I have lived in these apartments for almost 2 years now. I agree with other reviewers that the office staff is very friendly and helpful, though I feel sometimes they are saying only what you want to hear.

Maintenance is pretty competent. There is one gentleman that doesn't have much skill and I have to make a second call after he tries to fix things, but otherwise no problems there. They are relatively speedy and friendly.

Storage is limited. There is a small linen closet, large closet in the dining area and bedroom, and approximately 5 cupboards in the kitchen. There are garages available for an extra charge that are relatively spacious but not climate/ weather proofed. Also small storage lockers available in the laundry room at no charge but not very secure. You will need to supply your own padlock if you wish to store anything there.

I am on the third floor so I have no problem with noise from those above me. These apartments are pretty well soundproofed. The only weak spot is the front door- its pretty thin. I've had some problems with a next door neighbor and a blasting stereo, but otherwise nothing out of the ordinary for communal living.

The view is great as I am on the back side by the woods. Lots of birds and wildlife.

The carpet in my apartment is old and worn out. As part of my lease renewal, I will ask for it to be replaced. It was dirty when I moved in despite it having been professionally cleaned. Its nice to have the dishwasher and garbage disposal. No problems with those. No problems with the fridge or oven either.

The laundry room is adequate, if you catch it at the right time. There are 3 washers and 4 dryers for one building. $1.75 per load to wash and dry. You can't use all 3 washers at the same time or the room floods when they drain. Sometimes they are all in use and you have to wait but that is a problem with communal living.

Haven't had any major problems with bugs.

Electric bills in summer are fair. They just installed a newer ac unit in my apartment and it is much more efficient than the old one. Since it is not central air, the unit only cools the living room, dining area, and kitchen. The bedroom is about 10 degrees warmer. In the winter the bills get higher as the geniuses that designed the building put the radiant heat in the ceiling. Is it just me or does heat rise' So to compensate you have to turn it up a little higher. The patio doors are a big energy waster in the winter- very drafty. You can plastic them over if you need to. Also the window in the bedroom is pretty thin. I kept the blinds and curtain closed and it wasn't so bad. Having a northeast exposure there was no more than a few hours of direct sunlight.

Security is only fair. The apartments do not have secured entrances, only breezeways (which I've been told they will start enclosing in the near future). There are single deadbolts on the doors. There has been at least 4 or 5 incidiences of vehicle vandalism that I have heard about, one being my own vehicle, in the almost 2 years I've been here. The police seem to be in the complex on a fairly regular basis, not sure if they are patrolling or responding to a complaint though. Since I now park my car in the garage at night, its a bit of a freaky walk from there to my apartment. There is lighting in the parking lots, but it doesn't seem to be sufficient.

The grounds are kept up very well. Its is beautiful in the spring when the crabapples are in bloom. They do a walk through of the grounds every day (I think) to pick up stray bits and check for problems. There are charcoal grills and picnic tables in a few areas that seem to get regular use. Very nice for a summer cookout with friends. Snow removal last year was great but this year it wasn't as timely. Not sure what changed. They kept the sidewalks well-salted however.

Parking is adequate. Sometimes you have to park farther away than usual, but again, this is a problem due to communal living. Have had problems with other tenants smacking the sides of my car with their doors so when I do need to park in the lot, I tend to park far away anyway

The neighbors are relatively friendly. Seem to be mostly a younger crowd.

The pool/ exercise room/ clubhouse are very nice. The pool is on the smaller side but still nice on a hot day. You need a pool pass and there is a nominal charge to bring non-resident guests in, I think its only a dollar per person. The club house is available for reservation at no charge to the resident once per year. It is very nice with a kitchenette and adequate seating. The exercise area is also well equipped with weights, treadmills, ellipticals, and other equipment. I beleive it closes at 9 or 10 in the evening.

There are garden plots available. However, be willing to work for it. The soil is heavy clay. They haven't been used much so they are quite overgrown. I had to have them clean the burdock out this year. There is no close source of water so be ready to haul it from your apartment or laundry room. One the plus side, they are fenced in and keep out the bigger creatures. However, the rabbits or maybe squirrels ate my sunflowers before they had a chance to really grow. Left the tomatoes and pumpkins alone though.

They are pet friendly. Cats accepted in all aparments and dogs in select buildings. Some problems with owners not picking up poo, so watch for landmines around the dog buildings! I don't think there is an extra charge for cats, but be ready to pay an extra deposit and extra rent for dogs. Pit bulls and other agressive breeds not allowed.

Overall, these are budget apartments. I agree with the other reviewer that they are good for starting out. I would and have recommended them to others ($200 discount on one months rent if you get someone to move in!). Don't expect a high class place here, but for what you pay for, it is a steal on this side of town.

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