I'm a little torn. I don't remember my apartment days fondly (except during college and in Houston where apartments can be LARGE). Noise/smell/bugs from neighbors is awful to deal with, crummy stairwells (never an elevator), fighting for a parking spot and hauling groceries was a hassle.
But I dislike driving for a commute, I've done as little as 30 minutes and up to 1.5 hours of commute, it's very stressful to be constantly alert for a good chunk of your day just to get from A to B.
I think I've found the best of both worlds; a house that's my family's own space, and Houston Park and Ride stations. I drive 10 minutes to the station, leave my car there and commute on a bus to my job. The stop is about 5 blocks from the building I work at, I'm relatively stress-free and I can choose to make good use of the time spent riding the bus (generally reading books, news, sports, etc.). The bus gets there at the same time I would have in spite of the stops it makes because it uses the HOV when I would be stuck in traffic on the freeway
But I dislike driving for a commute, I've done as little as 30 minutes and up to 1.5 hours of commute, it's very stressful to be constantly alert for a good chunk of your day just to get from A to B.
I think I've found the best of both worlds; a house that's my family's own space, and Houston Park and Ride stations. I drive 10 minutes to the station, leave my car there and commute on a bus to my job. The stop is about 5 blocks from the building I work at, I'm relatively stress-free and I can choose to make good use of the time spent riding the bus (generally reading books, news, sports, etc.). The bus gets there at the same time I would have in spite of the stops it makes because it uses the HOV when I would be stuck in traffic on the freeway