The Columns at Lake Ridge

ruby111

Resident • 2011

New tenent

Well I have only lived here for a couple of days but so far the people and staff have been great!! There have been some issues with the apartment that have happened. The great thing is most things were fixed the same day I put in the complaint. Plus if it wasn't fixed that day it was fixed before I got home the next day. The workers and staff have been wonderfuland I am glad we moved here.As far as space goes all 3 rooms are larger then the house we moved from. So far very happy!!

Current Resident 848784

Resident • 1998 - 2010

------ of Dunwoody

I moved here for the schools and the community. It was much better before ECI came in. The old group(Archstone)appreciated their tenants, but the new ones are just here to maximize revenue despite how they treat anyone. Here is a quote from their own management website. "Bottom Line Oriented-ECI is income and value driven and seeks to position our properties and those of our clients in a way to maximize income and control expenses. ECI understands that income generation equates to value and profitability. Intensive hands-on management is a definite difference in the way ECI manages real estate. ECI is on the property responding to issues and making pro-active decisions to maximize income." http://www.ecigroups.com/eci-management.html This place is the ------ of Dunwoody. The Lake is nasty. I complained constantly and all they do it trim the folliage occassionally. They never clean the trash out of the lake. Roaches are a constant. Atlanta Pest Control comes there every week. People dropping their trash in the parking lot is a daily occurance. The dumpster is broken often. Sometimes the trash sits on the ground for days until the dumpster is repaired. Complaints for repairs and community issues are on deaf ears. It takes a long time and a lot of excuses to get things done and most repairs I could have done better myself. The windows in this place are single pane and leak air. Everything I own has a layer of dust on it. All of my electronics are full of dust and lint from how badly these apartments are sealed. The noise is very loud if you have someone above you. Thump thump thump bang bang bang... and when someone closes a door hard the place rattles. The decorations in my apt rattle on the walls. The ramp to exit is constantly blocked early in the mornings by residents who park within 30 feet of the school bus stop instead of allowing traffic to flow and use a parking space. I have complained about this several times and no attempt has been made to resolve the problem. Parking is the worst I have ever dealt with. Its a constant fight to park near your home and people double park and block you in as well as block the road. People are rude and nasty. Many tenants are hanging out smoking and playing their car stereos like its a project complex. Many people who hang out dont even live here. My kids and myself have been approached many times to buy drugs. The police are in here all the time for violence and theft. A lady recently got mugged in the parking lot for her purse. Cars are broken into on a regular basis. The playground at night is a place for many residents to sit to smoke pot. NO SECURITY HERE. You dont want to live here at all. Keep looking.

Prospective Resident 301249

Prospect • Visited 2009

Should I rent an apartment here?

Hello, I am relocating to Atlanta soon. Currently I am in the process of searching a good apartment complex for me and my family. My focal point in the apartment search is good schooling for my children who go to elementary school. I am searching for a 3 bedroom single level apartment or townhome in an apartment complex which is safe, with decent amenities, bug free, good maintenance, no hidden fees, etc. This place is among my top choice. However, with such disparate views from the residents of this apartment community I am really confused. I seek feedback from my would-be fellow neighbors. Please advice whether I should rent an apartment here? Cheers!!

Current Resident 864496

Resident • 2004 - 2008

Lived here for 4.5 years, and it was much better before ECI came in. The old group appreciated their tenants, but the new ones are just here to maximize revenue despite how they treat anyone. I've been convinced since they came in that they were just keeping the revenue coming in until they could sell the land to a large condo/apartment developer. When I moved out, they screwed me over every way they could. The old group would have been open to working out options as long as they didn't hurt by it. ECI didn't care to help. (For example, I payed on time for 4 years, was 1 day late and they wouldn't budge on the $200 fine.) I won't be looking back, I won't be missing them.

