Blog Posts

Streaming 101

The black box that controls what we watch on TV is virtually a thing of the past, and at Renaissance Place Apartment we know that. That’s why our Ultimate Technology Package includes over 200 channels and Showtime along with high-speed internet. In today’s world, our news and entertainment is a much more individualized experience, with people able to stream content to their devices wherever they happen to be. If, by chance, you can’t find what you’re looking for with our Ultimate Technology Package, a streaming service may be the answer to complement it. So today we will take a look at several different sources for streaming TV content and movies to your apartment. According to Tom’s Guide , the top three streaming services are Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Instant Video, with Netflix being lauded as the best overall, Hulu filling the bill for Network TV, and Amazon working well for families. Another notable mention is Vevo for Music Fans. Netflix has come up with some original series which have claimed significant followings including Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, and Longmire. If you are looking for a series to binge on, this rundown of The 50 Best TV Shows On Netflix may be helpful. Netflix also has a good collection of documentaries and comedy shows for you to watch if you’re looking for some more variety. Not to be outdone, Hulu is an excellent choice to stay current with the latest TV shows. Additionally, if you are a fan of British TV, Hulu Plus is the best place to get BBC content in the United States. A bonus is the selection of classic anime series. Amazon Prime is a cost-effective way not only to shop for physical goods, but for virtual ones as well. It provides streaming for movies and TV. If you are a fan of comedy, this may be your streaming service of choice. Amazon Prime partners with Viacom, which means your membership includes access to Comedy Central, MTV, and Nickelodeon. Of course, you can also see a movie the old-fashioned way and head to your favorite Williamsville, NY movie theater to catch the latest on the big screen. Visit Movie Insider to see what movies are coming out soon ! What is your favorite streaming service or TV series? Share in the comments!

Fall Food Festival

With September comes the fall harvest. This means fresh pumpkin, corn, squash, and apples make their way to farmer’s markets and grocery store shelves. These foods are so versatile: not only can they be used for eating, but they also combine to make awesome fall decorations. This week the Renaissance Place Apartments Blog is sharing some tasty fall food recipes for members of our apartment community here in Williamsville, NY to try out. Pumpkin Recipes Pumpkin Soup is not for everyone, but if you’re a fan, you will love this recipe from “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” blog. Pumpkin Spice Truffles are made with a short list of ingredients, are simple to make, and pack a powerful flavor punch. Yum! Corn Recipes Hominy is made from a variety of flint corn, and this colorful, veggie-filled recipe, Fiesta Chicken w/ Spanish Rice features hominy. If you are feeling adventurous and you have a full afternoon on your hands, try these beef tamales . If you want the tamale taste but you don’t have a lot of time, try this quick and easy Hot Tamale Pie . Squash Recipes After taking a look at all of the options available on allrecipes.com, we couldn’t choose just a few, so take a look at all of these squash recipes and try one this month! However, we absolutely had to share this Candied Acorn Squash recipe, which the author calls a delicious side dish almost as good as dessert. Apple Recipes Apple Coleslaw is a healthy way to use up apples from the farmer’s market. Allrecipes.com has this to say about the recipe: “Simple, sweet coleslaw that is a great accompaniment to pork-apple burgers or pork sandwiches. You can serve it immediately, but it's best when refrigerated overnight allowing the flavors to blend.” Another recipe from allrecipes.com, these Apple Brownies are a flavorful dessert for something a little different. The recipe contributor shares this about the recipe: “This was my Mom’s recipe. Easy and quick to make. Apples and walnuts are packed into a [cinnamon-spiced] blonde brownie. Always a hit when I bring it to parties. Very moist and great to make in the fall when apples are plentiful.” What are your favorite dishes to serve in the fall? Please share in the comments so we can all try them. Thanks for reading today’s post.

Hosting Out of Town Guests

Summer is still with us, and for many Americans that means vacations and visiting friends. So don’t be surprised if you end up with guests! Hosting guests at your Renaissance Place apartment needn’t be a stressful occasion. It simply takes some preparation ahead of time. We’ve pulled together some ideas for helping guests feel welcome in your home in Williamsville, NY. A good way to help a guest feel welcome is to provide some essential items in a pretty basket. Include the guest wifi password, a charging bar or powerstrip for phones and ipads, a list of phone numbers/your schedule, mints, snacks, earplugs, sleeping mask, flashlight, etc. These types of items can make a guest feel at home away from home, and provide answers before they even have to ask. Provide the most comfortable bed you can. If you have a guest room, perfect. Make sure the linens are clean and fresh. Add a warm throw to the bottom of the bed in case your guest gets chilly. If you don’t have a guest room, a cot, an air mattress, a futon bed, or even a foam pad will work too. (If your guests are a bit older than you, as a courtesy, you may want to offer your own bed, while you take the air mattress.) Do your best to provide some private space for your guest. Clear out a drawer, a shelf, or a section of a closet. If that isn’t possible, perhaps invest in a luggage rack like those found in hotel rooms. Your guest will appreciate having a designated place for their personal belongings. Perhaps the most important thing to do in regard to meals is to communicate with your guests beforehand about plans for meals. Having a plan and knowing what meals you are responsible for will make it easier to come up with menus. You can also find out about dietary restrictions and food preferences ahead of time. Stock up on easy do-it-yourself menu items. We hope these tips will come in helpful when someone inevitably contacts you to see if they can stay over the weekend! What are your best tips for hosting guests? Feel free to share in the comments.

