I'm disappointed with my recent experience with this builidng. In the past 3 months I have had 6 missing packages in the this building. I believe someone in the building is stealing them because for the some of the packages I even have picture proof that they were delivered but when I go down to pick them up there is nothing there. Security is supposed to ensure that you are only getting the packages for your unit but sometimes I come home and the mail room is wide open. I have contacted the new property manager about this issue numerous times and every time she tells me they are going to check video footage and the package logs to see what is happening but when I ask for an update she makes up excuses that they've been "busy" and will "do it next week." Management is not taking this seriously at all. One of the doormen has told me other tenants have complained of missing packages as well. I can't live somewhere where I can't even expect to get my mail. I can't send packages to my work and I'm not spending $50 a month on a PO box because my apartment is not doing its job. I can't keep claiming packages missing. Some of these packages have been one of a kind items that cannot even be replaced by the seller. I'm dissapointed because the lofts are beautiful and there is no monthly pet rent and I have two cats. Another issue is that the company the building uses to process rent payments, AppFolio, is a scam designed to cheat tenants out of their money. I made a mistake on my rent payment last year and accidentally paid with my credit card which resulted in a $60 fee. AppFolio refused to speak with me because I am not a property manager and refused to cancel the transaction to let me pay by check or refund me. They told me to talk to my property manager and I brought it up with them multiple times and they said they would contact AppFolio but never did. This has been going on for a year. I work as a teacher and I don't have $60 just lying around to spend extra on rent. Finally there aren't in-unit washer and dryers like most of the apartments in DTLA but there are hookups and there is an laundry room. When I moved in laundry was $2 a load for washing or drying. All of the sudden the price went up to $3.25. I understand operating costs change, but a 66% increase?? It now costs almost $7 to do one load of laundry. read more

I'm encouraged to write this review because honesty and the truth are important and they can empower the next person looking for a place to know more than you'll ever get from management or a casual tour this is about your future home. What I'm about to say blurs the lines of what's taboo and what's accepted in our society and it's hard to convey all the emotional and physically draining one's own experience might sound to others who have not yet experienced it. But it's it's just the truth and nothing but the truth so help me god...I'm a 50 year old work at home professional. My worst experience prior to this was the walls were too thin. lol I was moving from Temecula, Ca to DTLA to be closer to UCLA Hospital I'm on a lung transplant waiting list because of a lifetime of working hazmat that's the backstory, I'm of sound mind and am a reasonable person and courteous to others especially in a multi-unit building. I looked for 4 months at numerous lofts and houses or townhomes I did not want an apartment per say but a loft sounded exciting 10 - 15 ft ceilings, open space no walls etc.. there was a beautiful corner loft that over looked the homelessness and drug dealing which to be honest was a bit scary because there's no parking except across the street which would be fine but they don't tell you the elevators close at 7pm sometimes earlier so then you have to walk up a 3 story ramp so after 7pm I was trapped. I've literally had to take an uber to my car after 7pm during emergencies because again they neglect people that are disabled and don't provide any alternative. So if you have any disability the buildings parking does not provide any amenities after 7pm-7am to help you. Maintenance here is great if you like them just walking into your loft unannounced with their own key and not knocking or using doorbell. That has happened 5 times here yes 5 times it shouldn't happen once when I brought it up to the house manager I didn't get an apology just business as usual here just more weird creepiness in the METROPOLITAN again that even seems trivial considering everything else. That's the norm here's where things go off the rails from day one I started hearing odd sounds like my furniture being moved in the middle of the night, knocks on the ceiling the walls things you might attribute to how a house settles but that's not the case here. It's an old old building so any reasonable person would attribute this to settling or pipes or outside traffic even. So these were my first explanations for these things but then you start to notice the knocks the taps the sounds will follow you. Yes follow you...My first thought was mental health check but no I knew this wasn't the case my guest would experience the same thing but it's not something you can bring up without attaching a stigma to yourself in a city with a mental health crisis. It took me months before I brought it up to management during that time the noises were constant and all day long and there was a voice of a woman in her 20's giggling which was constant now with the other noises. It was taking a toll on my health and it needed to stop so despite my reluctance I told management. I'm so glad I did because I was told there had been other complaints of similar noises and people's furniture moving around and even the house manager experienced this and the girl who giggles or laughs all day long. To know i wasn't the only one was at that moment the only feeling of joy I've felt in this building.... Literally. I was promised they would get to the bottom of this and I had an inspection scheduled for my place and then everything shut down they stopped responding and would not talk about it. The house manager turned on me did a complete 180 went from my advocate to my enemy. So I reluctantly made the decision to move to a different loft hoping that would help I moved from the 3rd floor to the 9th floor and things have only gotten worse not better if I could afford the security deposit on a new place in a different building I would have on day 1 but needless to say this place has been a nightmare and the worst experience of my life by far and wouldn't wish it on any one. That is by far the most condensed version I could come up with in which a novel could be written on all the investigative and experiences I encountered in one of the most haunted and spectral buildings in all of downtown Los Angeles the METROPOLITAN . It's hard to convey the price and toll emotionally and mentally one pays for living in a haunted or place with a lot of bad energy whatever you call it or ascribe too but the things here drain you and cause long term damage and harm that are unmeasurable by any standard so my advice is find another loft and maybe good energy from passing this information forward will provide some solace to the next person so they won't have to lose any precious time in life which is short enough as it is. read more

