I've been here for a year, and so far, it's been pretty good.

The good:

The neighborhood is not the fanciest in the world, but it's actually pretty quiet and quite convenient. Very diverse, with people from every race and every social class that could be expected to be found in a complex like this, and lots of UMBC students.

All the apartments come standard with monitored alarms, and I feel safer here than I did further out in the suburbs (Ellicott City). I've accidentally left my car unlocked several times, and nothing has happened to it.

Both the office and maintenance staff are very helpful and committed to the upkeep of the complex. The grounds are very well-kept, and the courts are linked together by nature paths that are nicer than those at many paths. That was definitely a welcome surprise. As far as maintenance goes, I've only had one complaint since moving in, and the maintenance man was at my door at 8 a.m. the next day. And management is prompt in taking care of problems when they happen. My former upstairs neighbors were extremely noisy at all hours of the day and had two small children (four people altogether) in an apartment zoned for two people, and one complaint to the manager got them evicted.

The kitchen appliances and cabinets seem to be fairly recent additions, and are in good shape.

The apartment sizes are definitely on the small side compared to other area complexes, but are perfectly sized for people living alone. My junior one-bedroom is the perfect size for one person: bigger and more private than a studio, but without an iota of wasted space. Definitely a good alternative to living in a dorm or sharing a bigger space with noisy roommates.

The not-so-good:

The walls are paper-thin, and since the apartments above/below have the same configuration, that means hearing some things you really don't want to hear as if they were happening in your own apartment. Pretty standard for apartment living, I guess, but still, it seems worse here.

I don't know if it's the tubs themselves or the liners that were placed over them, but every time the upstairs neighbors take a shower, it sounds like a torrential rainstorm. Since they wake up at the crack of dawn, I sleep with a white-noise machine to counteract the sound, but it's not always enough.

Some people I've talked to in the complex have had complaints about mice. As for myself, I saw one in my apartment, just after my current upstairs neighbors moved in. The exterminator came the next day, and that was that. I suspect it was a stowaway, because I've seen no sign of mice since then.

Single-pane windows, so winter heating bills are higher than they should be. No central air, but the wall unit that comes with the apartment does the job.

Not every building has a laundry room. Mine doesn't, so I have to cart my laundry over to the next building. The laundry rooms themselves are well-maintained, and I've had no equipment problems. But they are apartment units that were clearly retrofitted for their purpose and have empty extra rooms, and they're pretty scary at night.

User Responses
From: Blackmjc	Date: 11/07/2006
hey there, my BF and soon to be ME live in apt. 1020 on a ground level, how about you? weve prob seen or met you, since everyone is very nice and says hi, we live in the cul - de - sac of Charing Martin Crt.

Your thoughts? Post a response to this review. Display my response: with my username anonymously Responses appear below reviews and one response per user is permitted.

   Free estimates on moving trucks      Find apartment share/roommates