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Old 09-07-2009, 07:01 PM
 
46 posts, read 639,103 times
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Hello and thanks for taking the time to read.

I'm taking a job in Rockville, MD, area and looking for apartments in the area. My #1 priority is safety. I'm prepared to pay extra to make sure I live in a safe neighborhood where I can come home late at night and don't have to think about getting mugged or being offered drugs.

From reading other posts, I know to avoid Lake Forest Mall and Old Town Gaithersburg and that West of Rt 355 in Rockville is a better neighborhood.

Below are some of the prospective apartments I found agreeable on the first look. Could you please give me some info on the location of these communities: whether any of them are seedy areas, or whether they may be adjacent to unpleasant areas, etc...

GERMANTOWN:

- The Park at Kingsview Village: located next to Kingsview Park and Old Germantown Park just off Leaman Farm Rd, which is close to Seneca Highway @ Rt 117 (Clopper Rd). This is the south-western section of Germantown.

SILVER SPRING:

- Woodleaf Apartments: located in White Oak area, not far from the intersection of Rt 29 (Columbia Pike) and Rt 650 (New Hampshire Ave), next to White Oak golf course and the US Naval Surface Weapons Center.

MONTGOMERY VILLAGE:

- Gables Rothbury: located north of the Montgomery Village Golf Course, near intersections of Goshen Rd & Wightman Rd. I haven't heard much about Montgomery Village on this forum - decent town?

GAITHERSBURG:

- Saybrooke Apartments: located just north of Rt 124 (north of Washington Grove), not far from the intersection of Midcounty Hwy & Woodfield Rd (off Emory Grove Rd next to Emory Grove Park).

- Beacon Place and Courts of Devon: located off Kentlands Blvd not face from Main St. Gaithersburg. I read that Kentlands is a nice area, but what about the surroundings?

Thank you in advance for any information you might know about these apartment communities and their locations!
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Old 09-07-2009, 08:08 PM
 
46 posts, read 639,103 times
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I forgot to add that I haven't physically visited the area and did all my research online so far. I am planning to drive there for a visit in the near future. My rent budget is up to ~1,400 + utilities for a 1-bedroom apartment (although I would prefer around 1,300.) I used apartmentratings.com to read the opinions about the apartments I listed above from current/past tenants, as well as other sites - here, I'm looking for more information about the surrounding areas.

Thanks!
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Old 09-07-2009, 08:35 PM
 
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Beacon Place and Courts of Devon are managed by the same company though Devons is a bit pricier! Best from the list would be Beacon Place.
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Old 09-08-2009, 08:21 AM
 
Location: Metro Washington DC
15,395 posts, read 25,641,702 times
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The Kentlands is probably the best, and the safest, on the entire list. If I could afford it, that's where I would go. I go through there all of the time and it is a great community.
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Old 09-08-2009, 08:31 AM
 
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What about the Kentlands versus Fallsgrove? Beacon Place and Courts of Devon seem to cost about as much as Post Fallsgrove in Rockville... Are the two regions about the same, or is there an advantage to either of them?
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Old 09-08-2009, 09:43 AM
 
Location: Montgomery Village, MD
516 posts, read 1,370,912 times
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Montgomery Village is SO hit or miss. You can be in a nice neighborhood, then BAM you feel like you are in the middle of the ghetto. So I would not look at Montgomery Village if I could avoid it. (coming from someone who lives here!)

Another thought, why not rent a townhome or condo? That way you are in a better neighborhood most likely... For that kind of money I'm positive you could afford a very nice condo..
Kentlands Carriage House Apartment (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/apa/1359137718.html - broken link)
**UTILITIES COVERED- 1 BR APT 1 F B -SEE PHOTOS (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/apa/1354719154.html - broken link)
Luxury Condo at Fitz (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/apa/1354342773.html - broken link)
1 bath 3 month lease Fenestra luxury apartment (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/apa/1354222140.html - broken link)
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Old 09-08-2009, 10:45 AM
 
46 posts, read 639,103 times
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Appreciate the tip about Mont. Village. I looked at the crime stats for Montgomery Co, and curiously Mont. Village has much higher absolute numbers.

