The Lakes

bbird_90

Resident • 2010 - 2011

Nearing the end... Thank GOD!

I have lived in The Lakes apartments for about 6 months now, and I have to say, thank god my move out date is soon. At first everything was fine and dandy, the people were nice and the maintenance staff was polite. Then everything flipped around, about the time we decided not to resign our lease.We had no complaints up til then, we just wanted to save a little money and find a place a little cheaper. When it came to our move out inspection, the maintenance man walked into our apartment barely saying hello. He walked straight to the bedroom and straight back to the front door, we had to stop him and ask him any questions we had about moving. In my opinion, he should have willing let us know if we needed to fix anything ourselves or if we had to prepare for any kind of fees, he did not let us know any such information. In the past month we have received several warnings for things we have been doing the entire time we have lived here. The first was for not picking up our dog's waste, which we have done every time we have taken our dog for a walk. The second was for a small, plastic shopping bag on our balcony. They said it was a "trash like" item and that it was not visually appealing. That they wanted to keep a clean, non-littering environment. It was a plastic shopping bag with a small amount of our dog's waste! I am sorry I didn't want to put it in my trash can and stink up my apartment for a few days while I waited for the trash to get full!! What has irritated me the most is the fact that there are many MANY others who do not pick up their dog's waste, but I have not seen this problem being fixed. Also if you would like to walk your dog along the banks of the "Lake", good luck not stepping in duck or goose waste, along with keeping your dog from eating the duck or goose waste. As for the littering, if the apartment wanted to prevent littering, there would be signs, along with someone cleaning up the empty alcohol bottles and other trash items in the dog walking area. I have to pull my dog away from the trash so she will not eat it. I'm sure many of the residents at The Lakes are very happy customers and love living at The Lakes, but I am not a happy camper. I am happy to move and save some money, along with hopefully moving into an apartment complex that is helpful and will not treat us like nothing while preparing to move.

Current Resident 68156

Resident • 2010 - 2011

Nice Property

I have lived at The Lakes for almost a year, and I really like my apartment. I really haven't had any issues as far as maintenance, and the staff is always friendly and helpful when I need something. I would definitely recommend to friends and family.

Current Resident 477017

Resident • 2011

Great Community

I love living at The Lakes. I work at St. Vincent's, so it's super close to my job. I used to live in Broad Ripple because of the location to bars, nightlife, etc, but I love living over here much better. It's still a short cab ride away, and don't have to deal with crazy parking. There are so many restaurants, and TRADER JOE'S right next door! Love that place. I have been so happy since I moved in!

Current Resident 137554

Resident • 2001 - 2011

Amazing Apartment Community

I have lived at The Lakes now for 10 years. I just found this website and saw some of the comments. WOW is all I can say. I love living here. The apartments are very nice, the community is always kep up. I am proud to say I live here and that being said I have been here for 10 years. The maint. is always so friendly and gets things fixed right away. The office staff is amazing. The girls are so friendly and the new manager Ashley is fantastic!! I have already seen changes since she took over. You can the staff truly takes pride in what they do. I would recommend living here it is great!!!

Current Resident 976061

Resident • 2010

Lived here a month, so far, so good!

Just moved in @ the lakes a month ago. The leasing process was really easy and the leasing girls will very helpful and friendly. Our apartment was super clean when we moved in with new linoleum in the kitchen/laundry/bathroom. Easy access to 86th street, Township Line Road, and the interstate on Michigan Road. A little bit of noise at night but nothing too crazy yet. Someone else commented that people sit in their cars at night and I have noticed that too. Would be great if there was a visible security car that patrolled at night. Other than that, I would definitely recommend it to friends!

Current Resident 270098

Resident • 2010

Love the Lakes

I love living at The Lakes. The location is great and right near my job. I haven't had any problems with my apartment and all of the requests that I have asked for have been taken care of right away! I would definitely recommend to anyone looking to move to the area!

Current Resident 58277

Resident • 2010

New to the complex

I'm relatively new to the complex (two months), but wanted to give my first impression of it. I love the grounds. I have friends in other complexes who pay as much or more for rent and their grounds aren't nearly as nice. I haven't had any parking issues so far. The staff has continued to be friendly and very responsive . . . even after I signed my lease. I also hear virtually no noise from the surrounding neighbors with the exception of one, which I'm getting to. What I've been most impressed with is the amount of money the company has put into the complex this summer and how complete the communications about the projects have been. There are a few negatives: The pet deposit was astronomical - $450 for two cats! One neighbor was really obnoxious on a weeknight. I put a nice, but pointed, note on the door asking them to cool it on work nights and they've been great ever since. There is a lot of parking lot noise late at night, which means you can't sleep with the windows open - EVER, but the location and the apartment is perfect for me, so I just keep the doors and windows shut and the air conditioning on.

