Jenny needs an apartment: Downtown/West ITB (Raleigh, Apex: apartment complex, for rent)

[Jenny_B]

Hi friends,

I need your help and advice! (and if you know my posts you know I'm long-winded, so brace yourself!) I've been living in a roommate situation for the past year, which has been great. I'm saving a lot of money, I like my roommate/landlady, I live in a nice home in a nice neighborhood, and I have a 15-20 minute commute to work.

The time has come for me to get my own place though. My 20-year-old son will be joining me here soon. Because of our specific situation, I have some specific needs and I know I can count on y'all to guide me!

He doesn't drive and needs ongoing medical care. After doing some research, it seems to me that CAT bus line #4 (downtown/West ITB) is ideal for us. It runs from downtown, past NCSU, past Rex Hospital, past Crabtree Mall, and then on up to North Towne Center (Creedmoor & Strickland).

Since I'm going to have to support both my adult son and myself for a while and will have medical bills to deal with, I really need to keep the costs as low as possible, but I can not live in a place with rowdy neighbors, a crack house next door, etc.

For my continued ease of commute I've narrowed down the area to the section on that line between around Glennwood/Hillsborough through Lake Boone/Blue Ridge (Rex Hospital)

I've made a Google Map of the entire route in case anyone is curious...

CAT 04 outbound/inbound - Google Maps

The area I'm interested in follows this path:

Start Hillsborough/Glennwood
W on Hillsborough
N on Dixie Trail
W on Wade Ave
N on Ridge Road
W on Lake Boone
End Lake Boone/Blue Ridge Road

* We need to be ON the bus line or no more than 1-2 blocks from the bus line.
* 2 bedrooms and 1, 1.5, or 2 bathrooms
* I'm open to apartments, condos, small houses, duplexes, town houses, etc.
* It must be safe for my son and for me. I don't want to constantly worry about him walking to the bus stop, etc.
* Very budget-minded. I don't know what to expect as far as utility costs, etc. but would it be possible to find a decent place for around $600 or so?
* small square footage is fine in exchange for safety & location
* washer/dryer in unit ideal, hookups 2nd, laundry on-site. I DO NOT want to have to go to a public laundromat!
* I would consider a guest house situation if there is a separate entrance, separate sleeping areas for my son and I, and if there is a real kitchen in it.
* I don't own one single piece of furniture at the moment (I moved here from Jamaica, obviously didn't pay to bring any furniture and have been renting a furnished room) so I don't really need a huge place that will end up mostly empty

I plan to drive this route later this week and just scope out potential places, but I'd like it if I had some ideas first. The apartment search sites are overwhelming, and it's hard to narrow it down based on the specific roads I'm looking at.

Whew! That was a lot to write, but at least I'm not one of those folks who comes on here and says nothing but, "Where should I live?" LOL!

Saturnfan, I know you don't like Landmark Apartments... The location, spaciousness and cost is awfully tempting though! I know you LOVE Northridge Crossings but I don't think I can swing $830/month PLUS electricity PLUS water PLUS cable/internet...

Jenny B

[ApexIntruder]

Jenny_B,

You may be looking at $50 for your basic electric and another $50 for your heat/air conditioning costs on average. Budget $125 in total to be safe.

As you are looking in an area that WILL have lots of traffic during commute times, you may want to see if you can get your hours adjusted to come in and leave a half hour early to beat the traffic. I am not sure if that can be done where you work, but it may be worth asking about.

I do have to say how impressed I am with you in what I have read. Your son is a very lucky person to have a mother like you. You seem like a quality person.

[Francois]

Originally Posted by ApexIntruder

As you are looking in an area that WILL have lots of traffic during commute times, you may want to see if you can get your hours adjusted to come in and leave a half hour early to beat the traffic. I am not sure if that can be done where you work, but it may be worth asking about.

But you two work at the same place...

JennyB: I can't help you, but just want to say, having met you, I am dumbfounded that you're old enough to have a 20-year-old son! I thought you were barely out of your 20s! Good luck!

[Jenny_B]

I'm really interested in comments that pertain to the subject of this post :-)

Thanks!

ETA:

Originally Posted by Francois

JennyB: I can't help you, but just want to say, having met you, I am dumbfounded that you're old enough to have a 20-year-old son! I thought you were barely out of your 20s! Good luck!

Ok, Ok, Francois, you know how to butter me up - LOL! Maybe people will believe I was eight when I gave birth to him. ;-)

[J_Lurk]

Sorry you are moving out of my neighborhood, but sadly, so am I.

Two thoughts:

1. I was running the Old Reliable run this weekend and I was startled how many places seemed to be for rent in the Hillsborough Road area. Someone nicely mapped our route here: MapMyRide.com | View Old Reliable Run in Raleigh, North Carolina
There was a nice-looking apartment complex near Boylan that looked promising, and when we turned on Dixie Trail and looped back on Clark and Shepherd there were several very little houses that you might want to drive by and ask about.

2. I know someone who lives in Meredith Village off Dixie Trail & Wycliff. It seems to get very mixed reviews online, but I've never heard him complain. If you want me to ask him for more info, DM me.

Good luck!

[sowk09]

I wasn't a huge fan of Landmark either, but when I was looking to rent in about the same area, those were the only ones I would have been able to afford. I didn't choose them, so I can't vouch for them like someone might be able to after actually moving in, but they look safe enough... just a little downtrodden. Have you checked Craigslist? I had trouble finding much of anything w/ 2bdrms for $600 or under (ended up renting for $635), but usually Craigslist is the place to go to find deals or apts that aren't part of a complex. Let us know what you find!

[rnc2mbfl]

If you don't mind cutting across Cameron Park to Hillsborough St. to catch a bus, you might want to check out The Raleigh Apartments near Cameron Village. In addition to being affordable, there are ideally located adjacent to lots of things you two can walk to.
Good Luck.

[sowk09]

rnc2mbfl, have you ever lived there? I'm only asking because I'm going to give my opinion of The Raleigh Apartments, but of course you'll know better if you have lived there, as I haven't. I looked at them, but chose another set of apts under Drucker & Falks management, but talking to some residents, I was told that The Raleigh apartments:

has a very college-like atmosphere (having just finished grad school, I did NOT want more college-like apts).

is really expensive to heat in the winter. They have baseboard heaters that apparently aren't efficient at all, so your choice is a really high bill all winter or be really cold.

have paper thin walls..... I've been told you can hear everything above/below/beside you.

Now, they may have positives that outweigh those negatives (though I haven't heard any besides, of course, their AMAZING location) but just wanted to put that out there.

[NM posts]

Seems like it would be very, very hard to find a two bedroom apartment for $600/month in the Triangle...even to find a decent 1-br in a nice/safe complex is iffy. Maybe place an ad on Craigslist, but perhaps expand your potential areas?