I had a good time at Madison Apartments. I don't know about management beforehand, but the management team this year has been extremely friendly and responsive to my questions and concerns. They have been very accommodating and easy to work with, especially when I signed the lease just a few weeks before the fall semester started.
Maintenance is responsive, and quick to fix things. There was a section of time where my heater didn't work properly, and the maintenance was professional and courteous, despite me having called them to repair it over and over after it broke several times. Everything they did, whether it was work orders or in home tours, they contacted me well beforehand to give me advance warning, which allowed me to clean up the apartment before they arrived.
The neighborhood is really quiet, and I haven't heard any partying since I got here. It was a good environment to study and relax. The rooms are well lit, and well ventilated, making it easy to concentrate on studying. There are a lot of convenient places to eat around here, especially due to its close proximity to Frandor Shopping Center, however, it is a bit of a walk (~15 minutes). The closest bus stop to get to campus is the #1 bus stop at the bottom of Frandor, so a car is advised if you don't want to deal with the cold and snow in winter. The highway runs right beside Madison Apartments, so if you want to travel, it's pretty easy to access the highway. Personally, I find that the highway really helps me sleep at night, however, I can see how it might annoy some others.
Ordering packages to be delivered can be a pain sometimes, since there isn't an adequate place to leave the packages, unless someone lets the mailman inside the complex. My advice would be to use FedEx and UPS' options to drop at a nearby store. UPS has a store in Frandor, and FedEx has one right outside of MSU campus, making both areas easy to access if you are a student.
Internet is only offered by Comcast and AT&T, which has decent internet but can be a bit annoying due to disconnects. There is fiber-optic that is expanding into the neighborhood, and I believe they've already contacted early adopters to start their plans. I do not know if the apartments here have it yet, but I believe that it might be a better deal than Comcast or AT&T if they do manage to have it.
Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Madison Apartments. I really liked the apartment itself, as well as the neighborhood around it. Getting to places might be a bit difficult if you don't have a car, but I didn't think it was too bad. The management and maintenance are really easy to communicate with. If I hadn't already signed on with other roommates to a different place, I probably would've continued my lease here, but it's definitely on the table if I decide to live somewhere else in Lansing after a year. read more