I am generally pretty easy going when it comes to apartment selection. I have lived in pretty diverse housing conditions. And I can confidently say that my experience here was THE WORST EVER! It is pretty unfortunate that people don't review apartments as much. It really sucks when you are stuck in a contract with this type of business.
This building complex is as old and run down as it gets. No, not the quaint and antiquated type of building. Washers and dryers are constantly out of order. When functioning, you have to spend at minimum $4 per load re-running it through. The laundromat is a freaky dungeon to walk through, as management saves on electricity and shuts all the lights off. In addition, there is the high likelihood that you will walk into a homeless man napping there. Because the manager likes to keep the doors unlocked. This means that your nights will be interrupted by the random theater group that chose to save money on renting out space. No lie, this happened. Or the large family that decide to have a Mexican fiesta for one week straight. Loud music galore...the type that ear plugs won't fix.
Now for the apartment itself. The floors are wooden with gaps filled with DIRT. It is impossible to clean the floors properly. The walls have cracks to the extent that there was a large one dripping in my shower. When I called the on-site repair man, he said that it wasn't a big deal...just dripping a bit. Never got fixed! Pipes that run to all faucets are old and rusted. Water comes out brown, until you wait a bit. The drains are constantly plugged up. You will have to wait days before someone comes to fix it. Find your own way out of showering, washing dishes, and cleaning. Broken windows, blinds, fans, and door locks.
And the gross issues with ants, cockroaches, and spiders abound. The manager will tell you that they take care of the issue immediately. Umm, everyone I know ran into problems. They were forced to suck it up until their contract ran out. Then there are the bats that find their way into the apartments. Fend for yourselves.
Parking lots are first come, first served. There will be random residents and students leaving you without a place to park. If you do find parking, just hope you find your car in the same condition that it was left in.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, the building itself lends to an UNSAFE LIVING SITUATION. The apartment complex is wide open with unlocked doors. The windows lead out to the trash area, so that you can watch the homeless digging through your trash. There are peeping Toms looking through your windows at night. These are people off the streets! This is a serious issue as police were informed to patrol THIS building more from neighbor complaints. Management will tell you that it is your problem.
If you threaten to move out, they will NOT let you out of the contract even with police reports. The manager will NEVER return your security deposit (i.e. feeling assured that graduate students don't have time to fight through the legal system).
Low on behold, management is hardly ever on premises. Yet, they will find time to come into your apartment UNANNOUNCED every couple months for apartment checks. So much for invasion of private space.
If you don't mind a broken down, run down, roach-infested, apartment with people creeping in your windows, then move here. Otherwise, DO NOT RENT HERE under any circumstances! read more