Macadam Village Apartments

This apartment is quite close to campus; it's a five minute drive with minimal traffic; under ten mins even with extensive traffic. It is possible to ride a bike to L& C, but it's about 2 miles uphill via either Corbett/Terwilliger or the Riverview Abbey cemetery.

The apartment is across the street from the massive Waterfront Park along the Willamette River, which makes for great walks with my dog, and has a beautiful running/bike path that goes 2 miles north into South Waterfront with easy access to downtown, which is a sub-15 minute drive. There's also a kayak rental shop just up Macadam, which means quick excursions on the river come easy and often.

The proximity to the park is an enormous perk, but it does mean we are occasionally woken by loud people exiting the park at night. In addition, the apartment is on a very busy street, which means that there's often construction nearby and loud trucks driving under our bedroom window.

That said, we love the place. It's spacious and highly conveniently located. Within walking distance are thai, hawaiian, indian, chinese and sushi restaurants. There's also several bars that are quite nice, but with distinct themes: one is a sports bar with t.v.s and pool tables and a nice backdoor patio, while the other is a McMenamins with a cozy dining area and a nice beer-garden with a fire pit. In addition, there's a Starbucks and a local coffee shop (Jola) which is excellent. Finally, the apartment is in the same parking lot as a pizza place and a Zupans, which is a little expensive for a gracery store, but is enormously convenient when you only need a couple of things or just want a bottle of wine or some beer.

However, if night life is your thing, you may not prefer this area; it's quiet over here and usually fairly dead at night, except for some occasional weekends at Buffalo Gap.

The management company is big and corporate, but we've had no problems with it so far. They took care of an ant problem we had for a couple weeks fairly quickly and haven't had a problem since. The only complaint is that they charge a steep fee for pets: a $500 deposit and an extra $50/month rent.

My partner and I highly recommend this area, though it is more expensive than we originally preferred. That said, the convenience and joy we've gotten from the place is probably worth it, as is the likelihood we won't have to move at all during or even for a little while after law school.