do not move here! the building does not fix anything. my sink has been broken since moving in...almost four months now. the building has roaches. My packages keep getting stolen. I'm counting the days until I can move out! STAY AWYA. read more

First off, the good. 1. The building is beautiful. The lofts are spacious and aesthetic. There's a wonderful rooftop with a pool and jacuzzi, and a gym that has everything you need to get a good workout in. 2. If you like downtown, the location is great. You're in the heart of Pershing square. 3. The maintenance guys, John and Albert, are wonderful. Super communicative. If something breaks in the unit and it's something that they can fix without management getting involved, they'll come do so asap. Now, the BAD. 1. The place is INFESTED with ROACHES. I see multiple roaches every day. Although I moved in last November, my unit has been infested for at least 4+ years. The unit was severely infested for the entirety of the previous tenant's tenancy. They couldn't fix it (and knowing management, I don't think they actually tried) so after 3 years of the previous tenant dealing with this issue, they moved that tenant into another unit in the building. Then, only 3 weeks after they had moved him out, they moved me into that same unit and didn't disclose the issue to me.... Quite literally committed fraud. The first night I moved in I saw a roach and notified the on-site property manager, Kim, who acted like she'd never heard of a roach being in the unit. Management led me on a goose chase until by chance I ran into the previous tenant and learned the truth. They agreed to give me a rent deduction while the problem was ongoing then months later Kim contacted me stating that it was just a "one-time deduction for the inconvenience of having bugs in my unit" and that I needed to pay the difference ASAP, all the while I'm sending them pictures of multiple roaches in my unit a day and begging them to schedule an exterminator. I have so many unanswered emails begging management and ownership to assist with the issue. Had to get the LAHD and the health department involved to start getting responses. I haven't been able to cook at all since I moved in because of the roach issue. I've had to order out almost every day. 2. The property manager, Kim. She is a terrible property manager and extremely dishonest person. For some bizarre reason, she is the sole property manager for this huge building. If you do end up moving here, make sure ALL your communications with her are in writing. She likes to insist on phone calls so she can get away with her constant lies and emotional fits. Make sure you communicate with her, IN WRITING ONLY. She is extremely ingenuine and will act very nice when you first move in, but in reality, she has no interest in solving any tenant issues but also won't let anyone else take charge of managing the building. 3. Random and double charges - they will spam your Appfolio with random charges and will also claim you never paid for things that you already paid for essentially trying to double charge you. If you don't monitor your Appfolio closely, you could end up paying thousands more than what's actually owed. 4. Not correctly dividing utilities - super high, they try to charge you for not only your unit's share but also the building's utilities. When everyone stopped paying, management had a meeting, admitting to overcharging, and gave credits back for overpayment but they're still dividing it up wrong read more

