Ventura Lofts

Absolutely wonderful

From: ShesNewToHouston
Date posted: 8/18/2009
Years at this apartment: 2009-01-01 - 2009-01-01
6 responses

Original Post (August 2009):

My husband and I moved in this past May (2009)So we haven't lived here for very long, but it's been long enough to know it's great!

First and foremost, the landscaping and general layout is wonderful--it feels like you are living from a resort--there is a lap pool, a big luxurious swimming pool, and a generous hot tub--even separate women's and men's locker rooms conveniently situated between the pools each equipped with saunas! It took awhile for us to get cable & internet once we moved in, so my husband and I made frequent visits to the beautiful outdoor seating areas that have free wifi connection for residents. Also, if you don't have a laptop you can go to the "internet cafe" which is available 24/7 for residents--there are four computers and there is unlimited free printing (or copying)there. There is also a lounge that is open during office hours, and you can brew coffee or tea for free, or hang out for a break or to study.

We also found it helpful that there is a separate entrance for moving trucks since the parking is a garage, here.

Our particular apartment has a patio (1st floor) that opens on to a wonderful courtyard. Every courtyard has an amazing gas grill--they provide the propane tanks. our bedroom looks out onto a pretty fountain, and some great landscaping. Almost every day I notice the maintenance people changing the trash, cleaning the grill, and opening the umbrellas on the tables out there in the morning, and then closing them at night.

One of the important things is that I feel safe in this community. There is a security guard at night, and the parking is gated--of course there are ways around that and every system has it's flaws, but each apartment door has a peephole and they all have intrusion alarms that sound when any entrance is opened (front door, patio doors, and windows)

The prices seem steep, but are usually lower than what is posted on their website depending on the different promotions they have going.

The gym is great--there usually are few people there--but even so, there are plenty of cardio machines (maybe 10 or 12? I'm not sure exactly) and several weight machines, plus dumbbells, a speedbag, and a kickboxing bag. The gym overlooks the lap pool.

My husband fell in love with the "media" room. It is completely decked out with a "jukebox" of movies you can select, or you can bring your own DVD or BluRay. Use of the media room is free, but it must be reserved through the front desk, and they require you leave a $500 check with them as collateral--they will only use the money from it if you damage the media room, and say they have not had to use any of it yet. Their ceiling is like a planetarium with stars in it, and there is full surround sound--a huge screen, and even real theater-style seating.

As far as maintenance goes--the times I have dealt with them have been a pleasure.

1st occasion--I tried to use the washer for the first time, but it wouldn't work. Maintenance came the day after I reported the problem and were very friendly. They fiddled with it for a bit, and when they couldn't figure out the problem, they said they'd replace it with a new one, while they fixed this one--they had the new one installed within a few hours, and waited for me to start the first load to be sure it worked.

2nd occasion--the chain in the tank of the toilet that opens the valve to make it flush had slipped off. They came and fixed it that day. One of the men that helped the first time asked me if the washing machine was still running okay.

3rd occasion-- I painted the master bedroom and got a little paint on the moulding--I asked the office if I could buy some of the paint they used for the moulding to touch it up and they said I didn't need to pay--they would give it to me for free! The next day, a maintenance man delivered a generous portion of the paint to me with a smile :o)

4th occasion- we saw a cockroach (just one) in the living room and a few tiny bugs in the guest bedroom. I notified the front desk on a Friday, and they had it sprayed the next Monday. A notice was left in the apartment to tell us they had been there and it had been treated. We have not seen any bugs since.

One of the other nice things about the apartment is the CARES team. A young married couple makes up the CARES team and they organize community events from movie nights to cooking classes.

Most of the residents have been very friendly as well--we have already made friends with several other residents.

There are several options as far as floor plans go--I think there are three or four options for one, two, and three bedroom apartments. All apartments have new energy-efficient appliances in stainless steel and black--the kitchen and bathroom counters are a beautiful black granite, and the living-room, kitchen, and dining areas have hardwood floors. Bedrooms are carpeted, and bathrooms are tiled. All apartments seem very spacious--and as mentioned, there are several layouts to choose from. Our particular unit has his and hers closets in the master bedroom--we have a stand-alone shower AND a whirlpool tub in the master bedroom also. We also have a breakfast-bar as a part of the kitchen counter. If you look on their website ours is style "D"

Also just for reference--my husband and i have only paid about $95 a month for electricity using the energy company they recommended. They do have a thermostat that can be set to adjust up to every hour of the day, so we have it set to be a little warmer during the day, and slightly cooler once we're home. The overhead ceiling fans in the living room and bedrooms are also very efficient.

We are in a great part of town--We are right near a Flagship Randalls--there are several restaurants nearby, a few beauty salons, bakeries, starbucks, smoothie joints, bars, boutiques. Down the road on Westheimer (going AWAY from the galleria) is a Kroger, Whole Foods, Target, HEB. Down Gessner is the Memorial Mall and several nice homes--it really is a very nice neighborhood.

If you want the quietest apartment possible, I would consider an apartment on the top level, overlooking a courtyard. If it overlooks the pool, you'll hear anyone that's noisy while swimming, and the only other option is the sometimes noisy road. Upstairs means you won't hear trampling feet overhead. We are on the bottom floor, but I guess the residents above us are very considerate because we hardly ever hear them (but we have heard other residents complaining that they could hear the people above them periodically). We were told that there is acoustical paneling in the apartments to help prevent some of the noise transfer, though.

I tried to be thorough because I know it can be tough when you're looking for a new home, but we truly do love it here, and would recommend it to any and everyone.

Updated Post (05/2010):

After living here almost exactly a year our opinion is still very high of Ventura lofts. Maintenance continues to be a pleasure to work with when necessary, we have taken advantage of many of the amenities including the media room, fitness facilities, gas grills, and swimming pool. The Staff has continued to be friendly and has gotten to know me, my husband, and my dog (they give him treats whenever I take him to check the mail with me). The renewal process was easy, and renewal letters were sent out maybe about 45 days or so before our current lease would expire.

Last but not least, they have added a new service for residents: "Valet Trash" they provide a specific trash can, and instead of walking to the dumpster (there is one located at each corner of the parking garage on the ground level, and chutes that access them on the upper levels) you can put your garbage (in tied garbage bags) in the provided container, and set it directly outside your door between 6 and 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and a service will remove it for you. That part of the service isn't a big deal for me or my husband--it wasn't much of a hassle removing waste before, but what we ARE very happy to hear, is that they are planning on incorporating a similar service for recycling soon! Since there were previously no recycling receptacles in the complex, we ended up driving them to a recycling center every couple of weeks.

Last updated: 5/20/2010

Recommended: YES Overall Rating

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