I was recently hired in St. Mary's in the Leonardtown area and will be looking to move (in the next few months) from Calvert. I've made a list of apartment complexes that I think look relatively safe, have pretty good ratings on apartmentratings.com, and are reasonably priced, et cetera.
I would love to hear opinions/advice/suggestions about these places (or others) from anyone who might know more about them. (Just a heads up, I'm only looking for one bedroom apartments.) If you'd rather send me a message than respond on here, please feel free to do so! Thanks in advance! :huggy:

1) Greenview Village Apartments - Lexington Park, MD

3) The Apartments of Wildewood - California, MD

5) Abberly Crest - Lexington Park, MD
6) Park Villas - Lexington Park, MD
7) Spyglass at Cedar Cove Apartments - Lexington Park, MD
8) Elan Settler's Landing - California, MD
9) The Greens at Hilton Run - Lexington Park, MD
10) Hickory Hills East - Great Mills, MD

You should strike 2 and 4 right off the list. I don't think anyone would in good faith recommend them to anyone.

Abberly crest is very nice, and the one bedrooms are lovely. A bit pricier than some, though. I stayed at hickory hills for a year, in the townhomes and found them to be reasonably priced and safe.

Good luck.

Thank you!

You'll have the shortest commute if you move to Wildewood. Take St Andrews Church Road to Rt 5 and you'll be only minutes away from any Leonardtown school.

Welcome to this side of the bridge! :howdy:

Wildewood apartments are very nice.

I can say #7 should be on your last resort list. Lived there for over 2 years, management changed about 5 times. Expensive, older 80's style apartments, they have been updating them but asking over $1050 for a 1 bedroom. We started out at $850 a month, our next renewal was going to be for $1009.

I like the place, it has nice access to the beach, pretty sweet pool, and close as hell to work. The management company does not give this place the time of day though.

Pros
Beach, pool, proximity to PAX, friendly community

Cons
Expensive, old, someone attempted to break into my truck 2 times, and succeeded once with over $6k in damage. Sewage pump backed up and pretty much all lower level apts had issues, management replaced carpet and that was all.

Wildewood is ok, but they do have a fairly long wait list.

Abberly Crest is nice if you don't mind 0 cell service. I've lived there for 2 years.

Settlers Landing is shaping up to look nice but they are even more expensive than Abberly. Also they aren't scheduled to be open until October.

1) Greenview Village Apartments - Lexington Park, MD
Hell no
2) Indian Bridge Apartments - Lexington Park, MD
Hell no
3) The Apartments of Wildewood - California, MD
Good
4) St. Mary's Landing - Lexington Park, MD
Hell no
5) Abberly Crest - Lexington Park, MD
Good
6) Park Villas - Lexington Park, MD
Good, but close to bad. I lived there for a year with zero issues. Only moved because I bought a house.
7) Spyglass at Cedar Cove Apartments - Lexington Park, MD
Eh. Last resort of the good category.
8) Elan Settler's Landing - California, MD
No clue.



:coffee:

Depends on your price range. Abberly Crest and Wildewood are the current nicest but are the most expensive. The pricing at Settler's Landing is ridiculous based on what I've seen but if you can afford them then they are probably going to be the best as far as safety and convenience, based on pricing and location. Spyglass seemed nice when I went to check it out on my own apartment search, but reviews from those who have lived there are mixed and those are about the farthest from Leonardtown.

You don't have The Greens on your list, they are priced well, seem to be kept up well, and seems to be full of base workers, so safe enough. I've been looking for an apartment as well and after seeing most of the ones you've listed as well as The Greens, think that is the place I am going to move to. Haven't lived there yet though so that is all from visiting/viewing, maybe someone who has lived there (recently, because I understand it was a bad, bad place a few years ago) can tell more.

Depends on your price range. Abberly Crest and Wildewood are the current nicest but are the most expensive. The pricing at Settler's Landing is ridiculous based on what I've seen but if you can afford them then they are probably going to be the best as far as safety and convenience, based on pricing and location. Spyglass seemed nice when I went to check it out on my own apartment search, but reviews from those who have lived there are mixed and those are about the farthest from Leonardtown.

