After looking at over 20 different apartment complexes all over Gainesville, I chose Sun Bay. I lived at Sun Bay in a one bedroom, upgraded apartment for a little more than 2.5 years (starting in December 2008). As with every apartment complex it is not without its faults, but the benefits of this place far outweigh any inconveniences. If you are a UF student, the location is great. I had classes in McCarty, Bartrum, Newins-Zeigler, etc. and walked to class or biked almost all the time. However, if you prefer, the bus also stops right in front of Sun Bay and can take you to class for free with your student ID. The grounds are amazing! Judy and James keep flowers blooming year round and a walk around the place is like visiting a natural area or botanical garden-- southern magnolias, loblolly pines, cypress, and several other tree species native to the area growing throughout the property. The small pond on the property supports a variety of wildlife including soft-shell turtles and bass and is visited by white ibis, wood storks, a variety of egrets and herons, an occasional bald eagle and kingfisher in addition to the resident population of ducks. A visit to the office was ALWAYS a pleasant experience. The entire office staff is friendly. Jenn and Susan were always willing to listen to my concerns and figure out the best way to deal with them. They addressed every complaint that I had whether it was related to maintenance, pest control, or inconsiderate neighbors. In addition, everyone always takes the time to say hello and ask you about your day when you are dropping off rent or walking by on the property. I opted for the onsite internet and television service through the complex’s own Blue Skies Communication. It is reliable. The two times in almost 3 years that there was an issue, Jimi responded as quickly as possible. The buildings are older so things are not perfect. The air conditioners are a bit loud. As with most apartment buildings, the walls are thin and if you are not on the top floor you will likely hear the person above you walking around and you can hear people talking in the hallways. If I were to do it over, I would’ve opted for the top floor simply to eliminate the possibility of having an inconsiderate upstairs neighbor who stomps around at all hours of the night. Anytime things needed fixed, John and the rest of the maintenance crew did their best to get it done and were friendly about doing it. Even if I was walking back to my apartment and my hands were full of groceries or school stuff, they would often ask if I needed help or at minimum hold the doors for me. They are always making improvements to the buildings and the grounds. While construction can be frustrating at times, the end result always benefits the residents. In the time that I was there, they upgraded the apartment front doors, replaced the carpet in the main hallways, painted the hallway walls, improved the sidewalks, and did an amazing job upgrading the main pool area. I did not take advantage of the two pools on the property, but they are very well kept. One frustration that I had was the laundry facilities on site. The apartments do not have washer/dryers or hook-ups, but they do have multiple laundry rooms on the property. Unfortunately, the washers and dryers are older, do not work efficiently, and are often broken. I could never get my clothes smelling really clean when I used them. However, there is a Laundromat across the street next to the Winn-Dixie that has some newer appliances. I would often use that facility instead. Unless you are willing to spend over $1000/month for a one bedroom apartment, Sun Bay is one of the best, close- to-campus options in Gainesville. Even with its shortcomings, if you consider the location, the high quality staff, the beautiful grounds, and the great price, this is one of the best places to live as a UF graduate student. I rented from winter '08 through summer 11. ...

I lived in Sun Bay apartments for 4 years. On the whole, it was a pleasant experience. Rental rates are reasonable and you get a lot of space for the money. Most of my neighbors were international graduate students and were quiet. Our unit was remodeled and had tile floors, nice kitchen cabinets, nice appliances, and washer/dryer hookups. The office/property management staff were always helpful and considerate. They are nice enough to call you when packages arrive in the office, and will come and feed small pets once a day while you are on vacation. Also, the office staff organizes monthly socials for residents. It's nice to walk down to the pool and get a burger and hot dog and meet people. Although minor, these extras were appreciated. In four years we had our share of maintenance calls, and the maintenance staff was always friendly, especially John. We never waited for more than a day to have service done, and we never had to call maintenance twice for the same problem. During our residency, the hallways were painted and doors replaced, and a new pool was installed. The only major downside is noise from other floors -- if someone lives above you, you will hear them. If you're on the top floor, your downstairs neighbors will hear you. We didn't have any issues with unreasonable noise, what we heard from upstairs was footsteps, dog barks, faint tv sounds, etc. You do get used to it. This is an issue with pretty much any flat-style apartment in town, not just Sun Bay. Ultimately, we moved to a townhouse because we wanted more privacy. Sun Bay is a nice location, it's about 20 minutes to campus on foot and there is a bus to campus every 10 minutes. Winn-Dixie is a 5 minute walk, which is convenient. Downtown is 5 minutes away. South main used to be somewhat sketchy, but isn't really anymore. Sun Bay was a nice place to call home for the price, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a decent apartment on a budget. I rented from summer '06 through summer 10. ...

Total poo-hole, should deff. be a last resort. The kitchens were terrible, the shower was allways clogged, and there isn't an AC unit in the whole complex that isn't under 10 years old. DO NOT LIVE HERE!! I rented from summer '06 through spring '07.