HELP moving to Jacksonville, need to find an apt fast! (Orlando: apartment complexes, rental)

[vivanadiva]

Hi, I'm moving to Jacksonville very soon, and I need to know a good area to live in. HELP!!!

My job is going to be in the 32256 area. It would be nice to live close to my work, or near the beach. My budget for rent is about $800 a month. I need at least a one bedroom/ one bathroom, preferably larger, but I'll take what I can get!

My concern is that nearly all of the apartment complexes in that area have terrible reviews! Some are apparently infested with roaches and rats, others have terrible crime rates, and some just have poor construction or bad maintenance crews. I really can't live anywhere with bugs or rats no matter what! And being a single woman, I don't really want to live anywhere know for high crime.

I guess I would be willing to pay a little more if I KNEW I wouldn't be living in a pest infested, crime prone area.

Any suggestion about reputable complexes?

Any positive or negative experiences with rental companies in the past?

Please help! I don't know anything about the area so any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[riveree]

The area itself is a good choice for an apartment rental - plenty to choose from - so my suggestion would be to continue to search right there. You'll have a quick commute to work, be within 30 mins from the beach, and you'll be close enough to most things in Jacksonville.

Yes, many of the apartment buildings in 32256 were built in the 1980's and early 1990's, so the structures can be a little dated/worn. The average rent in Jacksonville is about $750, so unfortunately $800 doesn't get you a luxury rental. You should be able to find a nice, clean, safe rental though.

The only apartment name I can offer is Paradise Island. I've known a few people who rented there and they've been happy.

Maybe others can chime in with a few more apartment names?

[mawipafl]

I can't chime in with suggestions, but I can say that online reviews tend not to tell the whole story. I just went through all that recently looking for apartments in Orlando for my daughter. We'd tour a complex and then I'd read the review and scratch my head thinking that's not the place we just saw.

Perhaps if you list here some of the apartments you've reviewd, someone might be able to give you the real scoop, whether the review was on target or whether the reviewer was just a purposely loud and negative writer.