I have lived in this complex for just about 4 years. When I first moved in the complex had a different name and was run by a different management team. I will keep all of my comments about that experience out of this review because it does not pertain to the current management team.

The Office Staff
During the transition period from Paces Forest to Berkshires on Millbrook I really thought I was going to hate the new management team. There appeared to be a rotating team of women in and around the office that were very business oriented and not very personable when I came in the office to pay rent, etc. Things have certainly calmed down and now Amy is in charge of this property (and I believe a sister property as well.) She does a really great job. She is very friendly and understanding. Best of all she gets things done. I have really only been in contact one other office staff member and I think his name is Roberto. He has always been very approachable and personable. When we wrote our monthly checks for the wrong amount he called and worked everything out in a very friendly way that got the problem resolved quickly. Overall the staff is very friendly- you may even encounter them on cold mornings passing out coffee, hot chocolate, donuts, and fruit to residents on their way to work. Additionally they planned a property-wide pizza party which I was unable to attend but that was still a very nice idea. The office from time to time will also have Papa Johns on site to cook pizzas for the residents at a lower rate.

The Maintenance Team
I have had very, very little experience with the new maintenance team. When I first moved in I had a lot of issues with my apartment that were never really fixed but I can't really hold the new team responsible for that.

The Property Itself
The property is much smaller than you would usually find in this area of Raleigh, and I like that. The location is pretty much perfect as you have quick access to 440 (and therefore 40) and the drive to the mall (and all the restaurants there) is just through a few stoplights. Getting to 540 is not too difficult either. My one complaint with the actual grounds is that many residents do not clean up after their dogs. This may not be an issue for many but since I live on the first floor I get a pretty daily reminder that not all residents are very courteous. It would be great if the property provided those pet areas with trash cans and bags to possibly motivate the residents. I think I have seen one on the property near the office but I am not sure if it is still there and having them spread out would be awesome.

The Apartment
The apartment layout is nice. I have the one bedroom with a den version. It is a nice size for me, my boyfriend, and my dog. If you have more than 2 people living in an apartment, I would recommended going up to the full two bedroom option. The den is awesome as an office and work space for us but I would not use it as a bedroom. My apartment has its own little laundry closet that fits a full size washer and dryer. The apartment also comes with a linen closet which is extremely useful for linens and its proximity to the bathroom makes it perfect for holding towels as well. The bathroom is HUGE and I love that. I would like more cabinet space in the bathroom but buying those sterilite cabinets works just as well under the cabinet. The large bathroom is one of my favorite features because I can actually get ready in there and on nights out of the house, it will easily accommodate three women putting on finishing touches in the long wall-to-wall mirror. The closet in the bedroom is a good size too. Of course I could always use more closet space but the closets found here are bigger than you will find in most apartments.

The Atmosphere
The danger of living in an apartment is that your neighbors are usually pretty hit or miss no matter where you live. I have been relatively lucky to have decent neighbors that don't cause too much trouble or noise. There will be the occasional inconsiderate person that gets loud or plays music in the parking lot too loudly but the management team stays on top of it here and sends out reminders that this is not acceptable behavior. This complex definitely does not have a loud, party round the clock atmosphere- thankfully! Parking is so-so. If you can manage to get home before 6pm you will find a spot no problem but after that you will be taking a walk. The section of the property that I live on has a little overflow parking area and I often find myself parking there because I get home later and because many people that live in my building also have work vehicles so it can get tight. A plus on the parking though is that the complex uses normal size spaces instead of those too-tiny-to-comfortably-fit-a-compact parking spaces that can be found in other complexes.

That about sums it up. Overall you will have a good experience living here. The inconveniences associated with this property are the very same inconveniences that will be experienced at any apartment complex in the area as it is the nature of an apartment complex to live closely with other people.

User Responses
From: shygurl	Date: 03/18/2009
wow very informative.the best review i seen up here so far. i will be looking into these apts asap. thank you.

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