Can anyone give advice on these apartments (Phoenix, Scottsdale: environment, luxury)

[Arizona_Bound]

Hi!

I'll be moving to tempe to study a PhD in the fall! Many of you, such as Vegaspilgrim, have helped me out. A little advice regarding the following complexes would be highly appreciated!

On the Sotuh:

- Riviera Palms E Lemon (Although not the nicest place, this one gets good ratings for being close and having grad students; no bigparties!)

- Quail Canyon

- Sonoran Ridge

- Cameron Creek (I heard parties aren't tolerated there)

On the west:

- South Bank Apart

-Hayden Place apts 625 w 1st st

-Tanglewood 740 w Univ Dr.

- Salado Springs

- East Spance Ave Apts 9th St./Farmer Ave

- Sierra Park Apts 1314 W Univ Dr.

- Univ. Apartments 1700 S. College Ave

- The Arbors 805 W Brown (I've heard there is crime there)

Just a little advice--or warning--would be great!

Thanks so much!!!

[ipsedixit]

Originally Posted by Arizona_Bound

Hi!

I'll be moving to tempe to study a PhD in the fall! Many of you, such as Vegaspilgrim, have helped me out. A little advice regarding the following complexes would be highly appreciated!

On the Sotuh:

- Riviera Palms E Lemon (Although not the nicest place, this one gets good ratings for being close and having grad students; no bigparties!)

- Quail Canyon

- Sonoran Ridge

- Cameron Creek (I heard parties aren't tolerated there)

On the west:

- South Bank Apart

-Hayden Place apts 625 w 1st st

-Tanglewood 740 w Univ Dr.

- Salado Springs

- East Spance Ave Apts 9th St./Farmer Ave

- Sierra Park Apts 1314 W Univ Dr.

- Univ. Apartments 1700 S. College Ave

- The Arbors 805 W Brown (I've heard there is crime there)

Just a little advice--or warning--would be great!

Thanks so much!!!

Might try a search on Apartment Ratings: Arizona apartments and apartment reviews - ApartmentRatings.com

Good luck.

[Arizona_Bound]

Thanks! I've already been checking those sites. I was looking for more personal, as well as recent, experiences.

[vegaspilgrim]

Riviera Palms-- very old place (built in 1950s). I've never been inside. Yes, there are a lot of the grad students in that Lemon/Terrace area, especially a lot of international students. There are several Indian/Pakistani restaurants at that intersection. Since light rail will be going through Terrace soon, you might hear horns blasting off every few minutes. When I was looking for apartments two years ago I would not have considered the place, but you know what? It's probably better than where I'm living next around USC. $560 for a one-bedroom, according to their website. That is very low! In LA, that same exact apartment would cost 2.5 times as much. It almost sounds a little too low. On their website they show a pool, which is nice to have.

Quail Canyon-- the area is okay. It's right off McClintock on the east side, south of Broadway, so if you're planning on bicycling to campus that means you'll have to cross at least one major intersection twice, unless if you go down to Alameda a half-mile out of your way. Just based on that alone, I would pass. Getting out of the complex will require a left hand turn with no traffic light. Also, I'm almost certain that picture they show on their website is misleading... I'm pretty sure that's the back of the complex they're showing, with the grass, not the front entrance. It's literally RIGHT off McClintock, you turn right into the curb off a major 40mph road and there's about one layer of parking immediately there and then you have the building. Maybe I'm just picky, but I'd pass on that one.

Sonoran Ridge-- I've been inside that one before several years ago. The apartment is okay. Main problem is it's on Apache, which as I've said before can be kind of sketchy in certain parts at certain times. IIRC, it's right by a traffic light/ light rail crossing at Apache & Terrace. Which is both good and bad-- you can bicycle along Terrace with out too much problem, but you might hear some horn noise once the light rail is up and running.

Cameron Creek-- I believe I already talked about that in a previous thread.

South Bank Apart-- not familiar, sorry.

Hayden Place apts-- my mind is drawing a blank

Tanglewood-- You know what, I've been past this dozens of times, but I'm drawing a blank at what it looks like. Can't find any website. It's right off University, major street.

Salado Springs-- I've never been inside, but based on outside looks and location alone, this one I would recommend. It is a nice, modern looking complex, and it's right by Beck & 5th St, in a neighborhood, rather than being located right off a busy street. There are many ways you can bicycle into ASU without having to ride along any major streets, and cross lights at smaller intersections. Warning though-- there is some partying going on in that general neighborhood. I'm not sure if that particular complex is loud or not.

East Spance Ave Apts 9th St./Farmer Ave-- Sorry, don't know about it. It's probably a really small complex/building. That neighborhood is okay, it kind of is a mix of rednecks/students if you know what I mean.

Sierra Park Apts-- I know where it is, don't know much about it, nothing to brag about IMO.

Univ. Apartments-- I bicycle past this every single day. It looks more like a really long, old house built in the '50s split into aparment units 1700 S. College Ave than an apartment "complex." Right by the UP railroad, so you will hear blasting horns every few hours, including in the middle of the night. Other than that, don't know anything. I'd pass, personally. There are similar ones a mile south on College between Broadway and Southern that would get a little less railroad noise. Warning though-- I'm not saying this is true for this exact one, but those really tiny 1 story building apartment places are where a lot of illegal immigrants like to live, packing tons of people in one room.

The Arbors-- "Ewww" is my first remark. It's really old, I personally would not live there. IIRC that place is all one story, different pods of buildings. I'd pass personally.

