If you are like me, when reading reviews of any products/services, you focus on the negatives first. So, I'll begin with the bad news. I'll preface this by saying the bad news is not nearly as bad as for some of the other properties you will find in Anne Arundel County and/or the Fort Meade/Odenton/West County area.

In terms of insects, I find myself killing one of the "pincher" bugs, if not every day (especially in the summer), then probably every two to three days. I will also see a silverfish every now and then. Thankfully, I have not seen an ant, roach, mouse or rat during my time here.

The parking situation can be challenging, especially when arriving home after 7:30-8pm, however, because Fieldstone Farm is such a nice property (more on the huge positives in a moment), one would expect to have a full parking lot because capacity is probably close to 100 percent. It's not a major issue.

Because there is only one dumpster on the property, that area can overflow on occasion, particularly on the weekends. But, the staff does a good job of making sure (usually the following morning) that the area is clean and the trash is removed.

This may be nitpicky, but if your bedroom is next to one of the many trees on the property, there's a good chance that the rockin' robins (i.e., birds) will wake you up with their loud banter between 5:45-6am nearly every morning. For those of us who get up around that time each day anyway for work, it's not a problem from Monday to Friday. If you are looking to sleep in on weekend mornings, it can be a problem.

With all of that said...

Overall, this is one of, if not the, best rental experiences I've ever had. The staff (administrative, maintenance and grounds) is very courteous and (very important) responsive. Any maintenance issues are handled within 24 hours. I have not had any major issues with noise coming from neighbors and everyone I have encountered thus far has been respectful. The apartments were built in '04 or '05, so the appliances, cabinetry, windows and floor plans are modern. I love the nine-foot ceilings and the ample closet space. If you are a fan of Verizon FIOS, you are out of luck because this property is not wired for FIOS yet. If you want Direct TV, you will have to insure the dish for about $150K. I assume most residents are Comcast television and Internet subscribers. It's a roll of the dice with Comcast customer service, but that's not the property's fault.

The neighborhood (Piney Orchard) has a mix of rental properties (along w/ Fieldstone Farm, The Groves and Riverscape are two other Dolben properties in Piney Orchard), townhomes and single-family homes. Each day, you will find many parents walking with their children, random people jogging/walking, and athletic events or children playing at the GORC rec fields across the street. Piney Orchard offers a family atmosphere.

The saying "you get what you pay for" applies here when thinking about the price, which is probably steep for many who are researching places to live. But, if you want a clean, safe, quiet property with responsive, friendly and courteous staff, then the extra $$$ you pay for rent each month compared to other properties in the area is probably worth it - at least it is to me.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/11/2009
How is the traffic when everyone is leaving for work in the morning or going to school? Those streets over there look small so I'm just curious about traffic.

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