5 Classic Garden Apartment Complexes

Photo via Home Properties

One reason people prefer living in the ‘burbs is because they’re greener. Houses out there have things like actual front and back yards, trees, grass, gardens, and swimming pools. (Sure, you can find all of those things in city homes too, but it’s harder to get them all in a single place.)

Garden apartment complexes were developed for people who wanted all of those things without having to be responsible for maintaining them. In addition to the greenery, many garden apartments offer the kinds of amenities you find in luxury high-rises, but at more reasonable rents. Others take advantage of locations close to shopping and transportation to offer carless convenience in a suburban context.

These five suburban apartment communities offer some or all of these features.

Willowbrook Apartments, Jeffersonville (above) | 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units available, 645-1,210 square feet, $1,125-$1,695/month. Pets welcome (two maximum); application fee and monthly fees apply.

This complex just west of Norristown is one of more contemporary entries in the garden-apartment derby, dating to 1972. The community is equipped for outdoor living, with a swimming pool, sun deck, playground and picnic area with grills. There’s also a fitness center and business center and clubhouse with free Wi-Fi hotspot. Some of the apartments come with energy-saving ceiling fans, and some have dens or home office spaces. All of them have patios or balconies and private entrances. The units are wired for Fios service and there’s round-the-clock emergency maintenance.  The Valley Forge Marketplace right across the street has a Walmart, an Aldi, a Marshalls and a Home Depot, among other stores that cater to your shopping needs, and a SEPTA bus route runs along Egypt Road. The Jeffersonville Golf Club is a short walk away for the duffers.

Willowbrook Apartments, 101 Willowbrook Dr., Jeffersonville, Pa. 19403 [Home Properties]

Photo via JCM Living

Middletown Trace, Langhorne | 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units available, 807-1,195 square feet, $1,239-$1,725/month and up. Cats and small dogs (up to 35 pounds) welcome (two maximum); non-refundable application fee applies.

This community received a major upgrade recently with the construction of an on-site clubhouse with a state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga studio, meeting and function rooms, and outdoor swimming pool. Other outdoor amenities include tennis courts, a basketball court and a playground for the kids. The larger two- and three-bedroom units are bi-level townhouses with upgraded kitchens, and newly renovated one-bedroom units are also available. Each unit has its own laundry, and the units are wired for cable and Internet service. I-95 and Langhorne Regional Rail station are a short drive away.

Middletown Trace Apartments, 800 Trenton Rd., Langhorne, Pa. 19047 [JCM Living]

Photo via Marks & Co.

Wyndon Apartments, Wynnewood | 1- and 2-bedroom units available, square footage unavailable, $1,295-$1,745/month. Cats welcome (two maximum); non-refundable application fee and monthly fees apply.

Convenience is the greatest amenity of this post-World War II apartment complex in the heart of Wynnewood. It’s in one of the most walkable locations on the Main Line: the Wynnewood Shopping Center and Wynnewood Regional Rail station are right in your backyard and the Wynnewood Whole Foods Market is just three blocks up Lancaster Avenue. The apartments in this building have all been recently renovated with upgraded kitchens and baths and laundry facilities in each unit. The apartments are also outfitted for cable TV and Internet service.

Wyndon Apartments, 625 E. Lancaster Ave., Wynnewood, Pa. 19096 [Marks & Co.]

Photo via Harbor Group Management

Stone Hill Apartments, Brookhaven | 1- and 2-bedroom units available, 675-765 square feet, $1,095-$1,905/month. Pets welcome.

Attention pet lovers: You can bring your Great Dane, Labrador retriever, or other large dog to this totally pet-friendly garden apartment complex in southern Delaware County. The apartments all have balconies or patios, bedrooms with walk-in closets, and modern kitchens, some recently remodeled, with upgrade levels available. An outdoor pool and sundeck give you room to relax and splash in the sun. There’s plenty of parking for you and your guests, and the community is in a secluded location that’s still close to I-95, US 322, Widener University and Crozer-Chester Medical Center.

Stone Hill Apartments, 532 W.Brookhaven Rd., Brookhaven, Pa. 19015 [Harbor Group Management]

Photo via Harbor Group Management

Exton Crossing Apartment Homes, Exton | 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units available, 840-1,470 square feet, $1,500-$3,225/month. Pets welcome.

Like its sister complex above, this more upscale community on the “extended Main Line” welcomes pets of all sizes. It also has an outdoor pool and sundeck, but along with those come a clubhouse with a fully equipped fitness center, computers and Wi-Fi, two tennis courts, a basketball court, a playground, an outdoor lounge, a picnic area with grills, and a garden with a gazebo and pavilion. Residents also enjoy a range of on-site services that include a spa, a post office and a Goddard School daycare center. Hikers can venture forth on the Chester Valley Trail, which runs alongside the community. The Exton Square Mall is right across the street, SEPTA’s Exton Regional Rail station is within walking distance, and Main Street at Exton is a short distance away.

The management offers a special deal on select apartments with a move-in by April 15th.

Exton Crossing Apartment Homes, 201 Iron Lake Dr., Exton, Pa. 19341 [Harbor Group Management]