This apartment complex is truly a wonderful place to live. The buildings are covered in vines that look gorgeous in the spring summer and fall. The courtyard in back is gated, peaceful and clean with a wide variety of plant and animal life to explore. The unit itself has character with it's hardwood floors, understated arches and beautiful porcelain sinks. My apartment has both a front door and a back door that leads to a back stairwell going to the courtyard, the garage, or the basement level where there's laundry and extra storage.

The complex is located right across the street from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Children's Theater, so parking can be a bit difficult depending on time of day and which street you live on. I live on the Clinton side, across from Clinton Park, and there is always somewhere to park on the street nearby. Even though the buildings are a block away from 35W, the surrounding area is quiet. The #11 bus runs right past the complex on 3rd Ave, so public transportation is very easy to catch. There is underground parking available if you want to pay for it.

The kitchen is too small for my liking with a small fridge and a small stove, and gets crowded when there's more than one person in there. The complex has nowhere to lock up bikes other than in the storage areas in the basement level, or in your own apartment. The basement is obnoxiously difficult to get to with a bike because of the way the entrances are built. The front entrances are also difficult to maneuver bikes or furniture through due to small spaces and weird angles.

There is an MIA security guard that peruses the area at all times of day and night. This adds to the feel of security. The water pressure is awesome, and the hot water never runs out. The windows are old and can be a bit leaky, but the heat in the winter is plentiful - using noisy, hissy old radiators. The radiators are annoying and will often bang and clang for hours at a time. I swear it sounds like someone is downstairs with a hammer just pounding on the pipes.

Don't get me wrong though, the few negatives are small in the grand scheme of things. It's a beautiful complex, with rabbits and squirrels running around. Every morning there are groundskeepers working on maintaining the hedges, trees and flower beds. The staff is friendly and helpful, and repairs get done within a day.

There is probably a lot more I could say... But for me, after a long day of riding the bus to and from downtown and working in the hectic city, it's nice to walk through the courtyard, take a deep breath of beauty and peace, and stop for a moment to smell the flowers.

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