I see a lot of questions on message boards related to apartment-dwellers and their perception that they need to find a place to practice drums. They think that a drum set and an apartment are mutually exclusive. This does not have to be the case!
Enter the electronic drum set. An electronic drum set overcomes the primary obstacle for people who live in an apartment -- noise. With an electronic kit, you have the ability to sit down, throw on a pair of headphones and play as loud as you want. The only sound your neighbors would be able to hear is your sticks hitting the pads and I guarantee that your TV or stereo gets louder than that.
Another obstacle for getting an acoustic drum set in an apartment is space. There isn't enough space to fit a drum set unless you're willing to sacrifice your bed, kitchen table, or another large piece of furniture. With an electronic drum set, you don't have the "bulk" that you have with an acoustic set. If you wanted to, you could even take an electronic kit down when you were done and store it in a closet or off in a corner somewhere.
Electronic drums have other advantages over acoustic kits as well. There is never a need to tune the kit or worry about cold or moisture affecting the overall sound of the kit. You even have the choice to change the sound of the kit to make it sound like you're playing in a large arena or a small jazz club. Most electronic kits allow you to hook up your iPod so that you can play along with your favorite songs and get the right mix in your headphones. This is something that's a little difficult to do with an acoustic kit.
The only disadvantages to playing an electronic drum set are that they aren't as expressive as an acoustic kit. The newer drums are getting closer, but the "feel" just isn't quite the same. If you play with brushes on an acoustic kit, you won't on an electronic kit. Playing live can be a bit different if you're used to an acoustic set. You're at the mercy of piping in to the house sound system -- although being able to mix in with the rest of the band is actually an advantage in my opinion.
There are a lot of advantages that electronic drums have over acoustic sets and only a few disadvantages. If you live in an apartment and think that practicing the drums has to occur outside your home, check out some electronic sets. You'll practice more if they're around your house and you might just start to like the idea of playing on an electronic kit as opposed to an acoustic.