I can't stress enough how important having a favorable light situation is. Three apartments ago I lived in a ground floor cave that only had a couple of tiny windows and I was miserable every minute that I didn't spend out by the pool. Last November I took a pass on a place with an extra bedroom, 400 more square feet, and $100/month lower rent in favor of my current apartment mostly because of these windows (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattthebruinsfan/2301337842/in/set-72157602315338900/), and I'd do it again in a heartbeat despite the higher cost and lack of storage space.