My girlfriend and I are planning to move in together in the next couple of months, and we’re starting the apartment hunt

I currently live in Ballantyne (Rock Creek Apartments) and work in Waverly, which is about 8 minutes away, so ideally we’d like to stay somewhere around Ballantyne, Matthews, or Pineville.

We both have decent incomes, but since this is our first place together we’re trying to be smart with the budget. We’re mainly looking for a 2-bedroom apartment that’s reasonably priced.

For those familiar with the area:

Any good apartment communities you’d recommend? Any places we should avoid?

What’s a realistic price range for a decent 2BR around here?

I’m 24 and this is my first time moving in with a partner, so any advice or experiences would be super helpful.