When I started looking for apartments in the area, I was impressed by the detailed and positive…read morereviews for Heritage Village Apartments and decided to give Joan a call. I'm glad I did -- I've been here for about five months and love it!
Location is perfect. Within walking distance or a ten-minute drive there's a bounty of stores and services: wonderful Ethiopian restaurants (Zeni's and Mulu's), Trader Joe's, the Campbell library, delicious tea leaf salad at the Burmese restaurant Kyusu, Whole Foods/Whole Body, UPS and USPS offices, the Campbell Community Center (where you can take classes on yoga, spinning, Spanish, ESL, piano, etc.), beautiful John D Morgan Park, the Sunday farmer's market, badminton court behind Fry's, Kaiser (if you are in their health care system), Mitsuwa and Lion Market (for Asian groceries), and lots more.
At this time, rent for my one-bedroom (with sitting room) is $1970, which includes water and garbage. The unit has its own washer and dryer, with two sunny enclosed patios and hardwood floors in the kitchen, dining, and living room. The apartment was in good shape when I moved in, walls repainted and carpet cleaned. The only negative experience that I had was a pervasive chemical smell (could have been from the paint, carpet treatments, or pest deterrents), which gave me strong headaches and some nausea the first two weeks that I moved in. (Perhaps some air purifiers might have helped?) The neighbors have been quiet and respectful -- there is seldom noise after 9:30 pm (with the exception of one neighbor who seems to be a frequently outraged sports fan). Since I live on the first floor, I can hear people upstairs when they walk quickly or drop things, and when they are running the dishwasher or shower. I got used to the muffled sounds quickly, though, so that's not a problem for me. As for heat -- there is no A/C in the unit, but it remains quite cool on the ground floor, and when it is 100 degrees outside, I am comfortable inside with the windows closed and the fan on. Also important to note, I've had no issues with pests/critters so far (i.e. no fleas, silverfish, bedbugs -- just the monthly spider visit).
If you work in Silicon Valley, are daunted by the high rent in Sunnyvale, Cupertino, and Santa Clara (roughly $2100-$2500 for a one-bedroom), and don't mind a slightly longer commute, Campbell -- and Heritage Village Apartments in particular -- is a good place to consider. (Note: At this time, Apple shuttles do not stop in Campbell, although they do in Los Gatos.)