The current name of this complex is Clairmont Reserve, managed by JMG Realty. Prior to that it was called Lincoln at Decatur for about a year, when it was managed by Lincoln Property Company. Prior to *that*, as recently as 2006, it was known as Carlyle Lake, managed by Julian Lecraw. I lived in a number of different units in the complex over a period of eight years, spanning all three of the most recent property management companies.

The complex was a pleasant place to live prior to Lincoln's acquisition of the property. They conducted a totally unnecessary and exorbitantly expensive remodeling on the property that did basically nothing to improve the quality of the units and massively increased rents. The remodel consisted of replacing white appliances with black ones, replacing vinyl flooring with wood-patterned vinyl flooring, installing new kitchen cabinets with shelves that are too small and impossible to remove or adjust, and painting over the shower/tub with some sloppy white paint that grows mold and mildew and is impossible to keep clean. I moved directly from an un-remodeled unit into a remodeled one, and the remodeled unit was a serious disappointment. It was worse than before remodeling, and they were charging me more!

There is ample parking. Unfortunately, this does not seem to assuage the paranoia of the property management company, who are convinced that Emory students use the lot to park their cars before crossing over to the Clairmont Campus during the day (I don't think the management know about the Emory Park-and-Ride system, which explains the confusingly high rents for what is really a low-value location now). Despite always having a parking pass for the complex, every single semester my car would be plastered with an obnoxious warning sticker -- with incredibly strong adhesive that I still cannot clean off to this day. Once the parking warning was even placed directly over my parking sticker! I shudder to think what happened to visitors without parking stickers, who simply parked their cars in the wrong place at the wrong time. I hope they weren't towed off.

You may be tempted to live here because it is so close to the Clairmont Campus, so you can take the shuttle. Don't be an idiot. Live on North Druid Hills and drive to the North Dekalb Park-and-Ride instead. It's free. And the rent over there is literally about 30% to 40% lower.

There is no noise from adjacent apartments. The only source of noise in the complex that I ever noticed was the train, and you'll get that anywhere in metro Atlanta. I was able to play and record a great deal of music in all of my units without ever receiving a noise complaint.

The grounds were generally good until the current management took over the property. They allowed the trash compactor to fail, and then replaced it with a series of temporary dumpsters that obstructed traffic and were not emptied often enough. As a result, for several months there was an enormous mountain of foul-smelling trash parked square in the middle of the parking lot. It was infested with rats and other vermin. Finally management promised me in February 2009 that it would be replaced in early April. The new compactor was finally replaced in early May and went online at the end of the month. I have attached a photograph to this review of the incredible sanitation hazard that we came to call "trash mountain" in the spring of 2009.

There used to be a substantial crime problem in the complex, with several murders and regular break-ins (my former roommate was once tied up with ethernet cable whilst his home was emptied by drug dealers). JMG's approach to a recent wave of break-ins was to obtain the services of a private security guard. I found this to be an appalling waste of money after I finally met the night guard, since she appeared to weigh maybe 120 pounds and wasn't even carrying a pistol. I often came home late, and she was most often asleep in the front of the car when I drove by. Predictably the private security had no effect on the break-ins, as the crime notifications continued to appear at my door and the security guard quietly vanished after a few months.

The current property management seem to be laboring under the misguided impression that they are operating a luxury apartment complex. Clairmont Reserve is not a luxury apartment complex. The rents continue to rise, yet the quality of the units is frustratingly low. Occupancy is declining, and management cannot seem to swallow the bitter pill that they were screwed badly by Lincoln, who massively increased the cost of the property without adding any value to it.

In a word: Avoid.

User Responses
From: atlsocrguy	Date: 10/16/2009
Wow...if its that bad why have you stay for 7 years? Seems to me that you would have moved out long ago...I know i would have! I guess you have nothing else in life to complain about! I have lived in the complex for 2 years now and I really enjoy it! The trash was a bit of an annoyance but as management explained, the compactor was destroyed by the garbage truck that backed into it. Not something i would call their fault. Maintenence is great and always responds timely and problems are fixed quickly. If you want to move to a cheaper place up the road, i am sure you will find the quality will match!!! You pay for what you get and here is definitly worth the value. I live in the 7 building and it is very annoying when parking spaces are taken up by Emory students parking in our complex. I am happy to see that it is being enforced! As far as crime goes...we live in a big city...it happens. Everytime an incident happens we get a letter for management telling us the details, they dont try and hide it! Not something i can say for other apts i have lived at in the past. I asked management about the occupancy to see if you actually know what you are talking about and they said it is at 95%. Doesnt seem to be declining to me...but that is just my take. I have several friends who live here as well and we are all very happy!
From: g0zer	Date: 10/16/2009
"I asked management about the occupancy to see if you actually know what you are talking about and they said it is at 95%." stealth manager reply detected. you ain't foolin' nobody.

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