I've lived in several apartment complexes in Chapel Hill/Carrboro and own a house on the beach, so I think I'm a decent judge of housing quality. I've lived in the Villages for 2-3 years. Here are my comments about the Villages:

(1) It's a very good deal money-wise -- if you want to live in the Chapel Hill area and be on a bus line. I pay 700 or so for a 2 bedroom-2 story apartment with 1 1/2 baths. However, if you aren't tied to CH, drive 10 minutes and live in Durham.

(2) The bus line is an added perk, but remember to think realistically when you decide on an apartment. The bus stop is easily a 10-15 walk from my apartment, and you have to cross the street over Smith Level.

(3) The apartments, for the most part, are pretty old. That said, there are some that have been remodeled, but expect to pay a good deal more for those.

(4) Not surprisingly, there are problems with the apartments. I've had problems with the fridge, the heating/cooling, you name it. The maintenance people are pretty good about fixing things, but there's usually something that needs fixing every month. This is typical for just about every apartment in CH/Carrboro, because they're almost all older.

(5) The staff is pretty good overall. I've had issues with a couple of them, but the majority are pretty helpful.

(6) The major perks about the Villages are the noise and safety aspects. I've never had any problems with the safety of the buildings. Also, I've rarely had a problem with the noise. This is a welcome departure from most of the other complexes in CH. I will say that this can be apt specific, as I've been in other apts that are loud. If you love peace and quiet, I would mention that to them when they are showing you apartments. I think that they steer the louder crew into certain sets of apts.

(7) They are now requiring liability insurance to live at the Villages, and for this reason I am probably leaving the complex. This is an extra cost that most people aren't contemplating when they are moving into an apt., particularly since it's something like 100K coverage.

Overall, it's pretty good for Chapel Hill. I would recommend it if you need to stay in town on a bus line. Otherwise, Durham has newer apartments for comparable prices and more amenities.

User Responses
From: bebopper	Date: 04/30/2006
Durham? Durham suks
From: ginny4	Date: 08/18/2006
actually it doesn't. i've lived in durham for two years, and i've been quite happy with my experience.
From: Imara219	Date: 11/07/2006
I've lived in durham before and actually loved it. Like any city, it has it's good and bad parts. Try to find a good part and you'll be ok.

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