If you are a Virginia Tech college student, or just a local resident looking for a new place to live, DO NOT move to STURBRIDGE SQUARE APARTMENTS IN BLACKSBURG, VA. I've lived here three years (though I don't know how I've made it so long) and I've just about had it. First, let's discuss the lack of acoustical protection in these apartments. You can hear EVERYTHING going on in the apartments above you. One example is the gentlemen above me one year that slept during the daylight and played video games at night. I heard every explosion and every blood-splattering noise from those games and occasionally I was lucky enough to hear their burping abilities. That's after I asked them to turn down the volume. Before, the bass made my walls shake. I hear every step that's taken above me because the floors creak and moan under the slightest weight. I can even here when they get into bed and when they open a dresser drawer. Currently, our neighbors like to RUN around the apartment at all times of the day chasing each other and screaming at the top of their lungs. Sometimes, I'm lucky enough to hear the newest album being played around 2 am. I really hope that one day nothing happens to them because no one would be able to tell. Next, let's discuss the current condition of these apartments.

I'd have to say that these apartments were built soon after indoor plumbing became common. It is impossible to get a cell phone signal inside and I've already spoken about the weak flooring systems. Now, let's discuss the tendency of these apartments to flood. In the past 9 months alone our apartment has been flooded in portions at LEAST 10 times. First, the AC line clogged up and flooded the apartment while we were away for the summer. The management fixed the A/C but failed to remove the massive amounts of mold that made my apartment home during this time. THEN, the bathroom sinks began to overflow on a daily basis (while not in use I should add). It took maintenance 2 weeks to come and fix that even after I called them and put the phone up to the sink to demonstrate that it was not running but that water was pouring from the drains. Next, our garbage disposal puked up everything it had been storing for us. Maintenance came to fix that but made us clean it up as we had to do with the water that flooded from the bathrooms and kitchen. Then we run the dishwasher and it floods the kitchen with soap and water. The dishwasher has been sitting with that water in it for three weeks now. Still nothing. Then today I went to take a shower and was greeted with a tub full of my upstairs neighbors hair. Apparently, now the tub is backing up and EVERYTHING our upstairs neighbors put down their tub drain is coming directly into ours. Trust me, no amount of disinfectant is enough. Finally, after five months of kitchen sink flooding and garbage disposal problems, the new manager's husband took the time to help us out. I am greatly appreciative of this but it was little too late. It turns out all we needed was a new sink pipe. Shortly after, our hallway closet flooded. Who knows what happened there but we have two new holes in the wall to show their attempts to figure it out. After finally fixing problems, maintenance rarely patches or cleans after themselves. I can only wait to see how much they take out of our deposit for this. I know that all of these things seem to be specific to just our apartment, but please consider this in your apartment search.

Now, if you are thinking that Sturbridge is a nice quiet place for you to live and have friends visit, you are almost right. There are rarely any parties here. However, if you think your friends will be driving over think again. There is no place for them to park! Sure, there are visitor spots but they are always full. While the lots aren't strictly enforced, all it takes is you to park in the wrong person's spot and they tow you.

There are laundry facilities on site but not in every building. When you go do your laundry, you will be very lucky if you get two washers and two dryer working. They are never maintained and there is never a sign telling you when the machine isn't working. It's not fun putting your money into a machine that doesn't work. Not to mention the fact that your clothes can spend an hour in the dryer and still come out soaking wet.

Attracted by the lovely pool in the complex' Don't be. It's rarely open because it is not maintained. Imagine our surprise when we first came across a sign saying that the pool is closed due to high pH and unsafe water quality.

Oh, but the apartments have Ethernet! So does every other apartment complex in Blacksburg and I bet theirs doesn't stop working every three weeks or so. If you ever have a maintenance problem during the weekend, better hope it can wait until Monday. Also, you should feel "privileged" that they plow the parking lots during the snow, because they aren't contractually obligated to do so.

Blacksburg has so much more to offer for the same price (and on the same bus line). Don't settle for this apartment complex. Beware, every year I've been here, rent has increased. I'm finally getting out of here and I couldn't be happier. Remember to take note of every little crack or spot on the wall and take pictures of ALL problems you have here, because it WILL happen.

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