My boyfriend and I recently signed a lease for an apartment in the Chapel Hill building. We have been living here for about two weeks now and I have little to no complaints. After reading the reviews on this website, I have a few things to say to people looking to rent in this building...
1. Rent will always be expensive when you're looking at apartments in prime areas of the city--east end, park ave, etc. I think that for the ability to have off street parking, a beautiful apartment, various amenities and the convenience to walk to work (for me), the choice was obvious to live here.
2. Upon move in, we did have a few concerns (a light was out, a few windows wouldn't lock, old junk from previous tenant) but a handyman came out later that week to fix what we needed. He was polite and respectful. My only problem with that was that no one alerted us that he was coming. He showed up at our door and almost came inside before we had a chance to get to the door! My question is, if we weren't there, would he have still come in? I am really not into the idea of landlords/handymen coming into my apartment without my knowledge/consent.
3. Yes, there is a laundry room but when it's $4.00 to wash/dry ONE load of laundry, it's more like a burden than an amenity. I ended up just taking my laundry to the nearest laundromat and saved myself almost a dollar per load. And I know what you guys are thinking but when you're a shopaholic as it is, I cannot even afford to my laundry here when I have so many loads to do. (More of a personal issue than a company issue)
4. I'm not sure where all this backlash towards management is coming from. My boyfriend and I looked at almost 6 different apartments under FCM. Sandra and Emma drove us around in Sandra's personal vehicle because it was raining which was so nice. I will say that their apartments outside of Chapel Hill do not even compare. If you are looking for semi-modern, don't even bother looking at any of their other buildings as you will be wasting your time. After we decided on the apartment, Sam, another FCM employee, worked tirelessly aside my boyfriend and I. She answered all of our questions and made sure that we understood everything before signing our name anywhere. She really personalized the experience for us and I'm really grateful because if it wasn't for her, we would've been in a smaller apartment but she helped us find a slightly bigger apartment that was still in our price range.
5. This might be unique to my building (or even my apartment) but the person above me LOVES to walk around her hardwood floored apartment in heels as she's getting ready at 6:45AM everyday. Maybe the walls could be more sound proof--or maybe she should get a rug or not wear shoes in her apartment. I have no idea but it's super annoying.
6. Bugs, bugs, and more bugs. Our apartment has a balcony and it's one of the main reasons we really wanted it. However, there are huge hedges right outside our door which makes it pretty much a hub for pests. Everyday, I put at least one silverfish outside and kill 2-3 ants. The door is horribly insulated which isn't too big of a problem as it's August, but I am not looking forward to the fall, when insects try to get inside to escape the cold. Not sure who does the landscaping but huge hedges and balconies with doors that aren't completely insulated are a real nightmare.
All in all, I do love my apartment. I love the amount of natural light and from what I've seen, my neighbors are relatively decent people. I DO wish it accepted pets though.I was so sad that I couldn't bring my kitten especially when I would've paid extra to have her here. When I first started looking at apartments, I really didn't want to move into a building (Mostly because I was worried that #5 would happen) but I'm starting to enjoy it. My first apartment was in a house that was converted to apartments and I must say that I really enjoy living in a building. The main door is opened by a FOB which makes it easy to get in when I'm carrying groceries in but is also a great safety measure.
Overall, I would recommend MY building, and my building ONLY to family and friends. read more