Pros: * Walkability of South Side * Larger Living Spaces * Monitored Mail Room * Affordable (for 1-2 leasing cycles) * Offered upgraded appliances when initially moving into Carson Street Commons * Maintenance Staff * Parking Spaces and Available Garages Cons: * Terrible Infrastructure (new cement steps already falling apart, no assistance for people who live above the first floor, and may have injuries making steps impossible, and lack of actual security cameras on the property) * Went from having a 24x7 on-site maintenance member, to having to put in a request/call for emergency work and hoping they would answer in a quick manner - as they have to rotate between all Faros' properties in Pittsburgh, instead of just being assigned to one complex * A revolving door of leasing agents and management (3 management changes in 3 years) * Lackluster hotel gym and barely maintained outdoor grilling area * Blows out dryer vents once every couple of years and lets the debris scatter across our complex and South Side * Replaces HVAC filters maybe once a year * Forced residents into a 3rd Party Internet Provider (taking away Comcast and Verizon as options) * Removed landscaping and bushes, as a means to cut back on lawn maintenance costs * A sprinkler system, which I haven't seen working properly in 1-2 years, that has its usage factored into your water bill * Community Fee and Fixed Fees are added to your actual cost of your water bill, essentially doubling up the water bill (They use NEP - look at their Yelp and Google reviews, they are terrible resource providers - expect 36$ fixed fees and anywhere from 10-15$ community fees each billing cycle) * Flexible leasing that is not flexible at all (expect steady 10-12% increases in rent per lease agreement after about 1-2 lease cycles, with no written or verbal explanation as to why the increase is happening) * No direct mention of fees associated with an Early Termination of a Lease (they want 60 days' written notice, and 4 months of rent as fees - 2 months up front when you give them the termination notice, and 2 months due when you leave as a cancellation/re-rental fee - don't worry they leave that part blank in your lease so you can never truly know until you may need to terminate early) * Management will not allow you to be present for the Final Walk-Through, even if you formally request to do so in writing - they state it is property policy to complete it once the tenants have vacated the property * Management does not complete a thorough final walk-through and relies on the contracted workers' word of mouth to establish what the damages are and what is charged to the Move-Out summary and provides no tangible evidence of such when asked by the tenant * Will charge between 65-95$ upon move out if you do not professionally clean your carpets, then potentially assess your carpet as unusable, and charge another fee to remove/replace it, essentially double dipping into your Security Deposit - considering the average cost of professionally cleaning rugs costs $200+ for even the smallest of apartments they offer and about $1-$10 per sq ft to replace carpeting, depending on the age of the carpet from when it was installed (no use of carpet steam cleaner rentals from Lowes or Home Depot are considered professional - and that is usually the cheapest option for budget-friendly professional cleaning at $70 for 24 hours). * Very few apartments offer vinyl/wood flooring - even though its lifetime cost of it is significantly cheaper - compared to the same processes involved with carpet in the entire apartment read more

Moved to Pittsburgh for school and lived in the Carson Street Apartments all 3 years. Great complex, location, amazing/reliable maintenance and staff. If a maintenance request was needed, they would show up within a couple of hours. I felt safe living in that section of Southside! read more

Expect $100+ water bills every month. CSC charges water COMMUNALLY, which includes all their gardening, cleaning and car washes. I was out of town for several months due to COVID19 at certain points, and even then the water bill was $80-90. Other utilities are fair because they are directly metered from Duquesne Light and Columbia Gas. This place is otherwise a solid apartment complex, but I would never rent from here again because of the heart attack inducing water bills. read more

I have been a resident at the Commons for a little under 6 months and I love it. The management (Megan and Chester) are friendly and communicative and the maintenance staff (Gary, Derrick, John, et. al) do an incredible job of maintaining the apartments. If you have a problem and you submit a request, that problem is usually resolved within 24 hours (at the most). One Sunday, I noticed that the string on my blinds broke and maintenance came in that same day to replace my blinds. The apartments are pretty energy efficient. I was surprised at how reasonable my electric bill was over the summer. I was concerned that Duquesne Light was going to bankrupt me because I was running the central air all summer, but I was very surprised that my bill wasn't too bad. I wish that the stoves were gas, but I love that I have a washer/dryer in my apartment, a dishwasher, and garbage disposal. There is security at night from 7 PM to 3 AM and they do enforce permit parking. If you park here and you don't have a permit, you will be towed. I've seen it happen. The property is pet-friendly and there are doggie poop receptacles with baggies throughout the property. The only caveats I have to offer to prospective tenants are regarding noise and parking. If you are bothered by noise, don't consider living in the buildings that face East Carson or in Sidney Court. It can be very noisy in the early morning when the restaurants get their supplies delivered and at night (1 AM on weekdays and 3 AM on weekends) when Wings is dragging its trash out. Also, parking at night can be challenging, particularly during the week. If you get in later than 9 PM and you don't pay for a garage, you can expect to have to hunt for a parking spot. I think that the way to ameliorate this situation is to have one permit per apartment. There are people who live here who have several cars and that apartment takes up two spots. Whereas, there are people like me who only have one car and sometimes we have to fight for a spot. But, the parking spot limitations don't usually affect me since I try not to move my car at night. If you're smart about parking, you can usually work it out without too much aggravation. I love that the staff all know my dog's name and greet him every time they see him. I'm very glad to be part of this community. I think that making the decision to live here was an excellent one for me and I hope to continue to live here for several years to come. read more