I've been living here for a year and have decided to move out. While the place itself is spacious and beautiful, building management is horrible. They do not respond to your emails or concerns. I had a leak from the frig connector to the water source that produces ice. Instead of fixing the issue, they just removed the tube and turned off the ice machine. There's also a huge issue as it relates to electric bills which is "shared billing", our electric bills are averaging anywhere from $200/ month upwards which is absolutely outrageous. They won't provide you with a breakdown and pretty much lie when you sign your agreement stating the bills are reasonable. My neighbor's bill's bill averages around $250 to $300 per month because he has a bigger unit. I'm convinced we aren't just paying our unit usage but instead the entire building which includes a department store thats downstairs as well (IT'S ALL UNDER ONE BILL). They won't provide us with a detailed breakdown to include metering which is illegal and pretty threaten to hold your deposit for failure to pay. Avoid this place at all cost. read more

I lived in the metropolitan for almost 10 years and simply loved the location and my apartment but recently the services they offered have gone down hill. Regarding security, it was the policy that the resident be notified before guests were allowed up and before I decided to move on several occasions guests were permitted up without notification even after telling the guards multiple times that I was getting a restraining order against said guest. In addition I prepaid 12 months of rent but only used 9. To date I still have not received my refund of that nor my security deposit as is required by law. The manager has not answered any of my attempts at contact. It is these issues amongst several others which direct my one star review and recommendation to look elsewhere before signing a lease/ read more

Do yourself a favor and just don't. The building is not as secure as they'd like you to believe. Management/maintenance, or whoever has access will come into your apartment when they know you're not there and won't tell you- so who knows what they do or what turns up missing . The rental office, real estate, whatever they like to call themselves are unresponsive, and IF they choose to respond they're rude and ignorant. They also don't have parking associated with the building and they tow on the street at the crack of dawn..... Go to Trademark, at least they have safe valet parking for their residents read more

I'm currently a resident at The Metropolitan, so I will continually update this review during my stay here. I moved into The Metropolitan in February 2011 (one of the first 10 tenants to move-in). Nice loft apts with high end finishes. Glossy concrete floors, HUGE windows (9'x8'), super high ceilings, W/D hookups in every unit, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops in kitchen & bathrooms. Directv and high speed internet. Ammenities include rooftop pool and jacuzzi with a great view of Pershing Square and downtown, gym, laundry room, and recreation room. All new construction so it's nice and clean. No on-site parking though. There's a bunch of public lots in the area that offer monthly parking. Average cost is $150/month. I'm a cheap skate and found a lot near Staples Center that only charges $60/month. The Pershing Square Metro Station (subway) is across 5th Street, so it's super convenient if you use public transit. The Fallas Paredes discount store on the ground level is a bit of an eye sore though. The store is not kept up that well, and there are quite a few low income customers going in and out of the store all day long, which doesn't really align with the residents living in the rest of the building. The roll-down doors on the ground level tenant space could use a good painting, they definitely take away from the beauty of rest of the building. That's all you see when you're walking at street level, so this is an issue that really should be addressed. I'm hoping they find some nicer, cleaner small retail stores/services/cafes in the future. The owner of Fallas also owns the Metropolitan Bldg, so I don't think they're moving out anytime soon. Overall, I've enjoyed living here. They're still working on the final touches to the building, so they're constantly making small improvements and finishing amenities, so it seem to get better and better each month. Building management has been very responsive to any of my requests, and security at the front door is always polite. read more