I am weary of using Craigslist for search because too many posts are either badly rated apartment complexes or something else where they want a full month's rent as a security deposit. I don't really trust landlords with security deposits, so the less I have to give them the better - in this way, apartment complexes seem advantageous. That said, I will look at real estate agencies for renting.

Does anyone know about the area around Saybrooke Apartments (see post above)?
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Old 09-08-2009, 03:32 PM
 
703 posts, read 2,933,679 times
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Post Fallsgrove is a tad more expensive than Beacon Place and Devon. It is located in a very busy area with lots of traffic (and associated noise especially from ambulances and possibly helicopters going into and out of Shady Grove hospital across the street). Post Fallsgrove is also a much larger apartment community than the two in the Kentlands, so you run the risks of slower response time and/or feedback from the community, which is natural when the community is so big. Community parking at the Post Fallsgrove also can be a major headache.

Again I would recommend Beacon Place. I recently looked at some of the apts you mentioned (have lived in one of them and currently living in another now). PM me if you want to know more.
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Old 09-12-2009, 09:01 PM
 
46 posts, read 639,103 times
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Today I visited the Rockville area and had a chance to see some of these apartments in person: Courts of Devon, Beacon Place, Saybrooke Apts, the Crossings at Washingtonian Center, and Post Fallsgrove.

1. Courts of Devon - very very nice and extremely safe but quite pricey and located right in the middle of a very busy and happening little neighborhood. Usually, I'd say that's good, but for an everyday commuter, getting through those small-town streets with constant stop signs and people crossing all over seems like a lot of pain to me when you just want to get somewhere fast.

2. Beacon Place - what a charming community!! People recommending this place here were right on. They seem to upkeep their property well, and the park-like setting in a quiet, calm, richly tree-laden setting within Kentlands is supremely attractive to me. I loved it! The service at the leasing office was remarkable. They are very courteous and professional and have really nice amenities. People seem happy there.

3. Saybrooke - good-looking community, but the apartment seemed rather dated, including very old appliances. It certainly has a feel of a blue-collar community, which is fine. But I also saw a couple dead roaches, which tells me there might be a pest problem when there is food present. It was tough for me to understand whether the maintenance there is responsive to the tenant needs and if they are interested to upkeep the property once you actually live there.

4. The Crossings at Washingtonian Center - terrible!! My immediate impression was: neglected community. The planning was also a bit strange: a lot of the apartments face into a courtyard, which are really really dark due to various vegetation... The breezeways looked filthy, mailboxes were rusty and looked like they were in a public transit station or something - rather battered. It was very strange because it wasn't that cheap either!!

5. Post Fallsgrove - quite possibly, these are the newest, poshest, most luxurious apartments I've ever seen. Literally, everything looks brand spankin' new. All the buildings are controlled-access with "indoor" lobbies. The leasing staff provides excellent service. This places is priced close to Beacon Places and Courts of Devon but they love to collect additional fees... Trash fee is extra, amenities fee of $400, controlled access fob fee of $50, and pet deposits are quite high. The place, even looking so spick and span, just did seem like home. It's right on a big road and across from a very busy shopping plaza - just seemed too open. I like a more quiet atmosphere, somewhere I can escape and relax, somewhere I can take a walk in a tree-laden park-like environment... This was definitely not it for me.

Just my 2 cents!
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Old 09-13-2009, 06:34 PM
 
Location: Metro Washington DC
15,395 posts, read 25,641,702 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deniss View Post
1. Courts of Devon - very very nice and extremely safe but quite pricey and located right in the middle of a very busy and happening little neighborhood. Usually, I'd say that's good, but for an everyday commuter, getting through those small-town streets with constant stop signs and people crossing all over seems like a lot of pain to me when you just want to get somewhere fast.
It really isn't that bad when you learn your way around the streets there. There are several ways in and out of there.
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