American Beauty Mill

DavidP.

Resident • 2011 - 2013

I have lived here for over a year and 4 months. 

When I was looking to move in, I read these reviews and was overly cautious. After a year and 4 months, I can honestly say I have NO IDEA what the people on here are talking about. 

Maybe I am weird, Maybe I just like a little edge to my environment. 

I love the brick, steel and concrete. I love waking up with sky high ceilings and a beautiful dallas skyline. This is not a uptown apartment, This is a extremely old flour mill converted into 80 beautiful totally unique apartments that can be customized however you like to truly express yourself. 

Before I moved in I read about electric bills that was half the price of rent, I read about leaks and what seemed like a endless amount of problems.

Honestly, My apartment leaks. but thats because the apartment is made out of CONCRETE. 

Does my electric bill get high. Not any higher then my last apartment.

And the management is GREAT. They are easy to get along with, and are always there to help. I have never had a negative experience with management. 

The people who live here are some of the coolest people I have EVER met. Every apartment complex has the one guy that seems odd. But seriously, you will love the people that live here. 

Full of artists, designers, entrepreneurs and other extremely interesting people. You will meet some of the coolest people in Dallas just by living here. 

I cannot rave about American Beauty Mill Lofts enough. This place is amazing. I hope I never leave. 

All that being said, It is not for everyone. Ive had friends tell me that they cant imagine how I live here. 

I guess American Beauty is just as unique as I am.

Current Resident 841104

Resident • 2011 - 2013

I have lived in this building for 2 years and if it weren't for the proximity to work and the friends I have made over the years in the building, I would never have signed another lease. I have leaks in my apartment that they state they cannot fix. Since the previous manager, Samantha Gilmore, and her company left, things have gone downhill drastically. Increases in rent, loss of amenities, pet waste in hallways and all over the courtyard, homeless vagrants begging inside the gate, lack of real security, questionable tenants moving in, trash piling up in dumpsters to the point of complete disgust. I would often leave work early to charge up a laundry card or speak to the manager only to find that they had already gone home for the day....at 3 pm....On a Tuesday! This happened more times than I can remember. New managers that have been brought have been vindictive and rude to tenants, and I have been lied to directly by managers on multiple occasions. There was an alarm going off in the panel for the Fire Alarm system, that for a week would go off starting at 4am in the morning. I got 7 days of run around from the manager and it wasn't until I threatened to call 911 the next time the alarm went off, before he actually did something to fix it. My immediate neighbors and I have all had things stolen from our porches, sometimes in the middle of the day. The overall grounds have become trash-laden, soda machines are constantly broken, and for some reason they have locked the bathrooms in the office area. Before Merge, they were always open and always clean. Like many bath tubs in the building, they were not installed properly and the caulking around the edges starts to crack within a month. The doors are drafty to the point of extremely loud whistling when it's windy outside (not quite as loud as the 4am fire alarm though.) The building is 100 years old and has issues that I would expect, but the apartment itself was great until Merge took over. It's a shame that this company is inept to the point that they are destroying a great building and community. I promise, the uniqueness of this building fades a month after living here.

Current Resident 850559

Resident • 2011 - 2013

DO NOT RENT under Merge Management. Merge Management is inconsistent, unresponsive, impolite and lacks any empathy for this amazing property and long-term residents. We have had at least four office managers in the past 12 months, all of which have no previous knowledge of the community, units and the concerns. The office hours posted are NOT 9AM-5PM. Residents or future residents do not know what the office hours are unless you ask the manager on duty that day. Office hours are always questionable which means residents are unable to add funds to their laundry card (community laundry), address service requests/unit concerns or receive packages in a timely manner. Pet waste stations do not have waste bags for several consecutive days. Elevator(s)...I hope you don't get stuck when it breaks. Existing resident safety is huge concern not being addressed. Health risks from "mildew" (mold) are of no concern for management either. Be sure to inspect the unit. Ask questions! Check for moisture/leaks around windows. More importantly, leaking windows near wood (bed) platforms. The unit coverups are deceiving, renter beware! Outdated appliances. Helpful tip, plunge your sink to remove drainage from your dishwasher. I love the uniqueness of this building and resident community, the management company is unacceptable to put it simply.