Swimming Games for Summer Fun

Summertime temps have hit New York and the heat has been bristling here in Williamsville. Luckily, one of our key amenities here at Renaissance Place Apartments is our fantastic, salt water swimming pool. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing afternoon or a fun evening swim, our pool is accessible to all residents of our apartment community. This month we’ve decided to highlight our pool with some of our favorite pool games! Just remember to keep the pool rules in mind before you embark in some summer fun. Shark in the Pool Similar to tag, this game is one of the few that allows players to freely move in and out of the water. One player takes the role of the shark and attempts to tag any in the water. If the shark gets someone, they become the new shark. Being true to the name can add some more fun, as adding a snorkel and fins to the shark player amps up the game. And remember, players outside of the pool can only remain on land for 5 seconds, to keep things fair. Marco Polo This is a classic summer game for the pool. One person calls, “Marco!” and the other people in the pool have to call back “Polo!” When the person calling out “Marco!” tags someone calling “Polo!” the person tagged becomes the new Marco. Dolphin Races Also called mermaid races or underwater races, this game is all about seeing who can swim underwater for the longest. Begin at one side of the pool and see who can swim underwater the longest and the fastest. Ready. Set. Go! Invisi-bottle All you need is an empty and clear 2-liter plastic bottle for this one. Fill the bottle with some pool water and then line all players up on the edge of the pool. One player throws in the bottle, and when the splash is heard the rest must turn around and try to find it. While it may not seem difficult, the bottle blends far more with the pool than you might expect! Get a group of residents together soon and enjoy a game night at the pool. What are your favorite pool games? Enjoy the rest of the summer and thanks for reading today’s post.

Renaissance Place Apartments Wins Award

Here at Renaissance Place Apartments in Williamsville, NY we put our residents’ needs first, and it shows! We are pleased to share with our apartment community that we are among ApartmentRating.com’s award-winning places to live — a designation given to only the top five percent of the total properties listed. Now that’s an accomplishment! The Top Rated Award criteria includes the following: — 10+ total reviews — 5+ reviews in 2016 — Overall recommended score of 70% or greater. We have an overall five-star rating and a current recommendation rate of 94.3%. Because reviews from our residents played a key part in our receiving this award, we want to share some excerpts from some of our reviews: “We would like to commend Roger and Matt for the quick and excellent response to our request for maintenance in our apartment. As always, they were not only efficient, but neat and courteous. Their service and friendship have helped to make our stay here very enjoyable over the past three years.” — Jack C. “My partner and I have reached the point in our lives where we need our living space to be a lot more user friendly We moved from a large home in North Buffalo, with way too many stairs, to our lovely 3 bedroom unit with attached garage. Already we are feeling better, less stressed, more relaxed We have three bedrooms - hers, mine and ours This is a perfect setup for us. Even our cat likes it here, especially the patio door, where she can watch the kids and the squirrels and the dogs in the dog park. I expect that we will be here for several years. Can't wait to start up some clubs and activities Wish I could give the staff and Maintenance folks 10 stars.” — Connie B. “We enjoy the quiet clean ambience and proximity to shops. The staff have been very helpful. The maintenance service outstanding.My daughter gets to go to one of the best public schools in the area, with bus pick up right at the apartment gate. All these add up to a worry free stay at Renaissance place.” — Ariyapadi V. We couldn’t have achieved this without our exceptional residents. Thank you for bringing your world experience, your vigor, and your individual personalities to our community. We love being the perfect place to call home and providing amenities to complement your lifestyle. Thanks for reading today’s post.

Homemade Ice Cream - Yum

Last month we promised that in July we would share some homemade ice cream recipes for National Ice Cream Month, and here they are! So take advantage of your wonderful Renaissance Place Apartments kitchen, and try one — or all of these recipes this month! Our granite countertops are perfect for mixing extras into your ice cream, with an easy clean up too. We’re starting off our list with this No Churn Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream from Minimalist Baker . This quick and creamy treat doesn’t require an ice cream maker and only takes thirty minutes to make. Rich and refreshing, it really does hit the spot. This is a very luscious coconut ice cream . The only thing I will do differently next time is put the flaked coconut in the blender/processor with the milk and cream of coconut. The flakes made the ice cream a bit chewy in texture. Otherwise, this recipe is very easy and extra creamy. For those reviewers that are saying theirs turned out icy or not sweet, there is a huge difference between cream of coconut and coconut milk. It is like the difference between evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Two brands to look for in cream of coconut are "Coco Lopez" and "Coco Colada". Any excuse to visit our local farmer’s market is a good excuse, and this No Churn Blackberry Chip Ice Cream from How Sweet It Is is the perfect reason to visit a farmer’s market or your favorite Williamsville area supermarket. Mix the creamy ice cream base with fresh berries and dark chocolate, freeze for six hours, and enjoy. This recipe, Strawberry Cheesecake Easy Ice Cream from Something Swanky , uses easy pre-made ingredients to make some seriously mind-blowing ice cream. The base is pretty standard — in fact, you could use it to make any number of flavors. For this recipe, you use store-bought strawberry filling and cream cheese to make the “cake” part of the mixture and Golden Oreo® cookies to make the crust. Mix it all together and freeze overnight for a treat as fresh, light, and breezy as a summer’s night. What is your favorite kind of ice cream? Did you try one of these or more of these? What was your favorite? We hope you enjoy celebrating National Ice Cream month here in Williamsville, NY! Thanks for reading today’s blog post.