First of all, this place is expensive. Compare it to any other apartment complex in Tyler based on sq. ft., parking, features, etc. and you'll see that you don't get much for your money even on paper. However, U Pines does advertise a few features not found at any of the competition. Firstly, location - it is right across the street from the campus, and I must admit it was nice being able to walk to class without putting up with the UTT parking nightmare.
Secondly, they always have a few events every week in the club house. Usually with free food and activities.
Thirdly, they advertise the watchful eye and protection of the UT Tyler Police force. Let me say that this is most certainly not a benefit. While UT did indeed at one time have a police force, it is now just a guard force composed of overzealous rent-a-cops. While I personally never partied at U Pines, if that is your intention, these guys will ruin your day. They have absolutely nothing else to do than to arrest or citation anyone with alcohol. Not to mention they are extremely inexperienced and unprofessional, and if something serious on campus did someday occur, these guys would definitely screw it up.

Now on to the bad things... The internet access is a joke. While it is affordable, it can be rendered unusable during high usage periods. Also, they attempt to block any type of file-sharing programs, so forget mp3 downloading.
And don't let the newly repainted buildings fool you. Inside, the rooms themselves are dirty, and the carpet is usually nasty to say the least. Service and repair is decent, however you'll probably have to wait a few weeks to a few months after putting in a work order.

If you're looking for a nice quiet place to study, you couldn't be in a worse place. It was extremely noisy even until the late hours of the night; however some locations are better than others. Calling an RA to complain doesn't do much good, as they're probably one of the noise-makers.

While I mentioned earlier that it's nice not having to put up with the on-campus parking, all that is meaningless when you try to find a parking spot at U Pines. It's highly unlikely that you'll be able to get a spot near your room, or even your building. If you're able to get a spot at all, it will probably be in visitor parking, leaving you with a 300 foot walk to your apartment.

The only redeeming value I can think of is that the outside of the buildings look fairly nice after the repaint, and the overall condition of the grounds isn't bad. Also, the office staff was friendly and I had no problems whatsoever in my dealings with them.

Other than that, this place was a nightmare. Don't move in here!

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