PROS
-clean
-well lit grounds with emergency boxes within easy reach throughout the complex, just in case
-nearby parking
-washer and dryer in unit
-comes with well working appliances (stove/oven, fridge, microwave, dishwasher)
-comes furnished with table/chairs, couch, armchair in the living room with a full size bed, desk, and chair in each bedroom
-communication package: you can think of this as maybe both a pro and a con. Every resident has a required communication package that includes cable TV, internet, and phone service excluding long distance. Now, keep in mind that you don't get to pick and choose what you get... you pay for what they tell you to pay for. This means that you are required to pay for a land-line that 99% of people will never use as we all most likely have cell phones. Also, if you don't watch TV much the cable is also something that you could have done without to save on money if you were living somewhere else. I must say though, the internet is great. You get wi-fi included everywhere you go in the complex, this includes your apartment, all common areas, and even outside. Its a strong, fast signal and I've only had one or two minor issues (fixed within hours) in the two years of living there
-I lived in a 2 person apartment so I had the luxury of a private bathroom. Depending on which room you get, you may also get the bathroom that has an entrance directly from the bedroom (as opposed to the hallway) which adds even more privacy
-full wall of windows in the living room allowing for plenty of fresh air, sunlight, etc.
-mirrored doors on the closet, VERY nice for us self-conscious girls
-transportation options: within walking distance to IUPUI campus (approx. 10-15 minutes depending on whether you're going to Campus Center or all the way to IT), free shuttle that runs roughly from 7AM-9PM on weekdays, and bike racks available to residents
-its a campus community, so RAs will periodically throw events that give an opportunity for socializing and, most importantly, FREE FOOD
-within walking distance to the canal (about 10 minutes by foot)
-snow service is great in the wintertime for sidewalks... not so great with the streets; on snowy days a "mini-plow" comes through and sweeps the sidewalks clear before most anyone has to get up to get to class
-once again, this is campus housing so as far as I know of no credit check is required, its a similar process to applying for other dorms at other universities
-college community: for the most part, you are surrounded by fellow students around your age
-socialization: in addition to events, if you are the kind that needs a push to get out there, RAs are there to ease your transition away from home, and you can join special house communities to ensure that you are living with residents of similar interest
-security: campus police are always on hand, an RA is always on duty, and there is a double entry system to each apartment, a card swipe to enter the building and a key to open the apartment. AND, if you are especially paranoid each bedroom has an individual lock as well
-garage: there is a limited amount of space, and the walk may be too far for some people living in certain apartments, but there is a double level garage/parking lot available with one of the levels being underground. If you can manage to snag a spot this is great, especially in the wintertime to avoid shoveling snow
-package pickup: never worry about packages sitting out to be stolen because they are delivered directly to the office, they send you an email when it has arrived, and you pick it up. The hours are generally very student friendly as well... 11AM-11PM or so
-The Corner, which is a social area/convenience store in the center of the complex. As far as items go, the selection is very slim, but its mainly designed for must haves like deodorant, milk, or light bulbs if you are in a pinch and if you don't have a car
CONS
-EXPENSIVE, I cannot stress this enough. It is the main reason why I chose to move. Even if you were lucky like I was to get in a community that offers a rent discount and a scholarship, you're still looking at around 700 or more PER PERSON which is about how much you would pay for a comparable apartment on your own anywhere else. If money is an issue, it may be best to either live in Ball or find a complex off campus where you can either have the luxury of living alone, or split the rent with someone and pay 400 a month rather than 700 (or more! they just raised their rates)
-no garbage disposal, getting rid of food can be a pain
-depending on where you live, the walk to the dumpster can be quite a trek
-no pets allowed other than fish, another major reason why I moved
-this is a campus sponsored housing, so there are also a lot of other rules and regulations you may not be accustomed to: no painting walls, no candles, no alcohol unless all roommates are over 21, etc. There are RAs that will enforce this if they see it happening
-RAs... yes, I do stick this as a downside if you are at all independent when it comes to your home life. They are nice to have if you are new to the college experience, but for somebody who is just trying to finish out their degree, you may find them obtrusive. They do room checks, they hold required meetings, and they require you to do "roommate agreements" which in theory are not a bad idea, but can be ridiculous if you're rooming with somebody you are already accustomed to
