I originally posted this as a reply to someone else's review, but don't feel like people are seeing it, so I'm posting my own review. My husband and I considered renting at the Bluffs in June of 2007 until we found out that the building blends low-income "section 8" residents (basically welfare recipients) with people who pay full market value (I was wondering how some of the people I saw at the Bluffs could afford to live there). Cleary, having more low income residents also means more crime, and a call to the police department confirmed that there were indeed more police reports to the Bluffs than to some of the other (comparably priced) buildings in the area. I think it's safe to say that people paying for a luxury apartment do not want this type of living environment; if that was the case why not just move to the ghetto - you'll enjoy a shorter commute downtown and save yourself $500 a month on rent!

I'm only posting this so potential renters can be informed, not saying that people should or should not rent here. If I had not done my homework about this place, we would have been in for a big surprise!

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/01/2007
I agree with your post. When I lived there I was shocked at all the low income people who lived there too. I payed over $1000 for a one bedroom amongst people who were living off the "system" and had to deal with loud people in the parking lot late at night. Be grateful you never rented there.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/06/2007
Good advise! I've been a renter that pays a decent price and lived next door to a section 8 renter and they didn't care how late it was...they were going to party and play basket ball in the house at all hours. Cops always there....and I had to pay full rent with trying to hold down a job with no sleep. It's really unfair!
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/10/2007
Isn't that a little stuck up to think it lowers the class of a building because section 8 is available? I think if it actually does raise crime, than it's good to be informed, but I grew up in Eden Prairie among some of the people living in the "mansions" and they were very very shady, so money or lack thereof, does not always represent crime properly.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/12/2007
I'm the person who originally posted this comment, and it's interesting to read these responses, especially this last comment. Again, I posted this simply to present the facts about this building. They accept section 8. Poverty means higher crime. Therefore, this building has higher crime than others without section 8. The police reports speak for themselves. True, people of all walks of life can be "very shady" as you say, but low income crime is much more prevalent and, well how else can I say this? Stupid. I feel like I have to educate you on this topic, because you don???t have a clue. From a crime standpoint, these are the desperate criminals who take unnecessary risks and will do anything for a buck. Many section 8 recipients also do not hold jobs, which means that they are free to disrupt their neighbors all day and night because they don't have to go to work. Most of the people on public aid receive it because they've made a series of poor choices in their life. Yes, crime is everywhere, but criminals with money (who are not on section 8, which is what we???re talking about here) have much more to lose and keep things quiet. I???ve never been held up at gunpoint by a man in a 3 piece suit. A criminal with money probably isn???t going to try stealing the rims off his neighbor???s car, but a poor criminal probably will. That???s common sense. As for the personal attack, I really don't think informing people is being ???stuck up???, but I???m chomping at the bit to respond to this. This next statement is very petty, but I have every right to say it. If you ???grew up??? in Eden Prairie, who are you to call anyone stuck up? Well, I ???grew up??? in a very bad neighborhood in Los Angeles, right down the street from some housing projects, so I can have an educated conversation about living amongst these types of people. I posted this information in a very tactful way, simply presenting the facts. And I???ll say it again for people thinking of paying full price at the Bluffs: instead of living in a building that blends section 8 residents with people who pay full market value, move to the ghetto, you???ll save yourself $500 a month on rent and enjoy a shorter commute downtown. Good luck to Bluffs residents.
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/20/2007
let me be the 1st to say this, i lived there, was attacked 2 times. One in the hallway, and one in clear daylight at 5pm. The tenates watched, and made no note of the blood on the concrete. The worst apartment complex ever ist he bluffs. {People choose to have their gang fights in the parking lot. People there are careless, will not hesistate to hit your car. Ive seen 14 smashed up cars in a row (including a porsche) The origional poster is sadly 100 correct. However they understated the problems the place has.
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/29/2007
If you are going to respond by continually saying you know the 'facts', let me point out to you that the Bluffs does not accept Section 8 housing. It does in fact accept Section 42 housing(63 units), which is not the same. Feel free to call the Eden Prairie Housing and Community services office if you'd like to figure out some more facts. Also, I did take the time to discuss this issue with a Sergeant at the Eden Prairie Police Department. He researched the issue and came to the conclusion that the Bluffs is similar to every other apartment complex in a large city, regularly gets calls for noise, theft, and domestic disputes. Yes the Bluffs tries to be considered "Luxury" and does charge a premium for that, so you do get nice amenities. But that does not mean that they can deny housing to people you consider to be 'in poverty'.
From: Anonymous	Date: 12/11/2007
Low income residents at the Bluffs pay only $621 for a studio, $651 for a one bedroom, $777 for a 2 bedroom!?!? (source: http://www.eden-prairie.org/vCurrent/upload/contents/228/Af Housing 12.06.pdf) Totally unfair. I'm all for affordable housing, but don't feel like my tax dollars should pick up the slack for these people to live in a "luxury" apartment building.