You don't have The Greens on your list, they are priced well, seem to be kept up well, and seems to be full of base workers, so safe enough. I've been looking for an apartment as well and after seeing most of the ones you've listed as well as The Greens, think that is the place I am going to move to. Haven't lived there yet though so that is all from visiting/viewing, maybe someone who has lived there (recently, because I understand it was a bad, bad place a few years ago) can tell more.

I had The Greens at Hilton Run on my list at one point, but after reading some reviews (The Greens at Hilton Run Apartment Ratings, Reviews, Map, Rents, and other Lexington Park apartments for rent from ApartmentRatings.com (http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/MD-Lexington-Park-The-Greens-at-Hilton-Run.html)) it made me nervous. Then again, St. Mary's Landing and Indian Bridge have good reviews online, so that tells you how reliable those apparently are... anyone else have any advice on The Greens?

In my opinion, I'd stay away from all of those, but apartment living isn't where I roll.

Wildewood is probably the best option as far as the apartments go, but look around for good rental opportunities away from the developements. Sometimes the good ones pop up that a less expensive, more room, actually have a yard to hang out in, and not surrounded by other people...

...right here on somd.com there is are listings for stand alone rentals.

You should also take a look at each of the neighborhoods on the CrimeReports website https://www.crimereports.com/ and expand the search to the last 30 days. This may help you feel better about a specific area/warn you away if you are unsure.

Thank you all so much for the replies so far! It's been immensely helpful! :)

In addition to that list (which I've officially crossed St. Mary's Landing and Indian Bridge off of), does anyone have any input on Hickory Hills East, The Greens at Hilton Run, and Greenview Village?

I've also seen rentals in Spring Valley, but can't find a website for them or anything... anyone know anything about them?

I lived in HH east 4 to 5 years ago. The rent was outrages for a single BR. Just before I left they were going to increase the rent to 900+/month. The neighborhood had its share of noise makers (cars screaming away, loud music as they drive by and park at all hours of the night), but if you get good neighbors you shouldn't have any REAL problems.

All the developments in this area are built like tin cans. You will hear just about everything going on in the apartments adjacent to yours and vice versa.

Really, if you are a renter that is considerate of others, then, it comes down the your neighbors. If all involved are considerate, few problems will arise and if they do, can be settled by simply be knocking on the door.

Have you lived in a apartment before?

edit

I lived in HH east 4 to 5 years ago. The rent was outrages for a single BR. Just before I left they were going to increase the rent to 900+/month. The neighborhood had its share of noise makers (cars screaming away, loud music as they drive by and park at all hours of the night), but if you get good neighbors you shouldn't have any REAL problems.

All the developments in this area are built like tin cans. You will hear just about everything going on in the apartments adjacent to yours and vice versa.

Really, if you are a renter that is considerate of others, then, it comes down the your neighbors. If all involved are considerate, few problems will arise and if they do, can be settled by simply be knocking on the door.

Have you lived in a apartment before?

edit


Nope! I lived on campus in college all four years, but I haven't lived on my own yet. :rolleyes: (I'm 24 and just landed my first permanent teaching job after a lot of temporary teaching positions in Calvert.) So, I'm familiar with Calvert since I grew up here, but there really aren't many places to live in Calvert that aren't single family homes and/or very expensive. :(

Nope! I lived on campus in college all four years, but I haven't lived on my own yet. :rolleyes: (I'm 24 and just landed my first permanent teaching job after a lot of temporary teaching positions in Calvert.) So, I'm familiar with Calvert since I grew up here, but there really aren't many places to live in Calvert that aren't single family homes and/or very expensive. :(

Good luck.

Try to stay away from section 8 if you can. It DOES make a difference.

Definitely. :yay: Thanks!

I've never had a problem with Abberly. They're less than 10 years old in phase 1 and then phase 2 is only 2-3 years old. The rent has been pretty stable for years, but it's pretty high compared to other places on your list. They're supposedly going to start working on phase 3 soon, so that might help keep the prices down for awhile. Like someone else said, cell phone service is spotty inside -- it really depends on what you have and what apartment (or even room) you're sitting in. I have service most of the time but it's 1-2 bars.

