Wow... it looks like I'm the minority here. I actually have no problems with the apartment I'm in now. But I also spent a lot of time last year looking at places and finding a complex that wasn't managed by a big company.

I live in a college town (as a college kid) and the first apartment I had wasn't too bad. I didn't really hear my neighbors, and when I did it was still pretty quiet. They fixed things pretty promptly but it was too far away from campus and their pet policy was ridiculous.

The place I'm at now is much better. I haven't been here long enough to know how quick they are about repairs, but the landlords are great, and so are the neighbors. I live right next to campus and there is just a parking lot separating the complex from a bar, so it gets a bit noisy on Thrus-Sat nights. It's an older building so I hear the neighbors much more often, but they aren't loud people...it's just old insulation. (The upstairs neighbors are super sweet....they even came in to see me at work ^_^ ) I really enjoy it though while I'm in school. I don't have to worry about fixing things, I have just enough space for what I need, and it's a great location.

One day I'll be in a house, but I have no problems with apartment living...however I'm a pretty tolerant person ^_^