I'll start out by saying, I like the Belcrest and have had a good experience here. I would recommend it. It is not perfect, but it's better than any of the other two apartments I have rented in Detroit. Also--this is Detroit. Many things are sub-par in the city that would be better outside the city. It's just a fact.
Many people have complained about the manager--Michael is definitely a catch more flies with honey kind of guy. If you are consistently nice to him, and pay your rent on time (really not asking a lot) he will take care of you. All my maintenance requests have been fixed fairly promptly (within a couple days). Once I had a problem where the person above me left his sink on and water started pouring from light fixtures into my apartment--no kidding, 2 minutes after I called, Michael and maintenance were on the problem. Now, non-urgent maintenance takes longer. My clogged sinks and flooding and electrical issues were fixed asap, but the paint retouch I was assured when I moved in hasn't happened yet. (Almost a year later)
So, PROS:
- Pets allowed--cats and SMALL DOGS (it's really hard to find a place that allows small dogs in Detroit area around WSU)
- Location - right by DMC, Henry Ford, WSU, CCS, Cultural Center, close to downtown and 3 major freeways
- POOL is fantastic in the summer, and well-maintained
- An eclectic mix of people in the building IN A GOOD WAY: young professionals, serious college students, foreign families, friendly senior citizens describes the mix.
-On-site, reliable, large laundry
- Fairly safe - parking lot only has one exit, the area is well-lit, the building requires a security card for entry
- Rent is reasonable
CONS:
- The building is OLD. This means that it is poorly insulated, and utility bills in the winter will be very high, and the apartment will never get completely warm. This is exacerbated by high ceilings.
- Showers take a while to get hot and, on RARE occasions, don't get hot
- Sports bar going in on the first floor. That could lead to all kinds of complications, but it isn't open yet so I can't really comment.
- You DO need to (nicely) remind the managers about your maintenance requests
- PARKING. Even if there are four people living in an apartment, and thus four cars, only one gets a parking pass for the ridiculously small lot. They are quick to tow any cars without permits that park overnight. Also, parking passes are $50 a month--a significant percentage of rent when your rent is between $500 and $600 a month. I don't have a car and I'm glad, because that price and those restrictions are rough.

However, overall, compared to University Towers and University Club's quality of management, and the Park Shelton prices, and the ghetto-ness of these no-name apartments around WSU, I think the Belcrest is one of the best options, and I would recommend it.

Your thoughts? Post a response to this review. Display my response: with my username anonymously Responses appear below reviews and one response per user is permitted.

   Free estimates on moving trucks      Find apartment share/roommates