn't want to buy off the shelf signs, so the accordion player and I put on our creative caps and painted some signs of our own. I think they were a success, because everyone that sees them smiles. And smiling is the point: they're on camera.

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Proximity Card Access

The upper floor of the Counts Brothers Building is home to 2nd Avenue Storage. Until recently customers have used keys to enter and exit. This week we installed proximity card readers to increase security. Cards are serialized and entrances are recorded so that we know who is coming and going, and access can be more easily revoked if the need should arise. In other news, El Barrio has begun outdoor seating, taking advantage of the covered recess leading to the doorway of 2nd Avenue Storage and my loft. It's a nice place to enjoy the spring weather!

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