We have some members who've navigated apartment life with a spoo. It's doable. They have a nice off-switch indoors if trained properly to settle at a young age. But you do need a solid exercise plan in place—ideally somewhere where your poodle can run safely off leash, especially through adolescence. Peggy's evening zoomies were a sanity saver for her AND us. She knew exactly what to do to drain her battery.
As for barking, Peggy's is much more ferocious-sounding but less persistent than my mini's was. I manage it by acknowledging her concern, stepping between her and whatever's triggered her (e.g get up and look out the window), and thanking her. She immediately stops. But......
She might continue sporadically "alerting" if she's restless or anxious or just plain bored. That can be a nuisance so, especially in an apartment, you'll need to get to the bottom of why it's happening. We can always help you with that.
And something as simple as leaving a mellow TV channel on quietly in the background can help muffle outside noise. (Peggy loves Turner Classic Movies.) Keeping the curtains shut is also helpful so your poodle doesn't obsessively sit and wait for the next bit of outside activity to bark at. Spoos can have a high prey drive, so movement is very exciting to them.
