Moving to Rapid City (Spearfish, Rapid Valley: apartment complex, to rent, crime rate)

[ashwoods]

Hi, I'm moving with my husband up to South Dakota for Ellsworth AFB, and I'm in some dire need of some help and information. We only have til Feb. 2nd to find a place, and I live in Colorado while he's still stationed over in Texas, so we really can't make a trip up there to look at the apartments, and he can't get on-base housing.

I was wondering what are some of the better apartments to rent within or near the city are. I heard to stay away from the west side, but I'm transfering with Wal-Mart, and it's located in the west side of Rapid City, so what is the crime rate there? Is it THAT bad? The one apartment complex I saw that was right across the street AND near the base itself was called LaCross Apartments I believe, but I really don't know if I should stay away from there or not. Pictures only do so much, but when I move up there, I don't want to be mislead about anything. Now from what I read, the Stoney Creek and Harmony Heights weren't bad places, but they're on the other side of the city, and with only one car, I'll be taking the bus.

So if anything I need to find something close to the bus lines, and I need to know if there's some information on the buses, prices, times, and routes. I've done some research on the bus lines, but I could only find the one, and I really couldn't tell where the lines were running exactly. I would love to find a place near the bus stops, because from what I understand is that it gets REALLY cold there, so I don't know if walking far to a bus stop is a good idea or not.

I'm sorry for all of this, but I have done hours and hours of research, but this is my first time moving away from home, so I'm at a complete lost on how to go about this. I would love to hear from some other people then the people in my town that moved down from there. Everytime I ask them anything, all they say is "well... It's cold." and that's the all I get. So if I can get more of an answer, that would be amazing. Thanks!

[LVPoker1]

Are you moving to work at the existing Walmart or the new one that is just being built? The existing one is on the north side, not west side. Most of the north side, while being safe in most neighborhoods, is older and run down. Stay away from E North/Lacrosse which is just south of the Walmart and really anywhere in between Omaha and E North/North. Ellsworth is in Box Elder. I don't know much about the area but it isn't especially attractive. It is about 6 miles east of Rapid City.

As for bus service, it only runs M-F 6:30am-6:30pm and on Sat for about half a day. It is not exactly a desirable method of transportation. It also only has a few routes. If I was in your shoes I would look for something east like maybe in Rapid Valley which has some newer development. You're going to have problems if you are going to rely on Rapid Ride.

[kbat]

I've lived in Harmony Heights and really liked them. The apartments and grounds were clean, well-kept and nice, with central heat and A/C. They're right off the freeway, so they aren't that far off the beaten track. Stoney Creek is owned by the same folks. I've heard that those are very nice as well but haven't been inside. LaCrosse Estates are on the north side of town (that's probably the side you were warned about and where the Wal-Mart is... the west side is actually the wealthier side of town). Those are older apartments, probably cheaper than the other two. IIRC they were built in the 60s or 70s, have wall A/C units and interior hallways/entrances. I have a friend who lives there and she isn't terribly impressed with management, but I don't think the apartments are unsafe or really shabby. You could walk to Wal-Mart. I'm not very familiar with the bus system but there are bus stops nearby. There are fewer bus stops on the west side, though I have seen some along Jackson Blvd. and Canyon Lake. I also see a lot of bus stops downtown and over by the Civic Center. There are apartments in those areas too. Having lived in high-crime cities where one really has to watch his/her back, I don't think there is a truly "bad" part of Rapid City. That said, the north side is a little shabbier and that's where most of the crime as such exists.

In all, Rapid City is very nice. I've enjoyed living in the Black Hills area more than anyplace else I've ever lived. Spring and fall are usually delightful. Summers are quite warm with frequent thunderstorms. Winters can be severe, though it doesn't usually stay bitterly cold for extended periods of time. We'll get a bitter snap, then it warms up, then it gets cold, then it warms up.... This is in contrast to some other parts of the state where winters are much harder. I particularly like RC because there's a variety of scenery and things to do. You can go 45 minutes in one direction and be in Spearfish Canyon or up in the Hills at Mount Rushmore or Crazy Horse. You can go 25 minutes in the other direction and be out on the wide open prairie. RC itself is the hub of activity for the western side of the state. There are a lot of events and shows that come to the Civic Center, and there are tourist attractions aplenty (some are only open during the summer months). If you like winter sports, you'll enjoy the winters. If you don't, you'll do well to find an indoor hobby or seek out indoor events like concerts and craft shows to keep busy when the weather is inhospitable. But coming from Colorado, I don't think you'll find the winters in RC all that much worse.

Here's the link to the Rapid City Transit System. That might help you in finding a place that will work for you. Rapid City | South Dakota | Black Hills | Rapid Transit System | Transportation | Home It seems to have somewhat limited scheduling. If you can get a second car, you'll have more options open to you. FWIW, Wal-Mart will be building a second location on the west side within the next year.

[LVPoker1]

FWIW, Wal-Mart will be building a second location on the west side within the next year.

It is actually on the south side at Catron and the 16 bypass just south of the hospital.