I have lived in the Commons for about a year and a half now since moving back to the 'Burgh from Cleveland. In a word- LOCATION. I love where we live... so easy to get to anything (much of which can be done walking), as a resident we do have parking (although it can be a problem because of NON Residents trying to sneak free parking in here), it is generally quiet despite the location (especially being on a higher floor with no residents above us), and the new office staff seems much more attentive and great than what had existed upon me moving in here. No place is perfect I have realized after living in various cities and having rented (and owned) in the past... overall my experience here could definitely be WAYYYYYY worse. Pet friendly (unlike many places), attentive maint. team, package service at the office, workout room, rentable clubhouse/party room, etc... I like where we live and will stay here for awhile as long as it remains as it is :) read more

My husband, two children and I have lived here for two years and would highly recommend living here to anyone. To begin, the complex itself is clean, efficient, and modern. Further, the maintenance staff is readily available for any need and is more often than not fixing whatever needs to be fixed the same day as the request is put in. They are respectful to your belongings and treat our apartment as their own when working here. Last (but not least), the office staff is just impeccable. Professional, friendly and dependable are just a few of the words I would use to describe Eva and Chester. They are two of the hardest working, most genuine people you will meet and they will certainly look out for you and your new apartment. You can't go wrong with Carson Street Commons. We are only moving out because we need more space for our children, but we are so grateful for our time spent here. read more

Do not rely on Yelp for reviews! Go to Apartmentratings.com for more reviews. Pros: flexible leases, clean gym, units are generally well-kept and spacious, pretty good location Cons: deceitful staff, dog poops everywhere, parking nearly impossible after 6pm, your personal address will be confusing to other people Asked for a south-facing window, was given a unit with a south-facing bedroom whose window goes DIRECTLY INTO THE SIDEWALK. Can you see clearly through their blinds? YUP! Noticed holes near the fasteners of the screen cover on our bedroom window. Someone clearly tried breaking in. Was told utility bill will add up to around $150 a month, easily winds up being between double and triple that. Was told that parking is "usually okay". I get out of work at 6pm on a good day and usually have to park streetside and risk a parking ticket. Was told by staff that I could purchase a programmable thermostat to make more economical use of heater/AC, told after I purchased the thermostat that "upper management won't approve it". No apologies. Noted to them one of our windows fogs, clearly indicating a draft. They refuse to repair it. Very limited bike parking. Because your personal address is so non-obvious, UPS and USPS will only deliver packages to the office. The only way for you to pick up your package is to go to the office, risk losing your parking spot, and pick it up during their business hours. It was not communicated to me that the apartment complex spanned three blocks. When touring, I toured units closest to Carson Street. The unit that I actually got was furthest from Carson Street, which conveniently has a train every hour blowing its horn. Their website has you select which unit you want, but the units have obscure IDs that mean nothing to non-employees. You're literally blind in the selection process and are 100% dependent on an employee to essentially say "Pick this unit". Clearly trying to fill their crap units first. Fire alarm testing every month. Gym is quite small for the number of units it services. Very limited selection of strength training equipment. I do NOT recommend this to anyone. Take your business elsewhere and spare yourself from such a poisonous organization. read more

In my years of renting, I can confidently say Carson Street Commons has been the worst living experience I've encountered yet. You should definitely live here if: you really enjoy over-paying for your rent. $2000+ for a 2br...in PGH?! Your amenities that make that $2k worthwhile are a cramped gym and a pitiful bbq area. This is the spot for you if you love the sound of motorcycles zipping by on Carson St. all Saturday and Sunday night and the consistent hum of trance music at 2am from the hookah bar across the street, or even tapping along to your neighbors favorite tune in the afternoons. You should definitely move there if you want a management company who tells you to "just call the cops" on those people, because quality of living is not a concept that registers to them. You should check this place out if you want to constantly smell weed, because your neighbors are potheads and the restaurant workers need to get their wake and bake session in on your front doorstep. You should definitely get that 12 month lease if you like walking past your neighbor's trash, because they're too lazy to take it past their front door, and if you like smelling the dog poop those neighbors didn't want to clean up on your way to your car in the morning. You should 100% move to the CSC if you like interacting with the most curt, unhelpful, inhospitable management staff you'll likely encounter in your renting career. The only silver lining about this place is the maintenance staff. If CSC was run by Gary and team, it would be a different experience entirely. I work hard for my money, I'm sure you do too. Do yourself a favor and choose another south side property that values its reputation and renters. read more

