Birchview Gardens

I’ve been living here for the past 3 years, and I CANNOT WAIT to get out of here this summer! Laundry room is disgusting and ALWAYS crowded, when it snows, you can’t leave your apartment at all because they take forever to clear the snow from the parking lots, pets are not supposed to be allowed but I see people walking dogs everywhere, and management never answers the phone unless you make it sound like an emergency. I have ants in my bathroom because they come in through cracks in the walls, and the walls/​windows are so thin it’s ALWAYS freezing in the winter, no matter how high the heat is.
BOTTOM LINE, STAY AWAY FROM THIS MESS. You can find better apartments for a similar price.

I’ve been living here in a one bedroom upper level apartment for over a year now and it has been really great. They deserve some more reviews. When I moved here, Birchview Gardens had the lowest rent for the most space and amenities. The apartments are really nice, all hardwood floors, a nice sized balcony, lots of floor space including an extra space for a dining room and a walk-​in closet in the bedroom, and a nice big kitchen with lots of cupboards and adequate counter space. Space was never an issue, my apartment is very roomy. The rent is really reasonable given the area and just overall generally inflated prices of everything in New Jersey. I asked if I’d be allowed to have a room mate in my one bedroom and the answer was yes, and even without increasing the rent and without a fee to park an extra car. Included is free parking, free garbage and recycling disposal, and access to multiple laundry rooms on site with quarter machines. You can get a garage for a fee. There’s also tennis courts in the back and access to the river. The location is really convenient, like literally steps to interstate 287 off of exit 9. It’s very quiet here and I feel safe. I don’t hear my neighbors at all unless thy are screaming (rare). Packages can sit on my stoop for days and nothing is ever stolen. I would feel safe sleeping with my doors unlocked (although I don’t haha). Management and maintenance are really friendly and attentive. They let you decorate and put nails in the wall to hang pictures and curtains etc. (I asked a few times before putting a nail in just to make sure, and every time, they say, «sure it’s your home!»). If you call/​email with some kind of issue, Barbara, in the leasing office, will respond and get someone to look at it usually within 24 hours if not within a few hours. The maintenance guys are really nice and helpful. When I moved in, I had scratched my floor pretty bad. I was worried they’d charge me for it. The maintenance guy said «no problem» and mopped over the area with this waxy stuff. I was just thinking out loud when I said «I wonder if it would work on my coffee table» which I had also badly scratched during the move. He said «let’s see» and he did the entire top surface of my coffee table. It did work and it still looks great a year later.
Cons: I get a lot of solicitors trying to sell me stuff (mostly Verizon and optimum), but Barbara let me put a «no solicitors» sign on my door and it’s been pretty quiet ever since. Past the exits for 287 on River Road can get pretty loaded with traffic during the morning and afternoon rush hours. There’s been a lot construction this summer too. But, to get to most places, you can use 287 to bypass River Road.
Overall, I’m really happy here. And you can’t beat the fact that you’re an hour train ride to NYC and about a 90 minute train ride to Philly. And about an hour drive to some nice beaches. They offer two bedrooms too I believe but I’ve never been inside any, so can’t comment on that, but I’d highly recommend looking at Birchview Gardens if you’re looking for a spacious one bedroom.