Current Resident 860076

Resident • 2012 - 2013

American Beauty Mill lofts is a sad excuse for an loft community. It's poorly managed and lacks repair. The building is old which results in leaking windows, high electric bills, and an elevator that's often out of service. Beside the condition of the building, the general cleanliness is not kept up. Common area floors are usually dirty and often have dog urine from residence who refuse to clean up and are not held responsible. The amenities are worthless. Only a few units have washer/dryer hook ups. The building only has 8 washers/8 dryers and usually 1-3 out of service at a time. The pool water is questionable & several residence have found broken glass at the bottom after parties. The workout room has old equipment and a broken TV so not much use there either. Besides the general condition of the building, we constantly have homeless people on the property asking for money...and personal belongings stolen from the patios. Needless to say, your car is also a target. The security person is only on site a few hours and may only be a few nights a week. Difficult to tell since he isn't that visible. The courtesy officer hasn't answered calls so several residence have called 911 instead. The cameras are limited so don't count on these. I would recommend any other place over these lofts.

CedarsTX

Resident • 2008 - 2013

The new management company, Merge Management, run by Beth Sickler, Shyla Shepard, and Robert Knight, is in complete disarray. This building has had four site managers in less than twelve months, and each new one blames the one before for the condition of he building: - Lack of maintenance: various windows around the building are broken - Lack of knowledge about the tenants: they don't know who has lived here for a few months or a few years - Lack of services: equipment in the fitness center is broken, including the TV. - Lack of security: panhandlers come into the building on a regular basis, hanging out in the lobby, and even knocking on doors. I'm moving out as soon as my lease is done!

eggfarmer

Resident • 2010 - 2012

It's almost 1am in the morning, and our unit has been flooding since 2pm this afternoon. Three calls have been made, plus one call and many texts made by our neighbor to the manager--our kind neighbor couldn't believe the situation we were in, so she made a call for us!!! This is not the first time this happened to us, and NO ONE, NO ONE from the management has ever took action in regards to the problem even after we presented 40 some odd pictures of the flooding. You might be wondering why don't we move out. It is not easy to "just move out"--if we did, who is going to pay for the fees? Who is going to pay for moving cost? It wouldn't be ABM, would it?! Besides, the issue isn't why we don't move. The issue is how come they don't take care their tenants, and their building. In fact, we were supposed to move to a different unit this weekend, and they didn't even has it ready for us to move in!! If anyone is thinking about renting this place, I highly recommend you don't think about it.

blasster

Resident • 2010 - 2012

I find it quite interesting how the reviews have become very positive and how grand and wonderful living there is and has always been. I think NOT. I lived there for two years and American Beauty Mills has and had some real issues. Many of which i know have not been addressed. People don't pick up after their Dogs. Dog poop is everywhere. The entry gate is wide open and broken most of the time, letting anybody in who wants to. Parking is ridiculous. It is a loft with many "Artistic" residences and they love to throw parties. And we who live there are inconvieneced. The so-called security officer when you find him can do little about it or won't do anything about it. You have to call 911. Neighbors are noisey. They think because you are in a concrete walled and floored room you can play your music full blast, stomp around, bowl and bring over your noisey, screaming girlfriend. Sorry, but it will only magnify the sound dummies. They had to bring in 3 ovens to my unit before I could get one to work. Always borrowing from some other unit. It took 4 weeks to replace the GFI plug in my bathroom. 4 Weeks!!! And it Leaks!!!! Don't put anything of value near a wall or on the floor.... And not insulated at all. Winter very cold and summer very hot. Especially, if you live in an end unit or the 5th or 6th floors.

bm2010

Resident • 2010

Save time..and run! far far away!

I have been here since Jan 2010 and it has been NOTHING BUT ISSUES. The biggest one being proper maintenance and care of this building. Elevator hardly works, it takes about an average time of 3 days for maintenance to respond to your resqest. My apartment flooded 3 times in the month of July, and after telling them what the problem was..they tell me they are not going to replace my rotting door because it would be too expensive. Then finally the thrid floor, when water was pouring from my ceiling due to foundation shift, they decide to fix it. But now I have no bed because my box spring got soaked! I tried to file a claim and took it all the way to corporate, but they could only offer me $50 "maintenance concession". When I asked the manager and her manager they both gave me different answers about what was going on...I'm sure the $50 was just hush-hush money...but I am still considering calling the city to investigate living conditions here. Everyone I know who lives here just keep their stuff away from the windows... So..save time and go down to deep ellum for an old building because its a better area, and old buildings..but at least the ones down there are maintaned to liveable standards...and isn't in the highest crime rate area in Dallas.... PS-don't be fooled by the pictures on the website...that is not the apartment AT ALL!!!!

adam.motherwell

Resident • 2009 - 2010

Do not move into this building.

