What is Grant’s tiebreaker when two first apartments are both good choices?

When two apartments are otherwise close, Grant’s tiebreaker is social life first, management second, and neighborhood third. His broader rule is to choose an area where it will be easy to build friendships, then choose a building that makes those friendships easier to form through resident interaction, events, shared amenities, and good management. Newness and price remain important supporting factors, but neither should automatically win the decision. For a recent graduate starting over in a new city, the first apartment is part of the new social and professional life—not merely a place to sleep.