Know anything about these apartments? (Jacksonville, Orlando: apartment complex, lease, sex offender)

[Kattywagon]

Hello world! I am moving to Jacksonville and have been searching far and wide for a place to call home. I have narrowed it down to these places:

Plantation Apartments City Ridge
Jax 32217 Jax 32211

Holly Cove Laurel Point
Orange Park 32073 Jax 32207

Royal Estates Madison Woods
Jax 32211 Jax 32218

Water'sEdge Jax 32218

Ryan Oaks Spinnaker Reach
Jax 32246 Jax 32224

SaddleCreek Jax 32210

Hunter's Way Woodlake Park Aps
Jax 32257 Mandarin

Pickwick Apts Creekside Park
Jax 32257 Jax 32244

Victoria Park Kings Tree Apt
Jax 32257 Orange Park 32073

Magnolia Point
Jax 32216

If anyone knows anything about these places, please drop me a line. Also I apologize for how sloppy this thread looks, but I pushed something somehow and I couldn't fix it.

Thanks for your help.

[riveree]

Hi Kattywagon,

The list is difficult to read, you might want to retype it and include the street address of the apartments - this will help people know where in the zip you're looking at.

Some of the zip codes I know well, some just a little, and some not at all, so let me start by just addressing the zip codes:

32073 is Bellair, right near the Orange Park Mall - NOT a good spot. I would recommend crossing this zip off your list.

32211 is Arlington. There are some good and some bad spots of Arlington, this zip is not one of the better parts. I would recommend crossing this zip off your list as well.

For 32207, 32217 and 32246 - these are good zips, but your apartment choices are in the very worst spots of these zips.

I'm seeing a trend here, and I'd hate to see you end up in an apartment that is in a run down area or worse, in a crime area.

Are you searching at the top of your budget, or are you looking lower?

Can you either increase your search budget or can you lower your needs? Maybe going down in quantity of bedrooms might increase the quality of the apartment choices?

These zips are literally all over the city and beyond into the next county...do you have an ideal location in mind yet, or have you maybe narrowed it down to one or two? I know the commute is a factor - where do you want to live based on the commute?

I would start by searching more in 32246 and 32257 and increase the budget and see what comes up (or conversely, decrease the bedrooms or bathrooms). These are solid zips with lots of good apartment choices, but I think you need to tweak your search a bit.

I hope this helps some. I know it's hard trying to do this all by internet.

[HIF]

It looks good to me, but I'm not familiar with those properties. Maybe your post got fixed.

Anyway, I just wanted to suggest that you post the following and let some locals answer. What is the outcome that you want to have? Where do you work? How many BR/BA, monthly rent, schools important? Dog parks? Clubs? Shopping? Etc., etc...

[banjo]

Well I suppose this was already taken care of for you but I agree that Holly Cove isn't a very good spot. I had a friend that lived there and it wasn't too bad (we'd pretty much just hang out and get drunk there) but I wouldn't want kids in that area, and IMHO that part of Jacksonville has some of the worst traffic you could encounter.
If your husband doesn't mind the drive the 32003 zip code (Flemming Island) is one of the most family friendly areas and the schools are good there too (Clay County) but it's a pain that you have to take about 10-15 minutes on just Hwy 17 to get into Orange Park, let alone over the buchman bridge (Which has gotten a little better when it comes time to come home in recent years due to redesigned exits for Roosevelt and Blanding) and into Jax.
Personally I live in Casselberry right now, but am planning to move back to Flemming Island Plantation with my girlfriend until I get a job straitened out then we're probably moving to southside due to location.
Also pretty much anything on Collins in the 32073 zip code should be avoided, there are one or two nice newer areas going up there but as a whole I would avoid it.
Hope this helps and is not just rambling
Also, I know that you have already narrowed down your search a bit but craigslist might help some if you need to find new areas http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/apa/

Bill

[Kattywagon]

Hello again Riveree! Thanks everyone for your replies!

Believe it or not those apartments that I listed were actually way better than the ones I didn't! Man I was really picking all losers for a while and then narrowed to the ones I listed here. Man is this depressing. As for how the list looked, I don't know why it came out like that because when I typed it, it was in two columns...

I too would hate to end up in the slums. I am planning a trip up there to look at five out of the list I wrote. Thanks for your breakdown of zip codes that was very helpful. What you said lined up with some of the things I have been learning about the area. Still I did not know that 32211 was Arlington, but I was told to stay away from Arlington. Also, I had heard something from someone about not living next to the Orange Park mall, so thanks for mentioning that also. Since my last thread I have narrowed it down to 5 places. Two of them are in 32257.

