Chapel Tower has adequately met two of my criteria for a living situation: (1) it is within walking distance to campus and (2) it is inexpensive. That being said, it is inexpensive for a reason. The complex is populated with about half students, half working-class families that "overflow" a bit from the two-bedroom apartment layouts. I see management doing things to improve the property, but the place tends to be dirty, cars drive too fast on the roads, and there is general upkeep and bug issues. These have been very manageable for me and it has worked quite well. But you have to be ready to deal with these issues.

Chapel Tower is pretty great, I think. I don't have a car, so was looking for something walkable. Chapel Tower isn't the closest apartment to campus/ duke med, but it only takes ~20 minutes to get to the medical school, which is totally reasonable. (I cut through the reservoir, which is actually pretty pleasant in the morning). Compared to other walkable options, the rent is significantly cheaper and the quality of the apartments themselves is only marginally worse. These units occupy a great sweet spot of walkability, cost, and "niceness." We're also off of the Duke LaSalle loop, which makes it easy enough to get to and from campus in inclement weather, as well as some of the main bus lines for the city of Durham.

The neighbors are mostly families, which I've found really cool. Great way to get out of the "Duke Bubble." If you're looking for an apartment complex where all your neighbors are also students, though, this probably is not the place for you.

I will say that I know someone who lived here as an undergrad but would not recommend the apartments because she was getting leery looks/ catcalls when she walked through the complex. As someone male-presenting, I've never felt unsafe here, but that's a perspective worth noting for sure.

Value for money

A lot of people will tell you that Chapel Towers is a very sketchy place. And they're not exactly wrong, because that's what it looks like on the outside. But to be honest, if you're paying around 400 a month (that's the cheapest you'll find that's close to college), you can't expect much. But it's well worth the money you pay for.

AMENITIES:

I've been to a lot of different properties over these last 6 months and Chapel Towers is worth it. The rent includes parking and most importantly, MAINTANENCE AND PEST CONTROL.

To be honest, don't let the reviews fool you. Durham is a very green place, so there are always bugs in every single house. The thing you should be weary of is the size and frequency. We get tiny cockroaches maybe twice a month, but that's only because we keep the house clean and we plugged up the gaps between the switch boards and the wall. And even if you do get bugs, in Chapel Towers, you can call for pest control and they'll send them within a week. Most other residences either don't provide pest control services as a part of the rent or don't respond to requests.

With respect to maintanence, they send people on time and all you have to do is leave a voice mail and that's pretty convenient. They'll send someone when you're not at home, but we've never lost anything.

They also have valet trash so you just need to leave it outside your door and they'll pick it up.

Rent payment is super easy too. You can do it online or swing by the leasing office, which is inside the Chapel Towers premises (other properties have their leasing offices elsewhere which can make it a major pain in the neck).

LOCATION:

Chapel Towers is about 10 minutes from Fuqua. There's a bus stop right outside the main entrance. It's about 5 minutes away from the Duke Bus Stop where you can catch a H5 (google up to check the routes and stops, it hits most parts of campus). Overall, pretty good location.

COMMUNITY:
Pretty safe. There are lots of families with young kids and students. Faced no trouble till date.

FINAL NOTES:
If you're looking into Chapel Towers and are trying to book an apartment, just a little heads up

- Here, the apartment number 22K means the 22nd block and K is the door number. A,B,C,D are on the lower floor (more insects, windows on the ground level); E,F,G,H are on the first floor; I,J,K,L are on the top most floor (good, but watch out for leaks from the roof. Usually tend to be warmer or colder since there's nobody living above you)

- Not all the blocks are the same. Some are cleaner than the others. Some are closer to the front entrance than others. Blocker 4-17 are in the front, others are in the side so it's a longer walk in the night.

- If you want a specific floor or block, then go through the custom application process instead of the student application. Before you submit it, call the leasing office and tell them you want a particular unit and you're applying through the normal application process. They'll shift your application to the student discount section once it's processed.

Really close to duke west campus, but further away from restaurants, grocery or anything else

The closest to school, but insecure

The apartment complex is very good, easily accessible from the West Campus by Lasalle Loop, H5 and a 10 minute walk. Gets a bit shady at night, but so far it has been very safe. The management is usually good with any services required. There is roach problem, though regular pest control is said to fix it.

Close to university, lots of floorspace, cheap & convenient

Cheap rent with student discount, furniture rental packages available, close to campus, and a friendly and helpful staff. Does not always seem like the safest complex to live it but overall a great deal. There are Duke bus stops right in front of the complex and a growing graduate student community within the complex. The walk from Chapel Tower to the Engineering Quad is a little under 20 minutes and the quickest bus route takes about 7 minutes.

Fairly smooth from confirming the apartment to solving issues inside the apartment.