I've been a resident now for 9 months, and like many others, saw alot of the negative reviews online but decided to roll the dice I take my chances.
My girlfriend and I both can say without hesitation that we are glad we did! We love everything about the Flats and are happy to call this place home!
I read all the reviews before we signed our lease, and it seems as though all the upfront problems with the building were related more to growing pains of getting a new facility up and running and possibly attributed to the former management company. About 2 months after we moved in, RMK took over and have done an excellent job. I know Thatiana was held over from the previous staff, along with Del and Will at the front desk (who are both excellent!), along with some others and much of the maintenance staff. There are also some new faces in the management office like Brian and Luis, and they all do a great job! I believe some of the management staff now even lives in the building, which goes a long way toward keeping this community running at a high level.
Since new management took over, the building is much cleaner - pet stains were an issue initially, but with something like 200 dogs in the building, that will happen, the activity schedule is more active, and overall the service is fantastic.
Maintenance staff is friendly and responsive, even stopping to say hi to our dog when we are taking her out.
The amenities are great. I personally have put alot of mileage on the coffee maker on the 3rd floor. The new business center is a nice convenience to have. Package receiving at the front desk and carts to haul things upstairs is a lifesaver! The fitness room is well appointed and inviting, and we are looking forward to using the pool deck this summer. In summers past there were apparently issues with residents bringing lots of friends and dominating the pool area but they have instituted a new wristband/guest policy to try and keep that under control.
And the dog run. Dear god has that been a blessing - particularly during those puppy months when she wants to go out at 3AM and its 10 degrees outside... The management has really tried to get control of the residents who don't clean up after their dogs and I commend their efforts. You can't force everyone to be a good neighbor, but overall its been successful.
They have also implemented some reorganization of the parking garage to prevent residents from having to battle with Cubs parking in the summertime - so far so good. We've had two cars parked in the garage since September and haven't had any issues with overcrowding or pipes dripping on the cars or anything like that. Again, seems like that was more of a growing pain vs a chronic problem.
Generally the floors are quiet. I never hear anything from our neighbors above, below or next door. The occasional barking dog, but nothing to write home about. The doors to the corridor are undercut to facilitate ventilation (approx a 1.5" gap between the door and the floor) so you can sometimes hear conversations from the hall, but its hardly a deal breaker - more just a reminder to take any sensitive conversations away from the front door!
Prices at Halsted Flats are a bit on the high side, admittedly, but you get what you pay for. The apartments are well appointed and comfortable, and the appliances are high quality. The included utilities package is also convenient and competitive, considering it includes cable and internet. You just pay your electric bill (electric heat and A/C) and any "extras" you want on the cable side, whether is HBO or faster service.
We've enjoyed it here, our friends and family are envious of our home, and we hope to stay until we need something bigger! read more