Another one moving to Baton Rouge! (Forest: apartments, lease, employment)

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by Dementia

Another question....I remember from a few months back something about not living near Florida Blvd. There seem to be many apartments in that area. What's the deal?

North of Florida Blvd is a declining or already decrepit of town. That includes apartments on either side of Florida Blvd. To be honest, I'd stay south of Goodwood and west of Park Blvd (a north south street near City Park).

And to fine tune that rule, I'd also avoid (1) Blvd De Province (near Sherwood/I-12), (2) Gardere, (3) an area behind Perkins/Staring, and (4) Siegen between Perkins and Airline.

[CindyM]

Any apartments on Florida or Sherwood Forest (Oaks of Kingsbridge) would be inconvenient to the Perkins/Quail Drive area. There are townhouses within walking distance, but I don't know if they're owned or rented.

[holloway1010]

To be honest, pretty much the only apartments you'll find in Baton Rouge that aren't super ghetto are mostly filled with LSU students. There are some decent ones along Essen Lane and Jefferson Highway, not sure if there filled with students are not, though. Florida Boulevard and/or Government Street is pretty much the majic line between ghetto and/or old people neighborhoods, and most of the more popular parts of town.

[darylwi]

I can't agree with the above post. I've seem plenty of student properties that look just as "ghetto" as other areas (i.e. Jim Taylor Drive), and I've heard petty crime is pretty rampant in student areas in Tigerland and even Plantation Trace and certainly near Gardere. There are plenty of properties that aren't super ghetto, but the best are expensive as all hell. $1000+/mo rent for places around Towne Center and well above $700 for anything else. Below that and you're suspect, but there are plenty of properties out there that are a little cheaper and have no problems at all.
As far as Sherwood Forest is concerned, I haven't noticed anything seedy about the apartments there (as long as you compare them to the average apartment and not rich gated communities), but the area is prone to a lot of traffic so the commute from there to Perkins could be trouble.
The overall best area that I've found to have the fewest "reported" problems is the Jefferson Hwy area near Bocage and south towards Airline as well. Rarely do I hear of anything in this area (minus the fire yesterday at The Warwick). But that's not to say anything can't happen anywhere at anytime.

[Dementia]

Thanks everyone for all your help. I'm sure I'm going to have many more questions! I've only been to Baton Rouge once, so I'm just about totally unfamiliar with the area. I'm mainly looking for an apartment for ~6months...until I can sell my house here and find something to buy out there. Inexpensive is good...and I'm really not worried about how ghetto or seedy it looks since it'll only be for a part-time basis...as long as it is reasonably safe. As darylwi said...anything can happen anywhere.

[LOUISIANA'SLEGEND]

If U Ask Me, Baton Rouge Is The Most Clean Cut Part Of Louisiana So U Would Be Alright Any Where. Its All About How Much U Tryna Spend

[Dementia]

Ideally, I'd like to spend less than $700.00.

Can I get some clarification on what you guys would call 'seedy' areas and 'inconvenient' drives?

I'm noticing Tigerland has some seriously low rents. I don't mind college type living, I'm *fairly* young still and petty theft is just about everywhere.

Really, once again...I do appreciate everyone's advice. It's very difficult to try and find a place when you don't know the area at all.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by Dementia

Ideally, I'd like to spend less than $700.00.

Can I get some clarification on what you guys would call 'seedy' areas and 'inconvenient' drives?

I'm noticing Tigerland has some seriously low rents. I don't mind college type living, I'm *fairly* young still and petty theft is just about everywhere.

Really, once again...I do appreciate everyone's advice. It's very difficult to try and find a place when you don't know the area at all.

By "seedy" I would not feel safe enough living there. By "inconvenient", I think it's an issue of taking a longer commute than necessary given there are decent places to live nearby.

I would not waste time/money on Tigerland. It is SO transient, it's easy prey for the criminal element, because they figure no one knows anybody.

[darylwi]

I would say that you need to be fairly young to live in Tigerland, otherwise you won't really fit in. Never mind there are older people who live there who seem to never really want to leave. I know a friend that has a loft for less than $400 in Tigerland, but it is not nice by any means and a few of her neighbors look fishy. But it is all that she can afford.
I can't vouch for the rent at specific places except for my place, but I know it appears that most places that are halfway decent charge at least $595 or more. There are a handful of places on Jefferson Hwy for that price and $620. Jefferson Shadows, Jefferson East, Jefferson Arms are ones I know in particular. The Warwick was about $800 or $850 but it included a few more things like cable and I think electricity as well. I think some of the places over around Nicholson (south of campus) are about $700 for a 1 br. You'll notice sometimes that they'll advertise rent as being $400 but it'll be per room for a 3 or 4 bedroom apartment.
I'm positive that the Mansions in the Park is over $700. I think closer to $800-$900.
As far as seedy areas, avoid Gardere. There are a lot of cheap apartments there, but that area initially failed as a new urban development back in the day and property values plummeted. They're working to improve it with new development nearby, but it will still take some time to clean the area up. Also personally, I try to avoid anything right along the freeways because crime has a tendency of coming off the off-ramp, taking your tv and getting back on the freeway and disappear.

As far as commute times are concerned, if you stay in an area between the river and Airline Hwy, and south of Florida but north of Siegen, you'll probably have a less than 20 minute commute (although BTR is known for having bad traffic days where there'll be an accident on the freeway and everybody exits to the surface streets).
Best of luck.

[CindyM]

Check out Turnberry Place apartments on Bluebonnet. A 1-bedroom is between $755 & $795. Look at the map on their site. Quail Run lies halfway between the Baton Rouge Clinic and College Drive.

please do web search for these apartments - this link could be construed as advertising!