My wife and I are approaching our 30's and have stayed here for just over a year. We have to move again next year but, if we didn't, we'd certainly renew our lease.

We're situated halfway up the west tower and look out onto Newark and the Turnpike. Yes, there are of course some strong wind currents but that's because there are no other tall buildings providing shelter but the view is wonderful. On that note, I have to agree that the windows do allow draughts to come in (but only where the sliding panes are). I think the design of the homes is wonderful and very clever. It offers you the maximum space and is built in such a way that your neighbors can??t peer into your home from theirs.

We have had no problem with noise pollution from other apartments. On one side of our home, we have a family with a new baby and have never once heard it cry. However, I agree that the walls are quite thin but very typical to most new builds these days.
Parking is, admittedly, but very good. Over priced, cramped and an unfriendly service from the staff there. However, please be aware that it's operated by an unassociated company but I guess our management should address these concerns proactively.

The pool is only 4-foot deep throughout. It's not an olympic swimming pool but I feel it caters nicely to families with children while allowing you to do a few lengths if you wish: a life guard is on constant duty during summer. Sun chairs are sparse in the height of summer but some residents are to blame for the typical visit at 9.00 a.m. to reserve chairs and then going out for half the day. However, we found the pool to be invaluable during those hot summer weekends and we would have been very uncomfortable without it - a very nice addition to the complex.

We've never had a problem with the elevators either. Yes, of course, one has broken down on a rare occasion but they??re mechanical - that should be expected from time to time. Once it's broken, it's fixed within a few hours or at least by the time you get home from work.

The grounds are very well kept. I always see at least three maintenance guys and two cleaners constantly working. Floors, carpets, windows, doors and trimmings are always clean and I would say that the building, in general, looks well considering it's age and the volume of residents/guests/traffic.

The gym is nice and very popular. You will always find a machine to use. They also have a separate room at the back which is decorated for children with toys and games inside - a nice touch.

I have no problem with the construction of the buildings (my background is of a construction-related nature). My cupboards, facings, doors, hinges and appliances all work well and are perfectly fitted. We did have a problem with a few electricity points that didn't work but that was resolved the day after we raised the issue.

The surrounding area is predominantly business and so the streets are clean, well kept and quite safe. I??ve never felt unsafe at night when walking home (the train station is just a 4-minute walk away) and the over ground tram (called the LightRail) stops right outside the rear door and runs very frequently till 1.00 a.m. However, if my wife is walking home alone, I would go and meet her but this is something I??ve always done since I met her.

The staff are generally very good: I??ve never had a problem with those that I??ve met. Yes, I agree that they don??t question strange faces as much as they perhaps should but that??s being addresses at the moment. They just activated a secure door system on the front and rear doors of the building and the eight floor (as you can walk into the building from the car park area). All tenants were provided with a key fob (one per person) which, when held to the panel, allows the door to be opened. Without this keyfob, entry to the residents amenities and apartment floors is not really possible.

Each morning, the door is opened for you to leave the building and a nice greeting is exchanged form the doorman on duty: the same when I return home from work too. I would never say that any of the staff were lazy: a few are perhaps a little inexperienced and need refinement but they??re always willing to help. I guess you should treat people the way you expect to be treated yourself: I wouldn??t help you or go that extra mile if you treated me like your personal assistant (and yes, I do make my own dinner reservations because it??s not a hotel and the guys don??t work for tips!). The staff are predominantly younger but knowledgeable and friendly.

The leasing staff are not as good (these are the guys who you pay your rent to and the first point of contact for any problems). Not very proactive in their duties and can be a little abrupt at times. They have undergone a change in staff recently but there??s no great improvement so far. That said, everything I??ve asked for has been done BUT more technical enquiries like forecasting next years rent costs or the available dates for the guest suites (they have a one and two bed apartment for your guests to stay in at reasonable rates) have gone unanswered the first couple of times. I think that they??re a little understaffed but they do need a shake up to some degree.

There??s a nice eclectic mix of people here. All nationalities, couples, single business people, young families and seniors alike. I heard recently that they were curbing the number of dogs permitted in the building (there are quite a number already but they cause no problem) but that is hearsay at the moment and no official notice has been posted.

Some people just like complaining I fear and that??s what half of the negative reviews are about. Don??t get me wrong, I??ve notified the leasing office of a few matters which troubled me but I??ve always had a satisfactory response in an acceptable amount of time. I was NEVER told that the ??concierge?? would make reservations or such for me (and I wouldn??t have expected them to do so anyway). It??s not an ??everyone for themselves?? experience here but rather that people just experience different small problems and have different levels of expectations.

There are some nice places nearby like a large shopping mall (with 12-screen cinema), a BJ??s discount store, ShopRite supermarket, the town of Hoboken (which is lovely) and public transport to inner New Jersey or Manhattan is never more than 4-minutes walk from the building (although the PATH train operates a reduced and slow service on the weekends on account of the construction at Ground Zero). There are some lovely little stores, bars and restaurants within two blocks of the building not to mention the general store, pharmacy, bank and deli which are located on the ground floor directly beneath the building (a nail salon is currently under construction with a further three shops still available for rent).

If we could, we??d stay over for next year (the rent has increased by just over $100 per month). The one bed is pretty spacious and offers far more cupboard space than we??ve encountered before. He two-bed is massive and well designed to maximize floor space. Two bathrooms and excellent cupboard space in both rooms. The view is, so far, unspoiled but there are tall building now sprouting on every second street corner (Mr. Trump is building two 57-story buildings about 6 blocks away).

Overall, we??re extremely happy with the comfort, service, amenities and surrounding area. The price is quite reasonable in comparison with the city and I don??t know of any other buildings in our area which have similar attractions such as a pool, gym, sundeck, business lounge, social lounge, 24-hour doormen, 8 floors of parking, a hotel-like lobby, valet service, parcel collection service, dry cleaning service and a post box in the lobby.

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