Ok, some things did change when Elemental management took over the property from AIMC) -- but generally, Briarcliffe is still a nice place to call home.
Space
My boyfriend and I share a 2BR & 1.5 bath town home on the property. The bedrooms are an average size (10x11 or so). Each bedroom comes with a large sliding door closet. The upstairs hallway also has a rather large closet with built-in shelving that can easily be used to store linens, towels, cleaning supplies, etc. The living room is large and open. We have 2 large couches, 2 end tables, and an entertainment stand -- all of which fit with room to spare. The kitchen has adequate cabinet space, a dishwasher, garbage disposal, electric oven/range, and an area that can be used for a dining room. The town homes each have a finished basement (carpet, drywall and/or paneling, etc.) and a utility room. (Note: the basement is finished, but cannot be lived in because there is no fire egress -- but it makes a nice study or living room.) The storage/utility room in the town home's basement that comes with a washer, dryer, utility sink, and space for storage. (In the apartments, you get a smaller area for storage that is located in each building's laundry room.) Overall, the town home is 1100 square feet (not counting the 300 or so sq. ft finished basement).
Maintenance
While AIMCO left, most of the maintenance staff stayed. Some of the current maintenance techs have worked here for years -- and they are good at their job. Of the few problems I have had, most were handled right away or the next day. Some other problems (i.e. a a/c unit that needed replacing) took a few more days simply because they had to wait for parts.
In addition to routine maintenance, the crew has a 24/7 emergency maintenance line for after-hours emergencies. I had to call one night in the winter when our heat went out in the middle of the night & in the midst of a snow storm. In spite of all this, the maintenance techs were here within 30 minutes and had the heat working within an hour! They are great. (Keep in mind, the 24/7 number is for true "emergencies" only. Trust me, I read complaints of former residents who thought a dripping sink was "urgent" enough to be an emergency -- and then ranted on here when the 24/7 maintenance refused to fix it until the next day. All I can say is use common sense... if its really and emergency, they will come. If you still don't know what constitutes an "emergency," the complex will gladly explain it to you.)
Decor
With Elemental management's new policy, we are no longer allowed to paint the walls to custom color -- but some units come with neutral tone walls (i.e. tan, taupe, etc) and some come with white walls. The carpet and linoleum in our unit was fairly new when we moved in... and they have worn well. Our town home came with white walls, but there is a nice faux brick textured wall in the living room -- its a nice change from flat, white walls.
Outdoor Space
The apartment complex grounds are well kept in the summer -- the grass is mowed; bedding plants are added; wood chips are placed for additional ground cover; and numerous trees grow on or around the area. The apartment complex will allow apartment owners to plant flowers, small plants, or gardens in the areas near their building -- but these areas a somewhat small. However, town home owners typically have more "yard space" -- we can plant flowers, herbs, vegetables, etc right in front of our house. We are also allowed to keep BBQ's (propane or charcoal), patio furniture, and bird feeders to help brighten the area. We are responsible for watering/tending to anything we plant -- but the grounds crew takes care of all the rest (mowing, spraying, etc.).
Community Features
Briarcliffe has a large indoor/outdoor pool that is heated. Granted, its not as warm as bathwater, but its enough to take the chill out of the water. The indoor half of the pool is opened year round. Even in the winter, the indoor pool is kept at a nice temperature. There are 2 locker rooms - men's and woman's -- each has showers, toilets, small storage lockers, and a sauna room. (Note: The sauna is currently undergoing repairs -- but should be working again soon.)
There is a small community fitness room with some exercise equipment (treadmill, recumbent cycle, stationary bicycle, free weights, weight machines). This room is small and some machines are a bit dated -- but they work, they are convenient, and they are free. Also, the property itself has many open areas to walk on. There are paved sidewalks, black-top drives and lots, and green spaces throughout. Many people walk themselves and/or their pets without the inconvenience of traffic.
Pet Friendly
Briarcliffe allows cats, dogs, and other small (caged) pets for a monthly fee. There are limits as to how many pets you can have per apartment (i.e. 3 cats max, 2 dogs max, or 1 dog 2 cats max) and there are certain dog breed restrictions (call management for details). The pet rent is charged on a per pet, per month basis and the rates are comparable to other places in the area.
The apartments & town homes are divided into areas -- the dog side (apartments/town homes in the 2400 side) and cat (or no pet) side (apartments/ town homes in the 2300 side). This is done mainly as a convenience to the residents. In general, this means people on the cat/no pet side don't have to worry about moving next door to a home with a barking dog and the people on the dog side have access to poop-scoop stations. This doesn't mean you can't have dogs and cats in the same house -- just that if you have a dog, move in on the dog side. (Note: Management has begun to crack down on this rule because some people have been trying to sneak dogs into apartments/town homes on the cat/no pet side. Just make it easy-- if you have a dog, just make sure to move into the dog friendly side.)
Winter Conditions
In general, the parking lots and sidewalks are cleaned regularly in the winter. There have been occasions where snow drifts back into the lots or across sidewalks -- but that's just part of living in Michigan. Maintenance is typically attentive to taking care of ice and/or snow build up. If you live in the town homes, it would be best to have a snow shovel on hand just in case.
