GSC

Ridgewood is conveniently close to campus, a short walk to downtown Carrboro, and Franklin Street is walkable. The tenants consist mostly of students but it is really quiet here even in the summer time. Only two MBA students live here.

It’s a 5-10 minute drive from school and has good connectivity to bus route too ( bus stop at the apartment) . The apartment complex has good view too!

I think it is a fine housing option especially given proximity to campus and the price you pay

Close to the UNC campus, travel time is 5-10 mins depending on the traffic. Bus service is there, but have to change buses which sometimes gets trickier.Also difficult to travel in the winters. Convenient if you have a car. Very old Property, but fine. I haven't faced any major issues. Few apts have water seepage issues. But the mgmt is fixing them.

Affordable Housing with Nice Management

Moved in at the start of my first year and was delighted at the student discount including rent in my monthly payments. The gym is small but adequate, and there's a pool!

Free parking, dog area, mostly families living here so its quiet - not too much partying. Its not as social as some of the larger, newer complexes, but for a 1BD, 1BA I'm satisfied.

Do not live here. I know it is cheap, but it is not worth it whatsoever if you enjoy any form of peace and quiet, safety, or air quality. I have had so many issues at this place I have debated breaking my lease or renting another apartment simultaneously. My biggest issue is they have a clause in their lease that pretends to prohibit "strong odors that travel between apartments". I interpreted this to include smoking, which is the biggest strong odor that you could have. However, I was told smoking is somehow allowed and okay. Not that it would matter what the contract said, because I live across from a constant, heavy marijuana chainsmoker who is allowed to break the contract on a quite literally, hourly basis. The actual manager of the apartment complex has come to my building, said "Oh yeah that's weed", and proceeded to tell me there was nothing she was going to do about it despite having plain evidence of the lease being violated in her presence. Second, when I first got there, my mailbox had been partially bent open and there was a suspiciously projectile-shaped hole in my window, so I have a feeling safety is lacking. They also have constant people parked in the lot outside my building who loiter: blasting music loud enough to hear inside my apartment and throwing garbage out the window of their cars. Nobody cares at the management office. It constantly sounds like Grand Theft Auto: The Musical at this apartment. It sucks. The only reason they get an extra point for amenities is because the pool is nice when not being invaded by people blasting more loud music.

This time last year, I was searching through hundreds of reviews of apartments and contacting current students about apartment recommendations as soon as I submitted the deposit fee and officially enrolled in the MMS program at Duke/The Fuqua School of Business. I now want to pay it forward and leave my honest opinion of the apartment I have stayed at through my time in the MMS program in hopes it will help an incoming student make the best decision for them!

Con (Bugs):
Almost every review I saw about Chapel Tower included some mention of bugs. I thought the reviewers could have been exaggerating or I believed if I was extra clean and did my part that would stop the bugs. Unfortunately - the reviewers were right. Now, I didn't experience an apartment overridden by bugs hiding out in my food, etc. as some reviews expressed but I did experience seeing more bugs than I ever have in any other apartment I've lived in throughout undergrad/up until this point. At Chapel Tower, I would at least see one bug a day or every other day frequently. I can't recall a time when I didn't see a bug throughout the week at least once in the kitchen (on the floor, walls, or in the sink), bathroom (on the toilet, walls, or in the shower), or my bedroom (on the floor, walls, on the bed or crawling from out the closet). The bugs would vary from being large roaches, ants, smaller roach variations, etc. Regardless, you would see a bug. I am a very clean person and did everything I could to stop bugs by spraying down my bedroom and the shared kitchen area with bug spray weekly, immediately disposing of food into the outside trash can and immediately cleaning dishes after they were used and those actions still did not stop the frequency of bugs. I do live in a two-bedroom apartment and there are other tenants living around my unit so I'm unsure of the cleaning habits of my neighbors. My roommate also left food uncovered and dirty dishes with food left on them in the sink daily. Both of these variables could have contributed to the frequency of bugs and it may have been worse had I not taken the actions I did or my actions could have had no impact and the bugs would've continued regardless. I didn't live alone during my time at Chapel Tower so I can't confirm if being extra clean can stop the bugs or if they will always occur if your neighbors aren't cleaning or if they'll continue simply due to the location of the apartment.

Pro (Convenience to Campus):
Chapel Tower is the only apartment actually across the street from the Duke West Campus!!! When you walk out the front entrance of Chapel Tower and make a left, you will literally be staring at the entrance of Duke West Campus (where Fuqua School of Business is). All you'll have to do is cross the street and then you'll be on the campus. The convenience is one of the main reasons students stay at Chapel Tower despite the bugs. As an MMS student the earliest sections are at 8 AM or 10:30 AM, either way, if you're not a morning person or are running late one day, it is super convenient to be as close to campus as you are at Chapel Tower rather than having to wake up even earlier to wait for the bus. There is also a bus stop at the front entrance, however, so you don't have to walk or drive every day and can also conveniently take the Duke bus. When searching for apartments I remember some of the more expensive apartments mentioning being "right across the street from Duke" but those statements are slightly misleading as you will still need to walk a distance if you're walking to campus/not taking the bus. Whereas, with Chapel Tower, you are as close to campus as you can get and can see the campus when exiting the entrance. It gets very cold and can snow in Durham in the Winter so being closer to campus can be an additional benefit during this time.

Other:
Chapel Tower is not a student housing complex. Some students may be out here, but I've personally never interacted with any. And the apartmen

Estes Park is a great place to be if you're looking for a clean, accessible space. My highlights are below:

- Friendly and helpful maintenance staff and leasing office
- Online portal for payments and maintenance requests
- All appliances provided (microwave, stove, fridge)
- Student Package (++++) that allows for all utilities included
- Potential to get fully furnished (couch, dining set, bed)

I have lived here since 2017. Location is great and convenient because it`s near to Harris Teeter, a grocery store. Also the noise is very low. Maintenance is great because they are quick to come to my apartment when I report an issue.

Reasonably Walkable, Good Value

It's cheap and the nearest apartment to Fuqua but not a pretty one.

Apartment complex rating

Best value apartments in Durham.

My biggest complaint is the lack of fixed lights in bedrooms... followed by the thinnish walls which means I can hear steps from the apartment above (but never heard any talking/music, etc.).

Amenities are decent, and very close to Fuqua (<10 minute walk).

Best Value apartments for anyone coming to Fuqua.

10-minute walk to campus, and fairly decent apartments. Yes, they lack the stonetop benchtops of Ninth Street, but at half the price I can't complain.

No cockroach/pest issues which can be issues in Durham. My biggest complaint is the walls are thinnish, or at least you can hear heavy steps if someone is above you. That said, can never hear talking/music so on, seems to be a vibration issue.

The lack of a closed area does mean you have to be vigilant regarding packages/deliveries, and perhaps late night.