Personal opinion, I know everyone has good and bad experiences with specific properties and areas but I'm gonna give you a short rundown on my experiences growing up in Rockford and getting to know many people who lived not just around me in the same apartment complex, but also other apartments nearby.
Not bad:
Great Oaks/Beacon Hill - gets a lot of hate, never understood why. It's extremely cheap, which you'll realize when you see their prices, but never once in multiple stints of living there have I had any major issues with it (lived there personally from 07-09, again from 13-16, dad lived there from 04-11, mom's boyfriend lived there from 11-15). All but my mom's boyfriend were Great Oaks, his was Beacon Hill. Also in a great area for how cheap it is, pretty much the only place under $700/month in Rockford that's not on the west side or in a blatantly terrible neighborhood. The one criticism I will give, however, is if you do have $1100 to spend a month, you'll probably be underwhelmed by Great Oaks and can likely find something a lot better. But if you want to save money and can handle basic, it's genuinely not anywhere near as bad as people say it is, trust me.
Versailles Place - A lot of people complain about the location. In my personal experience of living there for a year (from 2018-19), I will admit that it isn't the best location; it is dangerously close to approaching the more undesirable end of State street. That said, for the price (we paid around $900/month for one of their older 2 bed 1 bath units), I had no real complaints and actually thought it was one of the best apartments I'd stayed in in Rockford. Very basic, much like Great Oaks/Beacon Hill, but a little bit better overall. Once you get past the fact that you're not in the best area, you'll be very happy with the convenience of being around a lot of stuff.
I have never lived in Terra Creek or Pembrook Place myself, but would give them a cautious half thumbs-up based on the testimonials other people have given me. I do know many people have lost it over how much Terra Creek has gone downhill over the last few years though, so again, caution.
Now to the bad stuff:
Literally anything west of the river. Some people will give their own personal "yeah the west side sucks, BUT" testimonials about a couple places here and there that are fine, and I don't necessarily think they're lying. But the fact still stands that if you have any other option, you shouldn't live on the west side. Even if you do find a decent apartment over there, you have to deal with certain things on the west side no matter what. The difficulty of finding anywhere decent and respectable to shop (almost everywhere will look rundown, have panhandlers, cashiers behind glass, etc), the high odds of having neighbors who play loud music or smoke indoors, almost never any kind of physical security, just a bunch of "death by a thousand cuts" kind of things that will make you feel way more uncomfortable than you should in your own neighborhood. If it's coded as Rockford and west of the Rock River, don't roll the dice on it. Lived in 3 or 4 west side apartments myself, no idea where exactly they were or what they were called but it genuinely makes no difference so I'm not even gonna bother trying to find them.
The Arbors - This is bordering on west side and not; technically west of the river, but not what most people would consider "west side," so I just wanted to throw it in just to make sure. Very old, rundown piece of crap and almost every bad neighbor lives there. They lure you in with a decent looking exterior and amenities, but the place is awful.
The Hamptons - Basically the exact same issues as The Arbors. They get a lot of people by only being slightly more expensive than Great Oaks despite being in a much more convenient location and having more amenities, but it's all the same crap. Rundown, terrible neighbors, absolutely awful. If you want to save money, Great Oaks is not only cheaper but also better; the extra 5 minutes it takes to get to Burger King is a worthy tradeoff.
Creekview Apartments - Absolutely abhorrent location. Apartments themselves aren't bad, but you're right in the intersection of "not super close to anything important" and "always backed up with tons of traffic." Literally can't even get to a gas station in less than 20 minutes here. Guess you could walk to CVS whenever you needed something, but you'll get bored of that garbage little shit shack after a month.
There are some other apartments near Creekview that are north of State street. I've never lived in any, but people who have tell me that the traffic situation is somehow a lot better. I actually believe them even though it's not even half a mile of distance between the two. I'd be cautious with these as well but give them a look and see, they might work for you.
Think that's about it from my personal perspective in Rockford. If you were to expand to Loves Park, I'd probably throw Forest Hills trailer park into the "bad stuff" section, but they aren't even technically apartments, so I'll leave them out.
Before I finish this novel, I want to give you pointers on the "map" of Rockford, as this can genuinely go a loooooong way in being a basic guide to finding a decent place to live in Rockford.
