DO NOT STAY HERE. The facility is extremely dated from the 1980's and the building smells worse than an airplane, vents and air systems are gross and have dust and bacteria all over them. There are other newer nicer apartments opening up all over the campus area for just a little more for 21st century amenities. Parking is a joke for $700 and you have to move your car for the game day party. Reviews don't match what is currently going on here. I contracted infectious disease here. read more

Just a follow up after SIX years of my son renting an apartment at Riverwatch Towers. The experience has been fantastic, no complaints, only praise. The landlord, Chuck Matthews, has been great to my son, very caring and responsive to any questions or needs. The security guards and staff in the office at Riverwatch Towers have always been helpful, friendly and available. There are tailgate parties during the home game weekends during the football season, but my son has a unit facing the river in the back of the building, so no noise complaints at all. Aside from litterally being across the road from campus, there is easy access to the wonderful Olentangy Trail for walking and biking. Posting this update because my son graduating and moving to Illinois at the end of May and just wanted anybody looking for a place to rent to know what a great experience renting from Chuck has been. read more

I've lived here for about 2 years now while going to OSU. Besides the building itself is older than most, the location is exactly what you need here at Riverwatch. It is walking distance to everywhere to you need to be, walking distance to anywhere on campus, across the street from the stadium, down the street from High St., and right next to Olentangy River. The staff here is very helpful whenever you need help for anything, Ask for Robin at the front & she'll definitely take care of you. Her kindness & hospitality will make you feel right at home. Riverwatch is great place right in the middle of everything. read more

I've lived here for 5 years now and it is a very calm place to live in. You can't beat the location: a 5 min walk to OSU campus, stadium, gym, tennis courts, swimming pool, and a 2 min walk to the relaxing Olentangy trail. It is on the N2 COTA bus line, so easy access to/from downtown. The laundry room is convenient and always available. Special shoutout to Robin Culbertson, the condominium manager, who always goes out of her way to solve any problems that may arise, quickly and efficiently. Safe place, with always a guard on place after 5pm until the office opens at 9am. read more

As a security guard for Riverwatch Tower condominium complex on Lane Ave. just across from The Ohio State University we make sure the apartment/condo complex is a safe and secured place to live. Also, as a security guard here I feel we all enjoy our jobs very much and are very devoted to making sure the residents and property are safe and secured. The residents here are very nice and a pleasant to work for and their safety is important to us. All of the internal associates of Riverwatch Tower are very dedicated and devoted to their jobs and the residents with making it an outstanding place to live. As a security guard here we all make sure the residents are safe at all times. We patrol the parking lot several times throughout evening and night hours making sure your car is safe. As a security guard we are here for all emergencies that may arise. From hot water tank issues, a prompt response to electrical outages, to the safety and security of the building and of the residents. Also, as a security guard we patrol all 11 floors, and the exterior and property of the building several times throughout evening and night hours. Security is our top priority, available and on watch all 365 days of the year making sure you and your place is secured and safe. read more

