I've been living here for 11 months now (since June 2011), and yes it is expensive...but I'm not sure I'd say overpriced. I looked at quite a few apartments downtown, and this is about right for what you get - great location, great security, well-maintained facilities, and a very friendly & attentive staff.
I haven't had any problems with noise, but my unit is tucked away in a corner and there is a fairly long hallway between my main living quarters and the door to the common area. I've heard the units near the elevators do get a lot of noise.
I've found that elevators can be slow, especially when someone is moving in/out and has reserved the freight elevator (23 floors is a lot for 2 elevators to handle), but you just have to plan ahead and give yourself a couple of extra minutes to get out of the building.
Having the park across the street is nice (especially for dog owners), but there are quite a few homeless people there. Not sure the apartment management has much control over that, though.
Overall, I give the Ladd a very enthusiastic recommendation.