My boyfriend has been living in Northwoods for 3 years now (July 2005 - July 2008) and there was nothing really terrible about the place. Except that his apartment was completely wrecked in a terrible fire in December 2006. Oh, and there was a second, equally destructive fire at another building in the complex about a month ago. So, as long as you're not in the building that burns down this year, it's ok. The management was really nice after the fire and put him in a bigger (although uncleaned vacant apartment) for 6 months while they rebuilt his destroyed apartment without charging him extra rent. They hired free movers for the bit of salvageable items from his place and professionally cleaned a few things that remained. When he moved back to his rebuilt original apartment, they said they would be increasing his rent to the updated rate, which was almost an extra $100 but they never actually did it.

The parking situation is terrible. I believe it is because people who live in other related complexes park near his building and walk up and over the hill because there's no where to park near their own building. So, yes, the parking is not good. But unlike some other reviewers, we've never been broken into.

The brand new rebuilt apartment he is in now is very nice. There is a gas fireplace that requires no one to clean ashes (which is what caused the original fire that destroyed his place). People use grills on their patios, which is stupid because the patio is made of wood, but I think they're going to ban that soon. A lot of people have pets, but I've only stepped in dog crap once, and that was at night. I guess it's not adequately lit, but that adds to the scenery. For the most part, pet owners appear to be happy there.

The location is good. It's a short drive to Stop & Shop, Wal-Mart, and 91. It's nice having a washer-dryer in the apartment. The gym is small but included. As long as you don't try to go during prime times, it can be very good with some high-quality machines. There is also a really nice walking path in the neighborhood (Turtle Run, I think it's called) that's lovely and winds behind several of the nearby apartment complexes and near a lake.

Overall, our experience at Northwoods has been fine. Certainly the fire situation marred the experience, but things like that happen, and I would never live anywhere without apartment or home insurance again. The fact that it happened twice in two years is disturbing, but not unheard of. The size of the apartment is wonderful. The bedroom is great, as is the walk-in closet. The additional second room (considered a 1/2 I think because there is only one bathroom in the place) is a great size for an office. The laundry is in the apartment, which is super convenient and private. The balcony is nice, and the grounds are well-kept. I ve never noticed a lot of noise, except sometimes people upstairs play their music loudly, but that will happen in any apartment. The management has fixed a few problems we ve had over the years pretty quickly (one time the garbage disposal was on the fritz, another time there was a tile that came off in the bathroom no big deal, and quickly fixed).

If you need a local place to live, there s nothing wrong with Northwoods. Just make sure your place is clean when you move in, and be aware that you may not always get a parking spot outside your building.

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