Unlike too many OSU upperclassmen, I don't bother living east of High Street because 1) as a slightly older transfer student (24 years old), I don't have as much regard for parties; 2) I actually care about living in a facility conducive to apartment living and *not* in a converted foreclosed house; and 3) I am grateful that my family can afford to pay for my living solo, and *not* with twenty other (possibly underage) roommates. Also, I'm too lazy to seek out furniture packages, which basically leaves me with the pre-furnished options of on-campus accommodations--as in, Buckeye Village--as well as the Commons on Kinnear, Harrison Apartments, Riverwatch Tower, and University Village. My parents will not allow me to bring my car from Virginia to Ohio--this is NOT negotiable--and so proximity to campus is important. I had a less-than-stellar experience living at Buckeye Village, and my mom and dad weren't satisfied with the locations of the Commons on Kinnear or University Village, so that left me with Harrison and Riverwatch. Harrison hardly had any vacancies for one-person apartments, and I don't want to have a roommate, so I now live at Riverwatch. It's really not *that* bad of a place. I live in a one-bedroom apartment that can also house two people, so I have plenty of space all to myself. I've also learned how to conserve better the hot water for my shower so that the heat lasts longer than the twelve- to fifteen-minutes mentioned in the resident's handbook: just deal with a less-than-full stream of water that's a bit cooler than warm, then slightly increase the water pressure every five to ten minutes. The paint on the ceiling is chipping over the bed I don't use, and I've repeatedly mentioned this to maintenance, although maintenance still hasn't followed up on my concern. It is on record, however, that I have nothing to do with the deteriorating paint job. The laundry facilities are satisfactory; just make sure always to have enough quarters, because a washing or drying cycle costs $1.25 each in coins. Also--although this hasn't happened recently, thank goodness--sometimes the machines will eat your quarters but not function anyway. (One of the vending machines DID steal two of my quarters in the past week, however.) Unlike other campus-area housing complexes, Riverwatch does not host any ice-breaking social activities at which residents can get to know each other's neighbors. There is also no workout facility on the premises. This can make the residential experience particularly isolating for a person living alone like me, but the situation's tolerable. The large-scale Rockin' at Riverwatch tailgate during football season can provide recreational opportunities every couple of fall Saturdays, but most of its attendees are just Buckeye fans with virtually no association with Riverwatch Tower. (By the way, I've always ended up at an apartment with enough insulation that completely cuts me off from the tailgate noise, but I wouldn't trust that all residents are as lucky.) The Lantern, UWeekly, and the occasional Columbus Dispatch or Wall Street Journal are delivered for free in the lobby. Also, the 24-hour 7-Eleven next door is EXTREMELY convenient for addressing basic needs. The only three issues I *seriously* have with this place are that 1) there are absolutely no recycling bins on grounds, so I either have to go next door to the former Holiday Inn to use its bins or haul all my recyclables onto campus; 2) because of Riverwatch's lack of chutes, I hate dragging my trash all the way to the dumpsters outside near the rear of the building, where some questionable thug-looking people tend to hang out for some reason, esepcially at sunset; and 3) because of the heavy presence of Chinese international students at Riverwatch, as a Filipino-American I am all too often mistaken for one of them--but really, this third issue is just more of a peeve than anything. Marla McGraw, who I think oversees the building as a whole, and Dave Bruns of Sterling Property Management are nice people. The security guard also seems to have many friends among the residents. I don't personally deal with my landlord, and there *is* one student office worker during the weekends who I found completely useless in regard to mail pick-up--yet, other than that girl, all in all I would say the staff is pretty friendly--maybe not 100% reliable (e.g., maintenance), but approachable and friendly. This is especially important, because I'm just *so darn shy*! read more

I spent three years in the Ohio State dorns-- loud, crowded, old, largely not air-conditioned, but convenient to my classes and saving me the trouble of cooking. When my roommate graduated, I decided it was time to move off-campus and, being an out-of-state student not wanting to buy all new furniture or a car, I ended up in the furnished, close-to-campus Riverwatch Tower. What a mistake. If home is a place of comfort and solace, well, then I haven't been home since August. In autumn, I was subjected to blaring hair metal cover bands, screaming crowds, and the stench of piss and beer starting at 9 AM-- no one told me the building rented out its parking lot for a huge tailgate party every football weekend. I relished away-games. Come winter, I was hit with $70 electric bills (for a studio) due to a poorly functioning HVAC unit that never got cleaned. Loud, partying rednecks down the hall, an alcoholic hoarding neighbor whose unit leaked the smell of dead animal and meth lab into my own... These are just a small number of the issues I had. Finally, the apartment itself? Dark. Incredibly dark. Only one ceiling-mounted light in the entire place. Worn out carpeting. A corroded hot water heater with less than a 50 gallon tank (5 minute showers, anyone?). Electric kitchen appliances (yuck). Mushy mattresses and couches. A management office that misplaced my rent (paid early) multiple times. Terrible, overpriced internet with capped speeds. I guess this is a life lesson? Wherever I end up after graduation, no matter what my pay, I'm getting a condo or a co-op. read more

