I am so embarrassed I live here I have friends meet me in medical center parking lot NEXT DOOR. The few times friends have been by I have heard incredulous "Why do you LIVE THERE" speeches. People loping around in stained pajama pants in mid day, glum, grim faced people staring you down from their plastic nicked porch chairs while they chain smoke. Total 'The Hills Have Eyes' meets 'extras from the HBO (now cancelled) show 'Oz'. I have heard the front office drones ramble from their corporate script 'This is new management, we are cleaning up, etc. It's just a speech and not really happening. To be clear I have lived here since Northland assumed responsibility for this property. This is not a review of Middlebrook Gardens. The grounds themselves (except for the janky green trim on the buildings, maybe they can spruce that up and bring it into the 21st century)look fine. The roof was replaced ONLY because a massive windstorm blew entire tiles off of the buildings - and that was six months after said storm. I was living here when it happened so I should know. Point is the place *looks* fine. So unassuming that I moved here and thought 'it could be ok'. The mistake is that you need to spend a little time walking, not driving around the parking lot and around the buildings in the day then later at night. Then do that on a weekend night. You will see what I am talking about. A place can look fine but if the people make you uncomfortable there really isn't much point in living there. If you're lucky you will end up next to some of the quieter nice people here. I have seen entire pockets of 'heinous' depending on what part of the complex you live. So, pay attention to this if you do decide to live here. It matters and will affect the quality of living.
When I see guys with neck and face tattoos working out late at night in the gym I am not feeling it. And I the crew that rolls around shirtless, pants pulled down with boxers hanging out (90s gangsta!) and the creepy, irrationally hostile redneck contigent well, CAVEAT EMPTOR, Y'all! It's arguably the cheapest complex in the area but after living here over a year I know an extra hundred or so a month is worth not having to deal with this human detritus. I won't even let my kids play outside on the playground as some very feral kids out there. Some nice people, sure, but they stay inside. The pool is another scene- a place where sunburned rednecks lounge, drink warm Bud Light, chain smoke and leer at your underage daughters and generally make it a vile place to be. Occasional visits from the cops, fine. But I am seeing them here every other day. They claim to background check people but I know of one resident who has a rap sheet who they simply will not evict despite numerous complaints against this person and the assurance of the manager the tenant would be gone. The new office staff is poorly trained. They cannot think on their feet and customer service is paltry. There is no follow up and if you want something done or fixed, you need to stay on them like it's your job. The building maintenance guys are always professional & efficient but the lack of communication is in the front office. Cops are here on the regular. And hysterically the leasing agent we saw showed us an apartment or three that all had incredibly large dents all over the front doors- metal. Looked like a S.W.A.T team had been there with battling rams. When I asked about that (and expressed surprise this was not even fixed before showing) she side stepped and admitted some cops come but for 'minor domestic issues'. YEAH OK.
I have never seen a place with more caricatures of deep fried southern redneck rage and if you want to move in on that hustle, HOP ABOARD THE CYPRESS CREEK GARDENS TRAIN. You've been warned.
One upside? I have never seen more morbidly obese people in one spot so the even though the gym is small you should have no problem getting in on the equipment. Don't forget your Clorox bleach wipes because you don't EVEN want me to tell you about what pumps and sweats all up in there.
