The Francis Apartments: Luxury Pricing Meets Third-World Living Conditions…read more If you're considering moving to The Francis Apartments -- let me save you the pain, frustration, and absolute embarrassment of calling this place "home." This isn't luxury living -- it's a case study in management failure. What You Actually Get: A glorified dog park wrapped in a poorly maintained building, managed by people who treat residents like an afterthought -- if they're even around at all. Leasing Office? Nonexistent. The leasing office is closed more than it's open. Need a guest parking pass? Be prepared to either stalk the property for staff or cough up $64 a day to park in your own garage. And if you do catch the leasing agent (especially the white female agent)? Expect gossip, oversharing of residents' personal business, and blatant admission that they care more about their "other property" down the street. Management is M.I.A. -- completely detached from the day-to-day issues here. Residents are left to fend for themselves. Parking = Full-Blown Nightmare * Resident garage gates are temperamental at best -- stuck open one minute, refusing to open the next. * Guest parking is straight robbery at $64 per day. * Event nights? Expect large trucks blocking the garage with zero help from management. * Security is laughable -- cars have been broken into, stolen, and oh yeah -- a homeless man has been living on our floor (4th) for over a month. No management response. Amenities? They Should Be Ashamed. Everything they show on tours is a bold-faced lie: * TVs? Broken. * Fire pits? Haven't worked in forever. * Gym? Half the equipment is out of order. * Grills? Most are completely dead -- if one works, it's pure luck. Six on property but only two work. Only working grills are on the rooftop - fyi. Ask tour guides to turn amenities on. * Pool area? 85 degrees outside and not a single piece of pool furniture to be found. Dog park? It's a poop minefield with broken fences, missing gates, and no enforcement of cleanup rules. Daily Life Here is Gross. * Elevators reek of sweat, wet dog, and whatever trash juice leaked that day. * Trash chutes smell so bad you can catch a whiff from down the hall. * Valet trash? More like valet biohazard -- dirty diapers and rotting food sit for days before pickup. * Carpets? Covered in mystery stains -- think roadside motel vibes, but you're paying luxury rent for the privilege. The Only Things Keeping This Place From Collapsing: * Front desk staff -- friendly and doing their best despite zero management support. Recently, there have been long stretches without any front desk staff. Don't forget your key, because you won't be able to get in. Why isn't there a call box on at least one door, like every other luxury community uptown? * Maintenance -- responsive and professional. Final Verdict: The Francis Apartments are the textbook definition of paying luxury prices for slum conditions. Mismanagement is the theme. Everything is broken. No one cares. And if you do move here -- may God be with you. This isn't luxury living. This is survival. ZERO STARS IF I COULD. Wondering why this dump has any positive reviews? Simple -- management is literally bribing residents with $1,000 rent credits for leaving 5-star reviews. Mention an employee's name? They get a bonus too. So while you're reading glowing reviews about "luxury living" and "amazing staff" -- just know it was probably bought and paid for like everything else here. The truth? The Francis Apartments is the biggest scam in Uptown -- overpriced, poorly managed, and absolutely not worth the headache. Save your money. Save your peace. And most importantly -- believe the bad reviews. They're the only honest thing about this place.

Hands down best community I've ever lived at. Granted I've never lived in a luxury community but…read moreseriously let's start with Concierge. They make life SO easy. Coordinating move in, securing packages (and there are a ton), sending food delivery up, and providing email notices about local events.... They're just all around a huge help. One concierge rep that stands out for me is Christina. She's organized and efficient and has an awesome personality. Security, Arion, is awesome as well. He's so friendly and courteous! Leasing staff are all super nice. They've recently had some changes with their phone system so if you're trying to lease here and are getting frustrated with contacting via email, please give them a break. They're equally as frustrated but when you connect with them they will give you a great experience. The amenities are very glamorous. HUGE pool and pool deck which does get very busy in the summer. There are a ton of non-residents but everyone is really friendly so I haven't been bothered by the non-residents hanging around. Great gym, lots of equipment and space so crowding is rare. Towards the end of 2023 The Apartment Life team put on some awesome resident parties. I made some great friends and the turn out is always really great. There is a lot of thoughtfulness that goes into each event and those details really shine. Neighbors are very quiet and I hardly ever cross paths with anyone in the hallways. Elevators always work unless it's a moving day in which everyone should pay attention to the concierge notifications for their local elevator reservation times. There are a fair amount of homeless that wander out on the boulevard but they've never bothered me... I also have a bigger dog so that could be why. All in all I've 100% decided to renew my lease because I cannot imagine having a better experience anywhere else. I moved here from Dallas never stepping foot in NC and this community was the best choice considering the close walking proximity to work, bars, restaurants, and the light rail literally attached to the leasing office makes for easy commute to NoDa and Southend.