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We have enjoyed living here during our two years living downtown. Pluses: -The building is quiet, but the apartments that face the street are not recommended unless you are a heavy sleeper. Neighbours are courteous, but generally keep to themselves -Doggies of all sizes are allowed with a reasonable pet deposit, so if you are not a dog lover, look elsewhere. Every so often there are accidents to be stumbled upon in the hallways, stairwells, or elevators -The rooftop pool area is lovely, but it's not a real sized pool and is therefore purposeless for any sort of aquatic exercise. -Management (Jake) has always responded promptly regarding any issues in the apartment, from a window that keeps breaking to changing the filter in the fridge door. -The lofts are my kind of gorgeous. Not pretty or overly fancy, but urban and practical with beautiful stainless steel appliances and walk-in closets Minuses: -They keep changing the door security, although I've never had a problem with any of them. -My biggest complaint would be the 7am fire alarm drills that scream relentlessly for hours until it's time to go to work. They have decreased in regularity since moving in, but be warned of the possibility. -As with many of the loft buildings, there is no onsite parking. You can buy a $150 monthly pass for the lot across the street. We opted for the more secure, available 24 hours/day $190 Pershing Square garage pass. -It's downtown and it's near Skid Row. So if you can't handle the bums, the loons and the frequent odour of urine, I suggest moving to a less transient friendly section of downtown, like New Downtown, Bunker Hill and South Park Overall, it has been a pleasurable experience and I would recommend this building to anyone ready for the adventure of living downtown. There is a Farmer's Market on Sundays down the street or Wednesdays at Pershing Square, dozens of great places to eat one block east on Spring Street or right across from the building (Il Macchiatto, yum), and a popular rooftop lounge steps away from your front door. Downtown is on its way up again. I can't wait to see how it develops over the next decade. read more

My partner and I lived/worked on the third floor of The Metropolitan for two years. We moved out last month, but really wanted to stay. We lived in another loft across the street and have been inside 6 other lofts in DTLA, and in my honest opinion, The Metropolitan is superior because of five things: the people, the rent, the low utilities bill, the building layout, and the cleanliness of the common areas. I loved the security and maintenance teams here. There hasn't been one time when either my partner or I had to ask for something and they didn't respond with complete friendliness and helpfulness. Juan, the main maintenance guy, is literally a text or phone call away and he gets the problem fixed quickly and efficiently a.k.a same day. I've never met Claudia (accounting) in person, but she's super responsive in emails and I have no problem relying on her. The three main security guys, Noel, Tony, and Ed are just wonderful. The guys on the weekend change around more, but they're awesome nonetheless. Everyone is always so helpful. Package receipt is offered here, and I've never lost a package before. Noel and Tony are always keeping track and just proactively mention that you have packages waiting - I never have to check myself. It's great. Rent doesn't get any better than at the Metropolitan. I say that with a lot of certainty. Other lofts at 2/3 the square footage of what I had here were charging the same rent, and it's not like they were more luxurious or had better amenities. Also, NO PET RENT here. That's a big plus, other places charge at least $50 per pet. Utilities have also been super fair and affordable. (I'm paying $300 right now in utilities at a loft a crosswalk away. Infuriating.) At the Metropolitan, water is free and I don't even remember the cost of my electricity bill because it was insignificant. They also don't charge for incredulous items like trash and sewage. The building structure and layout is incredible. I really appreciate that the trash chutes are located on a separate end of the building AWAY from all the units, which means the chutes don't go through any living spaces because there's nothing worse than hearing garbage bang through a metal tube at 1 in the morning. I never hear my neighbors; the walls are super thick. The building is always immaculate - this includes the hallways, recreation room, gym, pool, and barbecue areas. The rooftop pool is like a little oasis with the pool and hot tub and palm trees against the DTLA skyline. Also, bonus points for the new gated runner/grass strip for pets that's also located on the roof. Nothing like it anywhere else. I can't recommend the Metropolitan enough. I miss it greatly. read more

