I have lived in a 3-bedroom unit in Phase I since 2004; my husband has been here since 2001. We like the floorplan, appreciate the large closets (our master closet is 8x8'), and it's pretty quiet even though our building is between the parking lot and the road.

Amenities: The grassy areas are usually full of dog poop and there is no enforcement to pick up after one's dog(s). There are pet stations placed around the complex and the one near our building regularly has the trash bag changed and is restocked with pickup sheets. The pools are decently maintained, but during the summer we only use them during the day to avoid people who bring alcohol with them to the pool area in the evening. The soda machine by the Phase I pool directly behind the office is frequently broken, so don't plan on using it. We have rented the pool room in the club house for parties on several occasions and had uniformly good experiences with that. We have not used the gym or basketball court on the Phase II side and have had mixed experiences at the Phase II resort-style pool so we do not use that either.

Crime: We have had minimal issues with crime here. We leave our car unlocked with nothing of value in it because we would rather have someone open the door and take whatever is in the car than knife the convertible top to get in. Over the years, that has amounted to a couple of mix discs, fast food napkins and straws, and a scratched-up pair of sunglasses. Our car has been seriously vandalized once since moving here in 2001; someone knifed the tires and convertible top after the police broke up an out-of-control party on the first floor of our building a few days before Christmas 2004. (The police investigation was a wash, but the neighbors who hosted the party moved out a few months later.)

Gate: The double-wide entry gate is often stuck open, but it's gotten better over the past few years. It seemed like it was open all the time in 2004-05. The exit gate is a pain when it only opens partway, but if there isn't a car waiting behind you, backing up and onto the sensor pad again will make it open.

Maintenance: The maintenance staff is very friendly and I know most of them by name. We have not had a problem with response time from maintenance staff, although they once cut a hole in a closet wall to look for the source of a water leak and did not return promptly to patch it up. We called in a repair request after a week and it was taken care of the next day.

Neighbors: Most of our neighbors are reasonably quiet, nice people. The three issues with neighbors that we have had were problems I'd expect in any apartment complex -- loud partiers that left trash and empty bottles all over the lawn area, an unregistered daycare whose clients were disruptive and rude (management said their hands were tied so I reported the situation to DFPS), and a family that liked to play their drum sets whenever the mood struck them. We keep mostly to ourselves but are friendly with the neighbors, know their names and roughly the hours they keep so can easily notice and report suspicious activity, and make ourselves available to help new neighbors and kids with last-minute school projects. (I volunteer at the elementary school and know most of the kids in the complex.)

Noise: There is regular air traffic noise because the complex is a mile north of Addison Airport, which is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the country. I got used to the noise within a few weeks. If you like vintage aircraft, you can spot planes from Cavanaugh Flight Museum as they fly to and from air shows. The fly over low and loud during the fly-overs at Taste of Addison (mid-May) and Addison KaboomTown (Fourth of July weekend), so expect that between 5 and 8 PM on those weekends.

Office: The staff is friendly to us and recognize our daughter on sight. (She likes visiting the office for the snacks in the sitting area.) We don't mind waiting a few minutes or coming back later if it's busy, so we don't have a problem with their responsiveness. We would appreciate it if they would leave us package notices as normally only UPS will leave a note if we have a package. (Whenever possible, we request shipping methods that provide a tracking number so we know when packages are at the office for us.)

Parking: We have 2 covered assigned spaces because we rent a 3-bedroom unit. In 2004 we had issues with people using both of our spaces as if they were not assigned, but since a neighbor that had a several-roommate situation moved out the problem has mostly ceased. There are usually several guest spots available at the far end of our carport and our guests use those with no problems.

Pets: Almost everyone we have encountered with a dog is very nice about keeping their pet in control and usually on a leash. There are a few small dogs we see off-leash from time to time, but the owner is within arm's length. One dog that we were told has nipping issues is always on a muzzle when we see it outside. We have only had one problem in the past five years with a dog, and it was an issue with the owner's lack of responsibility as a pet owner.

Schools: The elementary school that the complex is zoned for is excellent. McKamy is consistently listed among the high-performing elementary schools in the state in D Magazine and Texas Monthly and was rated Exemplary by the TEA last year. The middle and high schools are also good but I do not have firsthand experience with them yet.

Vermin: We have never seen cockroaches in our apartment and have only seen the occasional rat outside. Since the previously empty field north of Phase I was only developed in the past few years, I do not have a problem with seeing a rat once in awhile. We have had a few issues with fruit flies, but never to the point of using insecticide.


Bottom line: we get a good value for the amount of our rent. We are paying under market value (nothing incredible, but reasonable) for our unit because we have been in it for several years. We don't have any serious problems with living here.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 02/26/2009
Thanks for taking the time to provide such a detailed opinion. It is very helpful for those of us who are considering making Bellagio at Bent Tree our next home.
From: Anonymous	Date: 06/03/2009
I agree with the above response. Thank you for providing such good detail. It's difficult to judge places when people are either screaming "I hate this place! Don't move here!" or "This place is fantastic! I love it!" and don't say why. My mother and I are considering the Bellagio and your review has been helpful!

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