I've had such a great experience at The Village at Commonwealth! Christa is truly amazing and goes…read moreabove and beyond to make this feel like more than just an apartment community. She puts so much thought and effort into planning resident events, bringing everyone together, and making sure residents feel appreciated and cared for. You can genuinely tell that she cares about the people who live here. The entire staff is wonderful as well--always friendly, welcoming, and helpful. Having a team that makes an effort to create a sense of community really makes a difference, and I'm so appreciative of everything Christa and the staff do for us!

I've lived at VCW for a little over six months now, and it's been a great experience. There have…read morebeen a few minor issues (nothing out of the ordinary for apartment living), but everything has been handled quickly and professionally by the maintenance team -- especially Malik, who's always been awesome to work with. The leasing office is incredibly supportive and genuinely cares about residents. You can tell they love what they do and truly want to make your living experience top-tier. They listen to feedback and actually make improvements based on it. Anabel and Reese, who I've worked with the most, have been amazing -- but honestly, everyone in the office is wonderful. VCW really lives up to the "village" name. There's a true sense of community here, with pool parties, sand volleyball leagues, and monthly resident events (the wine nights are a crowd favorite -- please keep them coming, even with the new bar!). I moved to Charlotte not knowing anyone, and this place has quickly become home.

Amazing place to live. Amazing staff. Amazing community. I can walk to everywhere I need to go…read more Parking is great. The events are fun.

The one star is only for the location. Close to everything, walkable and very convenient…read more Otherwise, nothing is as marketed. Over the 12 months as a tenant, there was homeless sleeping on the property between the walls and the bushes, reported to staff, they knew it, did nothing. Gates were continually broken and now they have been removed, kids from nearby QT walk into the property at night and vandalize cars (happened twice), over 20 emails from management warning tenants to stop smoking on property, however their own maintenance manager smoked behind the pump house in his golf cart hiding, the staff knew but did nothing, the property has many, many smokers, so do not believe the marketing that it is a smoke-free property, there never is a consequence and everyone knew it, just ask the guys with cigars around the shared fire pit that don't care what you say. This is the most expensive property in the area, which is fine if you receive all the features and not just marketing hype and lax enforcement. Ask them how many time the rooftop, the game are and the pool have to be closed due to over zealous partiers not taking care of the spaces. The pool was often overcrowded as anyone in walking distance can walk in, the fob access is just eye candy. Do not live here for the amenties, or safety, or if you are looking for a smoke free environment.

I love living at Ashton South End! I moved to Charlotte from Atlanta and signed a lease without…read moreever having the chance to see the property. I worked with Collins in the leasing office and he was wonderful. He answered all of my questions, emailed me numerous apartment layouts, and helped me make a decision as to what apartment was going to be the right one for me. Ashton is very quiet and everyone that lives here is very friendly. The complex is dog friendly and they have jars of doggy treats in the lobby downstairs! Ashton has a few social activities each month for the residents which is very nice and I love that the building has a concierge. The staff is always friendly and willing to help with anything that you need. I am so happy I decided to call Ashton home! The negative reviews are from a previous management company. I have NOT had any problems with Greystar Management, they are fantastic.

Bathrooms and kitchen are amazing, and the amenities and location rock. The best thing about this…read moreplace is the amazing and welcoming service. They were very patient with me, and helped my move out of state be seemless. The staff go above and beyond any other apartment places I have lived at. I am excited to call this place my new home.

