I've read the other reviews & I'll do my best to accurately describe what's going on. I've been @ Escalante for several years now. From the time I've moved here to today, I've seen a steady decline in overall quality. This was more evident when the property was purchased by Lincoln Properties. The management was pretty good, but since the transition, I've been less than impressed. Here's my list of the Pros & Cons...

CONS & other hassles:

- In the last 6 months, once or twice a week there was a notice on our door reporting yet again, another vehicle has been stolen and /or vandalized. The notice goes on with no-duh safety tips (lock doors, be careful @ night, call 911 in an emergency, blah blah) and reminds you that they are not responsible for vehicle theft / damage.

- Most days when I leave for work, my alarm chirps extra, meaning somebody was lifting door handles.

- My wife and kids have witnessed maintenance staff enter apartments without proper notice. She once saw a maintenance man knock and was in the apartment within two seconds after knocking. Hope nobody was in the shower!

- Recently, there was a major renovation which was completely mishandled by management. A notice went on the door the same day that they were repaving sections of the parking lot. YES- during the DAY, when everyone was at work, they put notices on residents' door saying your vehicle will be towed if not moved by that day! The date on the notice was several days *before* they actually put the notice on our doors! WTF'

- Renovation woes (continued)... The construction / work crew were scary looking. My wife didn't feel safe because they hung out in the morning, watching everyone leave. During the weekends, they still congregated by the huge metal cargo shed and various people (relatives') came and went suspiciously. They made a hell of a ruckus on Saturday mornings. Looks like Lincoln went with the lowest bidder and then that bidder went and got some day laborers.

- Parking issues. Parking for a second vehicle is scare. The renovation crew dumped a load of stones & parked a bobcat across four parking spots (!!) and left it for a week! Unacceptable. I called to complain and while the office was apologetic, they said they would notify the company, but there's really nothing they could do. Right- you try parking your car across 4 spots and see what happens!

- The office hours fluctuate. You can forget about picking up a package when they close at 5:30 PM (with crazy San Antonio traffic). Talk about inconvenient.

- Noisy neighbors moved in recently. Noisy isn't the word- they're downright RUDE, LOUD and vulgar. You can hear them on their patios at night yelling, drinking and dropping F-bombs. When they first moved in, they were like that until about 4 AM!! I reported them all week to management, but the blatant inconsideration continues to this day. They always start around 11 PM to midnight. We're talking so rowdy, you can hear them OVER the outside AC units!

- Parking. Yes, you are assigned one covered spot, but other spots (like another resident wrote) are hard to find after 6 PM.

- Once got a notice on my door to have my patio completely cleaned off because that renovation crew would be power-washing patios the next day. Spent a good chunk of the evening moving everything inside. The next day, they didn't power wash, they just painted the rails. Thanks for the late notice, extra work and NOT doing what you said you were going to do.

- The dumpsters are constantly over-filling. Which is nice since part of your rent includes a trash fee. Management's response' Add more dumpsters' Not! Instead they put in the apartment newsletter that if your trash is found outside the dumpster, you'll be fined $25!

- Irresponsible pet owners don't pick up after their pets. Some places its just a gross minefield. I wish that a) people would be pick up their pets mess and b) that management would hire a pet waste disposal service like Pet Butler.

- The gates are 50/50. If they're not open all the time, then stupid drivers are crashing into them.

- No laundry facility. You have to trek next door to Carmel and use their laundry room. It's not the best facility either, but its better than finding the local laundromat.

- A new maintenance crew moved in. The head guy seems nice, but the rest of the crew looks suspect. Several members are very young.

- Small kitchen with limited pantry and counter space.

- Often times, when talking to management, their tone and attitude have been less than helpful. There's only 2 people in the office that seem to want to help. The rest make you feel like they're being nice by tolerating you.

PROS:

- I have not seen the bug problems that other people are complaining about. In fact, that freaks me out MORE than the occasional trail of ants. I'm thinking, what radioactive chemical are they using for pest control here' I figured I'd see SOME insects every once in a while, but nothing so far. I once killed a medium-sized scorpion in our bedroom (it popped up about a week after all the heavy rains).

- Overall, I feel safe when walking outside at night. I see lots of dog walkers and its overall pretty quiet (sometimes you get the inconsiderate a-hole driving through with bass loud enough to shake the pictures on your wall).

- They seem to be addressing the carpet issue. I often see crews out in the parking lot cutting new (although cheap) carpet for a residence.

- The apartment is more on the modern side than most I've stayed in. The stove is so-so, but microwaves are newer (larger models).

- Convenient location. Nearby there's a Walgreens, HEB, Wal-Mart, Lowes, Costco, Super Target and more.

- The two bath floor plan have generous bathrooms. Both bathrooms sport a garden tubs and feel roomy. Most apartments I've been in, the bathrooms & shower feel like cramped coffins. I give Escalante props for good bathrooms.

- Because Escalante is built on a hill, the upper balconies have great views (instead of staring at your neighbors like most apartment complexes).

I think that's about it. I will not renew my lease for all the reasons listed under Cons. If I remember anything else, I'll update this post.

User Responses
From: caroline3683	Date: 11/08/2007
Why havent you called the cops? Thats what we did. We had 2 trashy idiots living above us at our old apartment complet(salado crossing, never live there!) that stomped laps around their apartment one morning(just despite me and my husband) at 2 a.m. I was SICK OF THEM! So i called the cops and said they were being loud and inconsiderate, the cops were there in 30 min and i watched them go upstairs to the trashy druggies! I guess they were scared their stash was threatened so they stopped before i called the cops again. Hahahaha, i dont like to be mean, but come on. I had to get up and work the next day, not them. The cops are there for a reason, call them.
From: Anonymous	Date: 12/21/2007
Everything about your review sounds like what is going on in my apartment complex. From the construction crews, to the dumpsters, the parking, and worst of all the promised renovations and late "notices" for work to be done. It's sad there is not more to be found on Tenants Rights in Texas. These people seem to get away with whatever they want. The Attorney General is who is supposed to be the contact for this stuff, but why isn't somebody monitoring it to begin with. Anyway... I feel you. Trashy neighbors next door to us. Loud every weekend, dropping f-bombs at 3 in the morning right outside my 4 year old daughters window. I am living in The Villages of Cinnamon Creek and I wouldn't even give it the rating that you did this one. After seeing this one I will not consider Escalante anymore for sure. Thanks for taking the time to do such a great review...
From: Anonymous	Date: 01/18/2008
I have all the same complaints here at Escalante. My room mate's vehicle was one of the vehicles to get stolen in July. I have noisy inconsiderate neighbors as well. If it is who I am thinking then you live in building 28?

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