Blog Posts

Finding Your JAM

Welcome to the Jazz Age — or at least Jazz Appreciation Month! Today, in honor of JAM, the 501 on First Blog has some info about how to celebrate jazz. The Jazz Age was the term coined by F. Scott Fitzgerald to describe the flamboyant "anything goes" era that was a feature of the 1920s. Jazz music, characterized by improvisation, syncopation, and a lively, strong rhythm, was introduced during the Harlem Renaissance, the African-American artistic and literary movement. Jazz music somehow typified the nonconformist aspirations of youth that dominated the shocking new fashions and lifestyles that emerged during the 1920's "Jazz Age." Several Minnesota natives were part of the age of jazz, including Wally Besser and Harry Blons both contributing to the legacy of jazz. We have some suggestions for ways to make JAM a part of your month: — Attend a jazz concert at a local concert hall, performing arts organization, church, school, college, or jazz society. — Follow your favorite musicians or groups on social media. — Seek out new jazz music, musicians, and albums. — Share your favorite music, musicians, or new finds with friends and peers. — Read a biography about one of your favorite jazz musicians, jazz poetry, or other jazz book – fiction or nonfiction. — Tune into a local jazz radio station or online radio station or playlist. — Make a pilgrimage to your favorite jazz city, jazz museum, or to a musician's birthplace or gravesite. — Watch a jazz documentary, film, or performance. — Join your local jazz society (If none exists, organize one!). — Subscribe to a jazz magazine or other publication online or in print. — Host jazz listening sessions. — Hold a jazz-themed party in honor of a favorite musician, or to celebrate jazz in general. Reserve the clubhouse, dress to the nines, and host a party right here at 501 on First! If you prefer a night of theater over a night of jazz music, head on over to the Civic Center (fewer than 10 minutes away from 501 on First) and catch a show. The Drowsy Chaperone runs through April 9th, and in May you can catch, Heaven Can Wait . Check out the Rochester Civic Theatre Company website for details. Thanks for reading today’s blog post!

Sweet Valentine's Treats

February has arrived, bringing with it Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love, which is a welcome break from winter’s icy hold on us in Rochester, MN. Today the 501 on First Blog has some ideas for sweet treats for the holiday. So try one of these recipes or head out to one of these chocolate and candy shops near your apartment. We love this recipe from Allrecipes.com for a moist, tender sugar cookie . “Rich and delicious cut-out cookies - wonderful for special holiday celebrations! These are the best cut-out cookies the long line of bakers in our family has ever found.” If you want decadence without guilt, try this Strawberry Tiramisu Cheesecake Cups recipe. The author says they “take a decadent dessert and turn it into individual good-for-you and just-plain-good treats!” We love the Valentine’s Day twist on this easy-to-make Valentine Trifle Dessert , which features layers of whipped cream, berries, and pudding soaked cake. Serve in a pretty trifle bowl for the best effect. Yum! For more recipes check out Allrecipes.com for Valentine’s treats ! But if you’d rather pick up your Valentine’s Day sweets already made, you’re in luck! There are three shops fewer than five miles away from 501 on First, where you can pick up chocolates and candy. Northwoods Candy (1.3 mi away) 29757 East Shore Dr Pengilly, MN 55775 “At Northwoods Candy Company we strive to make the best tasting chocolates with personal attention to our customers. We make our candy "One Piece At A Time." Every Box or bag is customized to you,our customer. We are proud of what we do and demand the most from ourselves.” Chocolate Oasis (0.2 mi away) 1010 1st Ave SW (Subway Level) Marriott Subway Rochester, MN 55902 Featuring “a wide variety of special candies and confections, truffles, bulk chocolate made in Minnesota, boxed chocolates, soups, Minnesota wild rice, jellies and jams .” Fudge Corner (0.4) 20 6th St SW Rochester, MN 55902 “All of the fudge produced at Fudge Corner is made by hand by the owners, from scratch, in small batches, daily.” Do you have a favorite recipe or shop for Valentine’s Day sweets? Let us know about it in the comments! Thanks for reading today’s blog post.

