Satisfied enough to sign for a third year.
From:
-Anonymous-
Date posted:
9/4/2007
Years at this apartment:
2005
-
2007
After reading through the reviews for this community, it becomes apparent to me that everyone's experience will be different. Overall, I have been pleased with the two years I have spent here. Pleased enough to sign for a third year. There are definitely negatives associated with McDermott Place, but I have never felt that the negatives are worse than any other comparable community or are bad enough to leave.
This community bills itself as a luxury community, which is not entirely accurate. I would qualify McDermott as a value-conscious community with luxurious nuances. For example, the unit that I live in (smallest 1/1) has a set of pillars and an arch between the living room and dining room. While not enough to make it a luxury apartment, it gives a nice touch and makes it more pleasant to live in. If you are looking for an up-scale feel without the up-scale price, McDermott makes the best attempt to satisfy both needs.
Parking in the community is ample, depending on where you live. I would guess that more than 50% of the units here have attached garages, rendering parking unnecessary. The southern portion of the community is dominated by units without garages and has compensated by providing ample parking spaces, including covered parking that can be rented for $25/month. A tenant that lives in the northern half of the community and who chooses not to use the garage for parking may experience difficulty finding a close space.
Moving into a first floor unit, I had prepared myself to deal with a noise issue. However, it has never been a problem for me. I'm not sure if the unit above me has been vacant for two years or if my neighbors are just very considerate, but I have never had any reason to complain about the noise level of a neighboring unit. As mentioned in a previous post, there is now a roaming group of skateboarders that like to make a racquet anywhere there is pavement. Now that school is back in session, the late night grinding has decreased, but they are still around during the afternoons and weekends. These kids do not appear to be causing any trouble, only noise.
The trash situation is not as bad as other reviews have lead on, unless you end up living near the one dumpster (compactor). Curbside pickup occurs Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and most residents are good about not leaving trash around outside of the designated times. If a resident needs to dispose of garbage outside of these times, there is a fenced-off area near the dumpster where trash can be left. This is not exactly convenient, but in my opinion, it is better than having dumpsters every twenty feet. If you are unfortunate enough to live adjacent to the dumpster, be prepared to keep your windows shut. Especially after a rain, the smell can be terrible.
The pet policy in the community is a great asset but also one of its greatest liabilities. As a pet owner, the lenient policy contributed to my decision to move here, but there are significant consequences to every resident. Dogs are everywhere. As an owner, it is impossible to go for a walk without intersecting with several other dogs, which inevitably leads to straining and often times barking. While the community makes a sincere effort to control pet waste (with at least six stocked curbing stations and fines on anyone caught not picking up), it will always be risky to walk barefoot. However, I doubt a pet friendly community exists that can control the waste issue better than McDermott.
There is also the issue of pet noise. While I have been very fortunate to live in a section of the community where there is little barking, it seems there are several loud dogs living along the northern border. I'm not sure how this can be controlled, but I would recommend the following: complain early and complain often. Only the management has the power to evict residents who cannot control the noise emanating from their unit.
While walking my dog around the community and surrounding communities, I have never felt that safety was an issue. As Dallas expands, this is likely to change; but for the moment, this is still an affluent area and crime is not a problem. I do not hesitate to walk around after dark, especially considering the abundant lighting in most of the community. The gates are often broken, but even if they worked 100%, they are hardly effective. Anyone who has ever lived in a community that is protected with an automatic gate knows that visitors frequently tailgate into the community. The gated security is an illusion at all communities, and is always ineffective.
I have only contacted maintenance on a handful of occasions. Generally, they have been very responsive and accommodating. The after hours emergency line has failed in the past to adequately decide what an emergency is, but once maintenance is contacted, they respond quickly. I have never experienced a pest problem, as mentioned in an earlier post. I am aware of rodents living outside some of the units, but have not heard of any getting inside.
In a previous post, someone mentioned plumbing issues. I too have experienced this. I'm not sure if it is a specific building or if it affects the entire community, but on three occasions I have been unable to flush my toilet and once I actually had sludge come up through the drains. Hopefully, the community is working to ensure this does not continue (the sludge issue occurred over a year ago and has not recurred since).
The staff in the leasing office is friendly and approachable, though not always as accommodating as I would like. Packages are signed for and may be retrieved any time the office is open. I don't use the facilities, but the pools, hot tub, fitness center, and media center all seem well kept and clean. They recently replaced the conference room with a pool table, which helps keep the kids contained (rather than skateboarding near my apartment).
Rates absolutely do change day to day. When I first considered moving here, I was quoted a rate that was outside my desired max rate. However, when I called two days later, pretending to be unfamiliar with the community, I received a new rate 7% lower than what I had been quoted previously. I recommend getting a rate in writing and then checking again later to see if it has changed. If the new rate is lower, jump on it; otherwise, bring in the written quote.
Before reading these reviews, I was unaware that the leasing office screens tenants and only accepts the ones it likes. Personally, this does not bother me. I didn't see any indication that there was a race issue, and I don't think the population of the community would reflect that. As a young professional, I appreciate the community doing what it has to in order to prevent less desirable individuals from tearing the place apart. Again, I have no idea what they are looking for, but keeping out individuals who appear to be involved in drugs or other crimes, or who are likely to become undesirable neighbors is greatly appreciated. Personally, I applaud the effort. I think it shows that the leasing office is concerned for its residents and is willing to take the extra steps to keep the community a pleasant place to live.
Between the lenient pet policy, the safe neighborhood, the lack of noise, the aesthetically pleasing units and grounds, and the newly discovered (unspoken) screening policy, I feel that this community is a very pleasant place to live and will likely be signing my third year lease within the next month.
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