Toronto to Ft. Wayne - Need Advice (Fort Wayne, Muncie: apartment complex, rentals)

[lenak45]

Hi,

I will be relocating from Toronto, Canada to Fort Wayne by the end of the month. I have a few questions that I hope you can answer. I have been told that it is hard to find a rental home in the 46814 zip code, which would be our preferred neighborhood, how true is that?

I have also looked around and found an apartment complex in the 46845 area (Steeplechase apartments). It is by the Parkview North Hospital, and I am wondering how that neighborhood is, how are the schools and is there nearby shopping? I am considering this location as an alternative to the zip code mentioned above.

Overall, I am looking for a safe neighborhood that is family friendly that is close to shops and parks for the children to play in. What areas would you recommend that we should steer clear of (by zip code or street names would be best as I am not 100% familiar with the city yet).

Any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated!

[wh15395]

Originally Posted by lenak45

Hi,

I will be relocating from Toronto, Canada to Fort Wayne by the end of the month. I have a few questions that I hope you can answer. I have been told that it is hard to find a rental home in the 46814 zip code, which would be our preferred neighborhood, how true is that?

I have also looked around and found an apartment complex in the 46845 area (Steeplechase apartments). It is by the Parkview North Hospital, and I am wondering how that neighborhood is, how are the schools and is there nearby shopping? I am considering this location as an alternative to the zip code mentioned above.

Overall, I am looking for a safe neighborhood that is family friendly that is close to shops and parks for the children to play in. What areas would you recommend that we should steer clear of (by zip code or street names would be best as I am not 100% familiar with the city yet).

Any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated!

46814 has the highest concentration of upper and upper-middle income subdivisions in the area, so there are not many home rental options. If you checked 46804 you would be in the same school system, Southwest Allen County, and probably have more rental options (houses and apartments).

[ischyros]

I don't know how the schools are on the north side of Fort Wayne but that is a fast growing area, especially around Dupont and I-69. I do know the most raves I hear for schools are Southwest Allen County as the previous poster said. 46804 would be a good zip code to look in for rental options. It's also very close to shopping since Jefferson Pointe is included in that zip as is Time Corners, though I don't know that Time Corners is as relevant since Jefferson Pointe came along. There are also several restaurants and some shops at the Village at Coventry at I-69 and Jefferson Blvd.

[lenak45]

Thanks for your input wh15395 and ischyros. I have been seeing the same around various sites on the internet, 46804 and 46814 are the places to be, but as you've both mentioned finding rentals in those areas is slim pickings. We have discussed buying, but being new to the country and the city we feel its not the best option from the get go, would like to get a feel for the city first before we take that step.

The apartment I mentioned in my OP is right at Dupont and I-69, I am hoping I can get some input from people that live in that area. The reviews on the complex are mixed, hence my questions

[ischyros]

Originally Posted by lenak45

Thanks for your input wh15395 and ischyros. I have been seeing the same around various sites on the internet, 46804 and 46814 are the places to be, but as you've both mentioned finding rentals in those areas is slim pickings. We have discussed buying, but being new to the country and the city we feel its not the best option from the get go, would like to get a feel for the city first before we take that step.

The apartment I mentioned in my OP is right at Dupont and I-69, I am hoping I can get some input from people that live in that area. The reviews on the complex are mixed, hence my questions

I can't talk about those apartments specifically, the only two I lived in in Fort Wayne were Canterbury Green next to IPFW and Brandy Chase at US 33 and US 30. I just know that, like I said, the Dupont Rd area is really growing and is a very nice area.

[lenak45]

Originally Posted by ischyros

I can't talk about those apartments specifically, the only two I lived in in Fort Wayne were Canterbury Green next to IPFW and Brandy Chase at US 33 and US 30. I just know that, like I said, the Dupont Rd area is really growing and is a very nice area.

The Brandy Chase townhomes look decent (from what I see on websites). What can you tell me about them, the area and schools? It may also be a potential spot

I really appreciate all the assistance.

[ischyros]

Originally Posted by lenak45

The Brandy Chase townhomes look decent (from what I see on websites). What can you tell me about them, the area and schools? It may also be a potential spot

I really appreciate all the assistance.

I didn't live in the townhomes but one of the apartments. Hopefully management has changed hands in the 10 years since I moved out of there. There were a lot of vacancies despite easy access to much of Fort Wayne and good pricing. For instance at one point, my 6 apartment unit had me in one on the third floor, and another guy in an apartment on the 1st floor. The other 4 apartments were empty. It was that way for at least a month. The apartments were in good shape, though. I remember leaving one time and in the hall, I could very easily hear the loud tv from the neighbor in the apartment next to me but I couldn't hear a thing in my apartment. Also, my apartment might have been haunted but that's another story. lol My biggest complaint was having to give 2 months notice when you plan to move out. I got a new job in Mishawaka, about 2 hours away, so I had to move and no way could I tell them I'd come work for them in 2 months. So I ended up paying for 2 months rent when I wasn't living there anymore despite the fact that my lease was expiring in a month. And then I never got my security deposit back without getting any explanation. And they seemed rude and surprised that I would ever consider having to move out without giving 2 months notice.

Honestly, other than the whole issue with moving out, I didn't have any real problems there. There was police activity once that I never did find out what it was all about. They seemed to be searching for something. Another time police were all around because a couple of girls escaped from the juvenile detention center a couple miles down the road and were last spotted near the apartments (later found in a field further up the highway) but that could have happened in any neighborhood.

Schools I really don't know about. I was single back then so didn't worry much about schools. The area is at a major highway junction in Fort Wayne with US 33, US 30 and I-69 all coming together. Plus there is a HUGE industrial park right across the street. I don't think the townhomes are along the highway but my apartment was right on US 33. I got used to hearing semis going slowly by all night long. And since they've widened US 33 since I lived there, the highway is even closer to the apartments now. But like I said, I don't think the townhomes are along the highway so that shouldn't be much of a problem. Outside that, the area is right on the northwest edge of Fort Wayne. There are a couple neighborhoods west and north beyond the apartments but then it gets into farmland. Still, it's quick access to shopping at Glenbrook, the zoo, which is very nice, is about 10 minutes away. Downtown Fort Wayne is 15-20 minutes away. Jefferson Pointe is about 15 minutes down I-69. Very easy to get to most of Fort Wayne from there because of the highway access.

[qwertyasdf]

The best thing about living on the South side of Ft Wayne is you're that much closer to Muncie.

[belovenow]

Stick with 46804 - by Liberty Mills and Coventry - the apartments there are good deals and the location is excellent (you will be by Kroger Marketplace, the Coventry Theatre, the Aboite Library and easy entrance to Highway 69 (Exit 305). I've lived in 46814 and 46804 and '04 has more to offer and is closer to the rest of Fort Wayne while sharing the SWAC (Southwest Allen County) School System. There were several new mid-higher end neighborhoods which were started just a few years back in 46814 which is why people and realtors love that zip code, but the reality is that there are more trees and more neighborhoods with character (hills and trees) in the vicinity I've mentioned.