I moved into SoCo on May 1, 2008. I recently renewed my lease for another year. My loft's owner lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Parts of my review relate to anyone, whether a prospective owner or tenant, and parts relate to just prospective tenants. (I don't know how many owners lease their units, but because I am a renter, I'd like to say a few things about that aspect.)

Regarding my renter status, I'd like to note that I pay a single sum to my loft's owner monthly. My loft is 840 square feet, and I pay $950. I don't receive directly a water bill, an Internet bill, or a parking bill. Having looked elsewhere downtown, I think I have a great deal. I don't directly pay HOA fees, but my owner includes some of the fees in my rent price.

My two bills are for satellite TV (DirecTV, which is the only satellite option for residents) and energy (Green Mountain Energy, my choice). DirecTV is about $65/month and the energy bill varies from $90 (low in winter) to $200 (peak of summer, like in August). My energy bill in the summer seems high to some people, but it should be noted that I am a polar bear and I love keeping the A/C at 67. (I switch it to 88 when I leave for work each day.)

So my overall monthly loft cost is $1,100 to $1,200. Not bad, I figure.

A big note about move-in: I wish I had had my floors professionally cleaned before I moved in. After a couple of hours while unpacking boxes, the bottoms of my socks were black. I bought a vacuum that specialized in hard floor cleaning. it works well for dust, hair, food bits, etc. But for actual dirt removal, I tried ammonia and water with a mop and a bucket, but that didn't change the situation very much. So then I got a steam cleaner from Amazon.com for $100; I forgot how -when you use a steam cleaner- you have to wipe up the dirt after you steam clean. But it has helped immensely.

Noise: My loft faces Jackson, and I work from about 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Typically, I am woken up by a trash truck every morning. If a trash truck doesn't wake me up, then I'm woken up by a delivery truck at the Earle Cabell Federal Court Building, whose back entrance/exit is just outside my window. Either experience isn't bad unless it's your day off or if you don't start work till later.

The great part about the Earle Cabell Federal Court Building is the fact that guards are outside of it 24/7. They're contracted through the Department of Homeland Security, and from what I understand, they're former military or police, so you know they're not messing around. Jackson Street is rather quiet, and sometimes a quiet street gives people the heeby jeebies, but rest assured: those guards make a lot of people feel safe.

In addition to that indirect security, SoCo has a guard every night of the week. The guard is located at a desk in the lobby, from which he requests that all visitors sign in. He also goes on patrols of the parking area and building periodically throughout the night. I believe Desmond works Sunday through Tuesday, and Patrick works Wednesday through Saturday. Both men care about the residents, and they are exceedingly good at what they do. I've heard people complain that visitors must sign in, but this policy keeps our building safer. Additionally, Desmond and Patrick keep an eye out for a visitor's car when they know it's parked outside.

Around the building: Obviously we're not on Main Street. But we are just a block from the Urban Market. (I go there for some purchases; but I also frequent the Albertson's at Lemmon and McKinney.) Also, for convenience there's a new(er) 7-11 at Commerce and Field, just a block and a half away. It's my experience that when there's a large convention or other event at the nearby Convention Center, street parking might be sparse. (The auto show and girls' volleyball tournaments are a couple of examples.) These events are not frequent, but one should be aware that the convention center is just a couple blocks away from SoCo. There's a great park near/at the convention center, though I might sound a little morbid because some of this "park" is a cemetary. It's a very historic cemetary, though. There are a lot of plaques that inform visitors on the person's significance to Dallas history. I don't think of myself as a fearful individual, but still... I wouldn't visit the cemetary at night. (I've ventured into it a couple of times; once I saw a couple enjoying each other, and the other time I saw a man who appeared to be shooting up.)

I guess I should note that the McDonald's is a block away from our building too, if that's a convincing factor.

The name SoCo: If you ask me, our building should have kept its old name. The building is historic by Dallas' standards, and its name should reflect that. Unfortunately, somebody came along and wanted to make the place sound sexy. Instead, it just sounds goofy.

The actual loft: I really like my "one big room," as my mom calls it. My kitchen is my bedroom is my living room is my study. You get the idea. The place gets dusty, but I'm sure every place gets dusty. I replace the main air filter every month, which might be too frequent, but oh well. The ventilation is great; I'm a happy polar bear. I don't usually hear my neighbors. The appliances are nice-- I think they vary by loft. Some are the white GE version; some are sleeker (silver, ooo-ahh). Bear in mind: I'm in my mid-20s. I don't really care about appliances. I use the laundry machines on my floor, which work fine. (All industrial dryers tend to wrinkle clothes, so I don't blame ours specifically.) I love the big bathroom and industrial door. I wish I had a little more storage space. The "closet" is just a couple rods to the left when you enter. Most people don't even notice it, which I find strange, because I don't have a "cover-up" for it. (I don't have a curtain that "closes off" the "closet" from the "hallway.") I love all these quote marks I'm using.

I really like the rooftop pool and lounging area. On the Jackson street side, there's a small patio for commoners (as opposed to penthouse owners) to sit outside, check out some big buildings, and get some fresh air. On the other side, there's the pool and grilling area, which is accompanied by a row of chairs for catching rays. That area faces the south/southwest, which I really like because you're on the 11th story of a building but you don't see many tall buildings in the distance. It's calming.

Other residents: I'm in no place to judge. I bet some people don't like how I will continue down the parking ramp while they're going up it. (The reality is that it's quite easy to put two cars on that ramp. We're just people who love tons of space.) But regarding my fellow Soco-ers, I think there are a lot of nice folks. Quite an age range too. I wasn't expecting the amount of 40-year-olds and above. I think it's great. Believing in downtown is part of the downtown living experience, and it's great to see all sorts of people living downtown.

The reality of disliking residents is that it'll occur anywhere. Keeping a positive attitude is imperative. A lot of people have surprised me in my life; if I think I might not like a person, I limit myself from a possible friendship. All that cheesy stuff aside, every building has those people who don't clean up the pee that their dog releases on the elevator. Every building has a few idiots who make the elevator reek of booze and/or pot. Every building has people who smoke cigarettes in their lofts even though (I think) we're a non-indoor-smoking facility. (And even if we're not, I welcome common courtesies.) So with that, I'll end the discussion of other residents.

I have a lot of favorite things about my loft, our building, and its location. Examples include:
-I can walk to a lot of places, particularly American Airlines Center, Main Street eateries, and some nearby concert venues.
-The Katy Trail is nearby. I can get there on my bike in about ten minutes (five minutes if I hit green lights).
-There are a lot of dogs, which means people have to get out often, so I feel like I see a lot of my buildingmates.
-There is ample amount of wall outlets for folks with lots of electronics.
-Charisse in the office is friendly and very helpful.
-Some residents have lived in SoCo for 5, 7, and 10 years, and having those resources is great, especially for knowing random stuff about downtown living.
-It feels like home.

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