By Cody Ellerd

Newell Court apartments opened in April. On the street level, passers-by can see commercial space that will include a personal training athletic facility. Above the street and out of view are 40 apartments that rent from $1,050 for a studio to $2,500 for a three-bedroom, two-bath townhome.

Only two units are left in the building, which has filled up fast with a diverse cast of characters. Here, a recent college grad, a retiree and a rock star share with Reporter readers how they came to call Mercer Island home.

Nick vanHartesvelt

Ohio

Nick’s father and stepmother, Jack and Beverly vanHartesvelt, have been active members of the Mercer Island community for some time now. But for most of that time, 25-year-old Nick lived in Ohio with his mother and attended college. After graduating from Ohio State University with a history degree, he decided that Seattle is where he wanted to be.

“I wanted to start the next phase of my life here,” he said.

Nick initially began his housing search in Fremont and Queen Anne, but had trouble finding a place that he liked that was within his price range and would welcome his cat, Lucius.

Newell Court cost a bit more than he wanted to pay, but Nick said the trade-offs are worth it. He has two grocery stores within walking distance, easy transportation to Seattle and Bellevue and a cat veterinarian for Lucius a stone’s throw away.

Nick is putting his history chops to use as a waiter at the Rock Bottom Brewery in Bellevue. His plan for the moment is to keep working to save money for more school.

Despite having to go elsewhere for entertainment and “atmosphere,” Nick feels that Mercer Island, with its safe streets and proximity to Seattle, is a great place that suits his needs.

“I really like it,” he said. “I plan to stay here as long as I can.”Jeanette Strumwasser

Los Angeles

Family is also what led this former University of California, Los Angeles lab supervisor to Mercer Island — but rather than kick things off, she came here to wind things down.

“I’m getting to a point where it’s important to be near family,” said Strumwasser, who is now retired. Her son and daughter-in-law, who live on the Island, found her a two-bedroom apartment at Newell Court, which is just a few minutes from their home. She moved in June.

Strumwasser has found Mercer Island a welcome change from the high-density and noisy streets of her former Los Angeles neighborhood.

“The Island is so low-key. Looking out on the street at night, where it’s quiet without any cars — coming from L.A., that’s such a nice thing,” she said. What might be harder to adjust to, she said, are the gray skies and rain.

Strumwasser loves the convenience of downtown Mercer Island, but still has to go into Seattle for medical appointments and to Bellevue for sewing supplies. For that, she’s making the effort to learn her way around the area.

Her favorite place to visit, though, is quite close and will soon be even closer. Strumwasser loves going with her family to eat at Haruko’s, the beloved Island Japanese restaurant which, within a couple of weeks, will be moving practically next door to her new apartment complex.

Nick and Anisa Romero

Seattle

On the local scene, this power duo is perhaps best known for their haunting vocals in the institutional Seattle indie-rock band Sky Cries Mary. On the international stage, Roderick and Anisa Romero have more recently picked up notoriety in the design world, creating gardens, sculptures, interiors and even tree houses for the famous.

While awaiting completion of their new home in Seattle’s Beacon Hill area, Roderick and Anisa decided that Mercer Island would be the perfect place for their latest collaboration: the birth of their daughter, Petra, who arrived on July 31.

Anisa has had family on the Island for years. “My wife’s sister said `come here so I can help out with the baby,”’ Roderick explained by phone from New York, where the couple have their recording studio.

Roderick has been busy building tree houses for famous people such as Donna Karan, Julianne Moore and Sting in locales as far-flung as Italy and Morocco. But despite all the exotic jet-setting, he said they are happy to be returning to their native digs to build their own nest. “It really made sense to come back,” Roderick said.