Any Advice about moving to Lone Tree? (Denver, Highlands Ranch: real estate market, apartments)

[xLongShotx]

Howdy Folks,
I will apologize in advance about asking yet again another "Moving to Denver area" question, but I did search the forum before posting(for Lone Tree) and I couldn't find what I was looking for maybe because its not Denver proper and I am also not familiar with the area.
I am moving to the Lone Tree/Englewood area where I will be working in the next few months, was looking online regarding the apartments, most of which look very nice but all have fairly horrendous reviews. I can understand the complaints of price inflation as of late with the real estate market, which I guess renters don't have much of a choice but to deal with,and I should be able to afford the 1250-1350/mo for a 2 bedroom I've seen(would love cheaper but I know I can't ask too much) but so far the majority of reviews revolve around poor construction(paper thin walls), and horrible, inattentive management.
I will be working close to I-25 and County Line Rd so I thought living close to work and maybe the Light Rail would be great but I'm somewhat put off by what I've read. It's a shame too because most of the places look pretty nice.
I won't be able to buy until my own house is sold, if I buy at all so I will need to rent, most likely a year+. Would like to keep the commute as little as possible (20 minutes or less would be great if possible). So if anyone has any insight, personal experience, or suggestions they would like to share, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your help in advance and I apologize again if I am/for being redundant.
Take care all.

LS

[xLongShotx]

OK, so for the heck of it I looked again and found a couple more posts about Lone Tree, Sorry, don't know why I didn't see them the first time, must have been my search criteria. Still though, does anyone know any specifics about places like the Metropolitan, RidgeGate or Crest? I am thinking that people usually post apartment reviews because they are ticked off or they work for the management company, so I am looking for some more insight if anyone has it.
Me-Late 30s, single, likes to go out every now and then but I do like to sleep when I go to bed without noise from neighbors, certainly on weekdays.
Thanks again,

LS

[Ageinco]

The Metropolitan is a glorified dorm. It's right next to the light rail, but I wouldn't want to live there. The majority of complexes along Park Meadows Drive are very nice - I was least impressed by Metropolitan. Crest seemed nice enough. I'm not familiar with RidgeGate.

You are correct in assessing the nature of reviews for these apartments - people are more likely to complain than compliment. Lone Tree is a very quiet, suburban environment. Do a padmapper.com or apartments.com search, and use the map function to focus your search on Park Meadows Drive between Lincoln and Yosemite if you want to stay close (i.e., walking distance) to the light rail. You could go East on Lincoln a couple of miles and find a few more options. The apartments West of Park Meadows Drive on Lincoln tend to be older, with fewer amenities and a higher chance of noise with thin walls, etc.

Hope this helps! You can PM me if you would like. I live in the area.

[Timmyy]

Ridgegate is going through massive expansion. If you live there or near there you will probably be living with a very large medical population. Sky Ridge hospital is huge and there is a new Kaiser about to open just down the road. Lone Tree itself is a nice area with some affluent areas. Just be aware Lincoln Avenue can be a nightmare during the rush hours. I work in the area and deal with the traffic on a daily basis. I wish I could comment more on apartment living but I live in a house in the burbs.

If you are going to work on or near County Line you should look at Palomino Park in Highlands Ranch. I have a couple of coworkers that live there and like it.

[Pesare]

I used to live in the area a few years ago and was renting a townhome for $1500, I'm assuming the rental rates have gone up. When I checked the apartments at Ridgegate at the time they were newly built and kind of overpriced in my opinion. From what I remember a 3-bedroom was $1800, two bedroom was $1400-$1500. The other apartments you mentioned I wasn't that impressed with including the Metropolitan.

[xLongShotx]

Thanks all for the replies. Hopefully will go check out a few in a couple weeks. Thanks again.

[MountainK]

Maybe also consider renting a home? I don't claim that you'll find a home rental in your price range (not my area of expertise, I hope others will chime in), but it might be worth considering if distance from neighbors and having some peace and quiet is important to you.

[leftcohappily]

Traffic from Lincoln to County Line on a wintery day can take an hour and a half. Lone Tree's traffic has become as bad as Colorado Blvd. You may be happier looking in Greenwood Village around Belleview or Orchard. Hampden is up and coming and there is a WholeFoods and a Super Target opening. Lone Tree folks can be quite....well not so nice. Good luck.