I've lived in Bristol Station since August 2003. I moved into the last building constructed (the Dog Building) and have been satisfied with management and maintenance responsiveness to date. Anytime that I've called the office I've been greeted courteously and have received answer to questions generally within 24 hours.

The clubhouse is beautiful and the business center is a nice touch. The pool was very busy after it opened and the workout room is always available. Showers and restrooms are directly across the hall. Anytime you walk into the clubhouse there are snacks and management has always been available to speak with anytime I've walked in.

There is a separate service company called Errand Master that will hold packages for pickup after the office has closed and they have movie rentals on site plus will take care of you dry cleaning and a host of other chores for a small fee or for free. I've found the service useful and time saving although I don't use it frequently.

The fact that I'm the first person to live in my apartment and it's numerous appointments have gone a long way in making me happy. Ice maker, full size washer/dryer, disposal, dishwasher, wood floored kitchen, crown molding, a paint color other than white - it's a mid-tone shade of beige, etc. It's the smallest floor plan they have but it meets my needs. I have a huge king-size bed and frame and night stand in my bedroom and the closet has decent space if your not a clothes horse.

Very wide and tall hallways and stairwells for moving, hallway ventilation, deep mailboxes, remote entry and plenty of parking are little things that make a difference also. The larger courtyard areas of the complex are well maintained and a park is being built directly next to Bristol which, from what I've read, is to be ready by this year - not the entire park but a goodly portion of it.

It's within a 10 minute walk to the Route 59 METRA stop with numerous little stores, dry cleaners, restaurants, etc. without being to close. A Jimmy's Charhouse is opening right on the corner this spring. Jewel and Dominick's are a short 5 minute drive away. I'm right by all the Route 59 shopping and about 1 or 2 miles from I-88. It is an exellent location.

Now for the flip side. If you are noise sensitive live on the top floor. Even that hasn't helped in my corner unit at times. Even a little bass from a TV or stereo will carry through the floors and/or walls from any neighboring apartment and it seems some tenants have no concept of community living in that they will slam doors at all hours. If that kind of noise doesn't bother you or you can tune it out you'll enjoy it here.

It's nice that the utility room is outside as this reduces inside apartment noise but expect to pay serious heating bills if you like to keep your aparment at a constant 72 degrees or higher. My winter heating bill has run an average of $90 (for 700 sq. ft.) and I keep my apartment at a constant 70 degrees during the day and lower at night. Also, the heating unit seems to kick on much to frequently, as if cold is seeping in or heat is leaking out (could be both). Needless to say, insulation seems to be a bit on the sparse side. I realize heating costs have been high for everyone - just an FYI about the heat. However, cooling during the summer hasn't really increased my electric bill substantially.

Garages are hard to come by. For some reason they simply didn't build enough so get on the waiting list - it's pricey (I feel $100 a month is a bit much) and the stalls are a little narrow as well.

My biggest complaint would be that because the housing market is so strong and the rental market so soft that large complexes have lowered their rent rates and along with that their pre-req's for qualifying tenants. It's been feeling a little more like a college dorm than an apartment complex for those that have a career.

If you don't have a dog or don't love dogs then DO NOT live in the dog building. Unfortunately, the dog owners get a little lazy at times and don't use the dog area for their pets and the grass around the complex gets yellow spots during the summer or you may step in something unpleasant. I must admit that the dogs don't seem to bark much once they're used to the surroundings.

Also, the dog building smells like dogs. Maintenance tries to help by sprinkling deordorizers on the carpet and vacuuming but you can't cover a wet dog smell and the hair gets everywhere not to mention muddy paw prints in the hallway but I'm nitpicking.

All of the negatives aside I would resign my lease. After talking with my neighbors they apologized for the bass being so loud and have tried very hard to keep things civil (and no, I don't walk heavy and am very aware of any noise I make. I've lived in apartments since I've been on my own and completely grasp what community living entails). Plus, it seems a majority of tenants in my building go to bed by 10 at the latest as it gets quiet around that time although The Fairways apartment complex behind Bristol Station has a lot of rowdy and noisy teenagers with loud cars.

This is how I actually feel about the place to date. If it changes I'll be sure to post again.

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