I moved into this loft in july of 09. it had high ceilings, so i asked multiple time about the electricity bill and was told each time that i asked that they were not sure how much the bills were. within the first week of living there i was told by other residents that the previous two tenants moved out because of the high electricity bills. I was also told by another resident that when it rains it will flood in my loft....he was more than right. I told the property manager. nothing was done. then there was a leak in the bathroom. i told the manager about this. they could not find anything wrong. about 5 months later water poured in from the bathroom ceiling. the hot water heater had been leaking the whole time. not only did it leak in the bathroom, but all over my clothes in the closet as well. after clearing out the closet i noticed that black mold had been growing were the leak had been. as winter came it became the electricity bills continued to go up until the feb bill came that totaled $800.00. that's $150.00 less than my rent. oh, and during jan and feb the elevator was broken for two weeks, fixed for one week, and then broken again for another week. i lived on the 6th floor. needless to say i had had it. the lease was 7 months and we had been there 8. i gave my 30 day noticed and moved out. i did owe a pro-rated amount of around $380.00. I explained that the conditions of the apartment were barley up to standards and that I don't think i shouldn't have to pay them another penny. they told me i was going to collections. what i was not told is that there were sending me to collections for $2,100.00!!!!!! they said that i broke my contract. are you kidding me? when i called them and said that i thought this was totally unfair, but I would pay the amount a Kelley Miller said she would get back to me. three days later she called me back and said that i i was out of luck and that i had to deal with the collection agency for the total amount of $2,100.00. This is extortion!!!!!

Current Resident 719135

Resident • 2010

3 Months Is NOT Long Enough For An Opinion

You with the 'I lived at ABM for 3 months' opinion are limited in your views. I have lived at ABM for 9 months and I can tell you the previous reviews notated regarding safety issues are true. I am a single male living at ABM. Although, I know I can handle myself if an issue arises, what about the girls I have coming over to my loft to visit? Just the other night, my date who was meeting me at my loft was riding the elevator with a homeless person. What is wrong with this picture?! Even though I had to buzz her up from the gate; which is suppose to be secure...she is in the elevator with someone that smells of beer and piss. Incredible! I'm leaving this joint as soon as my lease is up! Fellas, my advice to you is to escort your date. Do not allow her to enter the gate alone and ride the elevator alone because you do not know what type of trash is in the building!

Current Resident 359068

Resident • 2010

Great Building

Lived here for 3 months. Not safe if you are a woman living alone, but it was great for my wife and I. Pam is the best and sometimes she is hard to get ahold of, but she is amazing.I never had any saftey issues. The gym closes early, which sucks, older equipment. But great value for the $

Current Resident 137658

Resident • 2009

Deposits of Trash and Poop not Cleaned for Months

If you come to look at the property, try drive-up appeal. Pay close attention to the near outer parts of the property such as the ABM sign placed in a bed of flowers and plants. You will see trash there. Also check out the area where your guest will enter the keycode to gain access. You will see trash there. When you and your friends drive in the parking lot...you will see trash (including beer bottles) all over the parking lot. You will see dog poop. If you are not looking you will step in it thanks to the lovely neighbors that live here. The company attempts to keep the elevators clean, but ask to walk the stairwells. There is trash all over the stairwells. Trash that has not been cleaned in months. Oh, and cigarette butts all over the place. The management and maintenance guys smoke so they may have a bias attitude about this. You are moving into a slum if you move here. It is a very trashy place. Yes, crime is a big issue here, but do not just fear outside predators. There are people that have lived / live here that steal and do drugs. Currently, there is an onslaught of youngsters moving in. Also, for some bizarre reason you have people with children living here. There are over 200 sex offenders within a 5 mile radius of this zip code. Look it up and you will see just how unsafe this place is. My advice to you is 'Do not move here'. It is not worth the dollars you will be paying. You can find a safer place to live for the same price and/or cheaper. Good luck in your search.

