I lived in these apartments for two years before I had to move out of state and I couldn't have been happier there. The apartments were brand new when I moved in, I was the first tenant in my apartment, so while this will be a glowing review - just remember that everything's better when it's brand new. To summarize what I'm about to say, the apartments were very large, airy, bright, beautiful, quiet, well-kept, neighbors and staff were friendly and the whole thing was very much worth the money (it was cheap!)

The apartments were beautiful, inside and out. Very nice architecture, lots of brick and white siding. Everything had a light or airy feel to it. I rented a one bedroom that I think was pretty unique for the complex, in that it had a dining room area rather than a 'hall' closet. The living room, dining room and kitchen were all open. The kitchen appliances were white, very nice and easy to use. No microwave was provided but there was a garbage disposal. The cabinets and counter tops were very nice and in style. There was not a double sink but the sink was very large, almost as large as a double. The dishwasher worked well, but for some reason always left a soapy taste in the glasses so I got in the habit of rinsing my glasses out with water before I used them.

My favorite part of the apartment was the glass windows and sliding doors that took up most of one whole wall in the living room. Nice blinds were included. The windows were beautiful, let in a lot of light and looked out onto a deck that was huge by apartment standards. My particular apartment backed up to some woods in the middle of the complex with a creek running through them. I often saw deer in the woods during the winter and fall. During the summer the vegetation was too thick to see down to the creek very well, but I had lots of birds, including several cardinals, that used the bird feeder I hung from my deck. My cat liked to go out and lay on the deck (note that first floor apartments typically have patios, not decks.)

The bedroom was very large and included two large windows, deep set into the walls. This left a "shelf", about 1 foot deep, that my cat used as a window seat. It was also an ideal place for plants. One of my windows actually faced east, so that the rising sun actually shone directly in my face in the mornings. The blinds weren't enough to keep it out so I did have to get pretty thick curtains since I wake easily to light. I really appreciated the light during the day though. The whole apartment was extremely bright and airy, not dim like many apartments are. The bedroom also had a walk in closet that was probably big enough to fit a single bed in - it was more than long enough for that.

Both the bedroom and the dining room had overhead fans. The bedroom fan and light fixture were white, the dining room was dark wood. The living room had no central light fixture - lamps are required. The bathroom was very large, just like the rest of the apartment. The washer dryer are stacked in a closet in the bathroom. They're both pretty quiet and efficient. The apartment in general was quiet, I rarely heard any noise from other apartments.

My utilities were reasonable for Ohio, as a single person I often payed about $12-20 for most of them individually. The apartment and water are gas heated, but the stove is electric. Having so many trees around and a nice breeze, I was able to leave the air and heat off for much of the late spring, early fall and a good portion of the summer. You don't need to use lights in the apartment during the day either so that also saves electricity.

The office staff was very friendly and helpful. They actually allowed me to stay several days past my lease so that I could finish up at work. They also made an exception on their cat policy for me - normally they require the cats to be declawed, but since my cat was relatively old when I moved in (16 years), they allowed me to live there without declawing her. When I moved out and they sent me my return deposit, they even complemented me on how clean and in perfect condition the apartment was left in. Maintenance was always quick and helpful. They even dug my car out when a blizzard dumped 3 feet of snow on us. They always did a good job of clearing the parking lot when it snowed.

One problem I did sometimes have was finding a close place to park. I worked second shift so by the time I arrived home around 10pm, I sometimes had a hard time finding parking in front of my building - although most of the time I was able to park right in front. My particular building, 4515, had less parking than most, so it really depends on which building you stay in. Even when I had to park up near the administrative building, I felt very safe. Brunswick is a family-oriented community and the apartments were no exception. For those that want them, they offer garages, but you have to pay extra for them.

The complex pool was very nice and well attended. There were some beautiful trees nearby, but not so close that they block the sun. Children have to be accompanied by an adult so laying by the pool was always very pleasant. They also have a playground right next to the pool. I never saw many kids using it, but it looked nice. It's been a while, but I think you had to pay extra to use the fitness room or put down a deposit or something. I can't remember exactly what it was, but I do remember that you had to do something extra in order to be allowed to use the room.

The complex also had a "lake" on the property, but I was not very impressed by it. They were still building part of the complex when I lived there, so it could just be that they hadn't finished it, but the lake was not particularly attractive. It had a walking path around it, but I don't even think it had a bench to rest on. They could have updated it by now - but at the time I liked the woods behind my apartment much better than the lake.

Brunswick is a great place to live. Very family oriented. Lots of free or cheap activities for all ages, festivals, etc. going on throughout the year. Where Aspen Lake is located, you can go one way and be right on a busy road with lots of shops and businesses and restaurants, or you can go another way and be right in the middle of farm land - all within a few minutes. The Cleveland Clinic has a location just minutes away. Brunswick does a great job with snow removal, the only problems I ever had was on a stretch of I-71 between Strongsville and Brunswick which was not very well lit and not immediately worked on when there was heavy snow. Since I drove home at night it was often slow going on this stretch, but it wasn't too bad.

I guess that's about all I can think of. No, I don't work for Aspen Lake nor have I ever. I simply loved the apartments and the area and if it weren't for my job I'd still be living there. They were perfect, beautiful, quiet, peaceful - and I've not found anything even remotely as nice for even close to the price since. So call this review my "oh I wish I still lived there..." whine. =]

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