Apartments in Houston/Clear Lake area? The Cove or Villas by the Bay? (Seabrook: lease)

[barryegan]

I'm a quiet single guy looking for a decent apartment in the $450 to $550 range (roughly). I've narrowed it down to the Clear Lake area mostly because I have friends who live near Baybrook Mall (I work online, so that's not an issue). So far I've been looking at The Cove on Bay Area Boulevard in Houston and Villas by the Bay on Nasa Road 1 in Seabrook. They both have 1-bedroom apartments in my price range. Any thoughts on either of these places or recommendations for other places in the Clear Lake area (or anywhere within 15 minutes of Baybrook Mall)?

[DanielWayne]

I have never stopped by Villas on the Bay, but I have stopped by the Cove or maybe it was the place across the street from the Cove. That whole area is getting run down. I would try to stay away if at all possible.

[barryegan]

Thanks for the advice. I've scheduled an appointment to check out The Cove on Monday, so I'll see how I like it then. I'm looking at their 443 sq. ft. floor plan, which is really small, but I think the savings versus the next step up may be worth it (it's $430 for an 8-month lease). A friend lived at The Cove a couple of years ago and they liked it a lot and recommended it to me, but a lot can happen to a place and area in two years, so I guess I'll see how it is on Monday.