toledo apartments..nice or ghetto? (Columbus, Cleveland: low income, section 8, apartment complex)

[blondeeebuckeye]

We are moving to Toledo from Columbus and I am currently looking for some apartments. We only have one day at the end of April to go and look at apartments due to our schedules, so I am trying to narrow down the list as much as possible.

Does anyone have any opinions on these complexes? I put the addresses too to help i.d. the locations. We are a couple in our late 20's..he will be a resident at UT, so we'd like a semi-quiet complex (but not a place where they would call the cops if we have a few friends over).

La Salle Apartments
613 Adams Street, Toledo, OH 43604

Miracle Manor
5066 Jamieson Drive, Toledo, OH 43613

Hunter's Ridge
3407 Gibralter Heights, Toledo, OH 43609

The Cloisters
5987 Thunder Hollow Drive, Toledo, OH 43615

So...any opinions? Suggestions are also welcome

Laura

[sfs08]

Originally Posted by blondeeebuckeye

We are moving to Toledo from Columbus and I am currently looking for some apartments. We only have one day at the end of April to go and look at apartments due to our schedules, so I am trying to narrow down the list as much as possible.

Does anyone have any opinions on these complexes? I put the addresses too to help i.d. the locations. We are a couple in our late 20's..he will be a resident at UT, so we'd like a semi-quiet complex (but not a place where they would call the cops if we have a few friends over).

La Salle Apartments
613 Adams Street, Toledo, OH 43604

Miracle Manor
5066 Jamieson Drive, Toledo, OH 43613

Hunter's Ridge
3407 Gibralter Heights, Toledo, OH 43609

The Cloisters
5987 Thunder Hollow Drive, Toledo, OH 43615

So...any opinions? Suggestions are also welcome

Laura

I'm just going to give you my opinion on each in the order you typed them. I don't know anything about the actual apartments, but I will do my best to tell you about the area that surrounds them. I have lived in Toledo for 18 years.

First of all, congrats to your husband for such a fine accomplishment.
Secondly, I've always liked Toledo for expecting what I can from it. What I mean is that I cannot expect it to be like Chicago, where I can have endless entertainment. I love being able to spend a day at the casinos 45min away in Detroit, go to a Cleveland sports game, or hang out at a downtown bar.

1.) I would not live there. Ever. That is a very sketchy neighborhood where there is a quick transition from cheap college housing (parties included) to low income, drug-ridden houses. You probably wouldn't get robbed there if you're smart, but I wouldn't walk around by myself past midnight.

2.) This is generally a working class, value stengthened area. Most of West Toledo is. With that said, if they're anything like the apartments found about 1 mile away on Tremainsville, which I live near, it seems that they're very very low-income. Not a horrible choice, but I'd look elsewhere.

3.) An excellent choice. Very close to the UT Health Science campus, where hubby will be presumably the most (that is, if he's not on the main campus often). It is a growing, very safe part of town. You'd also be fairly close to much of what is happening in Toledo.

4.) My personal best choice. It is one of the safest parts of NW Ohio. Plus, all of the reasons from #3 also apply, except it's a lil' further from the campus. Anywhere is an easy commute from here or 3. Of course anyplace is easy to get to in Toledo.

Since it is med school, and assuming money is tight, I would first visit each. Even if you just drive by, you'll get a good idea of if you want to live there. Then personally from those 4 choices, I'd go with the cheapest between 3 and 4.

Best of luck to you two as you start a new chapter in your life!

[blondeeebuckeye]

Originally Posted by sfs08

I'm just going to give you my opinion on each in the order you typed them. I don't know anything about the actual apartments, but I will do my best to tell you about the area that surrounds them. I have lived in Toledo for 18 years.

First of all, congrats to your husband for such a fine accomplishment.
Secondly, I've always liked Toledo for expecting what I can from it. What I mean is that I cannot expect it to be like Chicago, where I can have endless entertainment. I love being able to spend a day at the casinos 45min away in Detroit, go to a Cleveland sports game, or hang out at a downtown bar.

1.) I would not live there. Ever. That is a very sketchy neighborhood where there is a quick transition from cheap college housing (parties included) to low income, drug-ridden houses. You probably wouldn't get robbed there if you're smart, but I wouldn't walk around by myself past midnight.

2.) This is generally a working class, value stengthened area. Most of West Toledo is. With that said, if they're anything like the apartments found about 1 mile away on Tremainsville, which I live near, it seems that they're very very low-income. Not a horrible choice, but I'd look elsewhere.

3.) An excellent choice. Very close to the UT Health Science campus, where hubby will be presumably the most (that is, if he's not on the main campus often). It is a growing, very safe part of town. You'd also be fairly close to much of what is happening in Toledo.

4.) My personal best choice. It is one of the safest parts of NW Ohio. Plus, all of the reasons from #3 also apply, except it's a lil' further from the campus. Anywhere is an easy commute from here or 3. Of course anyplace is easy to get to in Toledo.

Since it is med school, and assuming money is tight, I would first visit each. Even if you just drive by, you'll get a good idea of if you want to live there. Then personally from those 4 choices, I'd go with the cheapest between 3 and 4.

Best of luck to you two as you start a new chapter in your life!

