I lived at Columbia Town Center from about February 2003 through July 2008, so I have a lot to say. I moved out just a couple of months ago, but felt like writing an honest review for propects. As humorous as some of the negative reviews are, there is some truth behind them, so take them with a grain of salt.

The apartment I had was a 1BR/1BA and overall I had a great experience. I never had a problem with the apartment until my last year...which was a nightmare and may discourage some people.

First the good stuff.

Every resident is supposed to get a spot in the garage (2 spots for 2BR), which is really nice to have especially in the winter. The apartments themselves are very nice...10 ft ceilings, crown molding, balcony, walk-in closets, decent appliances, etc. The full size W/D is one of the best features. During my experience, I never had a problem with stuff breaking or needing fixing. The ground are usually kept well and has nice curb appeal. I never experienced ants, but did have caterpillars (as did some others) which was annoying.

The location is great because its right next to Rt 29 South (easy access), its near the mall and library, and right next door to Merriweather Post Pavillion. This can also be a nuisance because during big events the TERRIBLE Howard County Police will close off South Entrance Road.

When I first moved in, the office staff was friendly and reliable. Any issue was dealt with promptly and professionally. They also allow pets, but no "vicious" breeds. The noise is generally quite low...neighbors are usually considerate and there isn't a lot of partying.

Now the bad stuff.

Every year the management of the complex seemed to change...so you never knew what to expect. In 2007 they started putting metals "boots" on people's cars that were in the wrong spots...even if someone took yours. This seemed to have gone away, but was a major inconvenience for a lot of people.

Every year we would get a notice to "lock your cars" and "not display valuables in your cars" because of thefts/damage. I never personally experienced any of this (or knew anyone who did), but I imagine it was due to the proximity to Merriweather.

The complex is "gated" but the gate on the Merriweather side was always having problems. Sometimes the gate would be propped open because it wasn't working. Other times the gate would be missing all together...being repaired I suppose. Sometimes the keycards wouldn't work and you'd have to use the code they gave out...until they changed it and didn't tell anyone.

While my car never got broken into, it did get hit while I was home one weekend. The front fender got dented and I'm pretty sure it was a neighbor (who eventually got evicted). I confronted the office about this and they were extremely unhelpful and indifferent. There are no cameras in the garage so they couldn't do anything about it anyway.

Having packages delivered can also be a problem. The carriers will sometimes come to your door and keep coming back if you're not home, while others will go straight to the office. The office won't contact you if you get a package delivered which is unacceptable.

THE WORST THING
During my stay at CTC, I had one major problem. I came home from work to an apartment filled with gas. Having never experienced this before, I contacted the front office. It was after they had closed, so I called the emergency maintenance number. Two guys showed up, both Hispanic males that didn't speak virtually any English (no joke). The one who did talk, spoke a Spanish/English mix and "told" me that the gas was coming from the stovetop burner. He seemed to inspect and test it and gave it his seal of approval. I believed him and opened the windows to vent the place. The next morning I woke up at 3am to the smell of gas. I had to wait until the front office opened to take care of the issue. I had just gotten out of the shower and one maintenance guy knocked on my door because people were complaining about the smell. I let him in, he inspected the apartment and said it must've been an adjacent neighbor. I went to work and hoped that the problem was resolved. I came home a few hours early and again, it was filled with gas. I went to the office and complained. They assured me they would take care of the issue while I went back to work. I went back to work for a couple hours and when I got home, I had a note written on a paper towel from one of the office staff indicating that the gas was the result of my leaving the oven on and that it was fixed. I went to the office (they were still open luckily) and chewed them out because of this. I was then told to my face that the oven was on and it was my fault. I was directed to open the windows and let the apartment air out. I did so and after a few hours, it filled back up with gas. The next morning I went and spoke to Misty (then the manager) and complained. While waiting for their "gas expert" to come to my apartment, I called BGE. Looking back, I should've called BGE from the start, but I was naive. BGE came out before CTC (even though the guy was on-site) and he found the problem. It was a small hole in the flexible pipe leading to the stove. The guy from CTC came out eventually and the BGE guy told him the problem. Long story short, the problem was fixed and everything was fine after that.

This is one of the worst issues I've ever experienced. Gas leaks are never a joking matter and CTC handled it terribly. I should've been smarter and called BGE from the get-go, but the manner in which they handled themselves was unprofessional and potentially tragic. When my lease expired, I needed to stay there one additional month. I asked if I could live there for the 1 month at my current rent considering my long-standing residency and gas issue...they declined and were not sympathetic.

If you never encounter any issues, this is a good place to live. If you need the office staff's assistance, be prepared to get frustrated. It's usually better to handle things on your own, but this shouldn't be the case in an apartment complex. I would recommend this place, but only for a year or perhaps 2. If you're new to the area or a young professional (couple perhaps), you will feel at home. The longer you stay here, the more you will want to get out.

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