My husband and I lived at this complex for two and a half years, but I think that's mostly because we knew we were going to buy a house and we didn't want to have to move twice. When we first moved in, we were pretty excited about the apartment, as the grounds were nicely kept and the amenities were attractive: a nice little gym, a pool.

As the months wore on, however, we noticed that the construction of the complex was cheap, particularly when it came to noise barriers between the ceiling and upstairs floor. Every step our neighbor made, we heard. He wasn't being a jerk about it, either. We spoke to him about the noise, and he and his roommate would try to keep it down, but there's only so much one can do if the construction is shoddy.

The other thing I noticed over the years is that while the grounds were immaculately maintained, the inside of the apartment buildings started to look shabbier and shabbier. Stains in the hallway carpets were never addressed. It seemed as though the Avalon's sales gimmick is to win people over with a first impression, but then not deliver when it came to the actual living experience.

The quality of the maintenance has gone down as well. The first year and a half, whenever I called for someone to fix something, it was done almost immediately, and with a courteous, polite attitude. Now you have to call a main switchboard number to place your maintenance request, so you're dealing with someone who has no idea where you live, and oftentimes little sympathy for your problem.

Overall, it is a decent place to live, though a tad on the pricey side. There are some pluses: An easy commute to New York City via bus, very close to grocery stores (Trader Joe's is across the street, both Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are less than a mile away), a concierge service for deliveries, and underground car parking so you never have to shovel your car out when it snows.

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