A Sneak Peek Into These Two Caretakers' Lives

Salem Green has two new members on the cleaning crew. Lucky and Zak are the new caretakers for our 1465 building. They first came looking for a home here at Salem, and then they found out about the job opportunity. Both were very interested since they were looking to save money to someday buy and own an apartment complex themselves! Lucky and Zak both have jobs outside of Salem Green, so after they've made your building beautiful, they head out to their other jobs in the afternoon. Zak is a kick boxer instructor. In his spare time he loves to do yoga to help out with stress. Lucky is a waiter at Applebee’s. In his spare time Lucky loves to work out. Both Lucky and Zak love cooking. They like to use organic food and cook healthy organic meals! If you ever want a few cooking pointers make sure to ask the guys!

Be sure to say hello the next time you see Lucky or Zak!

Lucky and Zak keep Salem Green looking great!

Donut Miss the Spring Breakfast!

Please join us for the annual Spring Continental Breakfast. For those of you hurrying off to work in the morning, there will be to-go boxes available. Everyone else is welcome to hang out and chat over coffee, juice, and some morning treats!

Spring Breakfast
Wednesday, May 7 from 6:45 - 8:30 a.m.
In your building lobby!

Choose Your Neighbors and Get $300 - Refer your friends and family to Salem Green

With the busy rental season coming up, don't forget to let your friends, family, and co-workers know how much you love living at Salem Green - you could get $300 if you refer someone to us and they move in. It seems that we always get a new influx of residents in the spring and summer, which is a popular time to move, and you will get $300 in free rent if you convince someone you know to move in and be your neighbor!

If you refer anyone to us, be sure to contact the rental office to let us know so we can give you your bonus when they move in. It's a win-win situation. The person you refer gets a great place to live, and you get to choose your neighbors by referring family, friends, and co-workers.

Three Beautiful New Babies at Salem Green

We've been overjoyed with news lately of several new baby's arriving at Salem Green. It's one of the best perks of the job to meet the babies when their proud parents bring them into the office. We love them and think they're adorable!

Meet three of our youngest Salem Green residents:

Atticus James, Atticus was born on April 6th to proud parents Dale and Samantha. He tipped the scales at 6 lbs.. Dale and Samantha wanted something original when picking out a name for their son.

Atticus and his dad, Dale; and mom, Samantha.

Sean and Maria are so delighted with their new baby girl, Genevieve. She weighed 6 lbs. 9 oz. and was born on April 9th. Genevieve is a lucky little girl as she has two older brothers at home to be her protectors and show her the ropes.

Genevieve and her mom, Maria; and dad, Sean.

Skye is the new daughter of Patrick and Jessika. The proud parents brought their adorable new family member to the office just days after she was born on March 25th. Skye weighed 6 lbs. 6 oz., and her parents are head over heels in love with this little cutie!

Skye with her dad, Patrick; and mom, Jessika.

Welcome home to all of these Salem Green babies! Hopefully we’ll see these kids at our community events and eventually playing on our great playground in the years to come!

Ring Them Bells - Severe Weather Alarm Testing Today

You may hear the weather alarm sounding today, but don't be alarmed! The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will be conducting drills for severe weather by sounding the weather alarm twice, once at 1:45 p.m. and again at 6:55 p.m.. This is part of a wider effort know as Severe Weather Awareness Week. As we head into the warmer months, Minnesota will sometimes see severe thunderstorms, hail, straight-line winds, and yes, sometimes tornadoes. When there is severe weather and you hear those alarms sounding (and it's not a test) you should take shelter and seek additional information for updates about weather warnings.

For more information about Sever Weather Awareness Week you can visit this website: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/weather-awareness-preparedness/Pages/default.aspx

The safety of our residents is very important to us, so please take a moment to read through our community guidelines for dealing with emergency situations.

Happy Earth Day!

Did you know that today is Earth Day? Earth Day is a popular global observance to raise awareness and appreciation of the environment. The idea for Earth Day began circulating in the 1960’s, when concerns about the environment began to rise in the United States. The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. It was designed as an environmental awareness program with its aim to educate participants about the importance of preserving the environment. In 1990, a global Earth Day was organized, and now is observed in more than 140 countries by 200 million people.

