We have lived at the Lofts at Lower Mills since Fall of 2011. We had sold our condo in a three-unit triple decker and were curious to see if we would like living in a larger building so we decided to rent. Well, we loved it so much we bought our unit.
With regard to the previous review, I am somewhat surprised that this individual would stay for 5 years if they had such an awful experience. Certainly you could find units with lower rent in other developments. However, we have found the Lofts at Lower Mills worth the price.
The grounds are well maintained, as are the common spaces of the building. We have found the maintenance and cleaning staff to be top-notch and incredibly helpful. As renters, maintenance work orders were quickly completed. You would be hard-pressed to find better on-site staff. Heck, they were helping us re-direct our ceiling lights on Christmas Eve and they couldn't have been more pleasant about it!!
We have had a very different experience from the previous reviewer. We have never had issue with mold on the brick and we live on the river-side of the building. The most we have had to do is cut away the ivy that sometimes grows over a corner of our window. The brick is gorgeous and it is what most people are drawn to when they enter our unit. As this was a factory before there are some nicks and dings but we feel that adds to the character of the unit. Also, we had a housing inspector go over the building (including the roof and the basement/crawl space) and he remarked that he was incredibly impressed with the structure and its integrity, especially given its location next to and over a running body of water.
We have not been bothered by sound from other units. We never hear the neighbors on our floor. We used to have a couple with three young children above us and we would hear them occasionally but it did not bother us. It was far from loud and we only heard them when one of the kids would take a digger and cry. Having lived in a triple-decker I know what it's like to hear your neighbors and this is significantly better.
We did have an issue when we first moved in where we would find wood dust/dirt in one spot. We called Winn and they fixed it immediately. The contractor explained to me it was from the original wood beams that are designed to expand and contract in their metal frame. Again, it was fixed in 15 minutes and never an issue again. We have not had the same dust and cement issues the previous reviewer had while she lived here.
I will agree the HVAC has been problematic. I think the condo association, to whom Winn (now Barkan) paid dues to when the building was not owner-occupied, nickel-and-dimed the HVAC repairs for our building as we were "renters" in the Lofts at Lower Mills. Now that the building is converted and is owner-occupied, with owners who will now serve on the condo association board, I am confident better representation will result in a better job addressing this issue. I should also add when we were without AC for a few hot days we would ask Winn to credit our rent and they did so quite willingly.
Overall we have found that with good communication we have been able to address any concerns we have had. We are realists and expect there to be issues that arise in any large building whether it is apartments or condos. Our issues have been minimal and when we shared our concerns with management, and now with our condo representatives, they have been addressed.
We have loved our living experience here which is why we chose to buy. Yes, the units are not inexpensive but we felt they were well worth the cost. We should note we are not the only renters who chose to buy. Lower Mills is such a wonderful community with so much to offer. You can walk to shops, the grocery store and restaurants. You are right on public transportation and adjacent to a fabulous bike path. The building is wonderful if you have pets as there is a DCR park right next to the Water Mill Building. Overall, the people who have moved in are polite and engaging but respectful of each others privacy.
We are thrilled that we were able to purchase our unit at the Lofts at Lower Mills and we have thoroughly enjoyed living in the building and in this neighborhood. read more