Given the lack of good quality and affordable housing, CarGar is actually quite good. Below is a…read moresummary:
(2P = 1B2P; 4P = 2B4P)
Pros: Location, RA on Duty, no leasing, some quiet apartments depending on your bedroom layouts, walk in closet for some, toilet and bathroom are separate for 4P room, newly installed ceiling lights and windows that reduce noise/better insulation, work order maintenance is 100% reliable but workers come in whenever they want to.
Cons: Stress during housing lottery, thin walls (sometimes), no singles, some noisy apartments depending on your bedroom layout.
The remaining part of this review is meant for those who care about noise. I'm a light sleeper and I've lived at Cargar for three years (F third level, H third level, A second level). I've suffered tremendously in my first two years but finally lived peacefully in my last year in A building with 2P room. So I'll be writing down info and tips for those who want a peaceful environment (assuming your roommates aren't jerks and your neighbors are reasonable).
Location: This really depends if you're 2P or 4P *and* if there's construction nearby. I woke up to annoying high pitched construction noises from the village at 8am on weekdays despite living in F, where it's supposedly quiet. So, pay attention if there's construction and see which buildings are close to it. You could ask the CSC if you're unsure.
If you're 2P:
All 2P rooms will face the bulky doors. That means you will hear every *clang* when the door closes and drunk idiots at night. But, I couldn't really hear them in my bedroom, which is farther away from the main door. Anyhow, keep this in mind!
As for rooms, I recommend A206 as it's the only one that doesn't face the cars, far enough away from courtyard, and very close to laundry. The bedroom is also not sharing a wall with another room. There's another room that I was considering that seems to be in a good location. That's F454. This faces the trees, but also the balconies across. Let's hope your neighbors don't talk so loud outside on the balconies. Like A206, it shouldn't be adjacent to another room (hopefully my memory is correct).
There are probably other 2P rooms that are good, but if you have a friend in cargar then visit them and see the room layout yourself. The room numberings are listed on the outside.
Avoid I building if you can because it faces the basketball court. More info on this down below.
If you're 4P:
Avoid A, B, G, H, and I (I actually don't recall if it's I building...but I comes after H right?) Buildings A, B and I (?) directly face the streets. A and B faces Jefferson and I (?) faces McClintock. Buildings G and H face the basketball courts, which should be demolished because it only benefits the handful of players who use the court. No matter how great your earplugs are, you will hear the constant thud from the basketballs. Sometimes, players are reckless and the balls will hit some of the walls of your room (if you're first floor or basement). Some players even blast music while doing so. Most of the times, players don't adhere to quiet hours. Some folks even play in the early hours (6am) and I once literally had to get up and tell them to play at a later time. Anyhow, avoid the basketball area at all costs.
F building is convenient, but you will directly face the courtyard. I followed the advice of fellow Yelpers, and I genuinely regret this. People can chitchat really loudly at night or have random parties outside whether it's during quiet hours or not. This doesn't happen every night, but it's an occurring issue for me almost weekly. Even my apartment mate who doesn't care about noise called RA on Duty a few times because residents can get really annoying outside.
I would recommend D building as it's definitely the safest bet. It's nice and quiet but the farthest from any laundry rooms available. Buildings C and E are also good choices, but they have balconies that face each other. Shouldn't be a problem most of the time. However, E building 4P faces the sun so try getting the third floor.
General notes:
The walls connecting the apartments are quite good, but thin for some of them. I can definitely say that the walls within the apartment are thin, so make sure to have good and considerate roommates. Ah, and pray that your neighbor doesn't blast their music on speaker or stomp heavily on top of you. I've encountered both of these situations in separate years.
Invest in good earplugs. Really. There will be street noise and people casually talking very loudly late at night. CarGar isn't situated in a suburban area, so keep this in mind.