Earth Day 2014 will be celebrated in many ways. Common community activities include picking up roadside trash, planting trees, using recyclable containers for lunches, programs on conservation, recycling and more.

Salem Green does several things to conserve our Earth’s resources: for example we use low flow toilets and shower heads to conserve water. Our care-taking staff works hard to make sure your home is free of unsightly trash. Recycling containers are provided for residents and you don’t even have to sort your recyclables -- simply put your recyclables in the bin! Recycling one aluminum can save enough energy to power a TV for up to 3 hours! Thanks for doing your part in saving our precious planet!

To learn more about Earth Day, visit www.earthday.org/

Bunny Day Was a "Hoppy" Occasion

Last Sunday we had a wonderful time with our Bunny Day celebration here at Salem Green Apartments. The Spring Bunny even made an early appearance! The kids of Salem Green (and their parents!) were treated to cookies and a chance to visit with the Spring Bunny and do some coloring activities.

We were very lucky to have Ava, the daughter of our Assistant Manager Janelle, as our bunny. Not only was Ava great with the kids, but she managed to stay in that costume for 8 hours while she visited with kids at three of our Condor apartment communities! Ava’s family lived at Salem Green when she was born and she used to sit on our bunny’s lap when she was little too. Ava’s big brother Xavier was the bunny in the past and Janelle is in charge of the event, making it a family affair!

Thanks to all of our young residents (and their parents!) for coming out to Bunny Day and making it so much fun. We look forward to seeing you there again next year. Check out some photos below of our Bunny Day this year.

Enjoy these fun photos from the event!

Cute Spring Bunny, right? Well the person wearing the costume is even cuter!

Ava did a great job as the Bunny! (See? She's cuter than the costume!)

These two adorable girls got to try on bunny ears!

And then Shawn, our Maintenance Manager got a hold of the bunny ears! 

What Great Smiles! See Some Photos of Your New Neighbors

April was a big month for Salem Green - We welcomed a lot of new residents to our apartment community. We are so excited to have each of them living here. If you see any of your new neighbors around, be sure to say hello!

Check out the photos below of this wonderful group of new residents - thanks to all of them for taking the time to give us such great smiles for the camera!

Shawna and Zack picked Salem Green to be their first place together!

Dan recently moved to Salem Green looking for a change.

Dismas and his roommates Jon, Tim, (see below!) and Mike wanted to be closer to work.

Jon moved here with a great group of guys - Dismas, Tim, and Mike.

Tim and his roommates chose Salem Green because we're closer to work.

Vikki was very familiar with Salem Green - her brother and sister have lived here in the past, and now we get to have her here!

Raunn & Katie moved to Salem Green looking for a little larger space for the kids - John, and one more is on the way and should be here any day now!

Travis and Lexi picked Salem Green because we were the best of everything they looked at.

Malinda and Matthew fell in love with the floor plan. They liked the breakfast bar, angled walls, walk in closets, and access to the balcony from both the bedroom and living room.

Coleen picking up her keys to her new home - she picked Salem Green for the awesome lake view and to be close to work.

LeShawn and Ashley love the walk in closets and all of the amenities for the kids.

Resident Survey - We want to know what you think!

At Condor Corporation, we care about what our residents think. To ensure we're living up to our pledge to go Beyond the Expected for our residents, we are asking them to take a few minutes and fill out a survey. We delivered a printed version of the survey to each apartment, which can be returned to the office once completed. Alternatively, we have put the survey online, that way our residents pick whichever format that's most convenient for them.

This is not only an opportunity for you to tell us how we're doing, but also a chance to change your community! We want to know what we can do to improve your living experience. Plus, all survey respondents will be entered into a drawing to receive $20 off their April rent - and there will be 20 winners chosen! The survey will close on April 7.

Thank you all for your time and valuable input!

Take The Survey!