And finally...
RENT - What's it all cost'
I have found the rent rates to be very reasonable here. Our town home costs around $720/month pet rent. The water, sewer, and trash are paid to the office IN ADDITION to the rent -- but the fee is only about $25-35/mo. Other utilities must be set up and paid for by the renter... but its not too bad.
I have noticed that some people complain about the varying rent rates. All I can say is do your homework. Most apartment complexes (this one included) does have different rental rates, depending on what time of year you start your lease. (Its a very supply and demand industry -- and trust me, they all do it.) Fall is typically peak-rental time, so if you start your lease then, its probably going to be at a higher rate than if you start the lease in the early spring or winter. (Once you have signed your lease, however, you are locked into that monthly rental price.) Check with the management office because they typically have year-round rental specials that offer anything from free rent to discounted rates. There is also a referral program where you can get $$ off rent for referring friends. (We referred a friend. After she moved in and paid her first month's rent, we received a credit towards our next month's rent. Nice!)
Also remember to NEGOTIATE. When we first moved in, we convinced the management (still under AIMCO) to waive the pet deposit fee and throw in some additional incentives. (I can't parenteral it will work with Elemental management, but its worth a try.) Also, make sure to come in and take a tour. Walking around the place can tell you a whole lot more than any internet site or review page ever will!
So, to recap:
-- nice place
-- nice grounds
-- good maintenance
-- not too noisy
-- reasonable rent
-- pet friendly
-- frequent incentives/rental deals
I have recommended Briarcliffe to friends -- and I certainly would do so again!
Good luck & (hopefully) I will see you here!
N.E.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 05/28/2009
While some of your stuff is true (definitely NOT the snow removal part....their excuse for the snow NOT being removed, plowed, touched for days was the exact thing you wrote...snow drifts, yeah right. I took pictures of these supposed "snow drifts" last winter and I should post them.) you failed to mention the office staff, which seems to be the common complaint. Actually, your over exagerated post sounds like a staff member since you are inviting people to come take a tour. Hmmmmmmmm.... The outdoor pool is still closed, the sauna has been broken forever, and not all places in Lansing do varying rent rates. Other than that, the rent IS reasonable and I dont think it's that noisy...not where Im at anyways.
From: Anonymous	Date: 05/29/2009
I agree, you do sound like an employee writing this up! Honestly what I care about in an apartment is not whether or not I have new woodchips every summer, it's if I can move my car in and out of a parking space when there's snow. This winter I got stuck pretty closer to every single day. I drive a small car, and when the spaces aren't plowed, I can't get in and out of them easily. Things like this need to be addressed when you're looking for a place. No one cares if the pool area has big locker rooms.
From: Anonymous	Date: 06/07/2009
You can actually paint inside your place at Briarcliff. The rule when I asked about it in May 2009 was that as long as you primer it back to a white finish before you move out, you can paint any wall you want. If you don't primer it back, they will charge you for the additional costs to paint over your paint.
From: cat667	Date: 08/24/2009
Just to clarify... I am not, nor have I ever been, an employee at Briarcliffe. I wrote all of those things because they are what I think about this place. If there wasn't enough ranting in there for you, read another review. Personally, I do like this place. I just wanted to write an honest review of what I felt and people accuse me of being some shill. (Which I find Ironic considering those accusers use "Anonymous" accounts and don't actually bother giving a name -- like I did.) My name is NANCY and I live in the 2317 building of Briarcliffe. Anyone who wants more specific info or who wants to see that I am a real person, post your email on here and I will send you my address if that is what it takes! Anyway, I guess I am just a realist. Yes, things are not perfect here. No place is perfect. But, for what the rent is and for the experience I have had -- things are pretty darn good. I meant every word I put in my review. The only thing I would change would be about the sauna room. At the time of my posting I had only just learned about the sauna being broken. In fact, the weekend before I posted was the first time I ever even tried to use the sauna. So, to the best of my knowledge, what management said about it "being repaired soon" was true. I did not know that it had been broken for a while. Also, I will note that the sauna is STILL broken. I checked on it just before I posted this reply. Management said that it "would be fixed," but gave no timeline. I told them I would speak to the manager (Amber) tomorrow and that I expected a better answer, considering it has apparently been broken for a while. So, FYI the sauna is broken. Otherwise, I stand by my review! Trust me, I have rented from 3 other management companies in the Lansing area -- and Briarcliffe is the best one so far. Yes, I did like the old AIMCO management a bit better -- mainly because of Mr. Z the maintenance guy -- but Element isn't that bad. I have rented from DTN and their place was alot worse. (For all of the awful details of my rental from DTN at Seymour Manor -- please see my posting on the Seymour Manor apartment review on this site). I only write reviews like this to HELP OTHER PEOPLE... and when I do so, I give my honest opinion. So, I am very insulted that not one, but two, people think I am some sort of scammer posting fake reviews! I hope my review does help people... and I really do hope that they give Briarcliffe a chance. Thanks, Nancy PS> I would like to thank the anonymous poster from 6/7/09 -- I did not realize that I could paint the apartment. I will be doing now that I have heard it can be done! Thanks!

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