Laundry Day in Your Rochester Apartment

Here at 501 on First we are all about amenities for our apartment community, and that includes having an in-apartment washer/dryer setup which means our residents don’t need to haul laundry back and forth from a Rochester laundromat! (And as anyone who has done so can tell you, the convenience of doing laundry right in your apartment is amazing!) In today’s blog post, we offer some tips for laundry day. Stain Removal For a quick homemade stain removal solution, mix one part blue dish soap (Dawn) with two parts hydrogen peroxide, and put in a spray bottle. Apply to the stain, let sit for 10 minutes (or longer), and rinse. (Always perform a spot check first to a discreet area of fabric.) Apply chalk to a fresh stain to absorb grease and aid in stain removal. Print out a basic stain removal guide and hang it by your washer; that way you will have the solution you need for stains where you need it when you need it. Sorting Laundry Use a triple sorter if you have room, one for darks, lights, and colors. This way the sorting is already done when you are ready to toss in a load. For socks, sort into a zippered mesh bag (one for each member of the household); on laundry day simply zip, wash, dry, and return to owner. No more socks wondering where their mate has gone. Drying & Folding To help you to remember to pull air dry items out of a load before throwing everything in the dryer, keep a whiteboard by the washer, and as you put your load in the washer note the items which don’t go in the dryer on the whiteboard. Put a curtain rod or spring tension shower rod above your washer and dryer to hang things on right out of the dryer to prevent wrinkles. Put a dry towel in with your wet laundry. It will absorb moisture and help the load dry faster. If you need to dry a pair of shoes tie the laces loosely together and hang the shoes just inside the dryer door to dry; no more bumping and thumping! Random Laundry Day Tips Keep the change. It happens, you end up with newly washed change in the bottom of the washer; put a “tip jar” by your washer and toss the loose change into it; when you have filled it use the coins and cash to reward yourself for all of the laundry you’ve done. Wash stuffed animals in a mesh bag or use a pillow case (tied at the top). Go White! Use all white towels for the bathroom and all white socks because they can be bleached. What are your favorite tips and tricks for getting the laundry done? Please share so we can all benefit, and thanks for reading the 501 on First blog today!

Movie Time Rochester

The phrase, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings,” may ring a bell for you, but do you know where it comes from? A classic holiday movie, that’s where, and today the 501 on First blog is bringing you a variety of holiday movies you may want to check out throughout the month. Read on also for more info on what is currently playing on the big screen. So grab the drinks and popcorn and take a break from all the hustle and bustle with a movie. Holiday Favorites It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) — Drama, Family, Fantasy An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed. Elf (2003) — Comedy, Family After inadvertently wreaking havoc on the elf community due to his ungainly size, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole is sent to the U.S. in search of his true identity. Home Alone (1990) — Comedy, Family An 8-year old troublemaker must protect his home from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation. A Christmas Story (1983) — Comedy, Family In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie attempts to convince his parents, his teacher, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect Christmas gift. Check out the original reviews for these and other holiday classics. On the Big Screen in December If holiday movies aren’t your thing, head on out to your favorite Rochester, NH, movie theater and catch the latest on the big screen. To help you decide what to see, we’ve highlighted some of the movies that will be showing this month. Our descriptions and release date information comes from the IMDb website . Check there for additional movies. December 9th Office Christmas Party — Comedy When his uptight CEO sister threatens to shut down his branch, the branch manager throws an epic Christmas party in order to land a big client and save the day, but the party gets way out of hand. The Bye Bye Man — Horror/Thriller Three friends stumble upon the horrific origins of the Bye Bye Man, a mysterious figure they discover is the root cause of the evil behind man's most unspeakable acts. December 16th Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi The Rebellion makes a risky move to steal the plans to the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow. Collateral Beauty — Drama An advertising executive encounters three mysterious figures who encourage him to move on from the past. December 23rd Patriots Day — Drama/History/Thriller An account of Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis's actions in the events leading up to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the aftermath, which includes the city-wide manhunt to find the terrorists behind it. Assassin’s Creed — Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi When Callum Lynch explores the memories of his ancestor Aguilar and gains the skills of a Master Assassin, he discovers he is a descendant of the secret Assassins society. Thanks for reading the 501 on First blog today. We want to wish everyone in our apartment community happy holidays!

Welcome to the 501 on First Blog

Welcome to 501 on First, Rochester's premier luxury apartment community which is located in the heart of the city. Our residents have spectacular views of the growing downtown area. Sophisticated and ultra-luxurious, 501 on First represents a new level of vibrant city living. We offer a variety of floorplans to complement your lifestyle. Choose between our spacious studio, one, and two bedroom floorplans ranging from 549 and 1,313 square feet. With an amazing downtown location, enjoy stunning views from your very own eye-catching balcony. Dynamic kitchens include modern appliances with the ideal space for any social scene. Experience the convenience of having your very own washer and dryer setup in your apartment. In addition to the wonderful design features of our individual apartments, we’ve taken great care to offer the best in community amenities. Available to tenants 24/7, check out our expansive fitness center featuring all the cardio and weight equipment you desire.Don't miss a beat with our convenient business center. Also available 24/7, use at your leisure or reserve for business meetings and more! The Community Room is the ideal entertainment space. On those warmer nights, head to the rooftop patio and enjoy stunning views of city lights with a breath of fresh air. 501 on First boasts the perfect location providing residents access to all the retail, dining, and entertainment options that downtown Rochester, MN has to offer. Located in the heart of the city, you can't beat the walkability factor; take time to explore the nearby walking trails. Just two blocks from the Mayo Clinic, relish in the convenience of premium healthcare nearby. No need to worry about travel, the downtown skyway and subway system is just around the corner. Rochester International Airport is also only 15 minutes away! Enjoy a wide variety of shopping options Downtown or at the Apache Mall less than two miles away. We are excited for you to call 501 on First home!