Although I was only there for a semester (I graduated), I absolutely loved living at Garrett Gardens.
PROS:
Safe- After living on the west side of campus, living at Garrett was an enormous upgrade. I never worried about going home by myself and there weren't unlit parts of the street. It is gated both for on foot and car entry.
Convenient- It was less than a 5 minute walk to campus, right across the street from Chipotle, Coffee Bean, Chik-fil-A, etc., right next to the credit union bank (quarters for laundry), and a new sushi restaurant/hookah bar popped up called Lotus.
Management- The managers Gayle and Maria were absolutely amazing. I mean hands-down the best I have ever had. They lived on site with their kids and were always available to deal with any issues. Any time I called them with a maintenance problem they would fix it by the following day and there would not be any charge, unlike other places I have lived at. They were super friendly and seemed to know every resident personally.
Spacious and attractive- This, of course, you will be able to see yourself, but the studio I was in was enormous. I lived with a friend and we still easily could have fit another queen bed in the main room. The outdoor premises are also very well kept and maintained. Always nice to walk around in.
CONS:
Noise- I, unfortunately, had an upstairs neighbor that was a musician with a sound system, and had the unit closest to Lotus (the new restaurant) and the street. The walls are definitely thin... and it was noisy in my unit at all hours. Could hear buses, people talking outside, the music from the restaurant, the neighbor singing...
Price- Although it was immensely cheaper than Tuscany, it was still a bigger monthly rent than any previous place I had lived at near USC. However, splitting it with my friend made it very affordable, and with all of the pros I listed above, I am more than happy with my decision.
Bugs- There was a big spider and ant problem in our unit, especially in the summer. I know this is very hard to deal with in older buildings but it was still unpleasant for me. Luckily my friend was not afraid to kill them =)
RECOMMENDATION:
Live here. Get a unit in one of the upper floors away from Flower Street (to avoid the noise and bug problem I had on the ground level). Now that I have moved on away from USC I really miss my managers. My current ones are absolutely terrible and this new place actually prompted me to write this review because I was so happy here. read more