Alexan Farms Apartments in Durham, North Carolina: A Review

I moved to Durham, North Carolina, in January of 2007, but I'd spent a month here in October 2006, which is when I discovered Alexan Farms Apartments. I have had an excellent experience so far and don't anticipate that changing. Alexan Farms apartments are off Garret road, west of 15/501 less than an 8^th of a mile. The complex is on the left just past a shopping center that has several restaurants and shops in it, including a Chili's and JoAnne's fabrics. Across the street from the shopping center is a Toyota Dealership.

Grounds:

The grounds are always kept up beautifully. The landscaping is subtle but attractive and well maintained. The complex, run by Riverstone Residential, has several apartment units, although I am not sure how many, and there are also town homes and single family homes all with the same design. One of the things that drew me to the complex was the attractiveness of the buildings. They are brick with white staircases and red doors and have a colonial look and feel to them that is very appealing.

Apartments:

I live in a one bedroom/one bath 828 square-foot apartment. When walking in to the apartment, the kitchen is on the right, the living room to the left, and then the dining room, bedroom, and bathroom all past the living room. The apartment has crown molding, tan carpet and walls, and all rooms are very open and spacious. There is a ledge that separates the dining room from the living room. I use the dining room as an office/den, and because of the ledge, I can see the television from my couch, which is in the living room.

My favorite room in the apartment, odd is at may seem, is the bathroom. It's very large for a one-bedroom apartment, and the bathtub is huge. I have lived in many one bedroom apartments and have never had such a spacious bathroom and bathtub. I could seriously take a comfy nap in the tub and if I weren't afraid of drowning, I might do it.

Staff:

Other than the attractiveness of the complex and location, the main reason I chose Alexan Farms was because of the extremely friendly and accommodating staff. When I first inquired about the complex back in October, I met with one of the managers, Georgia. She was warm and friendly and made me immediately feel comfortable and at ease. She was a major deciding factor in my decision to move to Alexan Farms and part of why it will be so difficult to leave.

The rest of the staff has always been very nice and professional as well as consistent. In the last complex I lived, I never knew who I would see and how long they would last. Here, the staff remains the same, which is comforting and says a lot about the quality of the complex and of Riverstone.

Amenities:

I have not had much time to use any of the amenities Alexan Farms offers. They have a fitness room that I have used once or twice. It's okay but nothing special and doesn't seem to fit with the décor and atmosphere of the rest of the complex. It has cardio equipment and weights and pretty much anything anyone would need for a basic work out, but it's not really kept up very well, or at least as of the last time I used the facility in May or June, it was not.

The laundry room, located in the clubhouse next to the fitness room, is very nice, clean, and safe and much more fitting with the complex than the fitness room. There is a television in the room to keep tenants occupied as they are doing their laundry as well as wireless internet access so people can bring laptops down to use while waiting.

In addition to the laundry room, there is a business center/lounge area with tables, chairs and television, also with wireless internet access, a printer and a computer. I have brought my laptop down and have been able to easily get online, but the office computer runs slowly and the last time I tried to print, it did not work. Again, though, this was months ago and may be fine now.

A year round swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, and a walking trail round out the amenities, all of which make Alexan Farms a homey and appealing place to live.

Safety:

I have no complaints and have never felt unsafe in my apartment or on the grounds. I am as cautious as I always have been, but the complex is well lit and there is an abundance of parking. I rarely have to park too far away from my apartment and have never been uncomfortable with how far I've had to walk. There are no assigned parking spaces, but it really isn't necessary.

Cost:

The only thing that keeps me from rating Alexan Farms a ten, and probably the only thing that will cause me to move when my lease is up, is the price. The complex is lovely, safe, well kept, and in some ways luxurious, and the cost reflects this. Costs range from $755-1755 depending on the number of bedrooms and size of the apartment. The apartments are definitely worth the price of rent, but they are just out of my range at this time.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate Alexan Farms a 9. Other than cost of rent and utilities, I cannot think of a bad thing to say about the complex and highly recommend it to anyone moving in to the area.

Alexan Farms Apartments address is 240 Ivy Meadow Lane in Durham, North Carolina.

For more information about Alexan Farms, call 1-866-369-7120, or visit www.alexanfarms.com.