I don’t know if it really is. It is dependent, like everything, on ones perspective.
There are crappy apartment buildings and crappy neighborhoods and nice ones as well.
When I think of apartment living I compare it to my own experiences as a younger person living in an apartment situation. Most that live in apartments are single, younger, college age, divorced perhaps or elderly and on fixed incomes.
Lots of people prefer the containment and lack of maintainance that apt. living provides as well.
There are many very nice apartment situations and it is impossible to judge/speak for everyone and their own reasons for choosing an apartment lifestyle.
I am 51 now, divorced for 8 years and while I love my home and 5 acre property and am not looking to move to an apartment, I can see the benefits of not having all the work and upkeep of a home and property.
Apartment living and renting in general has gotten a bad rap and faulty belief system such as you have mentioned.
Home ownership is not all it’s cracked up to be and is often NOT the best investment of ones money, especially in this economy.