2007 01 16
Pretty good, car got stolen, AC too loud

I moved into Allison in November 2003. I am renting one of their "junior" apartments. This means I don’t have a washer, dryer or dishwasher and the square feet is minimal. The patio is huge and really makes the small apartment seems large. It is by far the best thing about my place. The area I live in is always quiet. You can barley hear the murmur of talking or TV's. I have never had to ask anyone to be quiet. The kitchens have gas ranges not electric. You can get Verizon FIOS, they have the cables in place and ready to go.

The fitness room is frankly pathetic. Most of the people that use it have poor gym etiquette (hogging the machines, bringing children, playing radios, sweating profusely and not wiping, etc). The equipment is outdated, rusty and poorly kept. Luckily, a Snap Fitness opened down the road. I recommend that you do not base your decision to live at Allison on the fact that they have a fitness room, you will be disappointed.

The two laundry rooms are also outdated and the dryers barley do the job. The equipment, like the fitness room, is clearly quite old. Many machine are missing knobs and so forth. You have to either do small loads or run them multiple times. One laundry room became such a pig sty, apparently because people that were not residents were using them, that they had to put a lock on the door. However they ironically did not put a lock on the other laundry room. I even called and pointed that out, still no lock. I cannot speak to how well the washer/dryer units in the apartments work.

The newer AC units are loud so make sure you get a room that has the AC unit in a closet or the living room if you are a light sleeper. The "junior" apartments just have them in the wall in the bedroom. When the unit was initially replaced it sounded like a baseball bat hitting a metal plate when the compressor turned on. It took several calls to get the noise to tolerable, for me. The unit that was in when I first moved in did not have this problem. Being that I saw the unit before it was in the wall I got to see the “Energy Guide” sticker. The line that shows the efficiency of the unit was all the way to the lowest. Meaning the least energy efficient. This is why my electric bill will go from 30 dollars a month to well over 100 in the summer. And this is from someone that keeps his thermostat on 74.

My car got stolen as did one of my neighbors. It was a 1996 Honda, which was on the top of the most stolen car list at the time. My neighbors was also a 90's Honda. I was told be the rental manger that the police would step up patrols but I have not seen an increase, unless they just happen to pass by every time I am not outside. I do not attribute living in Allison to the car being stolen, but it happened.

Maintenance does a competent job, although I have had to call more than once for the same problem more than once. To be fair, I only talked to the person answering the phone not the actual person doing the repairs. However, when I asked for a call back from the manager I did not receive a call. They do respond quickly to call and if the problem is understood and resolved on the first try you should not a have a complaint. If I call before I go to work in the morning the request will always be complete when I get home. I have never had to call and ask why they did not come out. Snow removal is good and they keep the grounds clean.

The traffic on Maple Avenue is bad and pulling out can take a long time. Most people drive well over the 40 mile an hour posted speed limit making it worse. Parking is ample and I am never not able to find a spot. Many things are very close including lots of Chinese restaurants, one of which is within walking distance.

In summary, the best things about living here for me is the patio, the location, the quiet neighbors (at least in the section I live in), the parking, gas ranges. The worst things are the road noise, the loud and inefficient AC unit, the laundry facilities, Maple Ave and the traffic. Overall I have been happy living here.

User Responses
From: justright414	Date: 01/19/2007
Thanks for this review. I am considering moving into Allison --- now I do have second thoughts after reading about the car thefts. Doesn't sound like a safe place! N Maple Ave is definitely too busy for getting in and out of the apartment complex. I just don't want an apartment complex with large families living there and children running around everywhere.
From: iloverenting36	Date: 02/10/2007
The car theft was surprising. I cannot say that living here has not been safe. This is not a high crime area. I really think that the car theft was the result of someone profiling or casing me, probably from one of the repair shops I have been too. If you want to avoid large families with screaming kids, this is the place to live, at least in my section. It is very quiet. Anyway, good luck with your search.

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