I'm well into my second year of living at the Alexan City Center and, like any other apartment complex, you'll find that it has it's pros and it's cons. Before I go any further though, I wanted to issue a word of caution to those of you reading this. I encourage you to take everything with a grain of salt because most apartments receive terrible reviews on these sorts of sites - most people don't want to bother writing a review except for those that are disgruntled ex-residents. I was inspired to write this after the horrible things I've read about the Alexan City Center...I don't want everyone to get the impression that this i sa horrible place to live because it really isn't for most people.

Pros:
*Beautiful apartment complex both on the outside and inside - our kitchen looks like a designer kitchen (they stopped just short of the cherrywood cabinets and black GE appliances, but I still feel like I should be on a cooking show with how nice the kitchen is)
*Good number of choices as far as floorplans and the floorplans are all well laid out, but still offer enough variety to let you choose the things you like
*Luxury-style ammenities (oval soaking tubs, beautiful cabinets, huge mirror in the bathrooms, large welk-in closets)
*The light rail is right next to the complex and is extremely convenient. The library across the street is also great if you live with a student or are one yourself.
*Places to eat are just a walk away: IHOP, Mega Wraps, Jamba Juice, Tokyo Joe's, Old School Burgers, Qdoba, Quiznos, Mile High Coffee (which has great, free entertainers every week), McDonalds, Le Peep, ColdStone, and more are all within easy walking distance.
*During the summer there are bands that play various types of music right out in front of the library.
*Beautifully-landscaped courtyards inside the complex are very inviting and for most of the year there are fountains and flowers.
*There are a lot of other ammenity perks (such as a parking garage in the phase II apartments, lots of on-site storage units, etc...), but you can view those on the website if you want...
*Outside of phase II there is a beautiful fountain with a large grassy area during most of the year. Late in November they erect a beautiful christmas tree and the trees that line the streets outside are decorated and beautiful (this isn't Alexan's doing, but it makes the area nice).
*The area is very pet-friendly and most of the dog owners know each other. The office staff greets my dog with enthusiastic smiles every time they see her. I love the courtesy doggy pick-up bags and trash cans provided.
*Maintenance is usually pretty quick to respond and always very nice.
*Rent is pretty reasonable compared to other places of similar quality -- this is a big factor as to why we haven't moved. We've been spoiled by the quality of this place and short of moving out to the middle of nowhere, it's hard to find a place of equal quality that doesn't have a larger price tag on rent.
*Free carpet cleaning provided every year.'
*Interior hallways (much warmer in the winter weather than exterior-entrance apartments)
*Friendly staff - some of which recognize me each time I go in for UPS packages.
*Carpets in the hallways are cleaned to prevent them from getting too dirty.


Cons:
*We have a wire rung balconette and it's close to useless. I wish they had made it a solid-bottom balconette so your feet don't hurt when you walk out onto it.
*Depending on when you go out, sometimes there are large quantities of dog poop outside (this is not Alexan's fault, per se, since it is the responsiblity of pet owners to clean up after their pets. I do believe that the Alexan does occasionally clean it up a bit and I applaud them for that if that's the case.)
*Noise is an issue *at times* (for the vast percentage of our stay here, it is average compared to other complexes). Occasionally we can hear the people above us moving around, which is usually to be expected when you live underneath someone in an apartment. Occasionally people walking through the hallways can be heard, but that's because of the nature of the building with it's interior hallways that trap sound. If you're a light sleeper, I do recommend getting an interior apartment because the light rail/train/busses can be a bit noisy. Most of the time it isn't too obtrusive. The fire alarms have been an issue, although this isn't the fault of Alexan's staff or anyone related to Alexan, really. I know in the two years we've been here it has gone off 2-3 times. The first time (possibly the other times too) it went off because someone across the street tripped the alarms while trying to fix some wiring for one of the retail locations. It is very startling, very loud, and really needs to be looked into, although I think the problem really lies with select residents acting immature....
*Overall the residents of the Alexan City Center are wonderful people, but there are a few that ruin it for everyone. I'm pretty sure that there are a few that are responsible for one or two of the false fire alarms. Also, the Alexan City Center purchased a bunch of silk plants to put in the hallways(kudos to them!) a while back. Many hallways are still doing okay, but in some hallways the residents have stolen the plants for their own use, leaving the hallway bare. During warmer months a bunch of kids (presumeably college kids) are outside late or will walk outside talking and laughing quite loudly. I do wish the Alexan would do a better job enforcing noise code violations. (I once reported a noise incident that took them a few months to deal with and lead to several sleepless nights.)
*While the direct Alexan City Center area is very nice and a very up-and-coming style, the areas around it aren't that great. This part of Englewood isn't quite ghetto-like, but it's definitely not the luxurious side of town. The Alexan City Center is kind of like a diamon in the rough in these parts and every area has to start somewhere towards restoration. I only hope that the surrounding areas catch up to the quality of the Alexan soon.



My overall opinion of the Alexan City Center is that it IS worth moving into. It's beautiful, it's in a convenient location with just about everything you could need within walking distance (including a post office, several banks, and office store, hair places, etc...). The staff is friendly and most of the residents are friendly. Things are, on the whole, well maintained and you really feel like you're living in a good place. Noise is probably the biggest worry you will have and is somewhat avoidable if you choose your particular apartment well.

Some tips:
*If you have a choice, live in phase II (the one with the parking garage included)
*Do not choose an exterior apartment that's facing the train/light rail/busses (it's all on one side).
*Choose an interior hallway apartment to prevent freezing your buns off the whole way to your apartment in the winter. Interior hallway apartments may trap the noise of people walking by, it's very rare and is probably a great deal quieter than being on the exterior where there is no sound barrier against external noises (such as passing cars).
*Make sure you put your parking sticker on your car immediately (they are going to start enforcing the parking rules - yay! - which hopefully means they'll tow people who park in the garage that don't live in the apartment)
*Be there when your maintenance guy comes (this has nothing to do with theft). Even though they respond quickly, they don't always fix things perfectly their first visit (although we've never had to have them out for the same problem for more than two visits).
*Last but not least.....Live here! It's a great environment whether you're a single working adult, a student, or a family. There is something here for everyone, there's enough luxury to satisfy most uppity-ups, but enough of a touch of home to satisfy the family looking for something cozy. Local businesses cater to any type of person, from the pub-loving person looking for a drink and a game of pool at Table Steaks to the devoted college student looking to glue their nose in a book at the library to the family looking to Spend their Sunday brunch at Le Peep, to the flamboyant artist that just wants to take a stroll down the way looking at all of the unique outdoor art.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/16/2007
Are you sure you're living at Alexan? Are you related to staff or owners?

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