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We have been living at Metropolitan lofts for a few months and since our first week living here we have been questioning the move. The building is rich in character, and the windows are large. However, be prepared for negligent owners and management, Airbnb'd units that cause extreme noise disturbances, security breaches and amenities you probably won't be able to enjoy.We've had issues from the moment we received our keys. Starting with the apartment being turned in dirty and the windows covered in grime. Due to the lack of an on-site manager, and careless owners, all the staff is horrible, since they have no one to report to. Here is a breakdown of the problem staff: -Pacific Union LA Realtors / Compass - Michael Campagna & Robert Carey. Michael is lazy and not transparent about any of the problems in the building. We had to follow up numerous times to finalize the moving process. They are also in charge of the illegal Airbnb units in the building, that they illegally did not disclose at any step of the leasing process. -Claudia Pena: Is the person in charge of accounting and rent collections and that is all she will do. We are constantly told to email her about problems in the building. However, she usually doesn't reply and when she does she says she's forwarding to upper management. -Juan: Maintenance manager (acting building manager).Our apartment was given to us filthy and in horrible condition. Floors are currently stained from previous dog pee and were not cleaned prior to our move. Unpatched holes, cracked paint on walls, dirty doors and door frames. Windows were so filthy we could not see outside and window frames were disgusting. Juan took no responsibility and we fought tooth and nail to get anything done for six weeks. He said he could not paint some of the walls because he "didn't have paint to match it"? We are talking about the standard neutral paint the unit comes in. Every single interaction with Juan has been negative. He rushes through work orders and never completes correctly. -Security Manager Tony (Lobby Ambassador) is dismissive, unapproachable, inefficient and simply rude. Tony has witnessed us dodging homeless people down the street and has not demonstrated an ounce of care to get us in the building safely. Some security problems we see repetitively: homeless people sneaking in the building and sleeping in the laundry room. Street people trespassing to use the roof amenities such as the pool & grills. Visitors are not screened and just walk in the building. There is a nightly encampment on the staircase exit on Broadway. Homeless people loiter on all the pocket holes of the building. You will always have to be vigilant, as there will be times you can't access the front door because of the constant loitering, and drug use. The building has no security fobs, so everyone enters the building with an access code. Everyone has it. All of the overnight security staff is high. Weekend security sleep all of their shift and one of them shoots something up. Steve Leigh:Merchandising for National Stores Inc. is supposedly helping the owner. But will only ignore all your concerns because he is too busy with his original job title and has no property management experience. Owners have designated a couple of units for Airbnb/ Vrbo. This creates a larger problem because the Airbnb guest do not treat the units as their own (obviously) so expect very loud music, late night dance stomping, drug and sex parties and constant moving of furniture. Metropolitan Security serve as concierge for these nightly rentals and instead of keeping crime out of the building, they welcome it. Guest check in DAILY and use units as brothels and non-stop drug parties that last past 7 am. Known units that are being leased for Airbnb/VRBO purposes are Apt. 611, 502 and 911. -The Pool is a nightmare.There is a resident that has pool parties every single Sunday and sometimes Saturdays too. So, you will be very limited on enjoying this amenity unless you want to hang out with the 15 guest this particular guy invites over every single weekend and fight over the grill. Expect tons of floaties and non residents. Fallas is an extremely corrupt company that currently filed bankruptcy. The owners negligence is evident on the bottom retail level; Windows and doors are all vandalized. Residents try to fix issues on FB page themselves. Which sadly should not be residents' responsibility.The idea of one incompetent maintenance manager playing the role of an on-site manager, for a building of this size simply does not work nor make any sense. It is a fail in every angle. Useful links. http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/the-food-stand-drug-dealing-shutdown/article_af3dacde-707f-11e6-844e-4b819b834f0a.htm https://www.kvia.com/news/el-paso/fallas-paredes-given-30-days-to-rehabilitate-historic-popular-building/750527196 read more