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e93iqh3qht5w597k/start

Get Your Wheels Ready for Some Fun

With the expected warm-up this weekend, everyone is feeling the itch to get outside and get active! A popular way to get outside is to ride something with wheels - so go get your bike or skateboard out of storage and get ready to have some fun!

Awesome Bike Trails

For mountain bike enthusiasts, Salem Green is a great place to live. Harmon Park is just across the street from Salem Green and has some wonderful mountain bike trails.

Here are some links to more information about the trails near us:

• City of Inver Grove Heights trail map: http://www.ci.inver-grove-heights.mn.us/documentcenter/view/544
• Dakota County trail maps: http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/parks/activities/bicycling/pages/default.aspx
• Harmon Park: http://www.morcmtb.org/trailreviews/metro/harmon.html
• MN Bike Trail Navigator: If you're looking for some great routes in the metro area, check out this independent blogger's favorite routes page. http://mnbiketrailnavigator.blogspot.com/p/favorite-routes.html

Time to Tune-Up or Upgrade

It's always a good idea to get your bike or board checked for safety. Often you can do this yourself, if you know what to look for; but if not, there are some great bike and board shops near Salem Green that do tune-ups. A good bike shop will check the frame, steering system, wheels, brakes, cranks and bottom brackets, derailleurs, and the chain. 

Local Bike & Board Shops

Here are some great bike and board shops near Salem Green. Ride safe!

Bike King
6489 Cahill Ave
Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076
(651) 457-7766
bike-king.com‎

Boehms

1040 Dakota Drive
Mendota Heights, MN 55120
(651) 454-2066

boehmscycle.com‎

Erik's Bike and Board Shop
1296 Town Centre Drive
Eagan, MN 55123
(651) 209-6046
eriksbikeshop.com‎

Happy First Day of Spring!

Happy first day of spring!

Did you know that spring fever is not just a myth? Here's some amazing facts about Spring:

• The human body may experience physiological changes due to changes in diet, hormone production and temperature
• Melting snow and additional rain may cause more flooding in spring
• Children grow faster in spring
• Spring is also when birds return home after migrating in winter. About 1800 bird species migrate. 

We are looking forward to spring at Salem Green. We’ll be planting flowers, cleaning up the playground and basketball court, and getting the canoes and paddle-boat ready for our wonderful residents! Happy Spring!

Melting Snow + Freezing Nights = Slippery Sidewalks

This winter just doesn't know how to quit! The forecast is calling for three to six more inches of snow tonight for the Twin Cities metro area. This is a good time to remind everyone to continue to walk carefully outside - this winter isn't giving us any breaks from the snow and ice.

Please use caution when walking on the sidewalks and in the parking lots around Salem Green. As the temperatures fluctuate this time of year we often see snow and ice melting during the day, only to freeze again at night - which can make for some slippery conditions on the pavement. We will do our best to have these areas salted and sanded in a timely manner, but your caution is always necessary. 

Thank you for cooperation in this important safety matter.

Meet Your Newest Neighbor!

We recently had a new addition to our neighbors here at Salem Green. Chris is our newest resident and we are excited to welcome him to our apartment community. If you see Chris around, be sure to say hello and tell him how wise his choice was!

Salem Green Apartments is a wonderful place to live. Life here is made simple and lots of fun with our wonderful amenities. We have an indoor pool (and a great outdoor pool to enjoy once winter decides to quit), saunas, a fitness center; to name a few. Plus, when you live at Salem Green you join a great community of residents and staff - and we always look forward to talking whenever a resident stops by the office or we see them at one of our community events, such as dessert nights or our annual picnic.

Welcome to Salem Green, Chris!

Chris recently moved to Salem Green.

Celebrating St. Paddy's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day! This holiday is a big deal in the St. Paul metro area, because of the city's historical Irish heritage. Here's a quick guide for celebrating St. Patrick's day.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated worldwide and is a national holiday in Ireland. In Chicago, on St. Patrick’s Day, the river is dyed green; and in Seattle there is a ceremony where a green stripe is painted down the roads. Some people even go so far as to dye their hair green, and many more people will wear green, purportedly to avoid being pinched. Many bars in the United States and other countries serve green beer to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day. 

