First off, while I know nothing of the past/present owners, I am familiar with the old and new (Marlene Jacobs) manager. The old manager was a nightmare to deal with. She acted like she was doing you a favor by showing the apartments. Marlene, on the other hand, is very professional. They relocated the office for Carlton Park Apts (Classic Management owns several different apt buildings, which you can view on the website developed under the new manager: www.classicmgt.com) so that on most days, Marlene is at the onsite office. When she is at the former office on other days, there usually is an assistant at the onsite office during normal business hours.

There are a couple of key things to understand to make living here as enjoyable as I have found it to be. First, get to know Marlene, period. I am an older Drexel medical student who covers her floors as required and does not sublease (which legally is not allowed here), therefore I have no reason not to get to know management or allow them to get to know me. She knows me by first name, and when other staff members mess up a task that makes me say, "Now, how the hell did that happen'" (ie, rent was paid, but I got a notice saying it wasn't and I must pay it plus the $50 late fee, etc - which has happened 2 times in 2-yrs), I speak with Marlene, and it is properly rectified immediately. I recommend speaking to her directly even if you have left her a message (meaning if she doesn't call you back by the next day at the latest, which is rare, try to call her again). If this seems like too much of a hastle, then it's probably not the ideal place for you.

Second, there's a heirarchy thing going on with maintenance that would make a peaceful person want to punch a hole in the wall if you don't know "the system". The maintenance guys have a key leader on the grounds, but the leader of them all is Crystal, who is stationed at the old office (not onsite). Here's how it goes. You call the maintenance number where Crystal works (if she's not there, you leave a message). She makes a priority list order of chores for the guys onsite, which she communicates with them about throughout the day via their walkie-talkies. Of all the guys, all of them do sloppy work (band-aide jobs), except for one guy. If you are not home to overshadow their work and tell them what you would like to see done, good luck with that. You'll have to call it in again as a separate maintenance order. The previous reviewer was correct in stating that they are extremely bad at fixing the electricals, mainly because it is an older complex and it doesn't seem that that's their area of expertise. Now, one would think they could surmise that an outside professional be hired to do this, but usually the electrical issues aren't bad enough to merit this level of logic. However, if you find it is an electrical issue of fire-hazard proportion, call it in on the maintenance number AND (my recommendation, cause it worked effectively with my mouse visitor last month) speak with Marlene about it the same day you call it in. Maintenance is NOT Marlene's job, but if the issue is big enough (ie, severe allergic asthma to rodent dander in my mouse visitor case), then it doesn't hurt to inform her of the situation (just don't abuse this method, and it should work out well).

Here is where every tenant I have spoken with who lives here goes wrong when it comes to maintenance. When the maintenance guys (accept that one decent one of the bunch; don't know his name) swear on heaven and earth that they will be back tomorrow to finish a job they started today, smile and say, "Okay, thank you," then call the maintenance number to update Crystal on which guy did what today, and what they still need to complete tomorrow. Trust me, I've been here 2 years, and it's the only guarantee they will come back the next day. Apparently, the guys don't always follow through with letting her know what happens with a certain job order as they are supposed to. The first time it happens to you, you take it personally. The second time, you are pissed that someone can look you in the face and lie. But, don't take it personally and don't get pissed, because that'll resolve nothing in your favor. Yes, it feels like you are baby-sitting adults, and it is quite annoying until you learn to accept this flow of events. Again, if this seems like too much work, then it's probably not the apt for you. I personnaly enjoy living here enough that it's worth the hassle.

Just as an FYI, when you first see the place, check behind the bottom cabinets and stove to make sure they've properly covered those gaping holes (that's where the mouse came from that one night out of the 2 years I've lived here). Apparently, according to my neighbors who have lived here for 6-yrs, every couple of years, a couple of field mice will find their way to the basement when the weather is cold and work their way up. Never seen roaches, but these things you philadelphia natives refer to as stink bugs are a regular companion on those lonely spring-summer days. I didn't know this until the mouse episode, but they do pay an outside company to do pest control on a regular basis, so if you call in a mouse/bug issue to maintenance, ask them when they can send the pest control out to your apt.