Prospective Resident 709655

Prospect • Visited 2008

THIS PLACE SUCKS

DO NOT RENT FROM THIS PLACE.THE STAFF HERE IS SO UNPROFESSIONAL IT IS A SHAME. THEY DONT RETURN YOUR PHONE CALLS AT ALL.WHAT DREW ME THERE WAS THEY SAID THEY HAD A MOVE-IN SPECIAL.WHEN I GOT THERE TO SEE THE INSIDE OF AN APARTMENT.I NO WHY THEY WOULD HAVE A SPECIAL.IT WAS TERRIBLE.VERY DIRTY.THE GROUNDS WERE NOT WELL KEPT UP AT ALL.ITS A NUMBERS GAME WITH THEM.THEY JUST WANT TO FILL THERE UNITS UP.I can tell they dont care anything about there tenants at all.THEY TOLD ME ONE PRICE, THEN AFTER WE LOOKED AT THE APARTMENT THE LADY TOLD ME ANOTHER PRICE.SAYING THAT THERE PRICES CHANGE EVERYDAY. THAT IS A WARNING SIGN RIGHT THERE. MICHELLE AND JOEL ARE VERY RUDE PEOPLE.THEY SHOULD FIND OTHER JOBS.NOT PROFESSIONAL AT ALL. PLEASE DONT RENT FROM HERE. YOU WILL BE SORRY THAT YOU DID.

Reign08

Resident • 1999 - 2007

ECI Management Team is Horrible

I've lived at lake ridge for 8 years and since ECI came on board, everything changed. i've noticed all of the long term residents have been forced to move by bogus, vague and arbitrary charges. they don't care that you've paid your rent on time for years or that you are a part of the community. i noticed that they've evicted a LOT of tenants in the month of Oct/Nov, i think they're going to renovate or tear down and reconstruct like dunwoody park and other complexes in the area. they're charging way too much for these old apartments. i stayed so long because they're spacious and the old management was fair. it's time for an upgrade but the way they're handling the movement of tenants is horrible.

Current Resident 707671

Resident • 2005 - 2007

Keep Looking! Prices too high and let me not forget about Joel

When I leased my apartment back in 2005, the property was own by Archstone. The staff was outstanding. They were timely, friendly, and extremely nice. Everything changed July of 2005 when ECI management bought the property. They are the absolute worst. I take that back. It is really just the assistant property manager, Joel. He is the absolute worst. He has terrible customer service skills. He tries to fool you with speaking with a low tone of voice, but it is not how he says things, it is what he says. He is usually the one that answers the phone. He never has a solution to any problem that is going to benefit the tenant. He only looks out for ECI. He must be the employee of the year or something. When ECI purchased the property, they did make a few cosmetic changes on the outside of the property. Nothing was done to update the inside of the property at all. Then they have the nerve to increase rent by $100.00/year. When I moved in back in 2005 my rent was $770.00. Last year it increase to $870.00. This year they said that it would increase to $970.00. There is absolutely nothing about this property that is worth this crazy amount. They are always evicting long time tenants that can no longer afford the ridiculous amounts of rent. All my neighbors have moved out. We are the last in the building and we are moving soon. We all discussed how trifling this company is. When they did the cosmetic changes on the outside, the allowed all the contractors to park their big ugly trucks in the tenants parking spaces and leave them for about six months. We had no where to park unless you wanted to park in the front of the complex. They towed our cars when they were parked on the curb although it was their faults that we had no where to park. The neighbors all compalined which went unresolved. Women that complained that they had to park too far from their buildings a night and didn't feel safe walking across the complex were told to buy some Mace. This was Joel again. If you give Joel a work order, please don't expected to be handled right away. He does things when he wants to. <br><br>Not everyone is bad. Chris is always pleasant and a joy to talk to. So is Mike, the Property Manager. He hard to get in touch with though because if you call to speak with him, Joel intercepts the call.

