Let me first say that I have found at every apt. complex I have ever lived at that the office staff is comprised of idiots. Ever wonder why the turnover is so high' This is not a Camden problem, this is an apartment-leasing-employee problem. I've never lived anywhere I thought the office staff were rocket scientists.

Given that, the Camden staff is no better or worse than anywhere else I have lived. I try to avoid the staff to avoid headaches, but I have never had exceptional problems with them. I have had packages lost and delayed, but I am more inclined to think it is the local post-office, which is a JOKE around here. In fact, Camden decided a few months back to stop accepting packages because they were getting blamed every time they were lost. Make sure you ensure your packages, if they are valuable, people.

Once, however, I ordered a slot machine from e-bay and the office signed for it. I was with my mother, and this thing must weigh 150 pounds. Two of the guys in the office carried it out for us and put it in the car. I think your office experience has more to do with the individuals and not the complex as a whole. Some people are rude, some aren't.

As for the safety factor - DUH. You're living DOWNTOWN. If you choose to live downtown, you have to know what the risks are. You can't pretend that living downtown is always safe just because you're paying a lot of money to live there. As for the rape, we received a memo on our door saying that there was a sexual assault, not a rape, and that the girl was alone in the garage at 3 in the morning. Of course I don't condone what happened, but you just have to be safe and understand what the risks are.

Aside from that, my car was broken into as well. JUST LIKE IT WAS AT TWO OTHER PLACES I LIVED. People break into cars everywhere. I left my faceplate on my radio and someone took advantage. I now take my faceplate inside and haven't had any more problems. I didn't even bother to tell the staff because there really isn't a lot they can do. There isn't even a way to tell if it was done by someone off the street, or some punk who lives in the complex, or said punk's friend. But the bottom line is that you are not going to escape crime anywhere. You can walk down the streets of Highland Park at night and not be safe.

Now I will admit that the gate situation pissed us off a bit. The gate usually works, but it has had problems. They take their sweet time in fixing it, but I'm not sure the gate makes that much difference earlier in the evening - so many people are coming in and out that it is easy to get in even if you don't live there. That is the situation at any gated apartment. However, recently, they switched from a magnetic card to a clicker, and failed to tell the tenants. Again, idiotic staff - big shocker.

My only other complaint about the property is that they don't have storage. But we knew that going in, so I can't really fuss about it.

In the grand scheme of things, though, I have really enjoyed living here. We have a fairly small apt. - 850 sq. ft. or so, and pay a high price for it - $1050. We're moving, but only because we need something cheaper. We live in an apartment facing the pool, and that's been great. The pools are fabulously maintained and beautifully landscaped. There are also lots of courtyards that are landscaped with fountains and wooden swings. Very pleasant. There has only been a noise problem one time - when Camden threw a barbeque and had a ridiculously loud dj. But that was one time, during the summer, during the day, on a Saturday. Can't complain too much.

We haven't had too bad of a problem with the structure of the place. I'm not sure I've ever heard our neighbors - and we have them on both sides. The wire shelves in the closet collapsed twice, but only because I had way too many clothes hanging on them, plus weight on the top. All of our appliances have worked perfectly. The ceilings are high with crown molding, and the paint is two toned, making it very attractive.

I've always thought the maintenence was very attentive. The most it has taken is probably 2 days, and they always come and go without a mess and leave a notice that they've been there, and the problem is always fixed.

The parking garage is a great thing to have. Yes, it is too short for the big moving trucks, and that sucks. But it is nice always having cover for your car at no extra cost, and it is structured so that you park on your floor. So if you can get a small moving truck, you don't have to carry anything up stairs.

The best part is the proximity to everything. My husband and I each have a car, but I take the bus to work every day because it's so easy. There are like 4 or 5 bus stops within walking distance. And Deep Ellum is great, not a slum. It's full of cool historic buildings, affordable restaurants, bars, clubs, and shops. You can also walk to downtown. I've walked from the Bank of America building to Camden in about 30 minutes. And, ahhh... farmer's market. This just creates a nice earthy atmosphere. We don't go there as much as we should, but it's like a 2 minute walk and you can buy fruit, vegetables, flowers, trees, plants, and shop at the market that sells crafts and furniture.

So in toto, I would say this is a great place to live. It's been my favorite, out of the 5 apartments I have lived in, and I wish I didn't have to leave, but the rent is just so darned expensive. You'll be perfectly safe and happy if you take responsibility for your things and practice caution in the same way you would anywhere else. Essentially - don't walk around alone at night, lock your car, take your faceplate inside - and you'll be fine. Avoid the office staff to circumvent headaches but call them if you need to because they're usually pretty helpful.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/26/2007
San Franciscan in exile, now moving to Dallas. Thanks to your post, I know exactly what to expect from a downtown Dallas loft. Seriously - thank you.

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