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Spent two years at the Metropolitan (2012 - 2014) and really loved it. Building is extremely friendly and I loved every one of my neighbors and never had issues with sound. Jake and Juan are responsive and awesome. You aren't hit with ridiculous fees and the building is extremely pet friendly. The only thing holding the Metropolitan back from 5 stars are the location and the lack of parking. there are garages in the area but on-site parking is SO nice. A couple things to know if considering The Metropolitan. The Good: Building: BEAUTIFUL. One of the best rooftops in town with gorgeous views and lovely finishes. The hallways are spacious and clean, the elevators are prompt, the service elevator fits your furniture, the mailboxes are in a convent location, the staff signs for your packages and calls you when you have a delivery. The building is top-notch. Management: THE BEST. Super easy to work with and very, very fair. Always responsive and straight-forward. The security staff can be a little over-zealous at times, but all-in-all, they are very good at their jobs and very professional. Much, much better than my new building and I certainly miss them. Deposit: EVERY PENNY BACK! This is where you hear horror stories with other buildings...not the case here. THOUGH I did strategically sign a 2-year lease to maximize renters law and require an automatic repaint and floor polish under normal wear-and-tear. Jake was fantastic and simply charged a pretty standard cleaning fee and other than that, full deposit back. Pet policy: GREAT. My Pit was welcomed without any breed or weight restrictions. NO PET RENT (the single most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of) and my $500 deposit was fully returned. The Bad: - Location: if you're looking Downtown then you must be adventurous and OK with the crowd, but I was there for years and 5th and Broadway seemed to have bucked the DTLA trend of improvement and actually gotten worse. The crowds that the subway, 7-11, Rite-Aid, etc make it really convenient for living but awful for attracting a rough crowd. You will see drug deals at the subway and find people sleeping outside of Fallas Paredes a lot. We never had an incident but it can still be unsettling and smell "interesting". - Parking: dicey. Its a busy area so you can play the parking meter game but you better be sharp. You'll get a lot of tickets and tows if you're not. Can really add up. there are options around but sometimes you get home late or you have crap in your car you don't want to carry. A parking lot would be awesome and I see why buildings charge a premium of them now. its life-changing. Noise: better be a deep sleeper because those buses (and the crazy people with short tempers) go ALL NIGHT. I was on the 8th floor and the noise still travels. Just know in advance, its not uncommon to still hear the air brakes of busses at 2am or a crazy person shouting death threats at 3am. All that said, the good still REALLY, REALLY outweigh the bad and I would HIGHLY recommend! read more

We've been here since June and it's been amazing (especially from where we came from a few streets over where our car was broken into 3 times and it was WITHIN the building). It's quiet, the people are nice and welcoming, there's a huge laundry room, a dog run (thank goodness) on the roof, and a multitude of other perks. Management has been responsive if we ever need them (which is rare). Can't wait for them to get to 2019 by using rent payment apps but if that's my big gripe, I'm good. Security was important us as we didn't have one previously. It's nice having someone onsite 24 hours even if we don't really need them. It's DTLA. It's not going to be the burbs. You're going to have folks outside being who they are. But that's part of DTLA. Also, would be greta to have closer parking but again, that's DTLA. read more

I Iived on the 5th floor for three years and was a terrific experience. Management: The management (Jake) is really great and Bernardo and his doorman crew are great at keeping the place on lockdown. One time a drawer in the kitchen went off its hinges and the maintenance crew was there to fix it in under 15 minutes. The Apartment: The kitchens are new and amazing. Definitely take a minute to check them out when looking around the place. The walls are incredibly thick. We lived next door to film students who would regularly film and across the hall from a group that had a string quartet play one Saturday and we never heard them. Also, the air conditioning is terrific. Community: It's all renters. Everyone seems nice and a good mix of FIDM students and professionals. Dogs are welcome. Parking: You'll need to rent a spot. I would love there again in a second. read more

I have lived here 6 plus years and love it. The pool is awesome, security cares, and maintenance gets things fixed fast.