Current Resident 163183

Resident • 2009 - 2011

What a joke!

Wow! What a joke is all I can say. We had a car towed and then it was towed back to us free of charge. With an explanation that it was a mistake made by the company The Lakes hires to patrol the parking lot. So they did apologize for the mistake, but we are pretty much over it. Their small mistake caused my handicapped parent to miss an important doctor's appointment. I had taken a half day off from my teaching job to go to another job interview, their error resulted in me being an hour late to an interview. They really want to re-build our relationship but I'm not too interested... very annoyed with mistake after mistake. You can see my earlier post regarding the fleas and fireworks. If it wasn't for my hanidcapped parent having surgery in less than a week and my stressful job, I would move in a heartbeat. Their $25 gift card was fine and dandy, but didn't resolve all of the stress I had to deal with on Friday morning.

tess_d77

Resident • 2009 - 2010

Great!!

I lived at The Lakes just this past year, I was very pleased with everything while living there. The apartments are nice, the grounds are well kept, and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful! Overall, it was a wonderful living experience.

dbratton7

Resident • 2010

A Nice Apartment at a Decent Price!

I've lived at The Lakes for almost a year now and it's been an awesome experience. When looking for apartments on the north side of Indianapolis, I wanted somewhere that was convenient (I only live 10 minutes from work!), looked nice, and wasn't extremely expensive. I feel that you get a lot for what you pay for here at The Lakes. The office staff is extremely nice and they try their hardest to make you enjoy your stay at the complex. Unlike any other apartment complex, the staff gets to know you as a person and not just another one of their "tenants". They have a "Resident Appreciation Week" once a month. I've never been to a place that has done this before. Some of the things that they do are curbside trash pick-ups, breakfast on the go, etc.. The area is very convenient as the complex is located right next to Kroger, Walmart, and many restaurants. I live in a one bedroom apartment on the second floor. What I really like about my apartment is that I have vaulted ceilings (It makes the apartment feel a lot bigger), a private balcony, and a fireplace. The bathroom is huge too! I just signed another yearly lease because I enjoy it so much here. I would recommend The Lakes to anyone who is looking for a nice apartment at a decent price! Ask to speak with Nicole! She was the one that showed me around the apartment complex and has been nothing but the best to me since I've been here. Oh yeah, the other staff members are just as good! :)

Current Resident 227202

Resident • 2010

Great Place

I really enjoyed living at the Lakes. I moved here from another state and felt very welcome in the neighborhood. The maintenance was very helpful and people were overall very friendly. I would recommend living here. I felt very safe and the place is attractive throughout the complex. Trees are pretty during the summer and Christmas lights are nice during the winter.

IL_LOTR

Resident • 2003 - 2010

still enjoy it after 7yrs.

I have lived here for about 7yrs and my wife and I still love it here. the grounds are kept up every day, they are always trying to improve on the landscaping. We have had some great neighbors that are now our friends. Any time we have called in a service request, most of the time it is completed in 24hrs or at the latest, 48hrs. The office and maint staff are always friendly and helpful when I see them or need something. I saw some posts on here about ppl being upset about cars being broken into. I can understand being upset about it but, be uspset at the ppl who broke into your car, not at the office or maint. staff. I have talked to the onsite security officers in teh past and in almost ever case of break ins, the person left and ipod, gps or something like that visible in the car even though I know they send us letters suggesting we dont. We both have nice cars and have never had anything happen to them. Crime is everywhere and unless someone happens to be walking by at the exact minute its happening, your not going to stop it. In the time I have lived here they have repainted my whole apartment for me when I aksed, replaced my carpet and cleaned it every year. We are here till we get a house.

ofcjrs

Resident • 2006 - 2010

After 4 years of living here....

