Gainsborough Court is not a good place to live!

The parking situation is not very good for visitors, but I was able to always find a space for myself. Despite spaces, they are very restrictive about guest parking. Friends had to park at a nearby school and walk in an area with no lights...something that is not the safest idea for women especially at night. The noise situation is ridiculous. Despite complaints, many residents are very loud (manly the tenants in the college, right out of college age) at night. Nothing seems to happen with complaints.

Probably the biggest problem with Gainsborough Court is the fact that it is old and this leads to structural issues. Their website claims to have "double pane energy saving windows." This is a complete lie. They may be double paned, but they are NOT energy efficient. They are so bad, that on windy days or pretty much all the time in the fall and winter, there is a dreadful whistling noise inside the apartment...very hard to sleep. Also, it is SO COLD around the windows! Even with curtains specially designed to keep out the cold, the areas around the windows clearly let heat out, and cold air in. During this last winter I kept the thermostat at 68 during the time I was up and about the apartment, and at 62 when I was out of the apartment as well as sleeping. Despite this, my energy bill for one month was just under $200, while the monthly average was around $150. I am all for sacrificing some comfort to save energy (for money and for the environment!), but clearly the construction was so poor that it didn't do anything. The apartment itself is old, and in areas paint peels and peels away, and looks very unsightly. The bathrooms are tiny and have not been updated since when the apartment was built...the decor is very 1970s (not in a good way). You can hear when other residents in the building use their showers (and some use them at all hours of the night, as is their right) because there is that old apartment screaming sound when another resident turns theirs on. The appliances are old and energy inefficient. The stoves heat up to temperatures higher than they say they are at (I put an oven thermometer in the stove to check) and they are so bottom of the line that they don't even have a window at the front to check on food while it is cooking.

The maintenance workers occasionally fix things correctly, but they do not clean up after themselves. When I moved into my apartment, I was disappointed to see that "repairs" to the walls from the previous tenant had simply been poorly covered with paint.

The grounds are probably the best part of the apartment complex, which is pretty sad. I don't know of the area being unsafe, and there is good lighting around the buildings. They change up flowers and shrubbery, so the grounds look decent.

I have had a mixed experience with the staff. Some staff members are nice and seem to at least make an effort to be cheerful when you enter the rental office. Unfortunately, other staff members make it clear that you are bothering them when you ask to get a package, have a general question, or even walk in the rental office. Another recurring problem is that paperwork seems to disappear frequently. From reading other reviews, I can see I am not the only person this has happened to. As staff members come and go, I had gotten different information on policies, depending on who I asked, and things I had turned in were not in my file.

Overall, I would not recommend this apartment. I originally thought I had found a deal, since it is slightly cheaper than other apartments in the area. In the end I ended up paying just as other locations due to energy bills.
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User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/04/2009
I agree with most of what is written here. However, I do not think that the grounds are in a good condition at all. Most days when I return I find a number of cabinents and roof linings scattered about the lawn in a tacky fashion. Even the courtyard is messy as they have been digging up various parts for continuing rennovations.
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/05/2009
I agree with much of this. The parking is pretty strict for guests but I always have a place to park in front of my building. I totally agree with Maintenance and Construction, especially the windows and the electric bills. I think the grounds are nicely kept and there are no safety issues that I have ever seen. The one thing that I dont necessarily agree with is the noise. Our apartment is sound proof. The only time we hear our neighbors is when they are in the hall coming in or out of the building. We do hear water running sometimes but its rare and only if we are in the bedroom. The office staff is friendly but we have had some things misplaced recently.
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/08/2009
I agree about the construction of the buildings however; in defense of the staff and management I have seen a great improvement in the quality of living. The hallways were recently upgraded and the grounds are looking better than ever. There a more scheduled activities for us to get to know our neighbors and we have a brand new fitness center. I have complained about my appliances being old and they were replaced within a reasonable time frame. The have new and proficient contractors and staff. I am sure if we stop complaining to others and address the issues with the manager or maintenance supervisor, they will be willing to meet our expectations (within reason). I also agree that there is a high turnover in the office personnel, but what company doesn't have a high turnover.They are some challenges that I am sure that they have to face being short staffed and having new employees; however we were all in our training stages with our employers. I feel that we should stop complaining to each other and address the issues with the proper authorities. I love living here!

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