Southgate Towers

I elected to live at Southgate because I knew nothing about the Baton Rouge area, and I wanted a place where I could study if I needed. I was willing to pay a little bit more than I normally would, but I was pleasantly surprised that some apartment prices were lower than advertised!

Pros:

Southgate is EXTREMELY quiet. Though there are a lot of LSU students who live there, it doesn't feel like a traditional undergrad apartment complex. I've seen doctors, nurses, other young professionals, and even young families who live there. All of the main structure walls separating the units are made of solid concrete, so noise is rarely a problem. All of my utilities are included, except for electricity which isn't really expensive anyway. There is also fantastic security. The parking garage gate is always shut, and it only opens with a key fob. In the event that a break-in or some other crime happens (which has never happened to me), there are cameras EVERYWHERE. There are multiple cameras on every floor of the garage and at the end of every hallway. Regarding service, you would think that such a large complex would have very delayed service requests, but thats not so. I have never waited more than a day for a service request to be filled, and on average, maintenance stops by within a few hours. I would highly recommend Southgate as a place for grad students. Oh, and let's not forget that you are roughly 5-10 minutes from campus.

Cons:

There aren't many. The biggest con that comes to mind are the many undergrads who live there. Though you never hear them walk by, they often leave the hallways in disarray. The hallways sometimes smell from *whatever* people do in their apartments. Personally, it doesn't bother me because I am typically inside my apartment--I ignore whatever is in the hallway--but it could be a bit of a turnoff for someone who is more sensitive. The next con is that Southgate can be a little pricey. As I said, I wanted to spend a little more in hopes that I found a comfortable and quiet place. The cost isn't unreasonable, especially if you choose to live with a roommate, but it's going to be more than you typically see elsewhere.

Noisy, but nice at the right price - most likely overpriced