As I embark on a new career in Dallas TX, I am sad to have to say goodbye to The Lakes after four years of calling it "home". I will miss the staff as they were always friendly and helpful. The Lakes is situated close to several restaurants and entertainment areas, which is something that will definitley be a deciding factor when I choose a complex in Dallas. It was also nice being close to the interstate. I'm a guy so I don't "shop" per se, but shopping is close by if anyone is so inclined. The property always appeared to be well maintained over the years (i.e. landscaping, asthetics, etc.) and I don't recall ever having a true "Maintenance Emergency". However, over the years minor requests to address minor maintenance issues were handled promptly and the maintenance staff was always friendly and courteous. The Pool is great, and the tennis courts here are nicer than any place else that comes to mind. In short, I personally think that I will be hard pressed to find an apartment complex as nice as The Lakes in Dallas or (anywhere else for that matter) for the price, and with the same feeling of security. If I ever come back to Indy, I'm gonna live HERE!

Current Resident 446436

Resident • 2010

Ok place

Not to bad the only problems are 1-parking is a nigthmare. 2- this place is not really quiet during nigth 3- don't expect nice neighbors. 4-u have to drive to the dumpster.

Current Resident 668311

Resident • 2008 - 2010

Great Place to Call Home

I lived at The Lakes for 2 years and I just recently broke my lease agreement to purchase a home. Although I love my new house, I really did love my time at The Lakes! The apartment I lived in was a 2 Bed, 2 Bath and it was perfect for my needs. The Lakes was a catch for me because of the location near downtown Indianapolis. All highways are close, shopping, dining, and pretty much anything you need is very close by. While living there, I also met my neighbors and all of them were really great people! If I went out of town, they would be sure to collect my paper on a daily basis and all in all, were just nice people. The staff at The Lakes seemed to be very professional and on top of it at all times. I enjoyed the resident events they put on every month too. Overall, The Lakes was a perfect place for me for the past 2 years and I'm happy with the choice that I made. I would recommend this community for any renter looking for a great place in a great location.

CarmelJoe

Resident • 2009

Great Community

The Lakes has everything I need - location, lots of space, pool and a friendly staff. I work at St. Vs and it is the perfect place at the right price. The property is kept clean and I like the events the staff puts on to make sure I am satisfied. Don't read the negative comments from '08 - I've lived here for 4 months and have not seen or heard one bad experience. My neighbors are friendly but keep to themselves - just like me.

jenny0106

Resident • 2007 - 2009

Really liked it here!

I recenlty just moved out of The Lakes after living there for 2 years. It was a conveinent location to work for me and had tons of good shopping and dining around the community. I always thought the maintenance and office staff were friendly and anytime I had anything that needed fixed they were quick to respond. I also referred a few coworkers to live here and had referral money that was given to me which was a great perk since I liked living there. I had a noisy neighbor for about 6 months who drove me nuts, but I understand its apartment living and you take the good with the bad. All in all I would recommend The Lakes to friends as I only moved out to buy a house.

Current Resident 479457

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Worth It?

The Lakes are an attractive place when just looking. For the amount of money you pay in rent, though, I am sure you can find a comparible place where you don't feel as if your every move is watched. The price, after moving in, I realized is a little steep for what is offered here. Also, make sure the lease agreement is final when you sign and watch out for ammendments after the fact. Parking is horrible. I have small kids and coming home after work hours and trying to find a spot near your home is very hard. There are no assigned spots and carports and garages, if bought, are not guaranteed in front of your apartment. Grounds are kept looking nice. If apartments do construction on roads within complex, there is no warning, so you find yourself trying different routes to get out or in before you find one that will actually get you through. Safety - There have been lots of break-ins to cars. We have woken up to policemen banging on the door to ask if a broken in car belongs to us. With all the money they receive from tenants maybe investing in some parking lot cameras would be useful. I should mention with that the cameras should be used to watch the parking lots only. Not used to watch the tenants. Maintenance workers are more used as snitches. The Lakes hold frequent "Filter Changes" but that is a code word for "Casing your Home". We have not had prompt response each time and when they do come they are reporting back to office management everything they see in your apartment. This isn't a problem as long as things are in order, but sometimes it seems the office doesn't realize that we actually "live" in our apartments. Especially with kids- the apartment and every room in it will not be fit for a visit from the President of the United States at all times. I also have had maintenance report false info about pets and it turns into notes being left and a sort of harassment from office staff. Most staff, of course, are friendly. Like other reviews mention, they are very nice when trying to sign you. Most interaction is friendly, when they are not trying to squeeze more money out of you for something (almost anything at The Lakes can cause an extra fee). I am marking this anonymous b/c I still live here and do not want any unnecessary trouble or "extra fees". But, if you are currently looking for an apartment, try looking somewhere that offers perks, where you'll have a little more freedom, less harassment, but an attractive look. If you can afford The Lakes, you are sure to find another apartment in the same price range/area with a lot more to offer than looks. That is all you will get here. A nice looking apartment. Hope this helps.

mariasmith86

Resident • 2009

The Lakes a great place to LIVE!

