Clarys Crossing is located in the Clarys Forest area of Hickory Ridge, one of Columbia's "Villages", and it's a lovely area; not too far from the center of town (The Mall), Howard County General Hospital and Howard Community College. It's a well-wooded area and one of the nice things about the area is that you can get out and walk (there are sidewalks!).
The apartment complex itself is well-kept and the owners are currently renovating apartments as they become available (the results are VERY nice!). Some apartments have fireplaces which can be useful in the winter if it gets really cold as the heating occasionally does seem to struggle a bit to keep up, but that's Maryland winters for ya.
One thing I find nice is that there is an outer door and a 'lobby' on each building, and in our building at least, two sets of stairs (one set being wider what makes moving in and out easier!)
How much noise you'll hear from your neighbors depends on where you are - we're on the top floor so any noise we hear is from the lobby, but as with any apartment building, if you live on the bottom or middle floor, you can only hope your upstairs neighbors are light-footed! You can never expect complete silence in this situation, but a little bit of thoughtfulness wouldn't go amiss if you're above someone.
I've always found the staff to be friendly and responsive to requests and all maintenance requests we've submitted have been dealt with efficiently.
Folks comment about the single trash disposal unit. When we first moved in three years ago, there were a number of dumpsters around the property, but they've been replaced by a trash compactor which fills up to capacity on occasion, which can be annoying, but a call to the office will sort that out as soon as they can.
Everyone's experience in apartment living is different and I would highly recommend this property. It is perhaps a little expensive, but then it is Columbia...