I live in a top-floor 2-bedroom "small" version with the one bath, which has a tiny kitchen, but works for me. It's good for a single person or couples, but too small for roomies. For that, a 2-bedroom "large" version with the one bath is best, and the kitchen in those apts is slightly larger and includes a dishwasher (at least my friend's did). They have only 8, 1-bedroom apts units that I have tried to get into for 2-yrs. Those tenants tend to be long-term (not students), so they are hard to come by, so if you are lucky enough to be shown one, take it. You can always find a vacant 2-bdrm the following year as an upgrade. Oh yeah, they like efficiency-size ovens here, but I cook often and find that is is not a problem at all.

Floors are all hard wood with a cabin-like look to them. Lots of windows and sunlight. Basically, there are windows in every room, including bathroom. LOVE that feature, BUT that also means crappy insulation and high electric (for central air) and gas (central heat) bills. You have to pay all utilities (water, gas heat & stove, and electric), which really, really stinks. Not gonna lie, closet space is quite limited, but you do have extra storage in the basement. Personally, I don't keep anything nice down there except empty boxes for moving (not the cleanest space and I was warned that it might flood down there when snow from a large snow storm melts; hasn't happened while I've been here). They recently changed all the fire alarms (for me, one in my living room and one in the stairwell just outside my door) for ones with dual fire/CO alarms. Their alarm systems are hardwired, not just merely battery-operated. This past winter, they also changed my old water heater. Unfortunately, it seems to be slightly less efficient, but hey, they tried. lol.

Street parking is readily available. They offer special assigned parking on their lot or garage parking, both for a monthly fee. I pay $45/month for the garage since that was the going rate when I signed 2-yrs ago, but it has gone up for new tenants to I believe $75/month, which even I, who loves garages, think is ridiculous. As long as you leave NOTHING in your car to catch a thieve's attention, there is little problems with break-ins. Be especially vigilant during the beginning of the school year. Thieves seem to know when Drexel's med school starts up and start scoping extra hard for those cars with things in them that they can snatch up easily after a swift window break. Oh, and if you are a single female without a dog, I do not recommend the first floor apts. There have been past break-ins, whereas from what I have gathered, none of the second floors have been broken into. Apparently the side kitchen doors/windows on the first floor apts are a favored route. I've not heard of a break-in occurring while a tenant was in the apt, but for those single females, better safe than sorry.

As to noise, the floors and walls can seem thin, but that isn't too big of a deal in a complex such as this, where there's only 4 apts/building. So, you have to share a wall with one neighbor's bedroom and the floor/ceiling with downstairs/upstairs neighbors. Other than that, you will have to deal with the typical outside noises. I have great neighbors within the building I live in, so maybe I lucked out. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and well-maintained. Makes having all those windows even more enjoyable when you can lay back on your couch and enjoy the rustling of leaves on a tree against a blue summer sky... ahhh, home :) They do a fairly good job during the winter snow, as well.

Last thing is that the stairway to the second floor apts is very tight, so if you think you are going to buy a nice sofa, think again. I had to settle for an ikea sectional (love seat chaise) only because the movers couldn't maneuver the ikea sofa through the door (I even took the door off its hinges!). This is also an important detail if you want that large one-piece entertainment center.

Overall, I love living here. It isn't just an apt for me, it is my home. There are only about 40% students, of whom I gather all are Drexel Med students (fairly quiet group of people). If you're willing to deal with some of the annoying drawbacks, you do get a lot in return. However, if your priority is economy and convenience, you should either live here with a roomate to buffer expenses while dealing with the few maintenance issues, or seek residence elsewhere. Finally, I just want to note that even though the maintenance guys might not do the best work, they are a good group of guys. This isn't the type of place you will ever worry about being robbed by maintenance people. It's pretty much been the same group of guys since the new manager took over (a family feel to the group).

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