I always found it kind of ironic that for being one of the richest states in the country, NJ has so few decent apartment complexes. Most of the apartment complexes are dirty, dilapidated post-WWII era garden apartments that are small and have minimal amenities. It is only during the past 5 years or so that decent apartment complexes have begun sprouting around NJ, although they're still few and far between. Having lived in an old, dirty, garden apartment for many years and knowing I couldn't go back to living in such a place, I'm glad I found Fair Lawn Commons.
This is a fairly new apartment complex (about 6 years old) almost smack dab in the middle of Fair Lawn. I moved from sharing a house for several years, and was reluctant to come here at first. Although I've been here only a few months so far, I am so far happy with the place.
Let's start with the positives. The apartments are fairly large overall. Bedrooms are a nice size, living room is decent, bathrooms are big. There are tons of outlets in the place, which is great for a gadget freak like me. All apartments have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and sprinklers. The smoke detectors are a bit sensitive, so turn on the vent if you're going to cook anything that smokes. The apartment also has a dishwasher, microwave, and a washer/dryer.
My apartment has a basement, which is absolutely fantastic. The basement has two sections: a finished section, about the size of a moderately large living room, and an unfinished section, which I call "the ultimate walk-in closet". It's about the size of my old garden apartment. It's great for storage, although you may want to invest in a dehumidifier for the unfinished section (I wouldn't say it's absolutely necessary though.)
There are a few "quirks" with the apartment, but they're pretty much minor issues. The kitchen is small, and doesn't contain enough pull-out drawers. There are very few built-in lighting fixtures in the apartment, so make sure you have some lamps ready. There could be more closet space, and a linen closet would have been nice. There are no plates to install ceiling fans. (Very bizarre in this day and age, but the apartments all have central air/heat and electronic thermostats.) Also, for a "luxury" apartment complex, some of the appliances seem a bit cheap. The fridge does not have an icemaker, and the oven is OK, but no-frills. Basement apartments get compact stackable washer/dryers instead of full-size ones like in the regular apartments. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make to get the basement, but the unit is not the greatest, although it does the job. Also, it seems like there is space for a full-size stackable unit in the area where the washer is, but I guess the complex didn't want to spring for the bigger size.
The complex is situated between a highway (Route 208, which leads to several other major highways) and a train station, and this had me nervous. My apartment is off the highway, and there is no highway noise at all. None. Train noise is rare, and minimal when it occurs. This complex is a commuter's dream come true.
The area is safe and well-lit and the complex has a diverse population, which is a positive in my book. Noise from neighbors and outside activities is minimal. Once in a while a kook may blow a horn late at night, but it's rare. The population of the complex seems to consist mostly of young professionals, young families, and some senior citizens.
Apartments in this complex are not cheap, and there is a long waiting list to get in. However, no apartments in NJ are cheap, including the old run-down apartments that are abundant in this area. Fair Lawn is a good, safe, solidly middle-class community with excellent school and library systems. You can find fancier towns, but you'll be paying $500 more a month for an identical apartment. You can definitely find cheaper apartments in worse towns, but who wants to live in a town where you have to wonder whether your car will be there in the morning' Fair Lawn has lots of apartment complexes, but this is by far the nicest one in town (and in the immediate surrounding area). You pay more for it, but you get more for your money. Despite the minor problems I mentioned, I am happy here so far, and expect to enjoy living here for the next few years.

User Responses
From: oldguy	Date: 01/24/2006
you paid 100% to get 1% improvement maybe.
From: susiepooh	Date: 06/20/2006
We looked at these apartments about a year after they were built. For a third floor walk-up apartment that was the furthest building from the entrance (and a significant walk to the train), they still asked the same exorbitant rent that the other apartments had. While they were lovely, I could not justify the price they were asking, especially when that particular building wasn't convenient. Then I was reading online about a series of break-ins in the complex. Don't know if this continues, but that was the final reason we did not rent here. Be forewarned.

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