When it comes to campus apartment options, you could certainly do worse than Riverwatch, but it's honestly not that great. My roommates and I decided to live here because it is furnished, and my roommate, being from Virginia, did not want to have to transport her furniture or buy new here. And it is better priced than the ridiculous Harrison Apartments. It also comes with water and internet paid for, and a laundry facility, and great proximity to campus. But hold up. The internet is so slow to the point of often not even working. The dryers don't dry. The elevators are sometimes down [and this place is like 12 stories, so this is a problem]. Their fire alarm testing lasts weeks. The halls and elevators are cold and smell awful. Worst of all, WNCI tailgates in the parking lot every home game. So you have to move your car, and deal with obnoxious drunks. If you want a furnished place, this will do the job. It's not too terribly priced. But if you don't, skip it and find a cheaper and nicer option. read more

I've lived here for the past 2 years and I love it. The staff is always helpful and friendly. There is laundry in the building which is nice and all of the landlords I've had were great. Parking is great too. read more

Lived here last year, and a few tips: A lot of noise: There is a weekly Budlight tailgate party on Saturday morning in the parking lot and that means A LOT OF NOISE AND TROUBLE. Parking, Saturday morning sleeping, transportation... Plus since the wall is not very solid I can literally hear the fight and drama of my neighbors at night and it is kind of awkward because I knew them. Elevators had a lot of trouble. My friend who also lived here was trapped in the elevator once and fell from the second floor to the first floor. Still, it is not repaired after a semester passed. Tiny windows. No sunlight even in the daytime. I need to turn the light on all day. Free wifi but you can only connect if you are in some specific locations in the building. Plus poor speed. Professional stuff tho and good location. But I am sure you can definitely find better places than this around campus. read more

Laundry room and heater don't work. Can only pick package during specific time. Fire alarm rings because of the old system. People live here ONLY because it's close to campus. read more

Horrible place to live. They charge you for every single thing they can. Parking ? Cost goes up by $250 in one year. You have to pay every single time you need to do laundry. You have to pay to use the package room. $450 for parking when I pay $1,000 in rent each month?? NO THANKS read more

Riverwatch Tower are condominiums so each unit is owned by somebody different so in that aspect experience may vary. Overall I enjoyed living there, the building is very close to campus and I either walked or biked to class everyday. I also liked that the units were furnished because it was my first apartment and didnt have any furniture of my own, also not having to move furniture made it easier to move. The only utility that the renter is responsible for is electricity unless they choose to have cable and internet. Unlike some of these reviews, I got along with my landlord very well. He was very honest, upfront, and willing to help if anything went wrong. It was also convenient that he lived in the building so I could easily get ahold of him by going up to his apartment. Some of the furniture and appliances were a bit older and my landlord was always asking me if I would prefer to have newer items. I really enjoyed living there and and would recommend for anyone else to live there as well. read more

Apartments have been upgraded by many owners. The rents are competitively priced and lower than most on High St. There is plenty of off street parking which is significantly discounted. There is on site security when the office is closed. The management personnel are friendly and helpful. The building recently got a package room in which tenants can pick up their packages 24 hours/day, 365 days a year. read more

I was at OSU for 4 years and after a short spell in the dorms, I moved to Riverwatch. Intially my parents rented a unit there for me on the recommendation from one of their coworkers. After renting for a year, my parents actually bought a unit and I lived in it for 2 more years. All places have their pros and cons but overall i would recommend it to anybody looking for a conveniant place that has off street parking and security. In the 3 years I lived there, I honestly had no complaints. The tailgate parties were loud but what the hell, your in college. Its part of your education! read more

I was shown 6 apartments. All but one were in less than fair condition. The carpet is worn and the kitchen and bath flooring is worn, chipped and peeling in some instances. The bathrooms have old, dirty grout, and the furniture is ugly and chipped. The kitchen appliances are older, and the cabinets are worn. The prices for a studio will range from 670.00 a month to 800.00 a month, depending on size. You will pay extra for a window that opens--go figure. The sizes of the rooms are better than those at The Ohio Stater, but again, the conditions are less than optimal. The location is great, but parking will be a hassle during tailgating season. You will be asked to move your car on game days. This is (for the condos I saw) definitely student housing. Some owners may upkeep/care more than others. You can easily find the condo owner's name by running a property search from the Franklin County Auditor's homepage. Search 364 West Lane Ave, and estimate the page your unit falls on by checking each page's floor/room range. You can then search the owner for his/her other properties and avoid that owner if necessary. read more