I'll be honest here. This place, while not perfect, is enjoyable. I'm going to get all of the bad things out of the way first. Starting with what cannot be helped.

1 - You will more than likely hear highway noise. The complex is very close to the highway (I can see my unit from 695-W before the Providence Rd exit). I've adjusted to it, but honestly, it's the sole worst thing about living here.

2 - Towson lately has become more and more crime ridden, and while it's still not Cherry Hill or anything, lock your doors, lock your cars. Cromwell rents to alot of shady folk; which is fine, but be aware of this. I don't blame them, they're Equal Housing. But beware, there's a definite shift in folks from Baltimore City moving in; not good.

Now the things that CAN be helped

1 - The staff is airheaded at best and downright incompetent at worst. Do not deal with Pat, she's categorically not firing on all cylinders. Utilize Karen, or ask for Apartment Services director Susan's contact info. This does not apply to maintained requests, I'll cover that in a minute.

2 - The parking policy is a problem with my building as the spots are not numbered and several 1-2 bedroom apartments have 3 vehicles on any given evening. Several units have a work vehicle, and then personal vehicles. Again, the staff does not want to be bothered by this.

3 - While the grounds are usually well kept, they tend to slack with gutters during fall and salting the sidewalks in the winter. This is noteworthy as I'm NOT on the top floor, yet my apartment has had water seepage TWICE, once in Sept 2008 and again in July 2009. Unacceptable.

4 - Neighbor noise is an issue, and unfortunately the leasing office refuses to get involved. Get a top floor unit if you can.

5 - The laundry facilities are mediocre. Most of the time my clothes come out of the dryer smelling burnt, even if I switch it to no heat. I'm almost 30, and I'd rather got to mom/dad's to do clothes, it's a problem.

But keep in mind, there's alot things that are very good!

1 - Beautiful apartments! Mine was renovated and my roommate and I were the first ones to rent the remodeled unit. It's gorgeous and I love it. No thick paint, new fixtures, bathroom, appliances. The stove, oddly enough is old, but it's a stove. No big deal.

2 - Excellent amenities. The pool is beautiful, there's a tennis court, basketball court, and the gym is WONDERFUL (albeit basic). Management says this is "free" but that's BS, it's included, but it's worth it for me. A small issue is that other Apartment Services communities use the Cromwell Valley clubhouse, etc. On the bright side, there's an elementary school right up the street for the kids as well.

3 - Excellent maintenance staff. I'll be honest here, when my wall leaked and I had to have drywall cut out and redone, I was pretty pissy. And I'll be up front and say it took longer than they initially said. BUT! Maint. Mgr. John kept me up to date every day that I asked about the job, and other small jobs were always taken care of within 24 hours, and done right. The second time the wall leaked, they sealed the wall before it became an issue. The leasing office are airheads, but the maintenance staff knows what's up. John, David and Brian are easy to deal with, and I'm sure the rest of the staff is as well.

4 - Beautiful grounds. The grass is always cut, the dumpsters never overflow, and it's generally pretty attractive for an apartment complex. The place is well lit at night.

Overall I do like it here, but it's far from perfect.

User Responses
From: andreabrooks	Date: 11/07/2009
Hi, I am considering moving to this property and had a few questions. You mentioned the property going down due to others moving in, do you feel safe arriving at night. I usually arrive home at night and this is important to me. I do not feel safe if there are people hanging out in the parking lot or outside the apartments. Secondly, have you experienced any roaches or mice? How are the laundry facilities? Thank you,
From: level5music	Date: 11/09/2009
Andrea - The complex is pretty well lit, I don't feel unsafe coming home at night. Usually there isn't anyone hanging out outside. There's a couple people who might sit on the steps in the daytime around my building just chit-chatting, but never at night. I've never had any problems with mice/roaches/etc. I don't care for the laundry facilities as they're expensive ($1.75 for a wash, and another $1.75 for the dryer). Most of the time, my clothes wind up coming out smelling burnt, even with no heat. There's 3 washers in each building, and I've never had to wait for them on weekends when I do use them. My main advice is to scrutinize the highway noise, can't stress that enough.
From: blackbeltshopper	Date: 11/21/2009
Thank you for sharing. I appreciate your straighforward approach. I was ready to move there this past fall but we had a snag with schools.

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