<p>Could anyone give me some info about these apts? If you're living there, lived there, have visited- what were your impressions?</p>
<p>Are they clean? Are the grounds well maintained? Is the maintenance staff efficient? Noisy? Overpriced? </p>
<p>Any info is appreciated! Thanks!</p>
<p>This original post was only a few months after the complex first opened, and there were no replies. We spent this weekend apartment hunting for daughter moving to Gainesville for Fall. Jefferson seemed the best to us due to it’s close proximity to campus and newness and amenities.</p>
<p>Before we sign the lease, I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything we needed to know about safety in the area. She’ll not know anyone at first. The walk didn’t seem bad at all, but it was broad daylight. </p>
<p>We also walked up to Unversity House, and the Jefferson seemed to be a better walk through a residential area.</p>
<p>Any insight is appreciated.</p>
<p>Anywhere that isn’t just north of University Ave. is pretty safe. I regularly walked alone in the middle of the night.</p>
<p>One of my friends lives there, so I’ve been there plenty of times. How clean the place is depends on which building you live in…the one my friend lives in is kind of disgusting…ie. half eaten fruits, pizza boxes in the hallways of the first floor, the hallway where the stairs smells horrible (I’m sure it has something to do with someone peeing there or something), there are holes in the walls. But all of this probably depends on which building and floor you live on. The apartment itself is nice; I wouldn’t say the best but it’s definitely nicer than a dorm (in my opinion =X). Honestly though, i wouldn’t feel safe walking there in the dark though…but I’m a girl so i don’t know, that’s just what i feel. You should probably go see the place before you sign anything, if possible obviously.</p>
<p>GT hopeful, are you a girl or a guy? I think that does make a difference in how safe one feels.</p>
<p>Thanks, love23 for your opinion.</p>
<p>My daughter’s friend lives there currently but is moving in with my daughter in August after her Jefferson lease runs out. The apartment is nice but too far. It really is about 4-5 blocks from campus. There are sooo many apartments that are within two blocks of campus and very nice. Look at:
Vision’s South on 8th Ave or renting a room in a condo like Oxford Terrace or renting a room in another apartment. My daughter is in Royale Palms (a Trimark Property) on 7th Ave and she either walks to school or takes the sorority row bus (in bad weather).</p>
<p>Check this out from the Trimark website:</p>
<p>[LUXURY</a> APARTMENTS Near UF | Luxury living, steps from your UF classes](<a href=“http://www.trimarkproperties.com/Ultimate/]LUXURY”>Apartments Near UF | Gainesville, FL)</p>
<p>Also, scroll through the subleases…there are so many kids who rent apartment without roommates who need another one or two in their apartments.</p>
<p>Thanks, SEICLAN. We toured Trimark but only Windsor and Ivy House. Once we saw the nice 4/4 plans at Jefferson and University House, we couldn’t get thrilled about the dorm style. I will check out the other properties you mentioned though.</p>
<p>My daughter is in a sorority so she does like living next to sorority row but even if she wasn’t Greek, she feels very safe near sorority row (lots of girls outside at all hours, strong university police presence, available weekend/afterhours parking.)
So many CLOSE condos are on craigslist for rent also, check them out.</p>
<p>Here is a link to the RTS Campus bus routes. This may be of help while apartment hunting. Keep in mind that many of the routes are directional (go one way) so if you get on the bus by Jefferson and 2nd, you have to ride through the whole sorority row section before the bus goes into campus. </p>
<p>[RTS</a> - Regional Transit System, Gainesville Fl](<a href=“http://www.go-rts.com/Current-Semester/campus.html]RTS”>http://www.go-rts.com/Current-Semester/campus.html)</p>
<p>After looking at The Estates, which would require a bus ride to campus, and then looking at University House and Jefferson 2nd Ave, both 8-10 minute walks with all the brand new features and amenities, we decided that D would rather not rely on having to ride the bus, although tons of kids do it every day. We preferred those properties over Ivy House and Windsor due to the complete apartment aspects with full awesome kitchens and in apartment washer and dryer. </p>
<p>The other Trimark Properties mentioned seem much more expensive and we’d rather deal with the individual leases J2A offers.</p>
<p>Jefferson is just 5 blocks straight shot down 2nd Avenue and very close to the classroom buildings on the NE side of campus.</p>
<p>For those of you who also want to look at Jefferson and 2nd apts, here is the link:</p>
<p>[Welcome</a> to Jefferson 2nd Avenue - Student Living near The University of Florida](<a href=“http://www.jefferson2ndave.com/]Welcome”>http://www.jefferson2ndave.com/)</p>
<p>Do not rent from Trimark. I live in one of their apartments now and their employees laugh in our faces when my roommates and I come to them with problems that, under the lease, they are obligated to fix. A lawyer in Gainesville told me that Trimark is notorious for fraud, and that they will find any excuse to take your money. And if you try to argue with them, they will just sue you.</p>
<p>I haven’t heard much about Jefferson 2nd Ave… It does look pretty overpriced, but if you can afford it, then go for it. Also, keep in mind that an 8-10 min walk to the edge of campus doesn’t mean that it will be an 8-10 min walk to classes. You’ll have to add at least another 5-10 min to that, maybe more depending on where your classes are. So don’t pick Jefferson just for the distance to UF.</p>
<p>Good to know about Trimark. Jefferson being right down 2nd Ave, seems to put you in a good spot for many classroom buildings when you hit campus at 13th Ave and 2nd. It’s nice to because it’s a flat walk and not up or down a hill like University House up 13th.</p>
<p>For price, they are competitive. The 4/4s are $595, but they are waiving all fees and giving one month free or rent credit, or a 50CC scooter. To me, that makes it right in line with a dorm and you get your own space, kitchen, w/d etc. </p>
<p>Oh, I also said D is trying to start summer and not fall, and they basically said she could move in anytime after May 1 and they wouldn’t charge her anything for it and we wouldn’t have to pay anything until regular rent in September.</p>
<p>Trimark wants $250 for nothing when you sign the lease. They call it a redecorating and application fee.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I believe that all the “big realty companies” have issues. We had some issues with Paradigm last year (when my daughter rented at Oxford Manor). That said, we/she have had no issues at all with Trimark at this point. Everything she needed fixed, was done so in an timely matter without complaint. All complaints are handled via internet request form and we have been really happy with the service. So far they have replaced a garbage disposal, fixed a ceiling fan and replaced light bulbs in ceiling fixtures without issue.</p>
<p>595$ for a private bed/bath in a 4/4 at Jefferson sounds like a good deal, especially since it comes furnished (right?).
I think the cost of a bed/bath in a individual lease 3/3 at Royale Palms is $599 unfurnished (tho packages are available) and dosen’t include utilities or cable (both cost an additional $150/mo).</p>
<p>Yes, the prices were very competitive. Totally furnished with utilities capped at $40 per person and includes all internet, unlimited water, cable with HBO. The only extra is parking in a reserved spot in the garage for $30 a month. You can do street parking for the year for $18.</p>
<p>Good deal Tzais! Sounds worth it to me.</p>
<p>We’re working on the lease. I am so afraid to sign and then two weeks later D says she’d rather stay in the dorms. If you don’t remember, D was accepted to Spring 2010 and was very lucky based on her stats. She has appealed for a term change to Summer, but may not hear until mid-late May. That totally messes up her housing preference and they say there may be no availability in Fall should in the dorms even if she were to stay there over the summer.</p>
<p>So the plan at this time is to move to the apartment in August and take a full load at Sante Fe awaiting the Spring term at UF.</p>