Let me start by saying that I lived in a 1B 1Bath apartment on the second floor above a garage. Also, this is an apartment complex so you need to keep in mind that this is COMMUNITY living area so you're bound to have some bad eggs that live there.
Now with that said,
Experience: I honestly really enjoyed living in these apartments over the past year. The staff is really nice and easy to work with (that is if you pay your rent and aren't a nuisance to your neighbors). Yes, the price of the apartments are a little on the high end but you do get what you pay for. During the warmer months, they manage to keep the grounds looking pretty good by cutting and maintaining the grass/gardens (they have a crew come in and take care of that). During the winter months they hire a company to come out and clear the parking lot and sidewalks which is very nice.
Expenses: On top of the rent, you'll pay an additional fee that covers internet (1MB, any extra is on you), cable (basic package provided by DirecTV), and trash pickup which comes Sunday through Thursday around 8pm. The trashcan is a little bit smaller than your typical household trashcan but if you aren't wasteful, you'll manage. Utilities are not included so expect to pay around $18 for water and sewage and around $55-$80 (high end during the colder months) for electric and gas a month. Obviously the monthly expenses are a little more than average but it's definitely worth it in comparison to a lot of the other apartments.
Complaints: Yes, the walls and floors are rather thin but what apartment that isn't made of concrete is going to be sound proof? I had a neighbor live above that had some pretty heavy foot steps. I simply addressed the matter with them and didn't have many issues after that (had to remind them a couple more times). If you live above a garage like I did, you will hear it open and close but that's usually only twice a day (morning and evening) but it didn't really bother me all that much.
Parking: Parking is a first-come-first-serve thing. The later in the evening you get there, the harder it will be to find a spot during week but is pretty open on the weekends. You can sign up for a garage but will obviously be an extra monthly expense.
Gates: The gates were working pretty much 95% of the time. During the winter months when the roads are a little icey, they will leave the gates open to prevent people from sliding into them but will close them as soon as the roads clear up enough.
It is usually pretty quiet around the area but you will occasionally get those people that will speed through the complex or blare music which can be aggravating.
In regards to the maintenance crew, they are pretty much working from the time they arrive (around 8am) to the time they leave (around 6pm). I had broken the mirror on my medicine cabinet and had it replaced in about a weeks time. At the same time they were even nice enough to replace a light bulb in my kitchen without me asking. When something needs to replaced in your apartment you have to realize that they may have to order a new one which could take a few days, maybe weeks to get in. Don't blame them. They're just doing their job.
All in all it was a great experience while living here which is hard to say about an apartment complex here in the Springs. Like I said, you just have to keep in mind that no apartments are going to be a utopia. In my opinion, this is one of the better locations in the Springs where you get what you pay for.
