I live in a townhouse at Elmhurst apartments. They also have garden-style 1st or 2nd floor apartments. You also have the option of paying your utilities seperately or paying a flat rate every month. You don't have to worry about your rent going up another $300 like at Camden Properties. After your first 6 months or year lease is up, you automatically go on a month-to-month lease, with the added benefit of being locked into your low rent when you signed your lease.

The buildings are well-built but older. There are 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, and I think maybe 1 bedroom as well. Each townhouse has a private back deck. Some of the garden-syle apartments have back porches. There are very few mainenance problems, but if you ever have one, the office will send someone to fix it immediately and they will leave you a note of the status of your service request. The only other issue with it being older is that it's a bit more expensive to heat and cool, but like I said, you can do the utilities included option and pay a flat rate all year.

The grounds are immaculate. Someone really takes a lot of pride in the landscaping. There is also a nice pool and clubhouse in the center of the complex.

The neighborhood is really quiet. I live on the townhouse side, and most of my neighbors are elderly or young couples with children. There are also some young professionals. There seems to be a strong sense of community and neighbors really look out for eachother. When I moved in, everyone introduced themselves and made sure to tell me anything I might need to know about safety, neighborhood protocol, etc.

Concerning safety, there have been a couple of issues the past few months, none involving residents, though. One of the maintenance staff was robbed a few months ago, and more recently, there was a domestic violence incendent that began in a park nearby around 2 AM. A resident promptly notified the police. It's unfortunate, but it's Charlotte, and these things happen, and the best we can all do is lookout for ourselves and eachother. Marsh properties was quick to respond and contacted all of the residents to let them know what had happened. The only other thing is that when I moved in, I was cautioned not to leave anything valuable on the back deck because there had been some instances of theft. Common sense, but good to know.

A little background about the neighborhood, Sedgefield has quickly become a major real-estate hot spot. 1500 sq ft houses nearby are selling for $325K-$400. The fact that you can rent these apartments in this neighborhood for under $1,000 is really a special find. Also, if you have children, be advised that residents are in the school zone for their children to go to Sedgefield Elementary, Sedgefield Middle, and Myers Park High, some of the top-rated public schools in CMS. The middle school is actually adjacent to the property. Elmhurst is walking distance to Sedgefield park (practically in your backyard, depending on what part of the complex you live in), Dilworth, Myers Park, Freedom Park, etc. As you can imagine, the surrounding neighborhood is pretty nice.

I've lived in 2 other apartments in Charlotte. Please stay away from Camden properties. Go check out their ratings for any property and you'll see what I mean. All of the stories are true from my experience and those of my friends. The other apartment I lived in was also a Marsh Property, and it was great, too. Marsh is family run, and it really shows. They really look out for their residents.

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