I definately can't go down in room size. We have three kids and I refuse to share a bathroom with them! As for price, we could go up if I got a job which we were trying to avoid. I work part time now for extra pocket money and have been going to school as well and I wanted to take a break and just focus on the family now that husband won't be out to sea so much like he's been for the last five years...

My ideal location would be some place safe and relatively quiet. It should be close to civilization, but I wouldn't want an apartment on Southside Blvd or Atlantic that is too close. The commute is an issue, but not a big one. My husband says he doesn't care how far he has to drive, but I care because gas is expensive!!! I don't go clubbing or anything. I love to shop, but I don't do much shopping because I eat out every chance I get. I live in Winter Park which has a little bit of everything. It is close to Orlando and the guy from Casselberry is close to me because he is right next to Winter Park. So he should know that I am looking for a place just like Winter Park or Casselberry.

Schools are important I guess because I don't want to send my kids to some decrpit school with fighting in the halls, but it doesn't have to be a five star school. Two of my kids will be elementary and the other is just two, so I am not too worried about schools at this point. I hope I don't sound ignorant by saying that! Not to brag, but my kids are really smart and are ahead of the pack. We do alot of stuff at home which more than makes up for whatever the school is lacking. I sometimes worry about them being bored in school and have considered homeschooling...but I digress.

Thanks for the info about Holly Cove though, because it was high on my lst because of the price and floorplan. I hadn't heard anything bad about the place so I was going to go check it out.

Anyway, here are the five I have narrowed it to...or four since Holly Cove has been cut.

Water's Edge
800 Broward Road
Jacksonville, FL 32218

Hunter's Way
10101 Arrowhead Dr
Jacksonville, FL 32257

City Ridge
7528 Arlington Expressway
Jacksonville, FL 32211

Victoria Park
4083 Sunbeam Road
Jacksonville, FL 32257


If these places suck too, then we might just have to move to a house instead which opens up a whole new world of frustrations for me!!

[riveree]

Water's Edge on Broward Road........a definite "No" - you do not want to live near the Zoo......bad area.

Hunter's Way on Arrowhead Drive should be fine. I don't know this particular apartment complex, but I know the general area and it's a good area. This is near Goodby's Creek and Beauclerc.....some very nice neighborhoods.

City Ridge on Arlington Expressway.....eh. It might be okay, but I would not be suprised if it is not. It's not an area I would suggest, but it might be worth checking out for yourself. In this part of town, you will find it is much nicer once you get east of 9A.

Victoria Park on Sunbeam is again in the Goodby's/Beauclerc area and this should be a good spot for you.

Overall, based on your description above, I think Mandarin (32257) will work out very nicely for you. You'd be halfway between Mayport and NAS, Mandarin is very family-oriented, you'll have all the shopping you need, and the schools should be good or at least decent.

I'm glad to see there are some possibilities in your price range/size that are still in safe, good areas.

Good luck on your scouting trip....I hope you find a winner .

[shellhall07]

Hi there! I hope this isn't too late, but I just came across your apartment search. I live in Mandarin.

Pickwick Apartments (I am getting ready to move into them) and as a teenager they were wonderful. They are nicely kept, clean and clear of clutter and quiet!

Woodlake Park? Stay away! I am currently moving out of these apartments. I have lived there for almost two years and the past year has been difficult. Loud, rude and noisy neighbors. Two pools? One looks gross and recently I found out that a registered sex offender lives in the complex.

Sunbeam Road area isn't bad but last fall we had some issues with shootings, so be careful. Hunter's Way is nice, an older community.

I hope this helps!!

[Kattywagon]

Thanks again everyone for your replies. Well, the time has come, so wish me luck. I will be traveling to Jacksonville on Saturday!

Right now I am online to get directions and stuff. It was so funny because when I typed in one of the apartments that I am going to look at to get the address, I saw the beginning of my last post as an option to click on google. It's almost like I am famous..okay not quite, but close enough. I mean here I am for all the world to see...Man I've got to get a life!

Anyway, back to business.

[riveree]

Instead of just signing the lease, you can give the manager your "autograph", tee hee !

[shellhall07]

Wishing you and your family a safe trip. I love Jacksonville and so does my son. Always something to do!! Welcoming you to Florida!!

The Hall Family