I have read all the prior reviews, and I have commented on some; and, since I am a current resident of this complex, here is my review.

First, I am very happy to live here at the Pavilions on Central. I looked at many apartments when I needed a new place to live, and this complex gave me everything that I was looking for.

To be critical, the rent is a little higher than I had hoped to spend right now; however, I feel you definitely get high quality and an excellent place to live for the price.

I have not experienced problems with the staff as others have mentioned. (SEE UPDATE BELOW) Also, in the few times I had to call for maintenance, the problems were solved the first time, and at a timely manner. (AGAIN, SEE UPDATE) I have not personally had a problem with parking, but I can see how some may if they have too many guests or too many vehicles.

Onto my review:

Parking:
Parking is adequate. It is also secure (to a point). Nearly every unit has a garage. Most are attached garages. This is a very nice feature. I hated having to carry my groceries several hundred feet to my apartment where I had previously lived. It is so convenient to be able to get out of your car and walk right inside. The complex is gated, so that discourages people that don't live there from taking up the open spaces. However, recently, the gates were broken and it took over 3 months to get them fixed. At night, there is security. Security also tickets and boots people that do not have a parking permit between 10 P.M. and 6 A.M. If you have guests that plan on staying later, you can call and give them their vehicle information to avoid them being ticketed.

UPDATE: ARGH! I wish they would do something about those that park, long term, in the 15 minute mail pickup spot!!!

Noise level:
Just by the nature of being an apartment complex, there is going to be occasional noise. However, I don't feel that this place is any worse that other complexes. In fact, the construction is much nicer than I have experienced in the past; so, noise from adjoining units is minimal. I have never heard people screaming like someone else had mentioned. I have not heard any loud music. Unless you are one of the very few people that have poolside views, I don't think pool noise would be a problem. I can't hear the pool from where I live, and I'm not too far away. I live on the ground floor, right next to a couple of garages, yet, I don't hear them when they open and close. I do hear mine when it does, but I have a doorway to that garage. The appliances are quiet too. I never knew a washing machine could be so whisper quiet.

Grounds:
I love the appearance of the place. That is one more thing that drew me here. The trees, hedges, flowers, and grass are all kept in good shape. It is very nice to look at. It is something you don't usually find in Phoenix. The complex has a very unique feel to it. The red brick accents the complex very well. It gives you an urban yet suburban feeling at the same time. I find it very pleasant. I enjoy leaving the large windows open, simply for the view.

Safety:
I was cautious at first. I was unsure about living in 'downtown' Phoenix. Some of the neighborhoods surrounding the complex were a little intimidating at first. I didn't like the fact that the complex is right across the street from a high school. It made me a little nervous. However, once I was on the complex, I had none of those worries. The complex is well gated; and, I have not had any problems while I have lived here. After time, I have grown accustom of the surrounding neighborhood, and it is not as bad as I had first thought. I don't have anything to worry about, at least thus far. Seems pretty safe to me.

Construction:
Excellent. This is the most attractive feature of this complex in my opinion. The floorplans are very unique and contemporary. Contrary to how I felt with prior apartments, I am no longer living in a box!! The appliances are extremely nice. Much better than the economy models that are put in most apartments. The walls seem to be better at keeping noise away from other units. The color scheme and choice of materials for the buildings is very attractive. All the windows are double-pained. The locks are very secure. I believe that every unit has a fireplace. Some of the cabinets have glass fronts - again, very nice. Hardwood flooring is available in some units. The pool area is quite large and clean. The exercise room is very nice, there is a lot of equipment to use. The office area / lounge is great. There is usually someone there playing the piano for you to enjoy listening to. You can also reserve the space for your own private parties if you wish. Some people have complained about the paint. I somewhat agree, and do not deny some of what they say. The complex does use a simple white paint on the walls. But I don't understand why people complain so much about it. It is so easy to repair if you manage to accidently scuff it. It doesn't bother me. Maybe it bothers you.

Maintenance:
I try not to break things. So, I haven't had to call maintenance that often. The few times I have had to call, it had been solved either the same or early the next day. They fixed it the first time. They were not rude, nor did they ignore me. They cleaned up afterwards. To be fair, if I must complain about something. One maintenance person, I could tell, was a heavy smoker; you could smell it on his body. After he left, I could still smell the odor. It went away after about 15 minutes. Still, though, he got the job done, did very good work, fixed it the first time, and was friendly about it. So, that experience has no bearing on my review.

UPDATE: I'd like to add that we had a pretty bad experience with the washing machine in the upstairs apartment breaking.... twice. Both times, we were not at home. The first time, it leaked through our garage ceiling and left a lot of water. We kept requesting that the stained ceiling be repaired, but after a month, no one would help. Then, about a month and a half after the first incident, it happened again! This time it was much worse. Part of the drywall ceiling came down in the garage. It was a big mess. I am so glad I do not drive a soft-top vehicle. Needless to say, they cleaned it up this time. However, the workmanship the did is not that great. You can plainly see the patches in the ceiling. I would have done a much better job if this were my own home.

Office Staff:
I have not had any problems. They are nice and friendly. In December, they hosted a party to celebrate the holidays. They severed lots of nice food, drinks, and gave away prizes. It was quite fun, and everyone (both the staff and the residents) were pleasant to speak and hang out with. They have always been nice to us when we had any complaints, as well as when we needed to pay rent or ask a question.

UPDATE: The staff has changed over the few years we've lived here. And the quality has gone down. Our first lease was for 13 months. By the time it was time to renew, nobody was left in the office that was once there when we started living there. But, a surprise came when we found out what they wanted to charge for us to stay. They wanted to increase my rent by 30%!!! I felt that this was very outrageous. They claimed that they had to bring there prices up to the current market value. I tried negotiating the price with them, but office staff wouldn't budge, saying Equal Opportunity and Fair Housing laws wouldn't allow them to 'give me a break.' (Personally, I don't know how they apply in this situation.) I then decided to go 'up the ladder' and contacted someone at Gray Clow. This time, during my negotiating, I brought up the trouble we had with the garage. After a couple of days, the apartment manager called me, apologized and said that they would like us to stay. The offered us the option to renew at the same rent, and an extra $250 off the first month. So, we decided to stay. They still have parties, and I've won a couple of prizes (which is cool).

UPDATE 2: It's almost time to renew again. We don't know how much they are going to want to increase our rent. Hopefully it won't be as outrageous as the first time. Again, the manager has changed... perhaps we'll have better luck.

I have already recommended the Pavilions on Central to a few people, and I still recommend it. Though not as much as before. If they start making it a habit on trying to gouge those that try to renew... I will certainly change my response to 'No'.

Also, I will try to continue to keep this review up to date while I live here, in case anything changes my opinion.

For those that think I work for the Pavilions and/or Gray Clow, please grow up and realize that some 'real people' actually enjoy writing reviews.

-Updated 02/06/06
-Updated 03/09/07
-Updated 02/01/08

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