Essex House

Lived there 2005-2006 in a 2BR/2BA.

Pros: Building is secure, with a friendly doorman and maintenance staff. Pool and tennis courts aren't tip-top, but are nice to have. Location is good for schools in the area; not too close, but right on the major buslines. Very near the new Market Place Giant Eagle, which is very nice. Garage parking is available and secure. Apartments, particularly the closets, are spacious. Kitchen is modern, with all the usual fixtures and plenty of cabinet space. Patio/balcony views are spectacular.

Cons: Very expensive, particularly for students. Lots of old people, who congregate in the lobby and gossip. Some of them are really pains in the rear; one threw some of our laundry on top of the garbage/recycling, where it fell in and was lost because "it's a common area and I have no responsibility for that." There seems to be two kinds of tenants, which the office treats in two different ways. The old folks, who have been there *forever* and the come-and-go whippersnappers. The former get all the perks and immediate treatment from maintenance, while the latter put up with office confusion, mishaps, and delays in maintenance (unless you get to know the guys and ask them directly). The leasing agent for McQuarters is iffy; we were promised another apartment at the Claybourne, but suddenly it was shown and leased before we could respond. We ended up having to take the larger and more expensive Essex apartment instead. They also managed to send my security deposit back to the wrong address, despite me having written in down twice. We were also pushed out of the apartment a few days early to accomodate their turn-over/repainting schedule. Despite this, we were charged for dirt in the kitchen, which we did not have time to get to because of said repainting. Finally, the lot/guest parking is inadequate, due to the building having businesses on the first two floors.

Summary - all in all a nice place to live, but dealing with the leasing office can be a pain, and some of the residents should be moved to retirement homes instead of complaining about the youngsters.


UPDATE JULY 2008: Driving by the other day I noticed that the tennis court had been replaced by more parking, for whatever that's worth.

Last updated: 8/3/2008

Recommended: YES Overall Rating

Parking: Maintenance: Construction: Noise:

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