One thing to note: Abberly has a storage room that doesn't seem to be available in any other complex. If you have a lot of junk and don't want to buy a storage unit or separate garage to store things, that might be something to consider. They also have pretty solid internet & cable that are included in your final rent, which is usually $50/mo more than what they advertise due to that added cable/internet expense. It's nice not to have to deal with extra bills though. Another added bonus: it's one of the few places in the county where power seems to survive during storms more often than not. If I were to do things over I may not pick Abberly due to the price, but there aren't any real negatives so that's always nice.

BTW, It looks like you have Greenview as #1 and #11. I don't know that much about it but listing it twice seems like overkill. It's also located right off of Great Mills Road, so I doubt you'll hear many ringing endorsements for that area. Same goes for Park Villas, but I'm only discussing the area (check the crime ratings as mentioned elsewhere) and know nothing of either complex. At least with Abberly & The Greens, you're relatively removed from GMR even though it's not too far away. Speaking of which, both Abberly and the Greens are close enough to route 5 that you can take that route instead of taking 235. That at least avoids some of the traffic that you might be concerned about living that far down the road.

In case you haven't done this already, be sure to check the classifieds on this website -- there may be some random apartments, basements, or homes for rent for similar prices to these apartment complexes.

I would rank them:
1) Abberly/Wildewood
2) Greens/Spyglass

It sounds like Evan Settlers may jump that list but if they aren't opening til October then there's no point rating them yet. You may want to look into that one as well and rent an apartment in the Greens (cheapest of the decent places I think) temporarily until it opens, assuming that's your favorite.

You'll get people who say every complex has its pros and cons (especially when you're talking about price) but you need to figure out what works for you. Hope this helps.

Thank you all so much for the replies so far! It's been immensely helpful! :)

In addition to that list (which I've officially crossed St. Mary's Landing and Indian Bridge off of), does anyone have any input on Hickory Hills East, The Greens at Hilton Run, and Greenview Village?

I've also seen rentals in Spring Valley, but can't find a website for them or anything... anyone know anything about them?

I recommend you scratch Spring Valley off your list.

You should also take a look at each of the neighborhoods on the CrimeReports website https://www.crimereports.com/ and expand the search to the last 30 days. This may help you feel better about a specific area/warn you away if you are unsure.

Great site, you can go back up to 6 months. We did a lot of searching and some of the places surprised me with the amount of crime. Then again the crack heads can't steal from each other.

I chucked all the paperwork I had from Settlers Landing since their schedule slipped and no longer worked for us, but I believe the 1 bedrooms at Settlers Landing were close to Abberly in price. However, cable/internet was not included in the rent at Settlers. Instead they will have 5 day trash pickup included in the rent.

I chucked all the paperwork I had from Settlers Landing since their schedule slipped and no longer worked for us, but I believe the 1 bedrooms at Settlers Landing were close to Abberly in price. However, cable/internet was not included in the rent at Settlers. They will have 5 day trash pickup included in the rent however.

So instead of having to walk/drive to the dumpsters on site for free (Abberly & probably some of the other apartments), they'll give you a garbage can so you can leave your trash on the curb? Or is it still a dumpster located on the premises, which essentially would make it the same thing? I'm curious how they'd be able to fit all of those trash cans if they did it individually, and if they had a few trash cans at each building it could still pile up and smell. I actually prefer having the dumpster on site so I can dump it and not see it again. :shrug:

So instead of having to walk/drive to the dumpsters on site for free (Abberly & probably some of the other apartments), they'll give you a garbage can so you can leave your trash on the curb? Or is it still a dumpster located on the premises, which essentially would make it the same thing? I'm curious how they'd be able to fit all of those trash cans if they did it individually, and if they had a few trash cans at each building it could still pile up and smell. I actually prefer having the dumpster on site so I can dump it and not see it again. :shrug:

According to the person at the leasing office, they give you a big trash can and you put it outside your door every night.

