Granite Club

A mixed bag so far... From: -Anonymous- Date posted: 9/18/2007 Years at this apartment: 2007 - 2007   I have only lived here a few months, and already I have seen a great deal of unfortunate turnover among my neighbors. Security here is a huge problem. Half of Houston seems to have the gate code, and those strangers who don't have it wait in the driveway for a legitimate resident they can follow through the gate. Also, gate repair is often delayed for weeks, which makes the residents feel quite unsafe. I am glad I don't drive a nice car, since auto break-ins happen frequently here. It is a very good idea to purchase auto theft and vandalism insurance, should you chose to live here, even if your car is a clunker like mine. The fitness facility is incredibly small for a complex of this size. It is barely larger than my kitchen, and while clean and cool, it has only 2 or 3 pieces of equipment. Maintenance can be very slow here. When I first moved in, both laundry rooms were without functional A/C units for weeks on end. My apartment's A/C unit has broken 3 times now in two months; fortunately those repairs occurred promptly. One of the very nice things about this complex is that pets (including multiple non-aggressive large dogs) are allowed. The downside is that the dog hygiene rules are not well-enforced, so I often find myself picking up "orphan poo" in addition to my own dogs' droppings. I feel very badly for my neighbors who don't own dogs yet still have to deal with dog feces on a daily basis, when they walk to and from their cars, the pool, the mailboxes, or the laundry room. The designated dog area is a small patch of gravel that most dogs have no interest in using, and the pick-up bag dispenser is usually empty, so I have started buying my own. But so far all of the dogs here have been friendly, and there are several dog parks nearby where I can take my babies for off-leash exercise. Another really nice thing is being right on the bus line. This saves me a great deal of money, which helps offset the cost of my reserved parking spot. I do worry about my female neighbors who have to park across the complex from their apartments late at night because they cannot afford the reserved parking. So far the office staff has been very courteous and helpful. They are happy to receive packages for you if they don't fit in your mail box. One of the gals is Spanish-speaking bilingual, as are all of the maintenance staff. I think the maintenance problems here are due to insufficient maintenance staff, not apathy. The maintenance professionals are competent and work very hard; they just need an extra person to keep up with all the repairs needed in such a large complex. I have not had any problems with unauthorized entry of the apartment while I'm gone. There have been a few issues with the apartment itself. Aside from the unreliable A/C, my phone jack didn't work when I first moved in. Interestingly, this turned out to be because it was crammed full of dead roaches -- but I haven't yet seen a live one on the property. Perhaps there was a roach problem in the past that has now been corrected. Other items that didn't work when I moved in: the garbage disposal, 4 electrical outlets in different parts of the apartment, 2 burners on the stove, and the smoke detector. Also, whoever painted before I moved in painted over the cable jack and the other two phone jacks; they were not functional and had to be replaced. This could be a really nice place to live if the security and maintenance insufficiencies were addressed. I love my neighbors. It's a very diverse community, most folks are friendly, and everyone is very courteous. The location is convenient, and I like having a little private patio. If the problems I mentioned are solved before my lease is up, I will happily stay; otherwise, I will have to try my luck at another large-dog-friendly complex in town. uWDgQKY3Vkv8FKIsB8Ax

Recommended: NO Overall Rating

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