I moved into a "Penthouse" Henry Matisse II in July 2016. As much as I like the location of this place, my opinion is that it is overhyped and overpriced compared to similar apartments in DT Calgary. Here's why:
First, the 'Penthouse' is a rip-off. The only difference is higher ceilings which are pretty standard in many places, yet you pay more the higher you go. The management is inconsistent and changes deals like Calgary weather. $1555 for a 1bdr yet you would not even reveal the square footage because it is really small. Besides, there is no a/c or ceiling fan. You get free underground parking or one month rent to decrease your rent to $1430 which is still ridiculous. If you choose one month free, you have to park on the street. Some tenants get 2 months free with parking, others get nothing. Granted they offered free Telus and internet for a year. The kitchen and laundry appliances are all updated but I quickly learned that they vary in quality based on the apartment style you choose. These folks are doing a great job making a dollar from 15 cents! The 2-bed apartments are a joke: approx $2000 for that tiny space? No thanks!
For more than 6 months there was no electricity bill then suddenly the leasing office came up with a backdated bill and ridiculous admin charges. They outsourced their Direct Energy Energy bill to another company in Colorado, YES Energy, who add an additional admin charge just for preparing your bill. I found out that YES energy is essentially a sister company of the leasing company (Rhapsody). I don't even receive my bill in the mail and when I complained I was told to sort that out myself with their YES hotline. I'm being charged additional admin fees from YES Energy (more than my utilities) for a bill I literally have to request each time. The staff, Curtis and Crystal are nice but whenever I complain about these things, they pass the buck to the owner or top management and I hardly get definitive answers. Pet-friendly but lots of bad dogs/irresponsible owners that let their dogs pee in the elevator, and they do not enforce people to use a leash on their pets. I have about two months left on my current lease, and I will not renew. My apartment style has a wait list so I'm pretty sure they will lease it out quickly. However, I will not be recommending the Metropolitan to anyone. If you are considering this place, only sign up with them as a last option. read more