Apartment Hunting in Phoenix (Glendale, Gilbert: apartments, rent, home)

[Prickly Pear]

Originally Posted by yukon

Check out Colter Park, Colter & 7th Ave. Nice complex, across the street from a large park (handy if you have a dog), close to light rail and walkable to a lot of things. Studio goes from $800-$875, one bedroom is $880-$965. Studio floorplan has a sleeping alcove so it's almost like a small one bedroom. Picture 16 in the gallery is the studio. One bedroom is also a decent size. Downstairs units have HUGE patios. They were my first choice last year, but I ended up with my second choice as it was a bit closer to my office. Also google Kaye Gilbertson, she's an apartment locator realtor and specializes in the area you're interested in. She often has listings up on Craigslist.

Wow great suggestion! This is close to the heart of where I do most of my work (Central and Camelback), it's near the light rail and has no carpet (no requirements but two pluses, I detest carpet). This is definitely high on my list. I won't be moving until December, but I will write this one down. Thank you so much!

The studios look too small for me, as I need to set up a desk space as I work from home most mornings and I have a queen bed (which looks like it won't fit in the bedroom nook) but the one bedroom seems acceptable.

Originally Posted by ldl5112

I definitely agree that an apartment locator service would be helpful! They will have access to most communities, and will know which ones have available units within your price range.

I will check this out, thanks!

Originally Posted by Hal Roach

I lived at royal palm village condos which are about half apartments...behind the 19th ave sprouts....check out the lofts with no one above or below...should be about 650....steps from la fitness, too. Not great, but liveable...the worst people were foreclosed. Still North central...not Westside by a longshot. Also, a large complex at 3rd st and Indian school...Steele Park or something..can't miss it..on the south side of IS. Lots of units crammed in there, gated.....might be very convenient for you...but the loft thing is a winner..by apartment standards..oh, and they have some studios in the ends with no one above either....might be more scarce.

I looked at that complex across the street from the VA hospital. The cheapest 1 bedroom they are listing is 1030, and that doesn't include the extras (water, trash, etc.) so unfortunately a wee bit too pricey for me.

I'll have to look at that other complex you mentioned later on, it appears they don't have a website.

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

I could recommend the first apartment I lived at, Zazu Pannee, at 16th St and Osborn, good complex, rent is a deal when you consider location and that COX cable internet with HBO plus water trash and sewer are included in your rent. Only downside is no in unit washer-dryer's. But their two community laundry centers use a card rather than quarters which is nice

I'll be frank and say I'm not familiar with Osborn all that much. Is this a relatively safe part of town?

I'm not opposed to using a laundromat. The last one I had was when I was in the dorms down in Tucson we had an issue with people waiting for washers or dryers to finish and stealing workout clothing so at first I was against them and then next year I moved into an apartment and the washer flooded and destroyed some of my furniture. So depending on the quality of the laundromat I'd be ok with it.

Originally Posted by grmi66

I was looking in that area a few years ago and that area has quite a few of the old style garden apartments that might have 10-20 units. A manager at one of them told me to drive up and down every side street you see and often you can find a "For Rent" sign in the front yard. The nice thing with many of them are that they are owned by a single elderly investor who often doesn't pay attention to what current market rent is according to this person.

Look north of Camelback on 20th Street. A handful of smaller apartment complexes there with a cool mid-century vibe.

I work a T-F schedule so I might spend my Mondays looking at some of these smaller places and driving around. This is probably where I will find a sweet deal. It appears when using websites like apartments.com I don't have as many options but it could be this way I find the golden egg.

