My first exposure to Pine Brook was in the summer of 2005, and it was pretty nice; I was there a lot because I dated a guy that lived there. It seemed like a nice, quiet place, even when the college kids came back in the fall. Eventually we got engaged and, since I was so impressed with Pine Brook, I moved in with him rather than him moving in with me. I can't explain why, but things around there have gotten steadily worse.

To elaborate on the points which I have rated:

1) Parking is atrocious. I surmise from the beer cans strewn everywhere that the student population, which is about half of the residents, has a lot of parties. Often, my husband and I come home and cannot even park in front of our own building because all spots are taken (and some are even created illegally).

2) Noise level is not acceptable. A sampling: children screeching in the hallways; barking dogs with owners who holler at them; drunk college kids yelling at each other at dawn. Probably the worst, though, was the domestic dispute carried out last summer in the parking lot.

3) The landscaping is beautiful at Pine Brook. Seriously.

4) Improvements have been made to enhance safety. Better lighting was installed, and sidewalks/stairs which were on the verge of collapse have been rebuilt very well.

5) Construction could be better. The drainage in our disposal/dishwasher isn't set up correctly, and so particles from our disposal usually end up clogging our dishwasher. Additionally, the windows may as well not even be there. On a windy day, the breeze will actually move my heavy blinds from behind the closed window.

6) Maintenance is very good. They've always been prompt and polite with their service, and they clean up after themselves when they make a mess.

7) Office staff is only so-so. If you decide to rent here, be sure you ask for a signed copy of your lease, because otherwise you might not get one. Also, there are NO WEEKEND OFFICE HOURS - or, rather, you can make an appointment for weekend office hours - so if you work Monday through Friday 9 - 5 like I do, it's really difficult to interact with a live person in the office.

8) Overall, it's not a great place to live unless you're a college student. It's a roof over your head (and it's not your parents' house!), plus it's close to the University and downtown Newark. Other than that, if you're a young adult, out of college and looking for a nice apartment to start with, if you rent here, you can pretty much expect the same living conditions you had when you were living on campus.

User Responses
From: beasle	Date: 02/13/2007
Very thoughtful review. It even makes me, a father, feel somewhat at ease about the place.

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