Been a resident here for almost a year and it's been an awesome experience - aside from all the…read morewonderful amenities the building provides it's also centrally located to all the best neighborhoods in CLT. Above all there is a bar open Thu-Saturday where, the bar manager, Geoff, provides some of the best cocktails in town. All this complimented with an outstanding 24/7 concierge team - makes this building an easy choice. Finally, a special shoutout to Jalauni from concierge who's the absolute best with all things related to smooth living at uptown 550. He is reliable & resourceful with ensuring residents have a great experience at 550 - I could not be more grateful. Thanks! Kevin

My roommate and I moved in and immediately discovered a strong cigarette smoke odor that seeped…read moreinto our clothes, furniture, and personal belongings. The apartment was essentially unlivable, yet management failed to resolve the issue despite weeks of complaints. What made it even worse was the complete lack of customer service. Tracey at the property and Peyton and Timi at corporate were unresponsive, dismissive, and unwilling to provide a fair resolution. We repeatedly reached out for help and couldn't even get a callback. To add insult to injury, we were forced to pay nearly $2,000 for an apartment we could barely live in. Then the balance was sent to collections without anyone returning our calls or making a genuine effort to resolve the situation. We were unable to rent a new apartment until we paid it. This was by far the worst rental experience I've ever had. Poor management, terrible communication, and zero accountability. Charlotte has plenty of better options - save yourself the NIGHTMARE and rent somewhere else.

Sorry, but I really can't recommend The Residence. Let's start with the PROS: Great location near…read morethe mall. Well-maintained building. Now for the CONS: We were not lucky as far as neighbors. Somebody across the hall playing an acoustic piano all the time--the sound reverberated throughout our apartment. A family next door to that guy with loud kids (not just in the apartment, but out in the halls). For what the apartment cost, we expected something much more peaceful. We let management know of our concerns, and eventually decided we could not take it anymore, and decided to move out sooner than our lease agreement. Management did address our concerns a bit, but the problems never really resolved. Management really should have been a bit more understanding and not charged the full 2 month penalty for moving out early, but no--they charged the full 2 month penalty.

Love this neighborhood for all the dining and shopping you can get done. Anthoney was awesome…read moreshowing me all of the beautiful amenities of the property. He answered all of my questions and welcomed me on the spot with a smile.

Home sweet home I've been living here since September 2023. I've had a lot of maintenance issues in…read moremy unit. But until the end of last year the new management has made changes that have made things a lot better in my unit and in the building. I'm super happy to live here have a community here of loving people, and the concierge and management are fantastic.

I've been here for a little over a year and the only issue I've had is with neighbors and the front…read moreoffice. My neighbors have gotten upset with me for recording and taking pics of the scenery on my balcony and threw very disturbing items on my balcony. Curtains, a white paper towel and a rope as if they were trying to send a racist message. The balconies (depending on where you live) are very close together and if you are at the end of your balcony taking pics or recording and your neighbor has their blinds open, they will get upset with you even though you ain't paying them no mind. Smh.. If I was considerate of my neighbors, I would just close my blinds. After all... that's why we have them. Unfortunately, some people are just mean and racist. They also called and complained about noise once from my apartment. We were out on the balcony that night, 3 people using our "outside voices". The office staff is never the same. So many people have come and gone which makes it very disheartening to go in there at times and most of them have not been very polite. Ben is the only consistent and polite person that I have encountered that makes this place feel like HOME. The concierge has always been very pleasant and helpful and always makes it feel like HOME. I've had a few maintenance issues, but they were all resolved. I'm not a complainer and I understand with an apartment community, things will break and need fixing, you may hear neighbors if the walls are thin or you're out on your balcony and since it's uptown Charlotte "NOISE" is inevitable. So; overall the Vue is a great place to live other than occasional mean neighbors or mean front office staff.

After touring many properties around South charlotte/Steele creek area, I loved how they made you…read morefeel welcomed soon as you walk in. I can't tell you how many times I toured and they just wanted to get me in and out, thanks and bye. No thoughts, questions or anything. But this place was the total opposite. Kristin and Jessica were awesome. Kristin gave me a tour and throughout the tour she was honest about the area, my concerns and were so helpful through out the process. I toured many places so it was nice to be able to be up front about the areas vs sometimes you're hesitant on sharing where you've visited. Also what I loved most was just the area and how the place is still being built so you are the first to live in each unit. You're also just across the street from the outlet malls (literally can walk),10 mins from airport, and 15 minute drive to uptown charlotte. If you are new to the area I'd def recommend checking out!

The Collins is a nice place to live. I've been here since the beginning and new management has made…read moresure to make residents feel like they are heard. Maintenance is great and welcoming! A lot of interactive activities for residents and guests as well. Overall a great place to live.