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Univ. Apartments-- I bicycle past this every single day. It looks more like a really long, old house built in the '50s split into aparment units 1700 S. College Ave than an apartment "complex." Right by the UP railroad, so you will hear blasting horns every few hours, including in the middle of the night. Other than that, don't know anything. I'd pass, personally. There are similar ones a mile south on College between Broadway and Southern that would get a little less railroad noise. Warning though-- I'm not saying this is true for this exact one, but those really tiny 1 story building apartment places are where a lot of illegal immigrants like to live, packing tons of people in one room.

Correction-- I had University Apartments (what I described above) confused with College Apartments. University Apartments is a block south (you'll still hear RR noise though) and it's a 1950s era 2 story building, much bigger than the "College Apartments" I was thinking of. The location is actually very good, and that's a relatively quiet neighborhood, other than the RR problem. Only other issue is Daley Park, right across the street, is a magnet for homeless people.

[vegaspilgrim]

MovingSomewhere08, here's what I know about these apartments you asked about. I'm posting it here on this thread because I know other people are interested in this information.

Chazal Apartments (Scottsdale)-- This is on Miller Rd in south Scottsdale. South Scottsdale is not really what comes to mind when most people think of "Scottsdale." I've bicycled on that street before, the stretch of Miller south of McDowell is not that great-- it's not horrible either. There is a bike path and system of parks along Indian Bend wash just east of the place. I looked the place up online and it's a Mark Taylor apartment-- which are normally pretty good.

Finisterra (Tempe)-- Grove Parkway by Elliot and Priest. I consider that to be a pretty good area. Grove Parkway is basically a giant apartment-ville, but most of those apartments are pretty nice, 80s-90s era construction. I don't remember exactly which one is "Finisterra." There are some ASU students who live down there, but not that many. If you live down there in south Tempe, you're really in a different part of town than the ASU area, a lot more "suburban" and "family-friendly" in feel. You will probably experience some traffic driving from there up Rural Rd to ASU.

City Scape at Lakeshore (Tempe)-- I know several people who live there. There are a lot of ASU students there (graduate and undergraduate) as well as young professionals. It's a very nice (both on the inside and outside), new looking complex, a lot of amenities, you can even rent a locked garage space to put your car in. Warning though-- parties do frequently occur there. Also, the prices for rent there are very high.

San Portella (Tempe)-- If I'm not mistaken this is still under construction (at least part of it is), so we're talking brand new. It's the latest of the Mark Taylor "San" line of apartments, so they should be pretty nice. There are a couple of mini buttes right in that area. The surrounding location is not my favorite-- to the west is a very industrial part of Tempe with some very "blue collar" neighborhoods, not too far to the east you're in South Phoenix. Hasn't been lived in yet, so hard to know exactly how it will turn out.

Courtney Village Apartments (Phoenix)-- This is a new, nice looking apartment complex in a questionable area (East Phoenix, just north of the airport). I actually think East Phoenix is an up and coming area, but be warned that right next to those newer apartment complexes like this "Courtney Village Apartments" (and there are other similar ones nearby) you'll have some pretty old ones with a lot of poor people. Safety may or may not be an issue for you depending on how "urban" of an environment you're used to. Driving-wise, it's very convenient to downtown Tempe and ASU (you just shoot down the Mill Ave bridge, although once you get across Mill Ave gets extremely backed up during rush hours), right by the airport, Papago Park is right next door.

One other one I want to bring up (this is more for Arizona Bound):
Camelot Apartments-- I saw this one today when I was bicycling, it's on College Ave just south of Broadmor, about one mile south of the south edge of ASU campus. I consider that to be a very good, quiet (other than some distant railroad noise) neighborhood. For some reason, that neighborhood, even though it's very close to ASU, does not have that many college students living there-- it's mainly families and some elderly people who have been living there for decades. If you want to bicycle everywhere, this would be a great location-- you just shoot straight up College Ave, which is a virtual bicycle highway. The apartment looked pretty nice. Oddly though, I tried looking this one up on Google and I can't find a single piece of information-- not even an address. Odd, because unless if I'm going totally crazy, I just saw the place a few hours ago and it's definitely called "Camelot." Further south along College, from Alameda down to Southern, there are some more apartments. I would definitely add that whole area to your search.

[MovingSomewhere5]

Yeah I've been searching for Camelot apartments and can't find anything either. Any idea on the names of the others in the area? Thanks for the tips so far!

[Artliquide]

Originally Posted by Arizona_Bound

Just a little advice--or warning--would be great!

Thanks so much!!!

I find that the smallest, oldest, dirtiest apartments very close to ASU are also the most expensive in the valley (well, other than maybe luxury apartments). Gee. I wonder why?

That being said, if you have the money and you're going to ASU, then why not? If you ever want to party, you'll be close to the action.

[amatrine]

Hayden place apartments.

Years ago that was a heavy drug infested group of apartments and a lot of partying. Dont know how they are now.

Ama

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Quail Canyon-- the area is okay. It's right off McClintock on the east side, south of Broadway, so if you're planning on bicycling to campus that means you'll have to cross at least one major intersection twice, unless if you go down to Alameda a half-mile out of your way. Just based on that alone, I would pass. Getting out of the complex will require a left hand turn with no traffic light. Also, I'm almost certain that picture they show on their website is misleading... I'm pretty sure that's the back of the complex they're showing, with the grass, not the front entrance. It's literally RIGHT off McClintock, you turn right into the curb off a major 40mph road and there's about one layer of parking immediately there and then you have the building. Maybe I'm just picky, but I'd pass on that one.

Sorry, what I said above about "Quail Canyon" I confused with a nearby apartment complex one or two blocks south called "McClintock Townhomes & Apartments." Quail Canyon looks just like the pictures the property management advertises on their website. The location of Quail Canyon is just as inconvenient though, if you're trying to bicycle to campus. I apologize for the confusion-- there are so many apartment complexes in Tempe sometimes it's hard to keep track of them all. If I have any more corrections I'll definitely post them.