I lived at Parc Frontenac for over 5 years and I would recommend this building to anyone without reservation. The only reason I moved was because I was transferred to Chicago for my job. If I could have uprooted the building and moved it to Chicago with me, I would have done it in a second.
Pros
- Location! Forest Park is literally right across the street and dozens of restaurants/bars/stores (including two grocery stores) are within very close walking distance.
- Despite the very active nightlife in the neighborhood, I always felt completely safe as a single woman living alone in this apartment. I am not aware of any crimes that have ever been reported inside the building.
- Management office, doormen, and maintenance are fantastic. Some are better than others, obviously, but, for the most part, everyone is friendly, laid-back, and responsive. Calls are always returned quickly and work orders are always processed in a reasonable amount of time. When my air conditioner broke, they had a new one installed within a matter of hours. But it's one thing to have a management company that fixes their own mistakes; Parc goes above and beyond. In fact, once, I dropped my hairbrush down the toilet (still can't quite figure out how that happened) and it broke. They replaced the toilet with no questions; no charge, even though it was clearly my fault. To me, that speaks volumes.
- Heat in the winter is included in rent and very generous. I was never cold, but the maintenance staff will wrap your air conditioners if you feel a draft.
- The building makes a real effort at building a community. I was in law school when I first moved in and working constantly for the two years after graduation, so I didn't have a chance to participate as much as I would have liked. But they do everything from Christmas parties to yoga on the roof to keeping a social calendar in the elevator. They even bring in grab-n-go breakfast for the residents every once in awhile or cupcakes for the occasional holiday. It's evident that a lot of thought goes into making residents feel appreciated.
- Amenities are great. The laundry room is always clean, well-lit, and decidedly un-creepy. The exercise room could use more machines, but again, it's clean and well-lit, it gets the job done and it's rarely over-crowded. But the roof deck is really the highlight. It's huge and there are spectacular views of the city, along with more than enough seating to accommodate multiple groups on any given evening. There are also plenty of BBQs if you ever want to throw a party in the summer.
- Thick walls. Occasionally, someone would crank up their bass and the sound would faintly make its way into my living space. But, more often than not, I was convinced my apartment must be soundproof. MANY of my neighbors had dogs and I was amazed at how rarely I heard so much as a distant bark.
- A few things I didn't fully appreciate until I moved elsewhere: mail slots on every floor, vending machines in the basement, plenty of carts in the basement to haul groceries from your car, business center with free wifi and coffee, no charge to lock down the freight elevator, and a guest suite that can be reserved for visiting friends/relatives (much nicer/less expensive than local hotels).
Cons
- The policy on guest parking. The new management company realized last year that non-residents/non-guests were parking for free in the back lot and so, now, guests have to come inside and check in with the doorman in order to make it past the parking gate. I understand the purpose, but this can get a little obnoxious for both you and your guest - especially when it's a friend just stopping by for dinner or meeting you for a movie.
- When they rehab an apartment near yours, you'll feel like your entire apartment is shaking if you're home during the day. The good news is, it doesn't last long. If you can make it through a few weeks, you'll be back to peace and quiet. And the management office is great about taking requests on the timing of construction. For example, I had a take-home 24 hour exam right in the middle of a rehab the first year I moved in. Lucius arranged for the construction team to perform fairly quiet tasks that day. Just communicate openly with the office and you'll be fine.
- Rent has been steadily increasing, but whatcha gonna do? I think that's pretty much every rental building in the country.
If I had stayed in St. Louis, I would absolutely have upgraded to a two bedroom with this building. The cons don't even begin to overtake the pros. I could not have been happier living here. read more
