When my wife and I first moved into this community, things were quite nice, and of particular interest to us were the phenomenal managers and their attentive staff. This was 2003. At some point in 2004, this management team departed (no reason was given by Avalon) and things have been in a steady decline since then.

Since I wrote my original review many things have changed for the worse. I will cover each area listed in the rating system in detail below:

Parking - While the parking was never "full", on nights when I had to work later than 7:00 PM getting a spot near my apartment was an exercise in futility. I just got used to walking. We gave up our carport and parking 2 cars in the first-come, first-served spots is definitely more of a challenge. Other parking woes: residents hanging out in their cars at odd hours, residents without disabilities frequently taking the one handicapped spot, residents who frequently didn't understand the whole "within the lines" aspect of parking, and residents with large trucks blocking through traffic or garages/carports.

Noise level - One of our chief complaints once the first management team left. This was one of the chief reasons why we chose this community was that the management had a zero-tolerance policy against excessive noise. We were tired of the constant partying and management turning a blind eye at our prior apartment communities. The management, to be fair, DID listen to our grievances when we complained about neighbor noise, but there were far too many reasons to complain for our taste under the current management team. Primarily loud music or neighbors, but also many loud cars and motorcycles.

Grounds - Another major area of complaint in recent months. Of prime importance is the fact that many of the residents, at least in our building, were simply too lazy to take their trash down to the dumpster, and instead stored them outside their front doors. When the management was informed, they wrote a letter to all the residents of our building, but it didn't alleviate the problem. As we were moving out we didn't follow through on continuing to report the constant (DAILY) garbage problem. The dumpsters were not well-kept or emptied often enough, which may have been some resident's reason for not bringing garbage there...but it certainly didn't make the property look or feel any better. The landscaping which used to be cared for year-round has since become a seasonal upkeep. I guess if you like seeing garbage outside people's doors, I would highly recommend this community.

Safety - Our balcony on the fourth floor developed a crack, which made us fearful to go out on it for extended periods. The management was told about it, but responded that they would not be able to fix it right away. I hope they fix it before the next tenants move in.

Construction - We had a lot of little "lemon" problems with poor construction, cheap applicances and fixtures breaking down but nothing showstopping.

Maintenance - This was another area where things went way downhill when they cycled management around the first time. The current crop were competent, but not what we had been used to at the beginning, with fast courteous service.

Office Staff - We are naturally biased because the first office team was so stupendous, but the worst part has been how often the management team has changed hands the last 2 years. We began to lose track of who was who, and so we never managed to have a rapport with anyone. The recent management changes were also bringing in people who really didn't seem to care about the community...it was just a job for them. They listened to most of our grievances but we never felt like they wanted to please anyone but their supervisors.

Overall, a lot has changed since our move-in in 2003, and none of it for the better. I can whole-heartedly say that until Avalon gets its act together and pulls in some caring managers who have the best-interests of the community in mind, and go the extra mile, no one should recommned this community as a viable option for "luxury" apartment living.

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