I loved living here. I lived here for two years. It was a lot of fun. Beautiful rooftop. I liked all my neighbors-everyone was friendly. The doormen were helpful and fun to talk to. The apartments are spacious and have floor to ceiling windows. The corridors are beautiful. The laundry room was large and clean. The gym was small but almost always empty. You can walk and/or metro to lots of places. The manager Jake was super responsive and professional. Everything got fixed right away. I only moved because I was having a baby and wanted to live in a house. Loved my two years at the metropolitan. read more

The Metropolitan - Apartments Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Love my new home here. Lofts are beautiful, shiny concrete floors, huge windows, doormen are all good and so helpful. Apartments are meticulously maintained as is pool area dog run and smoking area. Great value for the money read more

The view from the rooftop is breath-taking. You look down at Pershing Square and you can see skyline of all the sky scrapers at night illuminating all around you. It used to be the old LA Public Library, so a lot of the architectural elements of the previous building are evident in the Metropolitan. Oh, and this place is right next to Perch. My friend A.L. lives here and she has the most awesome unit. There are two huge windows that take up the whole street-facing wall and it makes for a cool conversation starter for anyone that walks in there for the first time. It was definitely a deal maker for her. The unit itself is more modern than quaint, but very showroom like: high ceilings, glossy concrete floors, modern kitchen, name-brand furniture. This has to be one of my favorite places to be during the week when I'm around downtown. The Metropolitan is pretty fantastic, but I wish they had underground parking. I think the residents have to park in lots around the building like Joe's Parking, etc. It's a bit of a bother when I have to pay $5-7 just to park near the building in a lot and walk over to visit my friend. Besides that, I really think A.L. got an amazing deal for her place and I'm happy for her. If anyone is looking to move into Metropolitan, good luck, their waiting list may span a few months long. read more

My partner and I moved here from Chicago last month and I KNEW right away I wanted to live in DTLA. I'm an urban boy at heart and I owned a loft in Chicago and wanted the same urban experience and lifestyle here in LA, but with amazing weather. I did my apartment search while living in Chicago and it was a nightmare. I like to plan ahead and most of the places I contacted downtown were incredibly flighty about availability and didn't seem interested in renting to us. I also had a HUGE hurdle finding a place that would take my 2 boxers. Apparently in LA Boxers are listed as a "restricted breed" at almost all of the places I looked at renting. It got to the point where my first question was "do you accept boxers?". Some properties had the nerve to ask me if I was planning on bringing them with me (as if I would abandon my dogs in lieu of their cheap finishes and overpriced amenities). Then I found The Metropolitan! Bernardo was my first point of contact and he was AWESOME! Turns out he's also the door guy so I get to see him every day. Who doesnt love a great doorman. Roger is another doorman who is always friendly and welcoming. Our space is amazing! I couldnt ask for more. 14 ft ceilings, polished concrete floors, TONS of closet space (and I mean tons!) a washer/dryer hook up (but theres also a huge laundry room). Beautiful, large windows that overlook the street and Pershing Square Park and 2...yes 2 FULL bathrooms!! All for less than I was paying for my mortgage in Chicago. And get this....they LOVE dogs...in fact they have no pet rent!!! I was irritated to find that "pet rent" is a thing in LA too...deposit yes, I understand the reasoning behind that....but rent??? Im right around the corner from Grand Central Market, the Red/Purple Line Metro stop and tons of new and upcoming shops, restaurants and bars! There's even a gay bar just around the corner on 4th! And Starbucks just went in on the corner of 5th and Hill...just steps from our front door. The gays and Starbucks are moving in which means only one thing....THIS place is on the fast tract to gentrification. That being said the area can still be a bit gritty, but thats why i live in a city...i LOVE the grit and the crazy people....it makes life fun and if i wanted peace and quiet I would go on vacation to a cabin in the woods. But I want a fun and urban environment that is surrounded by a unique and diverse group of people. That is exactly what we found here. Our neighbors are all nice....ive met more people in my building this month than the 4 years i lived in my condo back in Chicago...and did i mention the rooftop pool??? Its great cause its beautiful and chill and doesnt look like a Vegas Pool Party every weekend...if you want that just walk on down to the Standard Hotel and check out their rooftop. We signed a 2 year lease here cause I wanted to lock down this amazing space for as long as possible. The way DTLA is changing im afraid we may be priced out down the road. read more