If you’re looking to celebrate your Irish heritage, or even if you’re not Irish, here are some ways to celebrate:

Parade in Minneapolis

In Minneapolis there is a St. Patrick’s Day parade on Monday, March 17 at 6:30 pm on the Nicollet Mall. The parade route will start at Nicollet and 13th Street until it reaches 5th Street.

Parade in St. Paul

The Annual St. Paul St. Patrick’s Day parade will be held at 12:00 pm on Monday, March 17. The parade travels east to west along 5th Street beginning at Broadway.

Irish Pubs

If you are into green beer, you can head to The Liffey Irish Pub on 175 7th St. W in St. Paul. There is also Cork’s Irish Pub located at 175 10th St. E in St. Paul as well.

Irish Food

And if you are craving some traditional Irish food to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, check out Kieran’s Irish Pub located at 85 6th Street North in Minneapolis. They offer traditional Irish food, drinks and have live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

An old Irish quote: “May you always walk in sunshine, may you never want for more, may Irish angels rest their wings, right beside your door!” Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Como Conservatory Flower Show - Bask In Sun, Warmth, and Flowers

Flowers - and lots of them! Head over to the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park this weekend to see the special Winter Flower Show. This is the last weekend for the display; so if you are craving a taste of spring, this is a great place to visit. Soon the trees, bushes, and flowers around Salem Green will be blooming as spring finally arrives - but for now you can go bask in sun, warmth, and take in the sight of hundreds of beautiful flowers at the Conservatory.

Sunken Garden at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory. Source: http://www.comozooconservatory.org/attractions/gardens/sunken-gardens/#/info

Seasonal Shows

The Sunken Garden is a special room at the Como Park Marjorie McNeely Conservatory that features changing displays throughout the year - so you can keep visiting and see something new! Here's a description of the Winter Flower Show from the website:

The Winter Show will have a mixture of the purple, red, pink and yellow.  Plants highlighted will be various Cyclamen, Pansies, Viola, Cineraria, Amaryllis, Primula from the Touch me Midi series, Azaleas, Camellias, and Velthemia with their pink flower spikes.  Fragrance to the show will be supplies by various Oriental lilies and Paperwhite Narcissus. 

The Spring Flower Show begins on March 22. You could visit this weekend and the next and see how the Sunken Garden is transformed from one theme to the next.

For more information visit the Como Park Conservatory website here:

http://www.comozooconservatory.org/attractions/gardens/sunken-gardens/#/info

Sunken Garden at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory. Source: http://www.comozooconservatory.org/attractions/gardens/sunken-gardens/#/info

Welcome To Salem Green Robert and Harley!

We recently had two new residents join us here at Salem Green Apartments. Please join us in welcoming Robert and Harley. They are making Salem Green their first home together and are excited to live here. We're so glad they chose our apartment community!

Robert and Harley recently moved to Salem Green Apartments.

Meet Your New Neighbors!

March has not brought us Spring yet, but it did bring us some wonderful new neighbors! Please welcome our newest residents to Salem Green. 

 The staff wants to thank them for calling Salem Green home and we hope they live here for many years to come. We look forward to providing service that goes “Beyond the Expected."

Mitch and Lindsey are making their first home together at Salem Green!

Nicole is super excited to call Salem Green home!

Eric was tired of his long commute and moved to Salem Green to be closer to his job. 

Watching the Oscars This Sunday? Here's Some Fun Facts!

Get your popcorn and movie candy ready; the 86th Academy Awards will be on ABC this Sunday, March 2nd, at 7:00 p.m. This year’s host is Ellen DeGeneres. Here are some fun facts about the Oscars:

• The first Academy Awards were held on May 16, 1929 in Hollywood, CA. The winning movie that year was “Wings.”
• The oldest actor to win the academy award was Henry Fonda who was 76 when he won for “On Golden Pond.” 
• The youngest at 29 was Adrien Brody for “The Pianist."
• The oldest actress was Jessica Tandy, she was 80 when she got the Oscar for “Driving Miss Daisy,” and the youngest best actress was Marlee Maitlin who was just 21 when she won for “Children of a Lesser God."
• Meryl Streep is the most nominated actor; she has a total of 18 nominations!
• The 1997 film Titanic had 17 nominations and took home 14.
• The Oscar statue is made of tin, copper and antimony and covered in 24-carat gold.