Current Resident 600795

Resident • 2007

Read this review to know THE TRUTH

Hope this helps anyone who wants to move into The columns at Lake Ridge , 3900 Lake ridge lane, Dunwoody, GA 30338. I am a tenant there and here is my opinion:<br><br>Pros:<br>1. Access convenience to I-285<br>2. Rooms are comparatively spacious<br>3. Acting friendly management <br>4. Feel like a few bucks less comparing nearby apartments (see below for the *rent catch)<br><br>Cons:<br>1. Ants and cockroaches everywhere- inside, outside and even upstairs. <br>2. New rental management is so rude and changes their tone from the moment you sign-in.<br>3. No fire safety recently had a fire<br>4. No security- no access control<br>5. A neighbor spotted a snake in sunroom <br>6. Garbage bags dropped everywhere<br>7. Don t count on pool or gym, both are dirty<br>8. Noisy and walls are very thin, you can hear easily from next door and outside<br>9. Buildings and appliances are very very old<br>10. Roofs are leaking and windows are not sealed <br>11. Water and waste disposal fee is too high<br>12. Not a safe place for families with kids<br>13. High renewals fees<br>14. Do not expect any considerations from management<br><br>* Rent catch: you will be offered a special discounted rent at the time of enquiry. When you sign the agreement, you will see a higher amount as the actual rent and ur offered one as a discounted rent based on certain conditions. The catch is- if you fail to pay rent before 5th of the month or on any violations, you will loose the discounted rate and also end up paying a heavy fine. <br>I believed the high review rating given here and moved-in. waiting to complete the contract period to move-out.

Current Resident 59122

Resident • 2005 - 2006

I would not live there again if you paid me.

When I first moved there in July of 05' it was a nice place to live. The office was friendly and easy to talk to and the maintenance men fix things in a timely manor. After Archstone left and ECI took over, the apartment fell apart. Anytime I call the office to report a problem they weren't very nice and I would have to reports the problem 5 or more times before they would come out to look at it. It took 6 months to get my door lock replace. The walls are very thin and you can hear yours neighboors. The trash was always overflowing into the parking lot. The renewal rates are out rageous ($175). They give you a good rate to get you to move in and when the next year roles around be ready to pay. There are also a lot of unsupervised teens that hang out around the pool area up to no good. The office does nothing about it. For the last six momth we lived there we were fighting ants. They would move from kitchen to the bathrooms. If I ever live in an apertment again it will NEVER be an ECI apartment. I will make sure to tell everyone I know not to live in one of there apartments either.

Current Resident 796281

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Nice place to live

I have been staying here for 4 months and I find this place quite better than all other places I have lived in Atlanta. Management is good, they dont overdo before we move in and maintain the same pace even after we rent. Maintenance is done quickly and no complaints. The only problem here is the problem of roaches and even after using pesticides, they dont stop coming. Other than this, no problems. I would recomment this to everyone.

Current Resident 932342

Resident • 2004 - 2006

I have been pleasantly surprised by my apartment community

I have been a resident for 2 years and am pleasantly surprised by the complex's improvements. The only negative is the large increase in renewal rates for the area went from $25 dollars to 100 dollars per renewal. The complex is in the district for the best schools in North DeKalb. Outstanding Schools!

Current Resident 45812

Resident • 2004 - 2005

Dunwoody deserves better....

We lived in a townhome for one year and couldn't wait to move! When we first moved in, we had problems with ants and roaches. We sealed up everything in the kitchen except the kitchen sink! About 5 months before moving out, we noticed droppings ALL over the place. A neighbor informed us that others complained about rats. Well, it was more like the rats paid rent there! Whatever room we were in the night before, the rats left droppings on the floor. The property management put traps down but the rats were smarter than them! One of the neighbors finally killed it and within a day or two, here comes another one. In addition, we had problems with electrical outlets not working. We had to flip the switch every time we used the outlets upstairs. <br>Dunwoody is a beautiful area to live, but Lake Ridge does not add any value!