Thanks so much! This was very helpful Based on the photos, #4 would be my favorite choice. We probably won't even look at the 1st two apartments, because they were just okay (but pretty cheap). and he is actually no longer in med school so now he will at least be bringing in SOME money now! It's nice too because I think we will end up paying about $100-$150 less per month in toledo than in columbus for a similar apartment!

Laura

[MrsMaggiesMom]

Definitely the Cloisters.

[maaci]

LaSalle apartments are downtown. There is nothing down there as far as grocery store, Target, etc. It is also not close to campus.

I am not familiar with #2.

Hunter's Ridge is around the corner from the Medical Center. It would definitely be convenient. I have never been in the apartments, in driving past them, they don't look that nice. On the postive side, there is a grocery store, walmart and several restaurants very close by.

The Cloisters are very nice. They are minutes from the Medical Center and have lots of stores nearby. They also own the Treetop apartments which are very nice and just down the street. You may also want to look at them.

[sugarbomb]

You might want to check out Apartment Ratings - Apartments for Rent with Ratings and Reviews from Actual Renters

We looked into renting at Hunter's Ridge a few years ago--and were warned about drug deals and police cars frequenting the parking lot.

He's going to be a medical resident? There are many places right next to the medical campus, if that's the case.

[fishnfool]

Try Giant Oak and Lake of the woods. They are on the border with Springfield/Sylvania On Mccord and Dorr/Bancroft. I lived in one, my gf lived in the other and they were great places. Quiet, decent people, pretty close to campus without being dorm style, and somewhat cheap.

I thought the cloisters was turned into section 8? My buddy lived there in college and they are/were nice places. No idea how they are now.

[encoderer]

Whoever replied about the first building on your list, LaSalle, really has no clue what they're talking about.

I've actually lived in the building for about 2 years now.

Here's the deal:

If you want to feel like you live in a REAL city, this is a close as it gets. It's a historic building that used to be a Macy's and was converted around 1999/2000.

It's got high (13-15") ceilings, huge 8"x4" windows, a rooftop patio (it's a 10 story building), underground parking, etc. The units are open floorplan, 15 to a floor.

The makeup is college students, young professionals like myself, and some older couples (empty nesters). Funny enough, I do know a couple Med Students in the building already.

Downtown is 15 minutes from EVERYWHERE, so it's really pretty convienent.
It IS downtown, which means that no, there are no Supermarkets nearby (But there is a market IN THE BUILDING that actually happens to deliver groceries). The building is right in the middle of the Biz District. There is CERTAINLY not a crime problem. During the summer you get some beggers on the streets but they're harmless. It's NOTHING like a real inner-city residential neighborhood.

The trade off, though, is that you're in walking distance to about a dozen of Toledo's best night spots, there are real options for take-out delivery (not just Pizza like you'll get in most the city), you can walk over to the baseball stadium for a game, or, soon enough, to the arena they're building downtown for concerts, hockey games, etc.

The building IS a bit more expensive than "regular" apartments, but it's a no-brainer if you can afford it.

Check them out. Walk thru them. There are 15 different floor plans on each floor and the floor plan makes a big difference.

[traveling_in_the_sun]

Originally Posted by blondeeebuckeye

We are moving to Toledo from Columbus and I am currently looking for some apartments. We only have one day at the end of April to go and look at apartments due to our schedules, so I am trying to narrow down the list as much as possible.

Does anyone have any opinions on these complexes? I put the addresses too to help i.d. the locations. We are a couple in our late 20's..he will be a resident at UT, so we'd like a semi-quiet complex (but not a place where they would call the cops if we have a few friends over).

La Salle Apartments
613 Adams Street, Toledo, OH 43604

Miracle Manor
5066 Jamieson Drive, Toledo, OH 43613

Hunter's Ridge
3407 Gibralter Heights, Toledo, OH 43609

The Cloisters
5987 Thunder Hollow Drive, Toledo, OH 43615

So...any opinions? Suggestions are also welcome

Laura

I would definitely look into Oakwood Apartments. They are off of Dorr Street and only a couple miles from UT. They give a preferred employer discount for those who work at UT as well.

Oakwood Apartments in Toledo, OH

I also think Steeplechase and Country Club are nice. They are more expensive though.

Good luck!

[lopsidedfrock]

Most of the places near UTMC are dumpy. Hunter's Ridge was when i looked at it. They updated the awnings for the entrances, not sure if anything else. Hunter's Ridge is mostly a place where 1st year med students go because it is near the school and cheap. They then move somewhere farther away for 2nd year and beyond because the neighborhood is so depressing. I lived at Whispering Timbers in the Maumee zip, a few miles SW of UTMC, for the first year of med school. The neighborhood was unwalkable and depressing. They also tried to hose me out of some money after I moved out. If I were you I'd try to rent a house. Since none are really selling it should be easy to find a rental. I vowed to myself never to live in an apartment complex again. I moved to the Old Orchard neighborhood of Toledo just north of the UT main campus and have not regretted it at all. The neighborhood is near UTMC and St. V's hospital, where your husband will probably spend some time. In any event, I prefer living in West Toledo over the areas that UTMC may steer you to.

Also, Oak Hill on Glendale right next to UTMC is a real dump.

What is your husband's specialty? I'll probably bump into him.