Favorite Movie Treats

What’s your favorite movie candy or treat? We asked some of our staff; here’s what they had to say:

Julie - Likes it all! Extra butter and salt on my popcorn please!
Anthony - Popcorn
Janelle - Hot buttered popcorn.
Val - Anything chocolate!
Kendra - Reese’s Peanut Cups
Steve - Nachos
Matt - Milk Duds

Hosting a Viewing Party

Have you ever wanted a little more space to have more friends over to watch a special show, like the Academy Awards? Remember, you can rent the Salem Green Party Room, which has a large screen TV and it's got a great line up of cable channels. The party room has couches, tables and chairs, and space for serving snacks - everything you need to throw a fantastic party! So next time that big show or sporting event comes around contact the Leasing Office and reserve the party room for your fantastic party.

Four Tips For Getting Your Car Unstuck

With all the snow we have been getting it's a good idea to have some ideas about how to get your car out when it's stuck in the snow. We've pulled together our four best tips for getting unstuck! (But we hope you don't end up there in the first place!)

1. Don’t spin your tires. That will only dig your car in deeper and possibly damage the tires.
2. Put the car in the lowest possible gear and try to back up slowly. Stop. Then move forward, slowly. Ideally, that rocking will help the car gain traction.
3. If that fails, turn the steering wheel and again, try to back up slowly, and then move ahead slowly.
4. Still stuck? Get out of the car (make sure it’s in park with the safety brake on) and try to dig out any excess snow around the tires. If you have sand, kitty litter or even an old piece of cardboard, put it under your rear tires before you try to pull out again.

We hope you are one of the lucky ones who manages to avoid getting stuck in the snow, but if not, we hope these tips will help you get unstuck and on your way!

Salem Green Staff Reveal Their Favorite Winter Olympics Events

With the 2014 Winter Olympics headed into its final weekend, we asked some of the employees at Salem Green Apartments what their favorite winter Olympic events to watch have been. Here’s what they have been watching:

Julie: Figure Skating
Matt: Snowboarding Slope Style
Val: The Luge
Steve: Curling
Janelle: Couples Figure Skating
Jeremy: Hockey
Kendra: Speed Skating
Anthony: Snowboarding Half Pipe

Here's some interesting facts about the Olympics:

• The Olympics started in Ancient Greece and according to legend it was Hercules who built the first Olympic stadium as a tribute to Zeus and established the custom of holding the events every four years. 
• The modern Olympics we watch today are very different than they were in Ancient Greece. The ancient Olympics had such events as Chariot races, Equestrian races (horse races), boxing, and wrestling and there was of course no winter Olympics. 
• The first winter Olympics was held in 1924 and only had 6 events. This year’s Sochi Winter Olympics is hosting a total of 98 events in 15 different winter sport disciplines! 
• To date the US has won 8 Gold metals, 6 silver medals and 11 bronze metals. The United States holds the lead for the most Olympic medals ever won with a total of 2, 549!

Whether you’re into figure skating, hockey or one of the other many events we hope you are enjoying the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics!

The Survey Says... We Have an Awesome Staff!

We are very interested in knowing how we are doing, which is why we like to survey our former residents, as well as those that have just moved to Salem Green. Check out some of the great response we got from past and current residents. We're proud to provide a high level of service and care for our residents and go "Beyond the Expected." Caution: brazen back-patting ahead.

Former Resident Survey

Sometimes our residents need to move away from Salem Green for various factors in their lives. We're always sad to see them go and we are very interested in hearing from them how they viewed their experience at Salem Green Apartments.

Question: What did you like best about living at Salem Green?