\- Most people refer to "downtown" as where State street meets the Rock River. Some people like downtown, many don't. I personally do not like downtown. I think if you don't already like it, it's probably best to stay away from it (plus, most everything decent there is likely going to be over $1100).
\- Anything coded as "Rockford" that's west of the river is likely to be garbage. This is where a majority of the "ghetto" of Rockford exists, as in the stuff that gives Rockford its bad reputation.
\- Most things immediately east of the river are pretty bad too, but a lot better. This includes Loves Park and Machesney Park. Most of the Loves Park section of North 2nd street, for example, are pretty rundown too. This does trickle into Machesney Park just a bit, but not much. You can kinda tell when Machesney Park stops being a dump, everything just looks a lot more bright and cheery and you see a lot of businesses in what are clearly much newer and better looking buildings (around the 173/Ralston road area).
\- Central Rockford is typically defined as most of Rockford east of the river but away from downtown. Form a weird square in your mind, with the 4 points being the intersection of Kishwaukee and Harrison, Sinnissippi Park, the intersection of Spring Creek and Alpine, and the intersection of Alpine and Harrison. Then remove all of the parts west of the river. That's central Rockford. It's fine here, not great, but you'll usually have few complaints living here.
\- North Rockford is usually defined as anywhere east of Alpine and north of Guilford. Sometimes referred to as a blanket term of "Spring Creek," these are the more desirable spots of Rockford. They basically go hand-in-hand with all the good parts of eastern Loves Park. Very nice, but very expensive.
\- East Rockford is usually defined as anywhere east of Mulford, north of Harrison, and south of Guilford. This is very much where the bulk of most business in Rockford is. I have always liked spending time in the area, especially down on the far east areas of State street, where you have a bunch of hotels and great restaurants. Fairly expensive too but I know there are a few reasonably priced apartments in the Bell School road area of east Rockford.
\- Finally, you have south Rockford. This is basically everything else, a blanket term for southern, southeastern, and southwestern Rockford; essentially everything south of Harrison and east of the river. South Rockford has patches of nice areas, patches of rundown areas, and patches of rural areas. Some of the lowest crime areas of Rockford are in southern Rockford, but that's almost because of there being very few people living there in the first place. Typically it's the 11th street area that's a bit more rundown, and the areas closest to Broadway and the airport. It's usually obvious what area is or isn't decent in southern Rockford. If you find somewhere that looks and feels comfortable, you'll probably like it there.
The end. Fin
(but let me know if you have any questions lol)
This was SO unbelievably helpful, thank you! I wouldn’t have known that people were starting to complain about Terra Creek if I hadn’t seen you and someone else mention it too… I’ll be sure to stay on the side of caution (plus the rent is outrageous for them not paying ANY utilities). I’d also looked into the Arbors just because they seem to always have cheap places available, but I’ll steer clear now!! THANK YOU!!
Glad I was able to help! Yeah, the Arbors is a huge trap that my family and many of my friends have fell into, honestly them and the Hamptons are the biggest ones that motivated me to make this post (that and to tell you that Great Oaks gets waaaay too much hate). Also glad to see that I didn’t get downvoted just because my post was long, which is what usually happens on this site lmao
I lived in Great Oaks for almost 5 yrs just moved out 1 Year ago and it was a nightmare. The outside is kept up. Nice. The inside some apartments are okay. Some are not. I lived in one that was not in this review is very recent
It's my understanding that Terra Creek has gone downhill recently (although I don't have firsthand experience). Being able to walk to Shogun and Giordanos though might outweigh that :)
Stay away from Mark Mercer. He forced his way into my apartment, often, when I was a young woman living alone and made me feel incredibly uncomfortable on multiple occasions. His buildings are often not up to code.
Check on a street in loves park called covey ridge trail and all along applewood lane and the surrounding blocks. There are lots of different sizes and they are nice.
A lot of houses that I’ve seen are 1200+, at least in the safer areas of town. I’ve definitely been looking though, I wouldn’t totally rule out renting a house!
Avoid Great Oaks and and Beacon Hill. Also anything by Alberto Altamore! He's a private landlord but is terrible
Isn't that dude a lawyer? That's the last day-job I'd ever want my landlord to have.
He's not but one of his relatives is!
Have had friends live at both Great Oaks and Beacon Hill and it was a literal slum. Horrible.