I have lived at the Lakes for 3 years now! Everyone is friendly for the most part. The office staff are always friendly and greet you with a smile, they try as hard as they can to fix your problem in a timely matter. The Maintenance team is always ready in a hurry to fix your problem, even at 2am in the morning they still come with a smile on there face and a friendly attitude. It is a Great place to raise your Children, there is a school nearby (1 mile away), shopping (walking distance), and Hospital right across the street, and every fast-food place you can imagine! They offer carports and garages at good prices and on top of that there are plenty of free parking spaces! The noise level is not bad at all either I live on the top floor, I hardly ever here my neighbors, and I have never had a complaint against me with 2 very loud little boys, a dog, and a cat! They keep the grounds well kept, they always plant flowers in the spring, and the snow is removed in a timely matter. The buildings are built well with fireplaces and lake-view as an option too. I have both of those and I love it! With all that said I guess you can tell I am a fan of the lakes and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone in a heart beat!

Current Resident 669861

Resident • 2009

Very Impressed

I have currently been living at The Lakes for 5 months now. I have been very pleased with the office and maintenance staff as well. They have all been very prompt with dealing with any problems we have occurred over the months. Our furnace was leaking, we called at 9:30am and it was fixed by noon. The staff was very nice and accommodating through the entire move in process. I also feel very at home at The Lakes because all of the residents are very friendly and welcoming as well. I love the area and the closeness of restaurants, grocery stores, schools, etc. I enjoy how friendly the community is with animals and how they provide a dog walking area for the pets. I have already recommended The Lakes to several friends.

Current Resident 689808

Resident • 2008

Car Vandalism Reoccurring at The Lakes

I've lived here for 6 months now and there has been a noticeable trend in car break ins. My roommates driver window was shattered and dashboard was ripped apart the first week we moved in. (Not a huge deal right..) Well, every person we have talked to and know that live in The Lakes has also experienced the same problem. My friend's girl friends car just had her window broken into 2 nights ago. Our neighbor, who we just met had his vehicle broken into a few weeks back. Police Reports, Police Reports, THE LAKES WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING.. If you do move into The Lakes: 1) Keep EVERYTHING out of your vehicle. 2) Expect low security 3) Don't expect Maintenance to care about the Vandalism (they blame it on the economy) 4) A parking lot south of 38th street is just as safe.. if not safer. Thanks, Resident of The Lakes (10.31.08)

arcadio27

Resident • 2006 - 2009

Grain of Salt

I lived at the lakes for 2.5 years and even wrote a review on here after the first year. In the past 3-4 days there's been a massive flux in increased reviews (all blazingly positive) about how great The Lakes complex is. I just wanted to suggest to everyone to take this with a grain of salt as it's pretty easy for office staff to log in here and write great reviews. It's kind of funny how everyone from the past few days has been here for a nice long time too. When I was living there (thank God I moved...) there were massive turnovers, all the time people were coming and going. For those who call out the car break-ins, I didn't have an iPod, phone, wallet, or any other item visible in my car; they just smashed and grabbed the stock radio out of the dashboard. Also, yes, there are plenty of parking spaces, but that doesn't mean they're anywhere near where your apartment is. Keep that in mind if you get one on the inside courtyard (or the outside facing the stream or Township Line Rd).

bigash187

Resident • 2008

"DO NOT LIVE HERE", I REPEAT "DO NOT LIVE HERE"

