I’m pretty committed to moving out of my current apartment this summer. The only thing that would stop me is money at this point. While my apartment is fine, the landlord is fine and everything, I’m just tired of being trapped. I’m trapped by the fact that my kid can’t play outside, and can’t ride her bike to someplace else to play, and I’m trapped in the winter months. Snow removal is terrible and parking becomes this huge hassle. Basically, we don’t go anywhere at night during the snowy months. Last night Selam wanted to go ice skating, but we couldn’t because coming back at 7:30, there wouldn’t be parking.
So I’m checking out Craigslist every day. I visited one apartment but it just wouldn’t work out–they wanted someone to move in immediately, and I can’t afford to pay double rent for 2 months. They weren’t willing to budge on that. It’s also much more money than I’m paying now. I’m expecting to pay some more more money than now (I have a really sweet deal right now), but not that much more. The realtor assures me that lots of things will be announced in March and April for June, July, and August leases, as visiting faculty and graduate students move out. So I am waiting.
In the meantime, I have a question—some of the places that look like they could work are complexes. I’ve never lived in a complex, and admit to having a bit of a bad attitude toward them. But maybe I need to let that go. Has anyone lived in an apartment complex–especially with kids? How is it? REally loud? not so bad?
theskyislaughing 
Applauding your decision and hoping for a perfect change for you and Selam.
Answering late….but whatever.
When my older three kids were Selam’s age +/- 3 years on either side we lived in apartment complexes, one in SC and one in FL and both times it was fine. Both were in places with LOTS of apartment complexes and I tried to choose ones that were family friendly, esp. when we moved to FL for grad school — BIG university with lots of students in apartments and I didn’t want to end up surrounded by parties. In fact it was a place with lots of grad student families mixed with some young professionals and a sprinkling of older folks, and was a great place for my kids– contained enough to be safe, pool, green spaces,, and good neighbors. The apartments were town house style so we didn’t have upstairs/downstairs neighbors, and noise was never ever an issue.
Since I’ve moved to New England, I’ve not lived any place with the kind of large apartment complexes we lived in. Not sure why it is so different. So I don’t know what complexes in NH might be like. Ask about demographics when you check a place out and consider the overall neighborhood (which i’m sure you are doing anyway).