From: imaMNrenter	Date: 12/27/2007
I lived at the Bluffs and my roommate and myself are in our early twenties. There are many comments on this blog about the Bluffs associating college-aged people with people utiilizing section 8. We were young, AND we paid 1325.00 a month for our apartment (regrettably). Not to mention, we knew SEVERAL apartments that housed young people who paid full price as well. Just thought I would throw that in.
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/03/2008
I lived at The Bluffs when me and my husband first got married (at a very young age). We took advantage of this amazing deal (section 42) and moved in about a year after The Bluffs was built. I would like to let you ALL know that section 42 does NOT mean poverty or "ghetto". We and the people we met of whom payed the section 42 pricing were just as polite and classy as the rest of the residents of whom DECIDED to be. I would like all of you "rich" people to hear and understand this: The amount of money you make does NOT define your character, attitude or level of courtesy. And before any of you judge what section 42 is maybe you should find out exactly what section 42 means and why it is present & important at some luxary apartment buildings.
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/21/2008
To the last post: Get your head out of your ass, lady - these comments are NOT a personal shot at you or anyone else. Everyone knows that (according to crime statistics) there is more crime in low income areas than in middle/upper income areas. This is a low income building. The facts speak for themselves...
From: Catherinekay	Date: 04/18/2008
Yeah, Hi. I'm the person on Section 8 that you all are talking about. What a ridiculous concept that you are living in low income housing at the bluffs at nine mile creek. You should all be informed that a large percentage of buildings in the metro area are mixed income. Rarely do I encounter a building that doesn't accept my section 8 voucher. The person who you think is on section 8 is probably just a jerk and not on any program at all. I may not be rich, but I'm not a criminal and I'm a good neighbor. Think before you start spreading stereotypes.
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/09/2008
I agree with Catherinekay. There are a lot of apartments in this city and all over the country that have a percentage of low income residents. People will be loud wherever you live. They will damage your property and try to get away with it wherever you live. There will be crime wherever you go, especially in this country. Get over it and get over your fears. You are not telling anyone here anything new that hasn't happened somewhere where they live or plan to live. Money doesn't make you a better or worse person and that's not debatable. Some of the hottest places in hell are reserved for some very wealthy people. I plan on moving to this place soon. If I ever become interested in letting someone scare me about my neighborhood, I'll turn on Fox News.
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/26/2008
I live in a luxury apartment complex that does not have lower income (section 8 , 42, or whatever) residents in Eden Prairie yet crime is common here as well. In the past 3 months the apartments have had 2 car thiefts (one of which was my own car), several cars broken into, purses taken from people, gas stolen right from the gas tanks of cars, and a few calls to police for domestic problems. The fact is Eden Prairie has a high thieft crime rate; all cities with higher income residents can expect to have a high thieft crime rate. At least we don't have as many problems with violent crimes! By the way, for those of you who judge people who are on "assistance", many of whose people are just getting a helping hand so they can eventually contribute to our community and taxes. I needed some help for a couple of years after my divorce. I used that help to take care of my children and to go back to college. I earned not only a BS but 2 MS degrees as well. I now make well above Eden Prairie's average income and pay my fair share of taxes. If I wouldn't have had that help, I'd probably be making well under the average income and be getting EIC instead of paying taxes. I'm not looking for praise, just thought some of you should know that not all of "those" people are taking advantage of the system.
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/09/2008
i lived at the bluffs for a little over 2 1/2 years i just moved out in June of 08 i have never seen cars hit or ever heard of and one being attacked i thought it was very safe and for all of you saying bad things about section 42 you can not blame all of those people i meet alot of people who paid full rent and did not care about the rest of us late at night well they had there party s .
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/29/2009
PLEASE NOTE: Two of the first three submissions, on this page, are not even from people who have ever even lived at The Bluffs! Therefore their comments shouldn't even be displayed on a venue that is intended for HONEST REVIEWS. This immediatley disqualifies anything they have to say about what it is like to live here. Go find some other meaningless task to occupy yourselves with, you poor disparaging individuals.
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/09/2009
I lived at the bluffs for 2 years and utilized the section 42 program for half of that time. While there I did see some of the things you people are talking about, cars broken into, domestics, and even rude people being loud in the Parking lot. I then moved to a different luxery townhome complex in West bloomington. I would like to point out that I would love to move back to the bluffs. When I moved my car was broken into twice. There was a home invasion at one of the units up the road from me, and my private garage was burglerized. Crime is everywhere people. You will notice that when we approach the holiday season that crime increases. Oh and by the way the rude loud people in the lots at night were the ones driving Hummers, BMW's, and Mercades Benz. So please remember that money does not make good people.

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