I moved into Lakewood Hills back in March 2007 and since I just hit my two year mark thought I would write a long time renter review. I think I've been here long enough that my opinion is a pretty good one.
1. Maintenance: I love the maintenance staff here! I don't understand where all these problems are coming from that other folks are writing about on here!' I've had to call in maintenance more than a few times due to small things breaking (hellooooo renters...These apartments are over 30 years old! Things will break in older model buildings!!) but everytime I call, they are here ASAP. They came in and had to replace my entire waterheater last summer...works great now. I have yet to meet a member of the maintenance staff here that is rude or who does poor work. I always get a wave when they drive by and are very friendly guys (and a gal) who do their jobs well. When it snows or ices they are here either overnight or at the crack of dawn laying down salt on the walks and gearing up the plows. If you have an emergency there's a 24-hr emergency number and someone always on call. For those of you who have been treated poorly by maintenance, double check yourself. Maybe you're getting treated poorly because you treat them poorly. I've seen it happen here. Just because these guys are there to fix your toilet doesn't mean you have to treat them like crap and talk down to them. I've dealt with poor maintenance people before and this staff is far from it. Get over yourself...and don't jam chicken skin, bones and other stupid crap down your garbage disposal unless you want to show them what a dumb*** you are. Use some common sense and it will make their jobs and your life all easier.
2. Closet doors: Yes, almost all of my closet doors have popped away from the hinges, but this is a very common occurrance with accordian closet doors. I've lived in a home, a condo and apartments which all had accordian doors and they always pop off the track with excess use. Get over it...if you can still close the closet door, it's not exactly a big deal. Open them without yanking so hard and they are less likely to pop out of the track next time.
3. Office staff: Super friendly and I've never, ever, ever had an issue with any of the ladies in the office. Each and every one has always treated me with respect. If you get a UPS or FedEx delivery while at work they will accept packages in the office and sign for them. The one leasing agent (first initial L), tends to talk down a little to renters but I don't think she does it intentionally. I think it's more of a motherly thing than disrespectful. And other than that she's super nice!
ONE NOTE ABOUT PAYING RENT: If you are late with your rent payment they will deliver a warning notice to your apartment which will remind you that you have until the middle of the month to get your rent payment in (with the late fee as well). If you do not have it in their office by the date on the notice...they WILL file for property recovery with the local magistrate. A sheriff will deliver paperwork for a property recovery hearing to your door with a court date noted on it. They DO NOT fool around with this. If they tell you no later that the 15th and you turn it in the 16th the paperwork will probably already be in the works! I had this happen to me one month at the end of 2008 due to a layoff. However, I paid it three days after I received the summons, asked a rental agent if they could cancel the hearing and they did...no problem. I was embarassed that it had happened to me but they didn't lecture me, wag their finger or get bitchy with me. No nastiness at all.
4. Parking: Parking is great here. No assigned spaces to worry about, plenty of space for friends and family when they stop in to visit and most areas are very well lit. Plenty of spaces, plenty of room...and you residents that park your cars all along Dartmouth Street need to get off your lazy butts and start using the lots!! You make pulling out of the complex into traffic very difficult and dangerous! You also make snow removal more difficult for the township plows!!
5. The Grounds: The groundskeeping is nothing too special here, but it's well maintained and that's what counts to me. There's a lovely little lake by the townhouse area and plenty of ducks & geese to go with it! The sidewalks and parking lots are well maintained during snow & ice, plenty of salt, plenty of shoveling & they have two heavy duty pickup trucks with plows to do the work. A year ago they removed a lot of the overgrown bushes & shrubs throughout the complex which is a good thing for those of us that walk, run and/or walk dogs after dark-it's much safer thanks to those being removed. However, there are several areas where they had to dig up the ground thanks to sewer (or was it water or gas) lines that had to be repaired. These areas are still dug up a bit and messy looking. They really need lay some sod down to improve these areas...it just looks messy. The basic groundskeeping (mowing, hedge trimming etc.) is done by a contracted company, and it's a good company. Grass is mowed every week in the summer, leaves blown away in the fall and trees trimmed accordingly.
6. Noise: Yes, it can get noisy at times but this depends mostly on your neighbors. These are apartments folks, you will hear your neighbor if they make too much noise, but the walls are not paper-thin. It all depends on who you live by. My first neighbor was a pain due to the bass in his surround sound, but now I have no problem with anyone around me. Traffic can be a noise issue at times, but this is simply a location issue. Lakewood is located down the road from a police department, a mile down from the local fire company AND right next to a hospital. So sirens can be annoying at times. But its not as though this is something the complex can fix. If you've lived in larger cities before and are used to that noise, its definately not a big deal.
7. Construction: As I've said before, these are older buildings folks...so there will be issues at times. The patio door is drafty, the windows can be drafty and the heating system is noisy, but these are not a big deal to me. Just a little weather stripping & draft blockers in the winter and I'm all set. The cabinet door handles can fall off, screws can fall out of things but guess what' All I do is grab a screwdriver and take care of it myself...imagine that! Wow! Yes, it's the maintenance crew's job, but some minor things are just not worth bothing them about. Grab a few tools and fix it yourself...quit complaining.
