Great thread, OP, wondering the same here. Let us know what you decide.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh for Pete's sake: if you live in a house you have a ground floor, no? You should be fine, and a four year old should know better

Ever been a single mom? Don't be so flippant.
As a single mom in law enforcement I'd pass. So what your neighbors are annoyed at sounds put rugs down.
Or find a place on top of a commercial establishment there's concrete between the apartment and commercial property.
I'll take annoyed neighbors over rape /murder any day.

New poster with a serious question. Would you avoid living in a rambler as a single mom? Or any house with ground floor entrances and windows (read: all houses)?

I guess living in a rambler is very different from living on the ground floor of an apartment

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh for Pete's sake: if you live in a house you have a ground floor, no? You should be fine, and a four year old should know better

Ever been a single mom? Don't be so flippant.
As a single mom in law enforcement I'd pass. So what your neighbors are annoyed at sounds put rugs down.
Or find a place on top of a commercial establishment there's concrete between the apartment and commercial property.
I'll take annoyed neighbors over rape /murder any day.

New poster with a serious question. Would you avoid living in a rambler as a single mom? Or any house with ground floor entrances and windows (read: all houses)?

This is a hard one

I would go second floor and just be curteous about the jumping - if you are worried about it now, you will likely be kind about it when you live there. It is part of apartment-style living!

I'm a single mom, my then-4yo and I lived on the ground floor of an apartment building last year. Not the best neighborhood either. We also looked out onto the parking lot. I didn't know any of my neighbors.

I got dowels for the sliding glass door and the windows and put up curtains in addition to the blinds. I had both semi-sheer and opaque curtains. I had no issues and loved not having to worry about the noise of my kid running around, we could unload groceries right from the car, DC could play on the patio while I was cooking dinner, etc.

I live on the 3rd floor now and while I love being able to keep my windows open (that was the worst part about the old apt), I miss the convenience of the ground floor.

I really don't know. .....

I'd probably take ground floor. Just get curtain panels that can eclipse the french doors with blackout lining. I'd be more worried about lights from parking cars than safety in Tysons.

Man, if I moved into the ground floor underneath you, I would HATE you in less than a week with all the noise you're saying you make.

Op here. They have French doors that open to the patio

If it's really safe why do they need security? I grew up in a "safe" neighborhood with my single mother. We were in a house and one night at 11:00 or so the police knocked on our door waking us up saying our neighbors saw someone walking around trying to look in our windows and open our doors. The cops said they saw the guy take off when they pulled in. They chased him but couldn't find him. If our neighbor hadn't gone out for a cigarette that night who know what would have happened. In every apartment I've lived in since leaving home has been an upstairs apartment. Just not worth the risk.

If the area is safe and the windows don't look out onto a busy street or something, I'd do it. Just make sure the windows and doors have good locks or add extra chain locks, etc. if necessary (if you have a sliding door, you can put a broomstick along the bottom to prevent someone from opening the door). I've lived on ground floor apartments, and as long as the building and unit security were good, I felt fine. Get to know your neighbors, if you can.

Anonymous wrote:OP, if it is a safe neighborhood, I would do it. I lived on the 2nd floor of a garden apartment building for years. I preferred it for safety reasons, but I was never able to do my work out videos, etc., like you mention, unless I knew for sure the people downstairs weren't home.

Are there multiple ground level apartments you can take your pick from?

Yes they have multiple ground level and upper floor units available so it's really my pick. They said it was really safe and they have security making rounds at night.

Anonymous wrote:If you can see them, then they can see you. Decide if this is something you're comfortable with.

Is because the apartment is empty but of course whoever moves there will put curtains on the windows. Once you do you can't see them. ...

OP, if it is a safe neighborhood, I would do it. I lived on the 2nd floor of a garden apartment building for years. I preferred it for safety reasons, but I was never able to do my work out videos, etc., like you mention, unless I knew for sure the people downstairs weren't home.

Are there multiple ground level apartments you can take your pick from?