When I was looking for an apartment in 2006, I was looking for a comfortable apartment at a low price. I'm very happy that I found the Gilmore. It's not luxury living, but has everything I need at a price that a student can afford.

Parking/Safety
The Gilmore has parking for all residents. It costs $3 dollars for a parking pass, and that's a one-time fee. There's no gate around the parking lot, but there is an off-duty cop who lives here, and he keeps an eye on things. He has never heard of an incident in the parking lot. (He doesn't work for the property.) When I first moved in, I was approached by homeless people seeking money; however, this has not been a problem lately. Someone did steal the catalytic converter off my car during an auto parts theft crime wave in Spring 2007; the replacement cost me $450 bucks. The office also admitted that homeless folks take change out of UNLOCKED cars. I've never felt unsafe at night even after I lost the catalytic converter. The parking lot is well lit. There's no guest parking between 7pm and 7am, and the apartment is vigilant about towing. The main building has two entrances that open with a key or radio token.

Grounds
The Gilmore is a really old building with an Art Deco design. It has aged well for the most part, but some parts are a bit rundown. There isn't much landscaping, and the parking lot is the most noticeable feature. I was disappointed at first, but the building has grown on me over time. However, I wish there was more green-space.

Building
The buildings are built like tanks. Only "the big one" could bring these buildings down! In the main building, the walls are painted white, and the floors are made of terrazzo (smooth concrete--very nice and easy to clean). Buildings in the garden court have hardwood floors and small washer/dryer units. The main building has a laundry room in the basement; I rarely have to wait for a machine. There are lots of little closets in most units for storing things of various sizes. I have never had a lack of closet space. The complex is located in the heart of Midtown around Overton Park and has a host of great shops and restaurants. Downtown, Cooper-Young, access to I-40, and the shops on East Poplar are a short drive away. There's a Starbuck's, a Walgreens, and two grocery stores within walking distance.

Downsides: Paint in the bathtubs tends to flake off when exposed to hot water over and over again. Also, water bugs tend to appear in the bathrooms regularly. I've never seen roaches in the kitchen. Other than the patio on the roof of the main building, there aren't any extras like a pool or workout room. However, Fino's, one of the best restaurants in Midtown, is located in the main building. Although noise from inside the building is minimal, the complex is near a firehouse, near an active railroad, and used to be under the Memphis airport landing pattern. However, even given all of that, the noise doesn't affect my sleeping or studying.

Staff/Maintenance
The staff is friendly and helpful. The only serious problem is that the boilers sometimes don't automatically turn on when it gets cold. A call to emergency maintenance generally fixes that in short order. Also, it can be very difficult to get access to the building if you are a prospective renter. At least two staff members live in the main building.

Pets
I don't know the exact pet policy, but there sure are a lot of them! Particularly, there are a lot of big, friendly dogs. Two or three times, I've seen dog pee in the elevators, but the staff clean it up quickly and have been getting more and more aggressive about dealing with the problem.

Rent and Utilities
There are five types of apartments: small efficiency (276 square feet), large efficiency (460), small one bedroom (600), large one bedroom (663), and two bedroom (1100). Two people could share a large efficiency, but it would be a tight squeeze. A family of four could live in a two-bedroom apartment. Two bedrooms are in the garden court; everything else is in the main tower. In the main tower, water, sewer, and trash collection is free. Light and gas are assessed to the building and people pay according to the size of their room. Telecommunications are on your own. In the garden court, light and gas are on your own. The rates are as of April 2007 are...

small efficiency: mid-400s
large efficiency: mid-500s
small one bedroom: high-600s
large one bedroom: 700s
two bedroom: 1100

Overall
Despite losing my catalytic converter and everything else, I'm very happy living here. I would like to move into a small single to save more money, but I still like my large efficiency, too. Given my positive experience here, I would like to move into a nicer apartment in the Henry-Turley family of apartments, but since I'm still a student, that will have to wait.

Note: even with the loss of my catalytic converter, I would still consider living at the Gilmore to be a great value. That is really just part of the cost of living in Memphis!

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