I don't like the people who use this site take cheap shots at an apartment complex, or only complain about what they've encountered without giving more information. This post is for people who truly want to know what this apartment complex is like so they can make an informed decision. It is filled with all that I have learned living here.

The Hessel on the Park apartments landscaping is absolutely gorgeous. The staff take a lot of time to work on making the place really pop out so that families will want to live here. There is a great walking/jogging trail behind the place that is scenic and friendly. There is a bus stop right at the complex, and another one on Fox Drive behind the complex so if you need to take public transportation, there are a few options open. The apartments are roomy and have plenty of closet space. We have never lacked an area to put things and we've had a fun time decorating. The area is very safe and even at night I don't feel threatened. I've never seen/heard of a break-in since I've been here.

Starting out, the rent payments ($769/2BR) seemed OK considering the location is great and the area is really nice, but that's before the bills came. The buildings are so old that they are incredibly drafty and hardly insulated. Our heating bills were around $200 a month in the winter and we only had the thermostat set at 70 degrees, which might sound warm enough, but was actually very cold when there was a breeze blowing through our wall! I spilled some water on the floor/wall in my bedroom in the middle of winter and the wall was so cold that it froze solid by the next day. The furnace is forced to run 24/7, increasing heating bills to ridiculous proportions.

Maintenance seemed great when we moved in, but that was in early July before they got busy. Now you call and leave a message and no one comes out. Then you leave another message and no one comes out. We have a leak in our wall...has anyone come to check it out yet' Nope. This is not to say the maintenance crew is mean or unhelpful. On the contrary, when they come out these gentlemen are usually exceptionally kind and helpful. It is the office staff that have a problem keeping track of who needs what and constantly need reminders.

We were also told when we moved in that there would be "great incentives" if we re-signed with them after our lease was up. The great incentive' $300 off one month of rent. I don't know how much of an incentive that is considering they are raising our rent $20 a month for no reason at all. So lets see, $20 multiplied by an 11 month lease...that's $220...so we get an $80 incentive. Wow.

Noise is a serious problem. I live in a first floor apartment and I can hear every footstep and every conversation from the people above us. It is so bad that I had to start using a fan at night to drown out the noise enough so I could fall asleep. Our upstairs neighbors are not even the loud type (blaring music, parties, etc.), it is just that they walk around after I go to sleep. Maybe this is not such a problem on the top floors, check other posts to find out.

There is a laundry site on the property that I always use because I don't have the time to go elsewhere. To wash one load it is $1.25 and to dry one load it is $1.25. There are some washers that are always broken, so once you know to steer clear of those then there are no other problems. I have never run into the room being so crowded that I could not find a washer or dryer to use. Also, the room is locked and you need a key to get in, so I feel relatively safe leaving my laudry running while I go back to my apartment.

The members of the staff that have worked here for a while are nice, but really flighty so that things like notes about maintenance calls can get misplaced. I have never had personality problems with the folks that work here and I think if they got the maintenance thing worked out they would be a good office staff.

I think that is all you would need to know to move in here. If you have the money to pay the extra costs that bills entail, it is a pretty good environment. I would feel safe having kids here. Maybe just choose a top-floor apartment so you can get some sleep! Also, be wary of what the staff tells you about things like incentives and what not. If you are a poor college kid like me who is trying not to rack up too many student loans, I would recommend finding a cheaper place.

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