I lived here for 4 years. While I was here they were pretty good. When I was leaving, they provided the worst customer service. First, we had to extend our lease by 1 month and had communicated that on many occasions. However, they waited until the last day to remind us of needing a 30 day written notice. When we stated that they knew that months in advance, they just said give it now and pay us. After we left we got an important package delivered and before USPS had started forwarding. Instead of showing courtesy and sending the letter, they needed a self addressed stamped envelope. Not only are they wasting time but can't they handle the 2 dollars with the exorbitant rent they charge? Truly they're heading downhill and I have never had a worse experience in all my years of renting. read more

I have lived in Carson Street Commons for a little over a year and have absolutely loved it. I looked at many city apartment locations before choosing Carson Street and I am very happy with my decision. The cost compared to other city locations is so much more affordable and the apartments are beautiful. I also have a safe free place to park my car. Parking is first come first serve, but if I cannot find parking late at night I have access to very convenient safe street parking for free and have never had an issue (this is not often though). The area is very safe which is important to me as a young single female. I also have a dog so it is important to know my animal is safe when I am not home. Neighbors are all professional and very pleasant and I have never had any issue. You have access to close walk to LA fitness, Cheesecake Factory and other very good restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops and are at a good location to access different areas of the city. While living here I have become close with the staff (leasing agents, manager, maintenance and security). They are all awesome and have been very accommodating. I would highly recommend anyone to live here! It will be a very sad day the day I have to move! read more

I've loved living here. I've lived here for nearly 5 years, and I am only leaving because I am moving across the country. Pros: - great office staff. This has been super-helpful for me, as I am a busy professional. They are helpful with packages, repairs, recommendations for local services (e.g., dog walkers, house cleaners, etc), and are just nice people. I've been here long enough that I've seen several waves of new office staff and this is the second management company, and they always go above and beyond. Obviously, they make efforts to have a great office culture. - apartment design. I lived in a large 2 bedroom townhouse. I'm a big guy, and the closets are HUGE- plenty of space, and they could fit the extra-wide hangers I need since I have broad shoulders. The master bedroom is enormous, and the guest bedroom was huge, had a full walk-in closet, and a full bathroom. Decent sized kitchen, and the attached garage had extra space for storage even with a car in there - respect for tenants. Parking can get tight (... they do have spots for everyone), and I really appreciated that security would tow unauthorized vehicles to make sure tenants had parking spots. The security guard knows both my dog and me by name, and has a regular presence. - location. Right across the street from places like REI, Cheesecake Factory, Hofbrauhaus, Doublewide Cafe (my favorite) - outdoor access. Literally a few yards from a great rail trail, which I use every day. Great for running, biking, dog walking. About 1/4 mile from a very nice off-leash dog park - decent gym. The gym in the complex has a few machines and weights, and is completely adequate. If you want something bigger, the LA Fitness is a 2-3 minute walk away - Maintenance. Timely, helpful, gets stuff done right. They have weekend people on call for emergencies. Downsides: - Price. The complex is priced as a premium property. I actually considered this a positive, as it meant that it catered to young professionals and respectful tenants. I felt like I definitely got what I paid for, in a good way - Some dead space in the apartment. The space above the stairwell is deadspace extending to the second floor. Figure it adds $10/month to the utility cost Overall, great place, happy that I lived here Read more: http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/PA-Pittsburgh-Carson-Street-Commons-1630044.html#ixzz2PcL9KAkK read more

This management company is NOT customer friendly. You have to give a parking pass to anyone who visits you. The visitor places it in their car while they are there. When they leave your apartment, they have to go down to their car and get the visitor pass to return it to you for your future use. THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY HIRES A TOWING COMPANY TO TOW PEOPLE DURING THIS TIME. They also tow people AS THEY ARE MOVING IN. For the price that we are paying, it is NOT worth it. Customers should be treated with respect and given what they bargained for--a livable space, which includes being able to have friends over with a reasonable expectation that if you play by the rules, the management company will honor their commitment. Don't live here. You deserve a management company that treats you well. read more

Great Location! Pros: - Location: A safe area of the southside. Not on the same streets as loud bars. Very close to the works with different restaurants and stores nearby. I love being able to walk to everything I need. - Security: There is a security guard on duty 24/7. This has given me piece of mind when taking my dog out late at night, or when coming home late. - Pet Friendly: The rent for a dog is only $35 a month, which compared to other locations is reasonable. They have poop bags in several locations so that you can easily clean up after your pup. The southside dog park is only a few minutes walk away. - Trail: Very close to different entrances to the Riverfront Trail. Great for walking your dog, or for a jog. - Gym: There is a free gym included with your rent. When I was a resident, the gym was closed for 4 months for a remodel. It looks great now, but it was very unfortuate that it was inaccessable for almost half of my lease term. - Parking: Parking is free for residents Cons: - Parking: I had my car towed twice because my parking pass "was not visible" even though it was on my dashboard. $250 each time to pick up my car. - Packages: Packages are not delivered to your door, but to the front office. This does keep your package secure, but the office does not inform you if they receive it. This makes it difficult if you are not expecting a package. - Cost: Expensive for a 1 bedroom apartment (mine was $1370 a month with the pet fee). - Outdoor Space: The majority of the apartments do not have a patio area. I missed having my grill, or a place to sit outside on a nice day. read more

Good staff. Very personable. Always know your name when you go to pick up a package.