THE NEW APARTMENT LIFESTYLE

When envisioning the perfect dream home, the image of a house, rather than an apartment, prevails. Perhaps it’s the backyard, the storage and closet space, the privacy and uniqueness, or the financial stability often associated with houses.

An apartment, on the other hand, conjures up different images: boxy and impersonal, cramped and vulnerable, twentysomethings struggling to make ends meet-“Three’s Company” style.

The reality surrounding today’s apartments, however, contradicts the stereotypical images. In fact, apartment living has emerged as a popular lifestyle choice among people of all ages, within all income brackets. Professionals of all ages, single or married, are actively choosing apartments over houses. Gerry Henigsman, executive vice president of the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas, agrees: “What’s really changing is that that apartment living is becoming a choice issue, rather than a forced issue.”

Why are some people choosing an apartment, even though they can afford a house? What about the backyard, the storage space, and the privacy? The reasons are simple: amenities, convenience, and maintenance. Many of today’s apartments are built like custom homes. They’re spacious, luxurious, sophisticated, warm, and personal.

This new generation of luxury apartments appeals to a variety of inhabitants. For instance, young professionals and older retirees who travel frequently find maintaining a house an unnecessary hassle. For individuals whose jobs require frequent relocation, buying a house doesn’t make sense. And those people moving to a new city find that today’s typical apartment community is ideal for building a social life.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area offers an impressive selection of luxury apartment communities. These customized, often gated, communities are nestled on beautifully landscaped^ tree-covered, and well-lit grounds. Their charming interiors include ceramic tile floors, fireplaces, custom kitchen cabinetry, crown molding, and vaulted ceilings. Also offered are 24-hour maintenance services, Olympic-size swimming pools, state-of-the-art work-out facilities, and business centers. Each community offers its own set of special touches designed to offer residents a warm, hassle-free lifestyle tilled with leisure and enjoyment.

Among the top-notch apartment communities in Dallas-Fort Worth are The St. Moritz and Prairie Creek Villas, both managed by the Lincoln Property Company. St. Moritz, located on Arapaho Road between Preston Road and the Dallas North Tollway overlooking the prestigious Prestonwood golf course, emanates crisp elegance and immaculate perfection. Residents of the one-, two-, and three-bedroom townhomes enjoy marble entry floors, track lighting, stone fireplaces with marble hearths, 9-foot or vaulted ceilings, tile kitchen floors, and granite countertops.

The St. Moritz also features a clubhouse with a business center and conference room, a state-of-the art fitness club, a heated spa and two resort-style pools, and a social room where residents can gather by the fireplace and large-screen television.

Prairie Creek Villas, just off Renner Road west of Central Expressway, expresses warmth, style, and tradition. The apartment homes include gourmet kitchens, custom raised-panel wood cabinetry, cathedral ceilings with crown molding, ceramic tile entry floors, and spacious patios and balconies. Some homes even have under-stair storage closets and kitchen islands with built-in-storage. In addition, Prairie Creek Villas provides door-to-door trash pickup, a private jogging trail, and 24-hour emergency maintenance. One-, two-, and three-bedroom townhomes range from 735 to 1,458 square feet.

The Reserve, developed and managed by Trammell Crow Residential, is a townhome community dedicated to elegant class, customized beauty, and comfortable convenience. The walkthrough one-two-and three-bedroom homes range from 826 to 1,661 square feel. There are two-bedroom homes with ground-floor, home offices, ideal for the corporate professional demanding personal conveniences and custom-home privacy.

Many special touches personalize The Reserve’s luxury townhomes, such as Berber carpeting, ceramic tile flooring, crown moldings, granite fireplaces, kitchen islands, and marble garden tubs. Also featured are private patios, outdoor gas lantern lighting, and a one- or two-car private garage. Equally alluring are the lifestyle amenities, such as a heated pool, an oversize fitness facility, a rooftop sun-deck, and the Trammell Crow signature coffee bar which opens at 6:30 a.m. providing cappuccino and continental breakfast.

Doug Chestnut, president of Trammell Crow Residential Services, recognizes that “today’s resident is sophisticated, They desire the privacy of a town-home coupled with convenience and professional service.” Two additional Trammell Crow Residential communities, both offering one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom townhomes and apartments, are currently under construction in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Arbrook Park, South Arlington’s newest apartment development, is now open, and The Reserve at Charles Place, located just north of die Parker and Ohio intersection in Piano, opens this April.

Lincoln Property Company’s flagship development, The Village, has been a haven to apartment dwellers for years. The first phase of the planned community. The Gate, was built in 1969 and the final phase, The Lakes, was completed in 1986. With 14 separate communities comprised of efficiencies, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartment homes ranging from 383 to 1,523 square feet, there’s something for everyone. Located between Greenville Avenue and Skillman Street, Northwest Highway and Lovers Lane, The Village has easy access to all Dallas has to offer.

“There’s nothing like it in the United States,” claims Drew Schunk, Lincoln Property Company’s general manager at The Village. ’There’s a feeling, an aura, that can’t be duplicated. It’s often referred to as a city within a city.”

The claim is substantiated. Drive by at any time and you are guaranteed to see a flurry of activity, whether it’s people jogging, lounging on the balcony, or playing flag football. The community amenities enjoyed by the approximately 12,000 residents are endless: 30 individual swimming pools, a 17-acre greenbelt, 2 miles of jogging trails, horse patrol, and two lakes with fountains and paddle boats. The Village Country Club adds much more to the mix: a restaurant/bar, big-screen televisions, an Olympic-size pool, a 9-acre athletic field, a golf range with complimentary practice balls, a putting green, 12 lighted tennis courts, a health spa and exercise facility.

“People aren’t just renting an apart ment.” says Schunk of Village residents. “They’re renting a lifestyle. The frat-house-like atmosphere of previous years has yielded to a much more resort-like atmosphere.” This concept includes resident parties, outdoor concerts, organized softball and flag football leagues, and immaculate landscaping.

Just across Central Expressway, adjacent to the Park Cities, sits Lincoln Property Company’s newest luxury residential community-The Caruth at LincolnPark. The prestigious community resembles the coveted East Coast brownstone neighborhoods, and the charming apartment homes include private front porches, custom wood-trim built-in bookcases, Berber carpet, island kitchens, ceramic tile floors, track lighting, and marble countertops. Selected homes feature door chimes, island kitchens, bay windows, and attic storage. The community also offers a car wash, outdoor grills, and charming streetscapes. Future additions to The Caruth at LincolnPark include retail and office developments, ensuring residents the highest quality of convenience.

With apartment communities emerging in Dallas-Fort Worth that offer privacy, luxury, and convenient amenities, more people are finding that the house of their dreams is, in fact, an apartment.