[soundbreeze]

Can anyone weigh in on either one of these properties?

Chez Elan: Chez Élan - Apartment homes for rent in Fort Walton Beach Florida, near Eglin and Hurlburt AFB, Navarre, Destin, Crestview - Southern Ventures Corporation

Cayo Grande of Ft. Walton Beach: Cayo grande-Fort Walton Beach Apartments for rent in Destin, Navarre, Florida, near Eglin and Hurlburt, Luxury and Corporate Apartment homes

Apparently, they are all run by the same outfit?

The area they are in on Racetrack looks a little "dicey" to me, but the location (6 mi from base) and amenities (especially Chez Elan) are quite enticing to me!

Thanks in advance for any and all constructive advise/opinions.

=S

[sunrico90]

Originally Posted by soundbreeze

Can anyone weigh in on either one of these properties?

Chez Elan: Chez Élan - Apartment homes for rent in Fort Walton Beach Florida, near Eglin and Hurlburt AFB, Navarre, Destin, Crestview - Southern Ventures Corporation

Cayo Grande of Ft. Walton Beach: Cayo grande-Fort Walton Beach Apartments for rent in Destin, Navarre, Florida, near Eglin and Hurlburt, Luxury and Corporate Apartment homes

Apparently, they are all run by the same outfit?

The area they are in on Racetrack looks a little "dicey" to me, but the location (6 mi from base) and amenities (especially Chez Elan) are quite enticing to me!

Thanks in advance for any and all constructive advise/opinions.

=S

I just don't like the area, Racetrack is dicey. I rather look at the Cayo Grande in Navarre or the Reserve. A bit more relax, yes on HWY 98 but is newer and more secure...

[soundbreeze]

Originally Posted by sunrico90

I just don't like the area, Racetrack is dicey. I rather look at the Cayo Grande in Navarre or the Reserve. A bit more relax, yes on HWY 98 but is newer and more secure...

Agreed. The area is dicey. But so close to work... 5.9mi.

We were sold on Chez Elan. Don't know if this is a positive or negative nit, but there is literally a Santa Rosa Sherrifs base station there (integrated into the rear of the property whoah!), and though not staffed 24/7, there are cars there. Great visual deterrent.

Thanks for the feedback Sun!

[soundbreeze]

I just had an OHHNOOO second.. Found some negative points about Chez Elan in Ft. Walton Beach. CRAP! I hope it works out, but it's not looking good w. respect to these posts...

Chez Elan Apartment Ratings, Reviews, Map, Rents, and other Fort Walton Bch apartments for rent from ApartmentRatings.com

[HIgirl]

When we moved to FWB, we lived in Cayo Grande. This was about 6 years ago. We LOVED it!!! I still think about our apartment with a loft. We were on the third floor. It was always beautiful and we never had any safety issues. Also, they have a hotel on site, which was great when visitors came and there were too many to stay in our place. They could just rent a room.

After a year there, we bought a house so we moved. If not, we would have stayed there.

Now we have not lived in FWB for 4 years now - so this info may be outdated.

[deckardc]

Both complexes are on Racetrack Rd. The road itself is mostly commercial and a little industrial. Fast food places, gas stations, a high school, a middle school, a couple of shopping centers, and a cement and gravel yard. It's a little sketchy but the worst areas are the residential neighborhoods south of Racetrack. FWB Medical Center is near Chez Elan (what a stupid name for an apartment). If I personally had to choose between Cayo Grande or Chez Elan, I would go with Elan. It looks like a nicer complex and that end of Racetrack is a bit better.

Cayo Grande in Navarre is about 25 miles from Eglin and the commute takes close to 45 minutes. Traffic can be really bad at rush hour on Hwy. 98 near Hurlburt Field. Trust me, I used to live in Navarre. I hated the commute.

There isn't much in the way of apartments in FWB and most of the ones that are here are low end. You might want to consider renting a house. Lots of flippers bought here a couple of years ago and can't sell now so there is an abundance of rental properties on the market. Most of the people who work on base live in FWB, Shalimar, Valparaiso, or Niceville.

[deckardc]

Forgot to tell you the worst part about Racetrack Rd. It's the wastewater treatment facility that makes the area smell like a toilet that's been clogged for about a week. It's particularly vile in the summer. The smell is not as noticeable on the west end of Racetrack.

[soundbreeze]

Thanks for the updates deckardc! I looked at the demographic info, looks like stolen cars shows up just at 1% of the population, so seems that the general populace is "ok". Not too much violent crime going on from what I could tell, but those were '05 #'s.

HIgirl, I was very interested in Cayo in FWB, but after meeting up w. the management, and scoping out the grounds (which were VERY well kept btw) I spied an occupant.. it was so sad.. a woman, had to have been in her 90's, pure white hair.. she was in her wheelchair on the second floor.. sound asleep, but her head was tilted back a little w. her mouth wide open.. it gave me a "shiver". I'm not ready for that yet.

[luckyss]

I can tell you from experience that both communities are very nice places to live. I agree that areas around Racetrack look "dicey" but I think mostly they are just older areas and not any better or worse than others. It is pretty quiet around here relative to other areas I have lived. I can walk to Publix - cool

[beachmouse]

I used to have a job that took me into many nooks and crannies in FWB. The area south of Racetrack is working class to poor, but actually relatively safe for that socio-economic level. The real areas to avoid are the Sylvania Heights neighborhood kind of NW of Santa Rosa Mall off Lovejoy (blatant hookers and drug dealers and the violent crime that goes with) and the Carson Street area and surrounds- just north of downtown FWB and bordered by 98, Eglin Pkwy, Hollywood and Beal (where the drug dealers relocate during the times when the cops are cracking down in Sylvania Heights).