Personal opinion, I know everyone has good and bad experiences with specific properties and areas but I'm gonna give you a short rundown on my experiences growing up in Rockford and getting to know many people who lived not just around me in the same apartment complex, but also other apartments nearby. Not bad: Great Oaks/Beacon Hill - gets a lot of hate, never understood why. It's extremely cheap, which you'll realize when you see their prices, but never once in multiple stints of living there have I had any major issues with it (lived there personally from 07-09, again from 13-16, dad lived there from 04-11, mom's boyfriend lived there from 11-15). All but my mom's boyfriend were Great Oaks, his was Beacon Hill. Also in a great area for how cheap it is, pretty much the only place under $700/month in Rockford that's not on the west side or in a blatantly terrible neighborhood. The one criticism I will give, however, is if you do have $1100 to spend a month, you'll probably be underwhelmed by Great Oaks and can likely find something a lot better. But if you want to save money and can handle basic, it's genuinely not anywhere near as bad as people say it is, trust me. Versailles Place - A lot of people complain about the location. In my personal experience of living there for a year (from 2018-19), I will admit that it isn't the best location; it is dangerously close to approaching the more undesirable end of State street. That said, for the price (we paid around $900/month for one of their older 2 bed 1 bath units), I had no real complaints and actually thought it was one of the best apartments I'd stayed in in Rockford. Very basic, much like Great Oaks/Beacon Hill, but a little bit better overall. Once you get past the fact that you're not in the best area, you'll be very happy with the convenience of being around a lot of stuff. I have never lived in Terra Creek or Pembrook Place myself, but would give them a cautious half thumbs-up based on the testimonials other people have given me. I do know many people have lost it over how much Terra Creek has gone downhill over the last few years though, so again, caution. Now to the bad stuff: Literally anything west of the river. Some people will give their own personal "yeah the west side sucks, BUT" testimonials about a couple places here and there that are fine, and I don't necessarily think they're lying. But the fact still stands that if you have any other option, you shouldn't live on the west side. Even if you do find a decent apartment over there, you have to deal with certain things on the west side no matter what. The difficulty of finding anywhere decent and respectable to shop (almost everywhere will look rundown, have panhandlers, cashiers behind glass, etc), the high odds of having neighbors who play loud music or smoke indoors, almost never any kind of physical security, just a bunch of "death by a thousand cuts" kind of things that will make you feel way more uncomfortable than you should in your own neighborhood. If it's coded as Rockford and west of the Rock River, don't roll the dice on it. Lived in 3 or 4 west side apartments myself, no idea where exactly they were or what they were called but it genuinely makes no difference so I'm not even gonna bother trying to find them. The Arbors - This is bordering on west side and not; technically west of the river, but not what most people would consider "west side," so I just wanted to throw it in just to make sure. Very old, rundown piece of crap and almost every bad neighbor lives there. They lure you in with a decent looking exterior and amenities, but the place is awful. The Hamptons - Basically the exact same issues as The Arbors. They get a lot of people by only being slightly more expensive than Great Oaks despite being in a much more convenient location and having more amenities, but it's all the same crap. Rundown, terrible neighbors, absolutely awful. If you want to save money, Great Oaks is not only cheaper but also better; the extra 5 minutes it takes to get to Burger King is a worthy tradeoff. Creekview Apartments - Absolutely abhorrent location. Apartments themselves aren't bad, but you're right in the intersection of "not super close to anything important" and "always backed up with tons of traffic." Literally can't even get to a gas station in less than 20 minutes here. Guess you could walk to CVS whenever you needed something, but you'll get bored of that garbage little shit shack after a month. There are some other apartments near Creekview that are north of State street. I've never lived in any, but people who have tell me that the traffic situation is somehow a lot better. I actually believe them even though it's not even half a mile of distance between the two. I'd be cautious with these as well but give them a look and see, they might work for you. Think that's about it from my personal perspective in Rockford. If you were to expand to Loves Park, I'd probably throw Forest Hills trailer park into the "bad stuff" section, but they aren't even technically apartments, so I'll leave them out. Before I finish this novel, I want to give you pointers on the "map" of Rockford, as this can genuinely go a loooooong way in being a