One of the few apartments with character in Durham - high ceilings and exposed brick. I pay hundreds of dollars less as my friends in other 1 bedroom apartments in other buildings. No amenities but I rarely used them in my old apartment (and you're across from a Pure Barre here). Location is amazing. Management is very friendly and helpful. Walls are a bit thin, but hasn't been a huge problem. There are a lot of undergrads that live here, but again hasn't been a big issue.

Pro: The location is perfect, close to HT supermarket, can walk to east campus to take the free school bus in 10 mins. High-performance cost ratio
Con: Very bad sound insulation.

I live in the Erwin Mill Apartments and love it. It is right on 9th street and directly next to a grocery store, and the rent is as cheap as you can get in this area. The apartments are unique with wood beams and ceilings. The kitchen appliances are stainless steel, and our unit is a 1-bedroom loft, so we have two floors.

The cons are:
1) The apartment has a lot of undergrads. Some people who have lived here have complained that they're very loud, but we haven't had an issue at all. It might be a matter of luck, and we just got lucky. However, if undergrads annoy you, don't move here. We just don't mind them.
2) There aren't too many amenities. Personally I don't mind not having a pool or gym because we have access to all of that on campus, but if you're a person who likes to use your apartment's services, this wouldn't be the place for you. It's definitely a reason it's so affordable in a great location.
3) You have to rent a washer/dryer for about $50 a month or bring your own. If you rent, they install it for you. We bought a washer/dryer secondhand and that's worked really well for us.

Pros:
+Significantly cheaper per sq/ft than other 9th st complexes
+Location
+Loft-style 2nd floor units with high ceilings
+Free, plentiful parking

Cons:
-Finishings/condition slightly below S9/B9 (still granite/SS appliances)
-Management is minimally responsive/helpful (but not rude)
-No building amenities, W/D must be rented for $46/mo
-Walls are thin

rare find, very spacious

I have lived in Erwin Mills for over 2 years now and have found it a wonderful place to live. It is conveniently located about halfway between downtown and the medical campus. I can easily walk most places and there is also public and Duke transportation available only a few steps from the building. The managing company is very personable and attentive to concerns. Would recommend living here.

9th Street apartments right next to B9 and S9 but much cheaper and much larger. $1600/month for 1400+ square feet with exposed brick walls and 12 foot ceilings. The only down side is there is no pool or gym. Brodie gym is a 5-10 min walk and you can go to your friends pool at S9 and B9. Everyone who comes to our apartment is jealous.

Location on 9th Street is great! There are lots of restaurants and a grocery store right next door in addition to 3 different nearby bus stops to get to school in the mornings.

Apartments are very spacious but the utility cost has been higher than expected. The water bill is approx. $70-80/month and electricity runs $80-140/month. You are also required to either purchase your own washer/dryer or rent for $25/month. With internet, each roommate is paying about $200/month in utilities

We were not impressed by the cleanliness of our apartment when we moved in, and management is not particularly responsive. We love the location but feel we could be getting a better value at a different building since Erwin Mill has virtually no amenities.

More space and nicer character than S9 for much less money, but easy access when you want to go to parties, etc. Updated appliances and new flooring. Beautiful windows, lots of entertaining space. Love being close to Harris Teeter and Whole Foods. H5 bus has a stop if you don't bring a car.
Giant windows bring in a lot of light at certain times of day, but the interior rooms are not well lit, and there is no overhead light in the bedrooms, so you need a lot of lamps. Kitchen prep space is a bit cramped. There are some Duke seniors, but most of the building is grad students or professionals, so very few loud parties. Overall great place to live.

The apartments are massive, tons of natural light, hardwood floors, tall ceilings, and they are closer to 9th street. I lived at S9 first year, and it is definitely acceptable but it is probably the biggest scam of the apartments in the area, my apartment at Erwin Mills is twice the size and only an extra 75$ a month. The reason everyone stays at S9 is because everyone lives at S9, which is nice but I don't think it is worth the premium to stay there.

Erwin Mills vs. Station 9 (S9)
Pros:
-No parking garage - faster to come and go and had no issues with security (unlike S9 that had homeless people living in peoples cars in the parking garage)
-No gym but close to Brodie (S9 gym is pretty terrible, gross, and dank)
-No valet trash - but it is easy to take bags to trashcan/recycle once a week (don't have to pay 25$ a month)
-The place feels like home, instead of a dorm
-No pool, (you can walk over to S9 or B9 for the couple months you are here when the pools are open)
-Management is fast and responsive (At S9 I had a leak coming from behind my washer that covered the entire kitchen area and almost went into the carpet of the living room, I shut off the valve and called management they said to just get some towels and mop it up and they will have someone come fix it on Monday, this was a Friday.)
-No bugs, which is impressive for a place of this size (S9 had a few large spiders, lots of silverfish, and a few roaches).

Cons:
Thin neighboring walls, overall this wasn't much of a problem because MBA's keep pretty long hours anyway, but could be an issue as there are a lot of Duke undergrads in the complex.