Courts At Powelton

Nice place, but overpriced From: -Anonymous- Date posted: 10/25/2007 Years at this apartment: 2005 - 2006   I lived in the Courts from Fall '05 until Spring '07, so almost 2 years. From living there for that long, I can understand why the reviews are so polarized. The Courts is a really beautiful complex that's close to everything. A block from Drexel, a couple from Penn. Plus the subway is close by and the trolley is almost at your door. Lots of great pizza and restaurants within walking distance too. On the other hand, there are a bunch of annoying things that affect each person/apartment differently and can collectively cause a very negative experience. The most annoying thing in my opinion is the fire alarm. The owners need to permanently fix this issue. Most of the time the fire alarm is fine, but then all of a sudden it'll go off three or four times in one day. It takes 5-15 minutes to shut it off because the fire department has to come out and do it sometimes. This has happened at all times of day and night. Then you'll get 3 or 4 months where it stays off and you kind of forget about it. So if one of its fits lines up with resting up for something important the next day, you're going to be tired. The next annoying thing has to be the price. The Courts is overpriced in my opinion, although you do get very large rooms. The appliances and flooring are too old to demand top dollar anymore, and the kitchen cabinets are ugly. The floor is kind of uneven, and the windows are difficult to clean/use. It's pretty much all carpeted, too. Our one bedroom plus den apt had only one internet jack, which was in the main room. So you pretty much need a wireless router or long cables to use the slow (but free) internet connection. The only 2 cable jacks were in the main room (about 6 feet from each other), and the only phone jack was placed where a wall mount phone would go. The gym has good equipment and is usually empty, but the space is small and pales when compared to newer complexes. Overall they should modernize or cut prices. As mentioned in another review, the fire escape leads into an elevated cement alley. The alley is lined by the brick apt. buildings and is slightly sloped towards several stairs leading to the main walkway. It has no rails and is obviously dangerous if it is icy. I haven't seen any bugs and the guards were nice to us. There is very little outside noise from cars or foot traffic. If our neighbors were loud, it would have been annoying and we would have heard it. The neighbor's bathroom shared a wall with our apartment, and I could hear them singing in the shower. You get a lot of sunlight thanks to an abundance of windows, which is a nice feature. So why would you live here' Well, it's secure, close to everything good in University City, close to public transit, has large apartments with your own washer/dryer/dishwasher, and looks really nice from the outside. So I guess overall I'd have to say I've lived in better, and also much worse. If the rent was still what I paid in '05 ($1135) for 1 bed den then I'd say give it a shot. For what it is in '07 (over $1350) though I'd probably try elsewhere first.

Recommended: YES Overall Rating

Parking: Maintenance: Construction: Noise:

Grounds: Safety: Office Staff:

I'm the author!

Lived here?

Disclaimer: No attempt has been made to verify or assure the accuracy of the claims made by the author of this opinion or responses. You must judge the truthfulness of any review and accept responsibility for your use of this information.

10 Things Smart Renters Know About Apartment Hunting    How to Break Your Lease Legally