amandac777 | (no subject)

Does anyone know how much weight you should give online apartment ratings? I've been searching through apartments in the area where I'll be teaching next fall, and I'm seeing lots of places that look nice or reasonable. And then I check the reviews (mainly at apartmentratings.com), and find that apparently every apartment in the region is pest-infested, crime-ridden, falling apart, missing most advertised amenities, and staffed by assholes.

I need to live somewhere. The "nicer" areas in the region are generally way the hell out of my price range (which isn't that low!), and I'd strongly prefer to live within a 15-minute drive, at most. I'm an utter wuss about safety, in particular. Any tips on how to look more effectively? Random comfort, perhaps? Offers of a spare room?

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I have no real advice, except that I'd maybe not pay so much attention to the crime-ridden stuff. People are weird about what they consider "bad" when it comes to neighbourhoods. They have prejudices, or behave in weird "ROB ME PLEASE!" sorts of ways, and I just don't trust people when they say some area is bad because too often I've then gone to said area and found it to be just fine.

Where are you moving to, if I may ask? Really the best thing to do is to find someone you know with the experience of the area.

I'm moving just west of Baltimore. (Trying to keep specific info off of unlocked posts.)

Yeah, and I suppose I'm fairly picky about what is "bad." Hazards of living in sheltered areas, for the most part. Not that there's no crime here, but it's really a small amount.