Ponderosa Village Apartments

The apartments are too expensive for grad students who do not have a partner or roommate who works. A one bedroom is completely out of reach for a single person on a GA stipend. They no longer allow pets for new tenants. You have to pay about $600 per year if you want to park in the lot closest to the apartment complex. We have functional mailboxes now, but in my experience, you will want to get a P.O. box as a backup. There have been a lot of issues with USPS recognizing our addresses.

Everything is ok except 2 things:

First there is only one way to enter. I mean when coming from JCSU and other places, we have to cross the soil path. This is also when we want to park our car in the upper parking. There is no asphalt or walking pathways which is really bad and inappropriate.

Secondly, as an international student, I think they would be far better if the units were furnished. International students have difficulty and have to stay at least 2 weeks in other students space until the time they purchase their initial living must haves.

Building structures cheaply constructed. Right next to a train on Evans which will blow its horn at 2 am. Expensive relative to what grad students are paid. Management does not keep accurate records of anything, e.g. they claimed they had no record of my security deposit after I had lived there for four years. I thought being on campus, there might be more community, but I guess they work grad students so much for so little pay, no one has time to meet fellow students. Consequently, the value of living on campus is reduced.

Big apartment for cheap. However, it's a bit dirty and you have to walk through dirt and mud to get anywhere

Great apartment

The apartment complex is average, it is not very clean in the outside and there are issues with trash management.

On another note, the management of the place is not great.

First, the pros: The property is well-secured with gates and heavy front doors, so I feel relatively safe at home. Of course, I live on an uper level, so those at ground level facing the parking lot may feel differently. The bedroom and bathroom are good-sized and private and I pay my half of the rent through a separate lease from my roommate, ensuring that if she leaves I am not responsible for her part of the bill. I appreciate that each bedroom has its own bathroom and that the unit has its own washer and dryer. The windows are large and allow in plenty of light. My particular unit has a nice view of the sunrise and hills.

Now the cons: There is virtually no storage space. The kitchen is very small, especially as it is shared between two people. Everything from the counters to the fridge to the carpets are clearly the cheapest options available. Trash builds up all over the property, cluttering the parking area and pathways as we don't seem to have enough dumpsters for the residents and nobody at the offices cleans up the property. The same bird poop has been on the railing, steps and landings of my unit for over 6 months. Parking is not just far away, but there are no designated pathways, so we're trudging up dirt paths that get muddy or aren't cleared of snow in the winter. Additionally, parking is not covered, so that's another couple hundred dollars a year. There is no guest parking to speak of, which presents additional challenges. There seems to be a high turnover rate for employees in the offices as it's always someone new. The offices are often closed during the hours they are supposed to be open and I almost never get responses to calls or emails, so I've given up trying. The location also means loud trainings on the practice fields, loud game nights, and bright parking lot lights at all hours, but that is to be expected with campus living.

Overall the unit itself has some appealing features, but gor the cost of the rent to not have much of an outdoor space, no swimming pool or gym membership (except through student fees), to have to pay separately for parking, and to have to live with a roommate because individual units are so expensive... it just doesn't measure up. Especially with the lack of care from management.

In my opinion, Ponderosa apartments are overpriced but they are a good choice because are close to campus. Although, are far from any marketplace but there is a 7 eleven close by in case you need some stuffs.

The apartment is spacious, good for health. The heating system has problems.

Neat and affordable.