I chucked all the paperwork I had from Settlers Landing since their schedule slipped and no longer worked for us, but I believe the 1 bedrooms at Settlers Landing were close to Abberly in price. However, cable/internet was not included in the rent at Settlers. Instead they will have 5 day trash pickup included in the rent.

So even though Abberly is one of the more expensive ones, their rent price includes cable and internet? I didn't see that on their site, but I very well may have just missed it after looking at so many. :coffee:

According to the person at the leasing office, they give you a big trash can and you put it outside your door every night.

Oh wow... well that sounds like a winning amenity right there... :dingding:

So even though Abberly is one of the more expensive ones, their rent price includes cable and internet? I didn't see that on their site, but I very well may have just missed it after looking at so many. :coffee:

I just checked their website and saw that the cable/internet package wasn't included in their pricing anymore. When I moved in they were touting the cable/internet included thing, but the rent was listed higher than what they have it at now.

I just checked their website and saw that the cable/internet package wasn't included in their pricing anymore. When I moved in they were touting the cable/internet included thing, but the rent was listed higher than what they have it at now.

Oh geez. Well, guess I'll just have to ask once I narrow my list down some more. :) Thanks either way!

I live in Wildewood...they are nice but pricey. Getting in one is the luck of the draw..when I put my name on list it was 8 weeks for me to move into my new apartment. Another person was able to move in two weeks.

According to the person at the leasing office, they give you a big trash can and you put it outside your door every night.Oh I'm sure that'll be lovely to have all of the hallways filled with trash cans each evening.

So even though Abberly is one of the more expensive ones, their rent price includes cable and internet? I didn't see that on their site, but I very well may have just missed it after looking at so many. :coffee:
$50/mo more than the advertised price covers the cable/internet. They caught me with that last minute, but it's a better price than trying to get it yourself. I doubt they changed it...certainly didn't tell me they were changing it with the renewal papers. Maybe it's optional now. :shrug:

Thank you all so much for the replies so far! It's been immensely helpful! :)

In addition to that list (which I've officially crossed St. Mary's Landing and Indian Bridge off of), does anyone have any input on Hickory Hills East, The Greens at Hilton Run, and Greenview Village?

I've also seen rentals in Spring Valley, but can't find a website for them or anything... anyone know anything about them?

I rented from Hickory Hills East last year and I had no problems. I never felt unsafe there. I did feel like the rent was high for what you got but it seems to be the case everywhere around here. Good luck.

I don't know if this was alread mentoned but Wildewood has other rental options than the new apartments. There are condos in the same area as the new apartments that might show up on rental listings. Also with all the new construction going on, the option to rent, or even buy, one of the new units being put up by Stanely Martin might be worth exploring.

If you are going to work in Leonardtown I would look at other options there as well.
The problem is that there is a derth of nice places and more than enough people with $$ willing to pay the rent. It's one thing if you are a professional working at Pax, pay is typically good. Outside that you see a real drop off in salary for those locally employed. - Exluding doctors and lawyers.
County / State government and the schools don't pay anywhere near what the people working on base get.
For example, a fresh out of college recruit coming to Pax will probably earn more per year in their first year, than a journyman teacher will ever earn.
That's what drives the price of rentals up.
It's a damn shame freshly minted teachers cant afford the same quality of life as a freshly minted fenderal government employee.

I inquired about the Wildewood apartments available and they do have some, but the woman I spoke to said there's also available apartments at Wildridge in California, MD which the same company that owns Wildewood also owns.

Anyone know anything about Wildridge?

I am not sure what cable packaging everyone else is getting, but basic 2mpbs package from Metrocast starts at $35+ modem rental. Our total bill with upgraded digital basic, 2 HD,DVR's, and the 12 mpbs package is just over $150.

I have some friends who live in St. Marys landing and they have no complaints. It does not matter what area you live in now the entire county is jacked up. Most of the criminals come from other areas anyways. I will also say that judging off of the crime reports site when we had done some research before buying the house, the area we bought in right off of GMR has less petty crime acts than all apartment areas, and even most of the nicer residential areas. Doing the search the area we purchased in (Essex South), had 5 hits. 2 of them child abuse from the same house, 2 B&E on the same house, and was assault. Wildewood had over 75 hits, Cedar Cove had about 25 or so, Town Creek also had quite a few. Not saying this is a perfect basis, but the theft from my truck was never listed either.