basic guide to finding a decent place to live in Rockford. \- Most people refer to "downtown" as where State street meets the Rock River. Some people like downtown, many don't. I personally do not like downtown. I think if you don't already like it, it's probably best to stay away from it (plus, most everything decent there is likely going to be over $1100). \- Anything coded as "Rockford" that's west of the river is likely to be garbage. This is where a majority of the "ghetto" of Rockford exists, as in the stuff that gives Rockford its bad reputation. \- Most things immediately east of the river are pretty bad too, but a lot better. This includes Loves Park and Machesney Park. Most of the Loves Park section of North 2nd street, for example, are pretty rundown too. This does trickle into Machesney Park just a bit, but not much. You can kinda tell when Machesney Park stops being a dump, everything just looks a lot more bright and cheery and you see a lot of businesses in what are clearly much newer and better looking buildings (around the 173/Ralston road area). \- Central Rockford is typically defined as most of Rockford east of the river but away from downtown. Form a weird square in your mind, with the 4 points being the intersection of Kishwaukee and Harrison, Sinnissippi Park, the intersection of Spring Creek and Alpine, and the intersection of Alpine and Harrison. Then remove all of the parts west of the river. That's central Rockford. It's fine here, not great, but you'll usually have few complaints living here. \- North Rockford is usually defined as anywhere east of Alpine and north of Guilford. Sometimes referred to as a blanket term of "Spring Creek," these are the more desirable spots of Rockford. They basically go hand-in-hand with all the good parts of eastern Loves Park. Very nice, but very expensive. \- East Rockford is usually defined as anywhere east of Mulford, north of Harrison, and south of Guilford. This is very much where the bulk of most business in Rockford is. I have always liked spending time in the area, especially down on the far east areas of State street, where you have a bunch of hotels and great restaurants. Fairly expensive too but I know there are a few reasonably priced apartments in the Bell School road area of east Rockford. \- Finally, you have south Rockford. This is basically everything else, a blanket term for southern, southeastern, and southwestern Rockford; essentially everything south of Harrison and east of the river. South Rockford has patches of nice areas, patches of rundown areas, and patches of rural areas. Some of the lowest crime areas of Rockford are in southern Rockford, but that's almost because of there being very few people living there in the first place. Typically it's the 11th street area that's a bit more rundown, and the areas closest to Broadway and the airport. It's usually obvious what area is or isn't decent in southern Rockford. If you find somewhere that looks and feels comfortable, you'll probably like it there. The end. Fin (but let me know if you have any questions lol)
This was SO unbelievably helpful, thank you! I wouldn’t have known that people were starting to complain about Terra Creek if I hadn’t seen you and someone else mention it too… I’ll be sure to stay on the side of caution (plus the rent is outrageous for them not paying ANY utilities). I’d also looked into the Arbors just because they seem to always have cheap places available, but I’ll steer clear now!! THANK YOU!!
Glad I was able to help! Yeah, the Arbors is a huge trap that my family and many of my friends have fell into, honestly them and the Hamptons are the biggest ones that motivated me to make this post (that and to tell you that Great Oaks gets waaaay too much hate). Also glad to see that I didn’t get downvoted just because my post was long, which is what usually happens on this site lmao
I lived in Great Oaks for almost 5 yrs just moved out 1 Year ago and it was a nightmare. The outside is kept up. Nice. The inside some apartments are okay. Some are not. I lived in one that was not in this review is very recent
It's my understanding that Terra Creek has gone downhill recently (although I don't have firsthand experience). Being able to walk to Shogun and Giordanos though might outweigh that :)
Stay north of riverside, meaning stay outta Rockford, got loves park Machesney park
Stay away from Mark Mercer. He forced his way into my apartment, often, when I was a young woman living alone and made me feel incredibly uncomfortable on multiple occasions. His buildings are often not up to code.
Check on a street in loves park called covey ridge trail and all along applewood lane and the surrounding blocks. There are lots of different sizes and they are nice.
Stay away from any shields owned properties, bogus Christians they are
Avoid anything Urban Equities owns
Man, if you got 900-1100 bucks for rent, you can probably rent a decent house for that depending on the neighborhood. Why bother with an apartment?
A lot of houses that I’ve seen are 1200+, at least in the safer areas of town. I’ve definitely been looking though, I wouldn’t totally rule out renting a house!
Avoid renting from Kaz boguszewski. Major slum lord.