I moved to Jacksonville last summer and took the first open place I was offered by the housing agency that works with the school I attend. Now that I've had a chance to "shop around" for other apartments, I've come to realize that all the things I originally hated about Bentley Green aren't as awful as I thought.

The rent is reasonable for what you get. Small kitchens, outdated appliances (my D/W required pre-washing all the dishes to the point where it was almost too much of a hassle to load and run it), tiny cabinets, cheap bathroom fixtures, abused washer-dryer units (though mine was clean and worked the whole time I lived there) and for me personally, A/C that quit without warning but was replaced with a brand new unit in a day's time. The closets are alright. My 1/1 unit had a terrific walk-in in the bedroom, and a decent sized outdoor closet on the screened in porch. I would have preferred more storage, but did alright with what was there. Insulation was a bit of an issue. Anytime it rained, moisture gathered on the windows and, if it was a long rain, dripped onto the sills and made the carpets damp.

My few experiences with maintenance were pleasant. They were courteous, prompt, and quick to fix my problems. As I mentioned earlier, I had no issue getting them to repalce my A/C unit when it died, and I always got same-day responses to other less serious requests.

I never felt unsafe as a Bentley tenant. The parking lots and breezeways are well-lit at night, and lots of my neighbors walked their dogs and checked the mail well after dark. I never noticed the police on the property, nor had any security issues. I do wish they had provided more than just a deadbolt and chain on my door, however, but the other tenants in my building were quiet types and I never felt threatened. I suppose I got lucky in that respect. The most noise I ever suffered was the occasional barking dog or a neighbor's music just a bit too loud. The typical stuff you have to put up with no matter where you go. No domestic incidents, no loud parties, no wild children, no drug dealing (at least none that I could see!), etc.

I also never had a roach, ant, mouse, or rat problem, though I do have a cat and am a very clean person. To be honest, the worst pest and dirt issues I ever had were the occasional gnat, spider, and mold ring in the toilet bowl. I have no idea how clean my neighbors kept their own units, but our building seemed alright and the worst offense was the occasional grilling in the breezeway that let charcoal smoke seep into the uninsulated cracks in the door frame and windows.

All things considered, my year at Bentley Green was a fair experience from what I have gathered about the Jax apartment market. I left for 2 reasons: I moved in with my significant other and required more space than my 550 sq. ft. 1 bedroom 1 bath unit, and I found a comparable complex with larger, newer units for a fraction more rent.

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