I have lived in the apartment complex for almost a year now. The apartments are nice on the inside and outside and seem to be well kept up for a property that has been around for over 20 years. Everyone seems so friendly when you signing your lease and moving into your apartment complex. But wait until you have your first problem with anything in your apartment. This is when the great property staff turns into your worst nightmare. The first problem i had was my furnace. Everytime i turned the heat/ac on or up to warm or cool my apartment a sewerish smell started to come out all around the apartment. The first time i called about this issue was in March of 07. Maintence came out and changed the filter. The smell went away for a few days. So the weather was warming up enough where heat was no longer needed. I finally cranked on the A/C in May when it got hot. Here comes that smell again. I called over to the office to have this issue resolved. They said they would send someone over the next day. Since no one had been over in a week after the initial call, i called over again. The leasing agent said there was no service order placed for my apartment. I placed one again. Finally days after that, they came over and changed my fiter once again. The smell went away, but just for a few days. I called over to do take a look again. They decided to dig into the closet where the furnace is at. After looking, they decided that they would have to take my whole closet wall down and move all my clothes and belongings out for 3 weeks. Now all my clothes are on cheap racks "that eventually broke due to the weight of the clothes" whcih they bought for my inconvience. Also, any clothes that couldn't fit on the first two racks were placed in my front room on my sofas. After all this and the repairs, the smell went away for about a month. Now you would think, after all this that a company would offer you a different unit. Well they didn't. So after complaining and complaining and complaining, the maintnence team along with the property manager, maintenece manager, and 4 other people came to and over and to take a look. The problem is that its Janauary and you know my lease is coming up. They decided to send all these people over after i give my 60 notice that i would not resign in this --------. Well after all these people came over, they couldn't get the smell fixed still. The property manager asked if i would like to switch units. This is 10 months after the initial call about the smell. I said i would like to for my last two months. She had the audacity to offer me a new apartment at the new market value with a new 1 year lease. Are you serious? So, you can't fix an issue, but i have to pay for problem and pay at a higher rent. I don't think so. The thing is, i can't even blame maintnence, because they did all they can do. They showed me effort that they were working hard. The problem is an outside should have came in, that specializes in furnaces and i should have been given the option to move into another unit or let out my lease with no penalty. I would have excepted another unit, but not 2 months before my lease is up after close to 20 calls for the service order. The property manager should be fired or smacked. After reading other tenants comments, i would not live over here due to safety. It seems wierd to have crime and no one in your front office give you a heads up. I live on the back side of an apartment, which goes into the back near dark and woody area. When my building lights aren't on, it makes it impossible to see. That tends too happen quite often. Atleast 4 or 5 days out the months that those lights are of track. I have read three reports of people that have been robbed. You have to think, most people dont even write about their issues. I just happened to come across this website and saw this as a problem. Do not live in this community. I sure won't be anymore.

amiller21

Resident • 2006 - 2008

worst expirence ever!

I am a very disappointed renter. I have lived in the lake apartments for a year and 1/2. I've had friends live here and I thought it was descent. I currently live in a 3 bedroom with my brother. The past 6 months living here has been a nightmare! Maintenance states that they have come and fixed work orders and things aren't fixed. They also never leave notices that they have been here. Leasing staff are very rude and take a long amount of time to reply to concerns. Recently my apartment was broken into. The funny thing about it is that I live across from the leasing office; from the front door of the office you can see my front door. My door was kicked in on a Tuesday in front the office between the time of 9am-12pm, how odd is that that someone could kick in a deadbolt door in front of the leasing office during a business day? Not only was that done but someone walked out with 3 large TVs down a flight of stairs, it seems almost impossible for that not to be noticed. So conveniently all of the maintenance staff and leasing staff were in a meeting at the neighboring complex while this was happening. As a concerned renter of course I tried to look at people I knew and the maintenance since they have access to my apartment. When asking the complex for the names of maintenance workers who had worked in my apartment they stated they do great background checks on their employees and they were not aloud to disclose that information. My thought on that is that if the maintenance would have left the notices that they worked on my apartment like they are suppose to I would have that information. The only request I made of the complex if that I could be released from my contract for safety reasons. Instead of getting a response back for that I have gotten a letter telling me that I have violated the lease because I have a grill on the patio (that has been there all year...). Finally getting a response from the property manager after calling the companies district manager I was told that the only way I could be removed from my lease is by paying $1200 2 months rent (because of a sixty day notice requirement). With three months left in my lease that doesn t make any sense at all. Give me a break.

Current Resident 756244

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Where do I begin?

We were robbed twice in one year, had to pay an electric bill for the month after we were already gone and didn't get our deposit back because of damages caused by maintenance workers. The furnace quit working numerous times and each time maintenance said it was fine. I checked the furnace filter and found it was completely caked. Maybe our experiences were an anomaly like they kept telling us but would you take that risk?