[JGMotorsport64]

The area by Zazu on Osborn is nice the issue is the country club severs public transportation. It’s safe

[Prickly Pear]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

The area by Zazu on Osborn is nice the issue is the country club severs public transportation. It’s safe

Safety is my biggest concern as a young woman who will be living alone.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

The area by Zazu on Osborn is nice the issue is the country club severs public transportation. It’s safe

I echo this, thought there are two buses that run right there (12 and 16)

[yukon]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

I could recommend the first apartment I lived at, Zazu Pannee, at 16th St and Osborn, good complex, rent is a deal when you consider location and that COX cable internet with HBO plus water trash and sewer are included in your rent. Only downside is no in unit washer-dryer's. But their two community laundry centers use a card rather than quarters which is nice

Zazu Pannee is nice. I looked at it last year but decided against it as the units were a little too small for my needs. When I looked last September, Zazu had the best landscaping of any property I visited. It has a cool vibe to it as well - sort of a retro 40s-50s movie studio/California beach bungalow feel. I almost expected Marilyn Monroe to come walking out with a hat. The management does a lot of tenant events and once a year the PHX Opera puts on a show on the grounds - there is an open ampitheater spot in the center of the complex. I was told a lot of members of the opera live in the complex so that's why they did it.

I'm a single female and I would have had no problems with the neigborhood around Colter Park or Zazu Panee.

[Prickly Pear]

So far I have created a list of 19 apartment complexes of which almost all are west of the 51, south of Bethany Home, east of 15th avenue, and north of Thomas. They fit the price requirement and had at least a decent amount of square footage (550 or bigger). There's other apartments I spotted that did not have a website that might be worth checking out in person, so this list could grow. The closer I can get to Central and Camelback the better, as to reduce my driving and frankly I really like that area.

The downside to searching right now is a lot of places don't seem to have vacancy for December, either they are too small of a complex and will have none, or they aren't posted yet. However December is going to come around before I know it.

Another way to reduce the wear and tear on my car and still have this job would be to live near Scottsdale Quarter and then get a work vehicle and do it that way. But that area of town seems even more expensive. I like Uptown/Midtown Phoenix more anyway.

[wannabeaTexan]

Since most or many apartments require 60 day move-out notice, you’re going to have to wait til at least beginning of October for December vacancies. They’re likely going to have market rents change too. Another downside is in those cases, you won’t be able to see the apartment you’re moving into, unless you chance it and wait til December and they are vacant. Of course many of them will be rented already, limiting your choices. I just went through this (again) when I moved here in July. Had 5 places ready to check out a few days ahead of my visit before moving. By the morning I was flying out, it was down to 2. I wouldn’t worry too much about availability for a couple more weeks and that should help you narrow down your choices too.

[yukon]

wannabeaTexan is right. The December moveouts will give their notice starting next month. Apartments here want 60 days and they want the notice to be on the end of the month. It's a PITA for renters.

You might list the apartments you've narrowed it down to, if you're comfortable with it, as many here can probably chime in with comments. I have a friend who lives in one (north of your area) and it's gorgeous on the website...not so great in real life.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by yukon

wannabeaTexan is right. The December moveouts will give their notice starting next month. Apartments here want 60 days and they want the notice to be on the end of the month. It's a PITA for renters.

You might list the apartments you've narrowed it down to, if you're comfortable with it, as many here can probably chime in with comments. I have a friend who lives in one (north of your area) and it's gorgeous on the website...not so great in real life.

That's the way my last apartment was (Estates on Maryland, at 19th Ave and Maryland). I would never live there again. Currently live at Capital Place downtown, and have zero complaints, but it's out of OP's budget (our 800 sq ft 1 bed is $1,350/month)

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

I echo this, thought there are two buses that run right there (12 and 16)

I mean moving east to west is a challenge if you’re adjacent to the country club. The buses detour around it into the neighborhood to the north. Not like a deal breaker or anything but worth mentioning if using the bus matters.

Prickly Pear, I’m in that area almost daily. It’s very safe and very upscale in some spots. The neighborhood adjacent to Phoenix Country Club is beautiful. But as with any area in midtown Phoenix, it has random pockets of less nice stuff. If you go down 16th street, to the north you have Camelback Esplanade, which is enormous. To the south is a lot of great authentic Mexican spots and neighborhoods. If you’re into hole in the wall type places there are a lot.