This is the perfect area for the serious student; it converges on the best of locations. Towards Hollister, you have the Camino Real Marketplace, filled with everything you could possibly need: Costco, Albertson's, Staples, fast food, restaurants, movie theatres and the DMV are a 10 minute stroll through the park. No, really - Girsh Park is sandwiched between the two. The park is clean, beautiful, and even hosts the occasional event. In the opposite direction is UCSB, 15 minutes by bus or 5
...minutes by car (and the bus stop is right outside the complex). The apartment complex itself has a pool, a Jacuzzi, and a couple of playgrounds and laundry sites nested inside (not to mention parking).
There are a decent amount of families living here; it tends to give the area a more homey feel, rather than party-centric theme of the Isla Vista area. The noise of the children has never bothered me, and tends to only occur in the space after school normally lets out and before night falls. Thus, the noise levels are relatively low (unless the sound of the occasional plane is cumbersome to you).
The building I live in is 3 bedroom, 2 bath. The rooms are relatively spacious from my experience; there is more than enough room for a bed, a desk, and a bureau. The living room is very large, and the kitchen is the perfect size for a single person.
In my particular apartment, the window screens don't quite fit in their slots, and there is a bit of a draft coming from the windows - a problem I mended by means of a small space heater. The management does make improvements to the apartments; however, this can result in construction noise. This usually occurs during business hour times (around 8-5), so if you're taking classes you'll probably be gone during those hours. Otherwise, I haven't encountered any problems in this complex (though be wary - in this area, as well as Goleta in general: at night, a raccoon or skunk sighting is not uncommon, and they tend to increase in numbers near trash cans).
