"We really wanted this to work. It just does not work with kids."
On paper this place checked every box. Modern, attractive, great gym, rooftop, pool, lounge areas that actually get used. I work from home part of the week and the setup is genuinely good for that. Other days I walk to our office right downtown. The walkability is real, coffee, restaurants, Jet Set Pilates, all right there. If you are young and child-free this building probably feels like a dream. I get it.
Sadly we left, and not just because of the huge renewal increase. A 12% jump and we did not even try to negotiate, we just moved and could not be happier. There are much better options out there if you are older or have kids. We have two kids, and that changes everything about how it feels to live here.
Parking, fobs, and security
Needing a fob at every single access point even once you are inside the building is a real pain with kids. And kids lose fobs. We spent hours tracking them down because a replacement is $175 each. What makes it more frustrating is that despite all of that, the homeless living right outside still manage to sneak in regularly. Other buildings nearby have valet or more accessible setups and honestly it would be worth the difference.
The pool incident
My youngest let an older child play with his water toy. When he asked to share it back, the other boy scratched him. He came back to me in tears and I saw it happen with my own eyes. I went to the parents and they shrugged it off, boys will be boys, not even an apology. I reported it to management and was told the cameras were not working, which apparently is a frequent occurrence according to a former employee. That response told me everything about how things get handled here.
Saturday garage access
From November through April the building opens the garage to paid public parking every Saturday for the farmers market. Strangers with no connection to the building come through every level all morning with just an arm gate between them and your car. As a parent you also have to keep in mind that your child cannot go to the garage alone on Saturdays to grab something they forgot. It is more mental load than it should be.
Common areas and unit sizes
The 6th floor outdoor space should be a place for families to relax. Instead certain residents treat it as an extension of their unit, toys left out, kids running unsupervised. The unit sizes also surprised me. The two bedroom living room is genuinely too small for a child to play in. The three bedroom bedrooms are so compact I had to buy special slim nightstands just to fit around a king bed with a frame and headboard. For the price they ask, that was not what I expected.
The neighborhood reality
The Thursday concerts on Clematis run right outside from 6 to 9pm weekly. Late nights Thursday through Sunday bring heavy crowds from the bars right past the entrance. The courthouse next door means prisoner transport at 7:30 every morning. None of this came up during the leasing process.
One more thing
Notice the review patterns here. Positive reviews tend to come in clusters right after negative ones. I will let you draw your own conclusions. I just felt the need to warn other parents. I only wish the families in this building looked out for each other. They do not. It has never felt like home. read more