The apartments themselves are kind of drab in color, but they let you paint the walls any color you want which is very nice.
8. Utilities: Utility prices are very fair here. Your heat/AC is gas powered and will be billed each month together with your rent. I have a 1 bedroom/1 bath with a den and my gas bill is usually $50-70 in the winter, $30-50 in the summer...it all depends on how I use it. The stove is gas, but they simply charge you a flat $5 a month for it, so you can use it until your heart's content. Sewer/trash is also billed with your rent and I believe it's about $5 a month for each. With no baseboard electric heaters the electric bill is all what you make of it. Use your lights & appliances in a smart way and your bill could be as little as $20-30 month.
9. Safety: This is the only thing that I can really find wrong with Lakewood Hills, but not because I've had a direct problem with it. There is plenty of drug activity here...I've seen it with my own eyes. It's not a nice thing to have around, but I've never felt that I was personally in danger because of it. Usually it's just small-time stuff, and usually only pot being sold...so it's never gotten out of hand. I've actually even passed some of the dealers when walking after dusk and said "Hi" to them-and they say "Hi" right back. I don't bother them, and they in turn don't bother me. I only see it as a major problem due to the fact that we are right down the road from a middle school, and have a lot of kids living in the complex. But most of the dealing takes place in the dead of the night, not during school hours. A small consulation I guess.
HOWEVER, as I've already mentioned, we are right down the road from the police station. Thanks to that, police cruisers come through all the time. Each and every night I see a patrol car come through my parking lot at least one time...and it makes me feel much better when I see that.
10. Pet Policy: If you have pets, especially a large dog, this is the place for you. All of my neighbors have dogs, and some even have two dogs. There are few limits placed on dogs owners here. No weight restrictions, up to two dogs per apartment and only a few forbidden breeds. No Pitts, Rotties and a few other breeds that are banned...that's it. One of my neighbors has two small dogs and a cat, so they apparently allow you to have more than two pets per apartment as long as you ask. From what I hear, the pet deposit is reasonable ($200 I think) and the monthly fee is $25 (not sure though if that's per dog, or $25 flat). The people here are just really cool about dogs in general and almost everyone here is pet-friendly.
But if you are currently a pet owner here or plan to be in the future learn how to clean up your dog's droppings...people here don't appreciate it when you don't clean up after your dog and you will hear about it. And if they can catch you, they will fine you. Big time fine you. There's also a nice little dog park here with benches, a pooper scooper rake and a trash can...nice for people who want an off-leash are for their dogs to run.
ONE NOTE THOUGH ABOUT THE DOG PARK: The entrance to the park is a muddy mess when it rains or the snow melts...its horrible!! Management needs to lay down some stepping stones, mulch or pebbles to take care of it, IMMEDIATELY. Without any covering its a horrible, muddy mess and you have to wear boots or otherwise you will ruin your shoes. Though I don't have a dog, I do take my neighbor's dog to it sometimes when she works late or goes out of town. One morning, after it had rained hard (and the ground had frozen overnight)I was trying to get the gate at the park shut (it was jammed up in the frozen muddy ground) and I sliced my hand open on a rusty corner of the gate. I ended up with a deep cut that needed stitches, needed a tetnus shot and still couldn't get the gate closed! Luckily they have a double gate there to make it extra dog-proof. The muddy area there really needs to be taken care of!!
Overall I'm pretty satisfied with my experience at Lakewood, and I think it's a good place for the cost. Remember, this is a very pet friendly community and that's why a lot of people live here. If you can't stand animals, especially dogs, rethink living here! If you are a pet owner and think Lakewood is below you, then haul your butt over to Beacon Hill or Georgetown Crossing in the West Shore area. But be prepared to pay $1000-1200 for a two bedroom townhome in those places. You can get a townhome at Lakewood for $829 to start! That's pretty good.
I've been here two years and will mostly likely stay for at least another year or two while finishing college. In fact the only reason I would move would be if I bought my own house, moved from the area or if my rent skyrocketed. When I renewed my lease in June '08, my rent only went up $9! That's unheard of and I love it! I'm very happy here.

User Responses
From: rickallen123	Date: 03/13/2009
LOL. If this is totally legit ... all I can say is more power to ya. Considering renting here? Consider that this is one review out of many. How in the world does this person have good experience with maintenance or the office? Hell, they accused me of spray painting MY OWN CAR WHEN I REPORTED IT! lol Or this one ... it snowed on me while in bed ... AND THE WINDOWS WERE SHUT!!! LOL - maybe you're the most positive person on earth. I guess it's all relative. The Harrisburg drug dealers are much better than the old meth lab dudes you used to live near. Yeah ... ya go me there.