You may want to start looking on some reality sites to check out rentals, the lack of apartments near Leonardtown does not help much. Like it has been stated everyone can tell you personal experiences (what I would go off of), and they can tell you what they hear (the majority of people that complain about places).

I inquired about the Wildewood apartments available and they do have some, but the woman I spoke to said there's also available apartments at Wildridge in California, MD which the same company that owns Wildewood also owns.

Anyone know anything about Wildridge?

Doing a Google search for "WildeRidge Apartments" gets a result of Lexington Park. Map has them behind K-Mart, Laurel Glenn. Either they are real new, or Stanely Martin took over hte Laurel Glenn property.

I inquired about the Wildewood apartments available and they do have some, but the woman I spoke to said there's also available apartments at Wildridge in California, MD which the same company that owns Wildewood also owns.

Anyone know anything about Wildridge?
Semi-ghetto. Their office is always empty except for an occasional Wildewood employee. They don't bother with it much. Not as good...probably not worth the price, compared to other things you can get for a similar rate. One nice thing is that the doors to the apartments are all inside, and there's a swipe to get in. The bad thing is that some of the riffraff leave the doors propped open at all times and you better not mess with it (at least the bldg I used to visit)

Doing a Google search for "WildeRidge Apartments" gets a result of Lexington Park. Map has them behind K-Mart, Laurel Glenn. Either they are real new, or Stanely Martin took over hte Laurel Glenn property.

Wildridge is actually next to Laurel Glenn, I believe. It's been there a few years at least.

Coworker of mine rented at WildRidge while house hunting. Was not super happy with his fellow renters, not the socioeconomic status he was expecting. I recommend a few drivebys at differing parts of the day, both weekday and weekend.

Just wanted to give an update in case it helps others looking for apartments... We did some tours and some driving around today looking at apartments.

Abberly Crest - (met with Estela, she was very nice) the entire area is beautiful and the model (of course) is gorgeous... quite expensive, but if you have the money, it should be, without a doubt, a place to at least consider... very nice, very pretty, well-kept, clean, etc.

Greens at Hilton Run - (met with Claire, very nice also) it was okay, but nothing special... I'd heard some bad things about it recently, but the grounds looked pretty well-kept in general... we went through 2 different apartments, one of which had an "old" smell and the other smelled like there'd been smokers living there... they were clean, though, and seemed to be in good shape... pretty decent overall, but nothing amazing

Spyglass - we drove down there and realized that it would be too far a drive for me to/from work, so we cancelled the appointment we'd made for a tour... just from being on the grounds, it seemed okay... a little run down/older, but nothing terrible... can't give any opinions on the interiors since we didn't go in

Park Villas - seemed okay, but was a little too close to Great Mills Road... it's not that far off of it and it didn't seem like it'd be worth the money since they're also pretty pricey and in case there is crime that goes down there (just my opinion)... it seemed okay though, but we decided not to go in and ask for a tour

Hickory Hills East - we got a tour of a 1 bedroom apartment and really liked it... it's nothing amazing, but it was nice and the price is more reasonable than the others- they give great discounts for teachers and they bundle your internet and cable, etc. with a discount... since the price is more doable than Abberly, this is probably where I'll end up renting a place pretty soon

Wildewood - I'm on the wait list for their 1 bedrooms, but haven't heard anything and they're also quite expensive... we didn't go there since it was similar to Abberly in the price ranges, but I've only heard good things about the places there

Elan's - still being built, and I've spoken to some agents there, but the rent is continuously going up and the move in for the cheapest 1 bedroom (The Ashton) doesn't have a move in date until January 15, 2013, so they're pricey and still being built/not ready for move in... it all depends on if you can wait and afford them...

I hope this was helpful in case someone else is looking for opinions on apartments in St. Mary's. These were just my personal opinions on the places, so you can take it for whatever it's worth. Thanks to everyone for their input over the past few weeks! :buddies: