Hello. Ive been reading these reviews and I remember when I was looking for apts and reading these reviews, I was a bit skeptical about the retreat so I want to give my opinion on everything. I am not a member of the staff and I plan to be as honest and forth right as possible.
First, Ive lived here for approximately 1.5 years and although this is my first apt in austin, I have lived in five apt communities total. This is a good place to live. Now youre going to have crime everywhere and youre nieve to think so. To answer a few of the comments made earlier: I noticed the truck on blocks and I know that sucks because its happen to me at another apt complex but listen, when you have rims like that, you need locks-times are tough everywhere. For the person who commented on persons living here with bad credit---well look you mentioned nicer, newer apts that cost less, who do you think gonna be there if they cost less' Again, crime is everywhere and I know how much I pay here and I'd venture to say that crime is the same throughout the area but I havent seen much and to be fair, I dont know about all of the crime that goes on here but i do know that there are police officers as residents here, the person above me is a round rock police officer. Consider insurance where ever you live.
About the trash---it is true on mondays, if the wind is right and you live near the compacter, its not nice. Heres the thing though, the last couple of months, management has placed a big trash can near the compacter to fill up the trash that would be stacked by the compacter. My point is, at least they are doing something about it. There is one compacter for this big complex and even if you had dumpsters throughout the complex, youre still gonna have trash. We as residents, need to do our part as well and press the button on the compacter. There has been one our two times its been broken, but it was fixed. In summation, sometimes its bad but its the exception and not the norm.
About the tenants.....well, this is austin, youll find all types of people here. Some cultures are not as tidy as others and you should talk to managment about it. now, dont expect much because, really, what can they do' Ive find that if you do your do dillegence and set bait stations and spray annually, theyll stay where the dirt is.
Management - well listen Ive never had any issue with them. In fact, when I first moved in, I had my doubts, especially after reading these comments but the staff changed and I am pleased to say that they help me whenever I need it. There is a gentleman in there that has always helped me and the maintenance staff has always responded. For example, for the last three months ive been overcharged by the water company by about 30 dollars. Ive gone in every month and the staff has adjusted my bill with no issue. I called the water company and got no help so the staff is taken this issue to the water company for me while continuing to make my adjustments. I dont why other people had issues. Maybe their expectations are high or their asking the wrong questions. To be fair maybe youre asking the wrong folks and yeah maybe you just got them on a bad day. All i know is, ive never had an issue and if youre reasonable, you shouldnt either.
Parking---parking is an issue. I know it sucks but consider buying covered parking for 25 bucks a month. Its a big complex and it is a problem but im sure its a problem everywhere.
Finally, I just want to say this, as a future resident of any apt community, you should take it upon yourself to visit the complex during weekends and talk to residents if possible. I would ask managment or the staff to set something up with a resident. If all else fails, ask them to see if the resident with the water bill issue has five minutes to speak with you.....they should know me by now.

anyway, im sure people will have things to say about my comments but look, its up to you to do youre reaserch. good luck and happy home hunting.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/05/2008
Sadly, yes, a child did die there last week. That wasn't the fault of the apartment complex or its staff though. It's not like they employ lifeguards, and signs are posted saying you swim at your own risk. The adults who were responsible for that child had a miscommunication and each thought the other was watching the child, and the child slipped away and drowned in the pool. It was a terrible tragedy and an accident. You can blame the apartment complex and its staff for a lot of things, but the child's drowning isn't one of them.
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/05/2008
This place is a JOKE. It has become the HOOD in Austin. It use to be a nice place when Amli owned it....but we were not supprised when we saw a child died there. Sadly not supprised at all. Everything is a mess there now and making excuses for it will not fix the problems.
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/06/2008
In regards to the child's death- I was a former tenant who always found children excessivly playing poolside, as if they were in a WWF wrestling ring. Yes, the parents should be held accountable, however, if a pool is on site and children are constantly unsupervised and at freewill to act as they please, who should be held accountable? There was never anyone responsible enough on staff to ever communicate this to the parents of these children, and now, regretfully a 4 yr. old child is dead because of it!
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/18/2008
listen to this guy i guess he like livings around bums, crack heads, i use to live at the retreat, go somewhere elese. this place is getto bad>>>>> you will regreat if you sign a lease dont let these people fool you. its loud, nasty, nothing ever works especially the security gates. O and to the dude that has a water bill issue stop sucking up, your giving people the wrong impression of this place, If those gates worked maybe the 7 cars wouldnt of been broken into, or that guys truck would not have been on blocks. you need to think before you speak. managent sucks they shouldnt even be here, they lie and sit on their fat ass and let this place go to ----. Im glad I moved out of that ---- hole and im glad youi like it.
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/27/2008
Heres the deal, this is robert (the gentleman that used to work in the office) i can say it now that i no longer work there. It is frankly sick and disturbing for anyone to blame the death of a child on the piss poor staff or even to bring something as awful as that up in a forum such as this. My thoughts and prayers go out to that young boy and his family. I worked there for about a year and 8 months and i broke my back for the people that lived there, i have moved washers and dryers, couchs, came to work at midnight to give a resident a key because they were locked out, had post-it notes on my door in the morning for work orders, and the list can go on and on, on the same note i know others in the office that have done the same thing and you know what I DID NOT HAVE TO HELP THEM, THAT IS NOT MY JOB, MY JOB IS 9AM-6PM AND NOTHING MORE. But you know what, i did it anyway, even in the midst of people comments calling us piss poor, oh yeah i read this stuff too, and you know why i read this because I CARE ABOUT MY RESIDENTS EXPERIENCE UNDER MY CARE.
From: cinema.city	Date: 02/04/2009
I have been a resident at The Retreat for over 3 years. In the time that I have lived here, I have lived in a one, two, and three bedroom in different sections of the complex. I have found the office staff, including former office staff member, Robert & the maintenance staff, particularly Rigo, to be very helpful and deepest thanks to them for going the extra mile. I enjoyed living building 18 except for the never ending exposure to a neighbor's smoking habits who liked to sit right outside of his apartment door on a chair that he puts out for these occasions playing games on his laptop and smoking one cigarette after another. Evidently his is a "No smoking" apartment so he takes it outside. I don't hold the staff responsible for this as I don't know what the legal statutes say about such a thing. But I can tell you that smoke rises.I am a former smoker & even I couldn't deal with walking the dog through the haze up & down 3 flights of stairs several times a day. I did not like building 22, where the three bedroom was located. It was more littered and louder no doubt due to the fact that families with actual children resided in the building (3 bedrooms). The children would run up and down the stairs when they got home from school and put chalk marks all over everything. But hey, their kids, that's what they do. The aparment building I'm in building 5 now is nice only the "landscaping" is essentially non-existent. Think muddy trench interspersed with litter that people drop as they are taking their trash to the nearby trash dumpster. IMT are the new owners & have recently replaced the roofing which is great but has had a bit of a slash & burn effect on the grounds outside of my building, I'm afraid. I'm sure they have plans to deal with this, but it does seem that the grass is literally greener towards the first half of the complex. Maintenance & office staff weigh more heavily than these hopefully temporary issues and for that the Retreat is great. I always walk around with the little green doggy bags they provide when I walk my dog as I should. But my neighbors I feel just can't be bothered with this chore, and I feel foolish & frankly resentful picking up poop from my dog that has often been deposited amongst many poops from previous dogs. So know dear neighbors, if I see you fail to pick up your dog's feces, I will make a stink!

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