Julie
“Clean buildings, Quite apartment, Great people in office”, Julie P

Ziara
“You guys are super clean! I love how the office always took care of whatever I needed and did it with a smiling face. Miss you guys!” Ziara

Charles and Gail
“Friendly staff, friendly community, convenient to everything.”

Kris
“Very pleasant going to the office. Always friendly and talkative. Almost made it a pleasure to pay rent.”

New Resident Survey

We also like to ask our new residents how their move-in experience went. We always want to make sure we're doing our best to serve our residents. Here's some responses to recent New Resident Move-In Surveys.

Question: What could we have done to make your transition easier?

Ben, Megan, and Sam
“You were fantastic at helping us find a place and meeting our needs”

Antoinette
“Everything went smooth with my move, I wouldn’t change a thing!”

Melissa and Ira
“Not much at all, the office personnel was outstanding! Very nice and helpful.”

Steven and Laura
“Nothing, we came to view an apartment and filled out the application the same day. It’s been a breeze!”

Plus, recently we received this nice note from someone who came to look at our property:

Janelle and team,
I wanted to thank you very much for the help, great tour and opportunity to live at Salem Green. You truly have a beautiful property and great amenities, but unfortunately there has been a change of plans in my life and living arrangements and won't be able to move to Salem Green. Thank you for all the help and kindness! You have a great staff!
Hannah

Three Days til Valentine's Day! Here's Our Staff's Recommendations.

Valentine’s Day is almost here, are you ready? The Salem Green staff compiled a helpful list of local businesses and restaurants where you can find some special Valentine's Day gifts or make dinner reservations. Check them out below. But first...

We asked our staff what was on their Valentine’s Day agenda:

Matt is going to watch movies and enjoy popcorn with his adorable kids, Parker and Kylee.
Steve and Jeremy will both be taking their significant others out to enjoy sushi.
Joel is going to take some time to do something special for his beautiful wife.
Val is going to celebrate Valentine’s Day with her wonderful parents and brother by taking them to dinner.
Janelle is going to take her daughter out for Chinese food.
Julie and Shawn will be enjoying a quiet dinner at home, with their cutie Josie.
Kendra will be seeing a romantic movie with her hubby Joey.

Gifts and Flowers

Are you searching for that perfect gift to give your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day? You can never go wrong with flowers and candy. Here's some great local businesses that can help you out.

Gertens

(651) 450-1501

Check out Gerten’s on Blaine Avenue in Inver Grove Heights for some beautiful floral arrangements and potted plants and flowers.

Hearts and Flowers 

(651) 453-2013

They have great options for your sweetie, and they deliver as well!

Regina's Fine Candy
Sweeten up the love of your life and visit Regina’s Fine Candy for some decadent chocolate.

1905 Robert St. South, West St. Paul.

Candy Land

If you are looking for some unique sweets check out Candy Land in downtown St. Paul.

435 Wabasha St N., St Paul.

Local Eateries

There are several restaurants in the area that are doing a special Valentine’s Dinner. There's something here for all price ranges.

• White Castle on Robert Trail (It's a thing - they have a special Valentine's Day event each year.)
• Outback Steak House on Upper 55th in Inver Grove Heights
• And Julie's personal favorite is the Cherokee Sirloin Room in Eagan
• Old World Pizza in Inver Grove Heights

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Salem Green staff!

Whew, It's Getting Hot in Here!

There's good news for our residents who enjoy using the sauna - Robert and Ryan have been rebuilding the men's Sauna and it should be reopened very soon. We appreciate your patience during this process - we needed to make some necessary repairs to get the sauna into working order. Please use caution when using the sauna, especially if you are new to using it.

Did you know that some doctors think that saunas have some positive health effects? Check out this article from the University of Wisconsin:
http://www.med.wisc.edu/news-events/sauna-induced-sweating-offers-many-health-benefits/30199

Here's a few photos we snapped of Ryan and Robert rebuilding the sauna.

Ryan doing some calculations.

Robert and Ryan did a great job rebuilding the men's sauna!

Robert checking his measurements twice - like a true craftsman!