Now that the Ram management is gone, I am so much happier here! That girl Sara Loggins was a very…read morehostile person. Her assistants Jad and Jessi were very nice but it didn't do much since Sara was the boss. Anyway, she's been gone for about 2 weeks now. The new management seems competent and friendly.
Feel free to view my first review which has all the objective pros and cons. At this point, I'd like to put out what I feel are the biggest pros and cons to me.
PROS
(+) Location- AMAZING! off West End, near Centennial park, close to Vanderbilt and Belmont and a bunch of hospitals and downtown and Broadway's Honky Tonk bars, 15-20 minutes from airport, 15 minutes from huge outlet, 5 minutes from Green Hills Mall, lots of nearby activities. Dog Park next-door.
(+) Convenience- elevators, appliances in unit (dishwasher, washer/dryer, fridge, stove, microwave). The washer and dryer does a countdown to let you know how much time you have left. The dishwasher has a 1 hour wash function. Can pay online or walk a check to first floor. There is a digital thermostat in unit, bath and shower, linen closet, and small walk in closet. Great lighting in bathroom, closet and kitchen. Bike storage room. Indoor mailboxes. Vaulted ceilings. Trash chutes on every floor.
(+) Friendly management and maintenance staff. Residents are mostly nice, I've come across maybe 2 rude and unfriendly residents but they're the minority.
(+) Not entirely carpeted which was more costly for the original builders.
(+) While the apartment doesn't insulate noise that well, it is pretty warm during the winters and cool during the summers.
CONS
(-) Walls are thin- it can get loud. Courtyard gets really loud and you can hear a lot of it. Walls and windows aren't great at insulating this out.
(-) Parking and garage- not enough spaces! And the garage gate only opens with the remote but what about for delivery people or guests? The top deck has no protection which causes residents in the building on Long boulevard to park below during rainy or snowy nights. The exit/ entrance lane is just wide enough for one car although it should be two lanes. Also garage doors sometimes don't open!! I can never find parking in the garage and if I do, I have to walk pretty far to get to my car.
(-) Small details- In unit, no coat closet at entrance, no lighting in living room area or bedroom area, and private balcony not very private. In building, gym doesn't have much equipment and packages sometimes get delivered to management (no notification system). The packages are supposed to go to your door or your mailbox but instead they can sit at the management office for days. Not enough dog posts (baggy dispenser and trash can) which means some irresponsible owners let their dogs poop on the grass and don't pick up. Home owners living next door are very aware of that and because of this, they keep a close eye on people with dogs. Elevators sometimes don't work. It feels like maybe once a month. That sucks.
(-) I'm paying $1,390/ month for a one bedroom. I was looking for something for like $900, but for the prime location, I guess its worth it... the price does seem slightly jacked up though.
Ideas for improvement:
Aside from the 4 (-)'s, I would love it if they had a computer lab (desktop computers, printers, and fax machines in case of emergencies). For people who are wheelchair bound, those using a bike, or carrying large objects/ lots of groceries it would be so helpful if they could make the doors automatic so people wouldn't have to struggle with the doors. (maybe have a security post 5 feet from door where we can swipe our fob to ensure the building is still secure but also making it convenient by having the doors open for us if needed). And the downstairs garage gets really dusty so it would be helpful if there was a car cleaning area, but I guess thats asking a lot...
Overall, this place is pretty awesome though! Just make sure that you seriously consider which apartment to choose in the building if you choose West End Village. I was stuck in the building to the left (on Long Boulevard) that has 2 or 3 bedrooms in each unit and is only 2 floors tall. Basically, you're directly on the street and you can literally hear people walking past your windows on the sidewalks and cars driving by. Its horrible! As for the main building that is basically a square, I chose an apartment on the inner part, facing the pool. The upside is that I knew I wouldn't have to worry about cars driving by and hearing that, but I do occasionally hear people talking in the pool courtyard. You can also hear muffled sounds from your neighbors. My apartment is pretty nice but I know for a fact that they're not all like this since I had to live in a different apartment for 2 months. Just make sure you consider the location of the apartment within this property or you could be miserable.