The Icon

The Icon provides the essentials, but given the price relative to its quality, it just isn't worth it for me.

The apartments come furnished, and all of the utilities (water, electricity*, cable, and internet) are included in rent, which is a plus to a certain extent. It's certainly nice to not have to deal with furniture when moving. However, the furniture in my apartment was pretty dingy—I don't sit in the armchair because it's so dirty—and the TV is on its last legs. The ISP is some bargain bin provider, so the speeds are a pretty abysmal 100 mpbs up/down at the absolute best. (Also, an aside about the internet: if you prefer managing your own home network, find an apartment somewhere else. You cannot do that here.).
*You get a $60 "allowance" that goes towards the electricity bill, but I have yet to have to pay anything extra for this, even with the A/C running almost constantly.

The appliances, while fairly new, are also bargain bin items, but they get the job done.

Roaches are a problem, but the management appears to make a good faith effort to manage them. I saw at least 10 scurrying around my apartment within the first day or two of living there, but I've seen only one or two in the month since they had a pest control guy come out. For Houston, I think they're doing pretty well on this front.

Weekends can be pretty annoying for people who prefer quieter places. My apartment faces an interior courtyard and a pool, and naturally, people like to congregate there and play loud music into the early morning hours (sometimes even on weeknights!). This really gets on my nerves. However, this is a consequence of living in an apartment complex that caters to students.

Management charges extra for parking ($60/mo. for reserved space; $30/mo. for non-reserved spaces). This took me by surprise when I first moved in. I've also heard that the towing company that patrols the garage is pretty aggressive.

One of the things that chafes me the most about this apartment complex—and this is purely a personal concern—is just how far it is away from everything except for school. The nearest HEB is about a 20-minute drive away, and it's at least the same time to get to any non-fast-food restaurant. As someone who enjoys cooking and going to restaurants, this gets on my nerves every time I venture out to go grocery shopping or get out for dinner.

All of these things come at a price tag of $1500+ per month for a single-bedroom apartment. For the neighborhood this is in and for the concerns I've written above, this is simply way overpriced. Currently, I can find (and in hindsight, should have found) much better apartments in much better locations for a comparable price.

If all you really care about is living close to school and not having to move with furniture, then this is the place for you. But if you share any of the above concerns, then you're almost certainly better off looking elsewhere.