-miniature everything. The washer and dryer are normal sized, but other than that most appliances are smaller than normal. Our oven was tiny, about 2/3 the size of a traditional oven. Same with the sink and the microwave. The fridge was decent sized, however with 2 people living in the apartment it was sometimes a crunch for space, much less having to live in the 4 bedroom apartments
-hardly any storage space: cabinet space was hard to come by, and there was no pantry or extra closets beyond the one closet in each bedroom
-snow: they're good with sidewalks, but from my experience fairly bad with plowing the parking lots and roads very quickly. My guess is that they assume that since students cant park on campus, there would be no reason for them to rush to drive out anywhere else either
-No parking on campus. You get separate parking passes (approximately 70 a semester) from the commuter students that prevent you from parking in any E spot until after 4. Some days i really just did not feel like walking
-Shuttle: its free, but its unreliable (often comes 10 minutes early or 5 minutes late) and while it is a quick ride to school (5 min) its a long ride home (15 minutes), so long that you would get there just as quick walking
-had some problems with the electricity in one apartment, where none of the outlets would work and I had to keep flipping the breaker. Maintenance was quick to come out each time this happened, but it took 4 or 5 visits for them to actually fix the problem
-had some other issues with lighting: each room has overhead light sockets that take regular 60 watt bulbs, but we had some issues where the lights would keep going out over and over again, even after putting new ones in. this was finally fixed by switching to energy saver bulbs as they seem to last longer than normal ones
-you cannot stay in the apartment for any long length of time. Even if you sign a summer contract, they will most likely move you to a temporary apartment for the summer while they clean up your old apartment, EVEN if you have already signed a lease to stay in the exact same apartment the next school year. For anyone who hates moving, this is huge as you pretty much are guaranteed to have to move twice a year
-walls are thin, expect to hear your neighbors
-this is a college campus, so also expect there to be some noise, especially coming from the stairwells when people are walking in and out of the building to go out
-no elevators; some of the buildings have four floors, so this can sometimes be tiring if you live on those floors, especially when moving in/out
-the river: this can be good or bad, but generally it is bad. Its not nearly as pretty as you would imagine, and from what I hear it smells awful if you happen to get an apartment facing the river
-bugs: the only type of bug I've experienced is this weird fly/gnat type thing; its bigger than a gnat but not quite as robust as your typical fly. The closer to the ground floor you are, the more likely you are to see these things
-bedrooms are horribly insulated; expect to be freezing in the winter and hot in the summer, regardless of what your thermostat is set to
-i already mentioned as a pro that you don't need credit to get an apartment here, which is good, but the downside is that since its payed through the bursar, it also won't help build your credit either
-nearby shopping: it sucks, basically. Sure you're downtown so for any window shopping or mall shopping, its great, but when it comes to necessities (food, toiletries, etc) there isn't much close (a dinky Kroger and a CVS), and there is pretty much nothing within walking distance if you are without a car
-public transportation: also sucks. There is a bus that circles downtown that is about a 10 minute walk from campus apartments, and there are a couple bus lines also within 10 minutes from the apartments, but don't expect any reliability or efficiency. IndyGo is not one of the better public transportation providers... busses come 20 minutes apart on VERY good days or can come as sparingly as 40 minutes apart. Its hard to explain the route system other than to say it is just incredibly inefficient. If you're used to someplace like Washington or Chicago and think you can come here and get by on the bus system, I would highly reconsider
-windows in bedrooms: small and kind of useless. For somebody who loves natural light, the window lighting in the bedrooms was fairly disappointing.
All in all I would still recommend this place, but only if you are starting into your first few years of college. If you have been out on your own for awhile and are transferring schools or switching apartments for any reason, I would recommend you look elsewhere, especially if you have good credit or know somebody who can cosign. Its a nice, furnished apartment, but its way too expensive for what you get and its a little stifling to independence as they still treat you like students rather than adults.

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