Good place for students, singles, and young couples with no children.

The studios are VERY small - the size quoted includes the bathroom and closet - and a queen bed would fill three-quarters of your free living space. If size is an issue for you, this is not the apartment you want. However, with careful planning and clever decorating, you can make a very cute, snug little home (i.e. sofa bed instead of standard, floor pillows and coffee table instead of table/chairs, etc). The studios have ceiling fans and large windows, but a window unit AC is highly recommended (supply your own) and a small compact unit will do the job, the upper floors get very warm. On the plus side, you'll never be cold in the winter. Kitchens are tiny but adequate for general cooking; they come equipped with a small oven/stove and refrigerator and have a small amount of counter space, as well as an adequate supply of cabinets. Bathrooms are in good repair and include a sink, toilet, small counter space, small medicine cabinet, and walk-in shower (no tub).

A large closet with full-length mirror doors is included, it's large enough to place two dressers in the closet side-by-side.

The building IS an older structure - lovely architecture - and so you will see the occasional cockroach. If you're a long-time city dweller, you already know that cockroaches usually come with the territory, be it a small studio or a thousand-dollar loft. Keep a can of Raid handy and your home clean and it shouldn't be an issue. Beautiful lobby and the entrance is secured with a very nice system - your phone number is entered into the intercom system and you're assigned a random number; your guests search for you in the directory by name and then buzz your number, which rings your phone, which allows you to open the door with your phone keypad. VERY nice and safe. Management keeps the building very clean on the inside - the dumpster area could use some work to eliminate the trash flies and the front entrance also could use a good pesticide dousing, but that's the exception to the norm.

Neighbors are generally friendly and quiet; noise is minimal inside the building. Street noise is quite vibrant, but again - this is part and parcel of living downtown and if you don't like street noise, city living is not for you.

Views are lovely, particularly from the top floor.

Laundry facilities are in the basement, five washers and dryers; haven't had to wait on a machine yet and they're in good repair and do laundry quite well. They are pay machines - 1.25 for a wash, 25 cents per 15 minutes of drying.

Five story building, decent elevator if a bit slow to respond at times.

Pets are allowed for an additional fee (there may be size restrictions) but I would NOT recommend keeping a dog in such a small apartment, nor is there an appropriate place to take a dog for their potty needs nearby. A small cat could possibly be happy but keep in mind the windows are large and do not have screens on them.

Management (Jenny and Ruth) are EXTREMELY nice people, very laid back, and never seem rushed or bothered when you call. I haven't personally dealt with maintenance troubles yet so I can't give a qualified opinion of such.

Studios are currently priced at 525 a month with an additional 85 for utilities. Utilities include electric, water, trash, sewage. Altogether, you're paying 610 a month for your apartment, electric, water, trash, sewage, and mail in an EXCELLENT location. The Safeway is literally around the corner (and they offer grocery delivery for a very reasonable fee), Pioneer Place is a short walk, bus, rail, and streetcar stations are all very close, and there's even an Egyptian cafe directly next door for late night hummus cravings.

The apartments are equipped for cable television and internet, DSL, and phone - all of which you will pay for, they aren't included in the utilities. Comcast has a same-day hook-up service for all three that is very nice for decent prices. You can actually forgo a landline (as I did) and go mobile-only as you'll always have connectivity living in the heart of downtown, which will eliminate one monthly bill. Rent has to be paid in check or money order; cash and plastic are not accepted. Mailboxes are located downstairs in the lobby; the managers told me up-front that packages are sometimes a problem as the building is secured and all visitors must be either buzzed in with the intercom system or let in manually.

Parking is horrible, as it is anywhere downtown. There's a small parking lot next door that usually has a free spot or two, but you'll pay close to 15 dollars a day to park, and the parking stubs expire at horrible times (5am usually). You WILL get parking tickets promptly if you don't stay directly on top of your pass. NOT recommended for car owners - if you're going to live here, get rid of the car and learn to use the excellent Portland transit system. Otherwise you'll deal with daily headaches.

Note that the building has gone nonsmoking - which means no smoking in your flat, the halls, the lobby, etcetera. I believe that rule is generally ignored, but you will sign a no-smoking agreement and thus smoke at your own risk.

There are a few things that could be better - carpeting could be replaced, fresh windows could be installed, window AC units could be supplied - but all in all, you can't beat the price for this location and you'll always feel clean, secure, and at home.

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