From: doctorjay	Date: 03/13/2009
Suspicious that you love Lakewood Hills enough to write such a long, complimentary letter. In the past, the only positive letters have been planted here by Morgan Properties employees. But, on the outside chance that you are legit, I can't wait to see what you say when you move and you get a totally ridiculous bill for something that you weren't responsible for.
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/13/2009
I am very careful about opening and closing my closet door, but it comes off the track anyways. As for the drug dealers, I don't care how "friendly" they are or how much they smile. They are criminals. Kick the bums out. Are we supposed to overlook the activity simply because it happens in the wee hours?
From: RenterinPA99	Date: 03/13/2009
doctorjay....I can understand why you'd be suspicious. But I'm will to tell anyone, face to face, that I'm happy with my experience at Lakewood. I don't work for Morgan Prop either. I work for the Department of Defense tracking retrograde carcass assets from US Navy ships to repair centers. Trust me, I'm not happy happy smiley enough to be a leasing agent! LOL. So in the end...if they try to sc--w me, I'll be coming down on them with a vengence...and I promise that I will update this post at that time with any bad experiences! I know how ridiculous Morgan Properties can be from family and friends who have rented from them in the past...which is why I made a detailed list of all issues I found when I moved in AND took pictures of those issues, which I still have on a jump drive. I've heard the horror stories about Morgan Properties...which is why I've been very careful with them from the get-go. Unfortunately...I already know that I'm going to be replacing the carpet in the joint when I move out. One of my furry friends that I babysit left a nasty mark that will never come out, even with steam cleaning! I also have one advantage that many other renters do not have...a family member that works for the PA Attorney General. Thanks to that person I know all of my rights as a tenant and I know everything that a landlord is and isn't allowed to do. The right contacts can be of anormous help when a landlord is trying to screw with you! As far as the drug dealers....You are NOT allowed to kick a tenant out unless you have absolute proof that they are participating in drug activity. This usually means that the police have to get involved. Doing so without proof can get you in a heap of trouble with the AG's consumer complaint lawyers! You also cannot refuse to rent to them because they look dirty, smell dirty, may or may not be drug dealers or simple because you think they'll be a problem. Renter laws are equal opportunity, just like everything else. That's just how the law is written. As far as the accordian closet doors...what can I say? They're a pain in the --- and they break everywhere you go. Sucks, but that's how it is. They slid off the track in my $1500/month condo out in Seattle same as they do here. They are just a crappy crappy kind of door. For those of you who have had problems with Lakewood or any other property...You need to know your rights!! If you're a renter, who doesn't know anything about landlord/renter laws in your state, well then learn them! Knowing these laws, and knowing how to file a complaint is key here. Once a landlord knows that YOU KNOW the law, they sc--w with you less. I've used landlord/renter laws and the Attorney General in another state where I lived to fight a horrible landlord...worked like a charm. Check it out here http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/consumers.aspx?id=405 and click on the 'your rights as a tenant' hyperlink. As far as the first poster...alluding to the idea that I am having a sexual relationship with an employee of Morgan Properties...you sound like the idiot here. Move Grandma out if she's so darn scared!! No one is making her stay at Lakewood! I'd be darned if they'd get ten years of business out of me if I was that scared of where I live! By the way...I can provide you with 7 additional examples of how maintenance has helped me and my neighbors since I moved in...and not left us waiting in the process. Want 'em? My opinion is my opinion. I'd placed it here so that people can read it, digest it and take it into account when considering Lakewood. Deal with it you whiner...your 'Irish' Grandmother's bloodline is also of no concern to me. Is that supposed to mean that she's extra tough?? That I should care? That I should think more of her because she may have had to deal with more? Sorry...Irish blood doesn't impress me the slightest. You think I'm an idiot? Well I think you're a disgusting, pigish, perverted Irish twit. That's the great thing about opinions!! We all have one. For those of you here for constructive opinions.... Use my review...Don't use my review....Want me to tell you my opinion in person? I'll do it. No problem. Just let me know and I'll send you my personal email address...we can discuss it in person at the complex. I'll show you, in person, everything that I like and what I don't like. My husband is State Trooper...want his opinion on how bad crime is in a REAL city, a city like Philly where he worked for ten years on the force?? Harrisburg and it's drug issues are small potatoes. Do I like that they deal in my parking lot? No...which is why I mentioned it. I really don't like that they deal anywhere near where I live, especially with all the kids at Lakewood. But the drug problem could be SO SO SO much worse. My apartment in San Diego was two floors above a meth lab, which you couldn't even tell was a meth lab! Now that was scary when we found that out! So THAT is why Harrisburg dealers don't bother me as much...it could always be worse.
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/15/2009
I was saying my Irish American grandmother doesn't have black ------ hair...it wasn't bad all the 10 years, only when Morgan took over the property. Anyway - thanks for the long winded threat of meeting in person with your police officer husband. By the way - Grandma at 70 years old is getting ready to move out - and she'll probably have to stop taking her medication just to pay the the ROBBING MORGAN BASTARDS when she does.

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