NWR: Chestnut Hill?

CA2PABride2Be

Hey guys,

I'm flying back to Los Angeles today and have narrowed down my apartment search to The Summit in Roxborough and Chesnut Hill Village Apartments.  I like the one in Chestnut Hill a bit better because it seems like a quieter community (The Summit has awesome activities every night but that might get old fast and the community has a very young feel).  And it's a bit of an easier commute to work from Chestnut Hill, with direct access to the R7 right there.

Does anyone know anything about Chestnut Hill?  Is it safe?  Looking at the crime maps online it looks like there are lots of burgarlies around the area, but what else is new?  I'm also hesistant because as much as I loved the apartments, it does not have good reviews online.  I'm trying to take into consideration that management is new and most of these reviews were written about old management but it's still making me nervous.  If only I had all the time in the world to apartment hunt and not 2 days!

rodeo417

Chestnut Hill section is freaking beautiful!! We live up here. You can always find nice shops and quiet places to eat. There has been a lot of burgarlies lately but that is due to the ghetto people from other sections coming up here and causing trouble. Many people have dogs that they walk and are super friendly. Also if you every miss the R7, the R8 is only a couple of blocks away.

luvdelilah

For what its worth - I had a friend who lived at Summit Park (if that's the one you're looking at) and she HATED it.  Huge problems with nosy neighbors (and 'smelly' neighbors) and the management office did nothing to help- she couldn't wait to leave.  My sister almost lived there and the unmonitered stairways/open doors to each apartment building were a little creepy...

Sorry I can't help with the Chestnut Hill part...

CA2PABride2Be

Yeah I thought Summit Park was awesome b/c of all the activities but then I drove by there yesterday just to get one more quick glance to try and compare and the music was SO LOUD at the pool, I immediately thought "ok thank God I heard this, this place is a no now."

Amerbutt81

These are my thoughts about on-line reviews:  people only take the time to write a review if they've had a bad experience.  Honestly, i've lived in three apartment complexes, and I've never taken the time out to write a good review of any of them.

I don't know anything about the Summit apatments, but I DO know that Chestnut HIll is a VERY VERY nice area. 

mandy122782

I had a friend that lived in Summit Park when he was like 22 and he loved it because he partied there alot. But now that we are older he has moved. I visted a few times and it was a big party place. So if you want a quiet apartment then I don't know if that is the place for you.

And Chestnut Hill area is really nice!

Stacylynn702

I used to work in Chestnut Hill and I loved it there.  I lived in CC and would just take R7 and walked the rest of the way.  I never felt unsafe, night or day there.  I think it's such a cute little area with lots of art and culture as well. 

RobotCake

I lived in Chestnut Hill Village for 2 years.  The area is reasonably safe, very convenient to the R7 and R8, and close enough to walk to shops and restaurants in Chestnut Hill.  The apartment itself I think was expensive for what it was.  I did have a tiny washer and dryer in the apartment, but I also had lots of centipedes and the occasional mouse (which my cats took care of).  This was before they finished renovating the entire complex, so maybe they also took care of the mice/bug problems by now. 

I was pretty fed up with the management for a few reasons before I finally moved out.  My favorite stunt that they pulled was shutting off the water on December 26, the day after Christmas.  My parents were staying with me from out of town.  I got the notifcation of the water shut-off late in the day on the 24th, not enough time to make other plans for the holidays.  Hopefully the new management will be better!

caraellen23

I love Chestnut Hill!!!  Ditto PP - stay away from Summit.  Its all post-college kids who are just continuing the party.  I lived at Valley High just down the street and loved it there. Much quieter.  PM if you want more info.

CA2PABride2Be

RobotCop - Did you live in the village apartments or the manor?  We're looking into the Manor b/c it's the only one that allows dogs and it seems the mice problem may have been in the village apartments from reading the reviews.  I do see there's new management, and I met the guy when I visited - he lives on-site.

What I'm most worried about are all the bad reviews it got over this past winter where people were extremely overcharged for their heat.  I see that after multiple meetings it got resolved and people got their money back.  But I really don't understand this 3rd party gas billing thing.

RobotCake

I was in  the manor, on the first floor.  I think the mice stayed away from my apartment because of the cats, so I only found the occasional dead mouse -- I think there were only 2 or 3 in the 2 years I was there, so it wasn't a huge problem for me.  It might even be better now with the renovations/new management.

I don't know anything about the new management, but hopefully they are better than the management when I lived there.  And despite the issues I had, I really did like the location.  In fact, when I moved out, I wanted to stay in the same general area, so my fiance and I got an apartment nearby in Mt. Airy (where we are now). 

Good luck in your search!

caraellen23

CA2PA - are these the only areas you're looking?  Or would you be willing to move a bit further out from the city? There are some nice apartment buildings in Conshohocken.  The ones on the river are beautiful and allow dogs.  I live in a nice rental community in Blue Bell that I love, but cats only (you have a dog, right?)

CA2PABride2Be

Those are the only two places I was able to narrow it down to after a whirlwind weekend of looking.  I wish I had the time to look at more places, but I won't be back to Philly until we move back on June 18th.  I could still keep looking then but I'm worried about too much of a time crunch before we get married then. 

Yeah, I need a place that allows dogs and I wanted to be outside of the city but close-enough to it.  The elementary school I'll be teaching at is in Northeast Philly, so that's another factor that I want to be within a 30 minute commute there.  And FI is hoping for a job downtown so he wants somewhere with good public transportation. 

jenmo214

I live in Manayunk now and have lived in Dupont Towers which is also an apt. building and I would recommend that apt. buiding over summit any day...Summit Park is def. post grads still partying all the time.  I loved living in Dupont, I was there for 2 years, it has a security doors and only tenants have access to the keys.  I always felt very safe there and its many grad students and newly married couples there.  I moved out and actually found a 2 bedroom house with washer/dryer and a backyard for the same price as rent at Dupont and Summit. 

Good luck, too bad you dont have more time..sorry I couldnt help with Chestnut Hill but I do love going there to eat and shop.  Any place you go though there is going to be crime.