Current Resident 42464

Resident • 2006

Good bang for your buck, Depends on the person

We lived in the townhome and we're very pleased with the amount of space that we got for the price. However, towards the end of our lease we began to have MAJOR ant problems and apparently whatever they were spraying wasn't working to kill them. We had to keep all of our food sealed in ziplock bags in the pantry to keep them out of there. Not only were they in the kitchen they also overtook both upstairs bathrooms. It got to the point where you had to kill of bunch of ants to even sit on the toilet. <br> This place also has some mold issues (we think it's Black Mold). I was perfectly healthy (I'm young, too) until I moved in to this place, then I began to have a whole barrage of health issues. I ended up having to have surgery becuase of it and had to take Clairtin 24/7 until we moved out. I also had to limit the amount of time I spent inside, so as not to aggreavate my allergies further.<br> We also were not happy with the letters we would get informing us of people's vehicles getting stolen, etc. While I wouldn't say that this place is 100% ------, it is on it way for sure. <br> Also, when your driving in to the complex be sure to be on the look-out for the gaggle of teenage boys that will walk in the middle of the street and then leer at you when they have to move so you can drive past. How dare you make them move from the middle of the street!!<br> All-in-all, I wouldn't live here again, but it's all up to personal preference.<br><br>P.S. Keep an eye on your water bill, they try to gouge you on that. I'm not even sure if they really know what people's water usage is!

bigtime_44

Resident • 2005

The truth about lake ridge

I have lived here for about 4 months now in november. This complex is not that big and thats a good thing because maintenance is always close by for any problems that I hav had. The apartments themselves are hudge. The Town homes are rediculous, the size of the townhomes for the money is almost a steal especially for this area. Low crime, lots of schools and daycares, shopping stores minutes if not seconds away, and it's right off of the interstae I285. So far this has been a pleasant stay with little to no problems. The only draw back to the community depending on where you stay in the complex the parking can be pretty tricky. If you are interested in learning more about this complex just e-mail me at bigtime_44@yahoo.com and i'll tell all you need to know.

Current Resident 254638

Resident • 2002 - 2004

Great Value for Dunwoody!

You will not find a bigger place for the price in Dunwoody. The townhouse layout is huge and we love the private entrance facing a wooded area. Surprisingly peaceful and quiet despite what I would consider suspicious-looking residents. Be careful of 3-bdrm buildings - supposedly used a halfway house for recovering adicts. Not always sure about the office staff, but maintainence has always been extremely helpful and responsive. Lots of kids at the pool, but it's clean and well-kept. Overall a very good experience and a steal for this much space in Dunwoody.

BelleSomnium

Resident • 2003 - 2004

Great Find!!!!

My husband and I lived in a two bedroom townhouse at Lake Ridge. We lived in #202 which was extremely quiet and private. This townhouse was beautiful with a great floor plan and a huge brick fireplace. We were extremely happy here and would have stayed for several years if my husband did not get a job transfer. I have only good things to say about Lake Ridge, although, our townhouse was in the perfect place on the property. It might not be quite as nice to live in the center of the complex or in an apartment. But, what we had was awesome. I would recommend it to anyone. Also, Dunwoody in general is like a secret little haven away from the big city.

Current Resident 481535

Resident • 2000 - 2002

Huge Apartment if you can stand . . .

Huge apartments for the price. 2nd floor is lovely with the vaulted ceilings and the fireplaces are nice. Love the huge master bedroom on the garden floorplan. And it is a smaller community so there is not a lot of traffic. <br> But you will have to put up with other tennants have 6 people per apartment. We had a really noisy neighbor, who they did kick out, but it took a while. Also we had neighbors who had 6 small dogs living inside their apartment. The stink was horrendous. The only came once to clean the apartment. It was the worst smell ever. It was like living above a kennel. There are lots of dogs in the neighborhood, which is not bad, but a lot of folks do not clean up after them. <br> The maintenance people were not responsive. It would take months to get things fixed (water leaks, hot water heater, etc, light on the tennis court). They are very nice and understanding in the office, but don´t expect much to come from your requests. If you are willing to put up with the second rate atmosphere it is a good deal. Defintaely the largest of any apartments we looked at in Dunwoody.

Current Resident 638273

Resident • 2002

SPACIOUS INTERIORS.....

HUGE FLOORPLANS....

nolive707

Resident • 2002

Better for less

The staff is amazing and very attentive to to the renters needs and wants. You can´t get a bigger apartment with the quality in this area for less. <br> <br>Very spacious closets for the gals. The bedrooms are more than plenty big. Larger than normal kitchen and a separate dining with ample room as well. <br> <br>Can´t say enough about this complex. <br> <br>A definate A .