I could not be happier with my choice. I just renewed my lease for next year. My apartment is HUGE!!! For less than I'd be paying at Katy Place, I got another 100 square feet (that's a whole other room!) and free high speed wireless internet. The application process was a dream compared to Katy Place. I tried to apply at both but even though I am in law school and have been on my own for years, Katy Place wouldn't rent to me unless my parents divulged all kinds of private details about their finances. That was absolutely ridiculous! For god's sake, let a grown man have some dignity! Applying at the Corporate Lake Development (which runs Brandon Woods Place, The Hill, and Timber Ridge) was very easy and straightforward. It did not involve embarrassing intrusions into my privacy and the privacy of my parents. I also believe the Corporate Lake Development sometimes rents to responsible undergrads where Katy Place does not.

I've stayed at countless apartments throughout the years but this is the first one that feels like a home. It is located in a neighborhood and feels like it is a part of it.

I'm a very busy law student at the University of Missouri - Columbia and need absolute silence when I study. This is the first apartment I've had that I can truly study at home. When I open my window I hear nothing but birds chirping . . . no screaming children, no barking dogs . . . it is truly peaceful. It feels like it is a retreat from the hustle and bustle of Columbia.

You can tell a lot about the safety of an apartment complex by the frequency of police patrols. In the last apartment I had at The Colony, a police car drove by literally every half hour. When I was at The Colony, I even had police come to my door in the middle of the night to see if I was hiding someone's baby-daddy in my apartment!!! As you can imagine I DID NOT renew THAT lease! After looking at most of the apartments in Columbia, I really wouldn't recommend any that are north of Providence. In the year that I've been at Brandon Woods Place, I can only recall seeing one police car and that was because he was eating lunch at Smokin' Chick's BBQ or It's a Grind, the coffee house, both down the street in the Southampton Village across from the lake. On several occasions, I've accidentally left my car unlocked overnight and in the morning, my radar detector and CDs are still there. This is the kind of place where a neighbor will knock on your door and tell you, you left your headlights on.

The neighborhood is really beautiful too. There is a huge lake across the street with fountains and geese and is apparently fully stocked with fish which you can feed off the patio of Gaucho's, a Brazilian steakhouse and bar right on the lake. I really love driving by that lake every morning.

There is a big grassy field next to the lake that is great for playing fetch with your dog or Frisbee with friends. There's even going to be a huge hot air balloon festival in August right next to the lake. There will be a target on the island in the middle of the lake that the hot air balloons will have to try to drop something on. It sounds like a lot of fun.

If you like to play tennis, there are 8 lighted courts across the street at Cosmo Bethel Park. There is also a very nice walking path around the lake at the park. (There are really a lot of lakes in this part of town.) But you don't have to go to the park to get your exercise, there are sidewalks on both sides of the streets and people walks around the neighborhood almost every evening.

If you have a child, this place would also great. The elementary school is only a couple of blocks away (but the buses still take them across the highway) and the high school is only a block away. There is a courtyard between the apartments that children can play in and stay within view. The Columbia Performing Arts Center is also just down the street if you have a daughter you would like to enroll in ballet or another dance class. The center is in a really beautiful Greek revival style building with lots of glass, columns, and what looks like a small botanical garden. It really makes the neighborhood feel high class, especially when it is all lit up at night, reflecting off the lake.

There are a couple of nice apartment complexes in Columbia but none other has an atmosphere like the Corporate Lake Development. If you are looking for an apartment in Columbia, one of the Corporate Lake Development properties should really be at the top of your list. I just found their website and it shows a lot of the things I was talking about. Check it out. http://CorporateLake.com

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