Current Resident 881813

Resident • 2007 - 2008

No no no no no

This building is beautiful, most of the people who live there are great. Some are jerks and have no respect for anyone else. I lived in the Mill for 1 year... there are so many safety issues with this building; the main one being THERE IS NO SECURITY! When the new manager took over she changed the gate code and got the call box outside the gate to work... but let's be real here...that really doesn't stop any crime. There are so many car break in's and in my time there I was actually approached and accosted by a homeless man who drug me into my apartment and made me give him money when at first I had refused to give him any money. This was basically outside my apartment door, maybe 10-15 feet from it!!!! When I told management and even Westdale Corporate they did NOTHING. The building is amazing but it is falling apart. The owner or the building will not put ANY money into repairs. Anytime it rained I would have a river in my apartment, I called the city of dallas and they basically said there was nothing they can do. The two, very old, very scary elevators in the building barely work. Again I called the city of dallas, they said there was nothing they could do... so basically the owner is neglecting the building, the property management company IS TERRIBLE and the maintenance men are pervs. Good luck getting maint to repair ANYTHING. If they do, it will be a half-a$$ job and they will probably leave their tools in your apartment. I called them for a leak in my bathroom once...I ended up with a ladder, paint brush, paint can, bucket, and paint all over my bathroom and everything on my sink had a layer of paint on it. Ridiculous. Only a few units in the building have washer/dryer hook ups. Good luck with the laundry room... its crap and the washers/dryers only have an on/off setting. The view from the roof of the bldg is great....BUT managment decided to lock the roof door...money well spent I'm sure...why not fix all the leaking windows and broken panes? DO NOT MOVE HERE! Your car will get broken into, your windows will leak, and if someone attacks you on the property all you will get is an "I'm sorry" from management. This place NEEDS SECURITY!!! Among a million other things, like decent management/owner....

ready2leaveABM

Resident • 2007 - 2009

EXTREMELY LOUD dogs on 3rd floor can be heard on EVERY FLOOR...MGMT unresponsive

The are two dogs on the 3rd floor that bark NON STOP when the tenant is not in the unit. NON STOP for hours at a time. The dogs can be heard on every single floor. All day and all evenings. Early morning on weekends. The manager won't do anything to fix the problem. When you add that to all the crime issues at the property...plus the gunshots that happen every few nights a block away...it makes this place extremely undesirable. There's a mass exodus of people leaving here and for lots of reasons that you can read on this site. This is a good building to avoid.

Current Resident 910143

Resident • 2009

beautiful building

This is one of the best looking buildings i have ever seen. It has amazing character. Anywhere else and the rent would be through the roof. The only problem is you have to drive through a really bad neighborhood to get here. bums pissing in the street. Theres always a guy selling drugs right next to the building. Although i have never seen any shady characters on the property. My motorcycle was stolen and they conveniently knew where the cameras were. There really should be a camera on the gate. No one picks up after their dogs. and the elevator is really old. It is always broken and walking up stairs in loft stlye places sucks. when it is working it runs extremely slow and you have to hit the button everytime it stops(really irritating)Everyone here is extremely friendly and caring. The management staff is awesome. Always helpful never had a problem. In the time ive been here they had the gate set up so only you can let your guests in and changed the laundry room so you dont have to use quarters anymore. My loft is amazing huge ceilings, good view great character. But the walls are paper thin i can hear light switches being turned on and people talking on cell phones. I have never seen walls this thin its horrible!!! That is the main reason i am moving out. That and the elevator and really bad neighborhood.

Current Resident 500317

Resident • 2009

Until Pam Anders is gone then this place will be wonderful again.

What a joke! Are you kidding? Pamela Anders is still there as manager? I am truly shocked that she has not been fired! I used to live at american beauty mill starting in 06. Back then,Sean Norris was the manager and that building was absolutely beautiful and clean and had security and sean would actually get up from that chair in the office and make his rounds to make sure that everything was working and that maintanence was doing their job. Ever since pamela anders became manager,that place has become a pigs pen and a hell hole. And she lies about the electric bill. She will tell you that the bill will be low. LIAR!!! Expect the electricity to be atleast $400 in the summer and no matter how long you keep the heater on in the winter,the units always stay cold. And the office where pam anders sits in all day is a pigs pen [I guess that tells me how she lives at home] They need to get rid of that lump of useless flesh and hire a real manager. I am so sad that just because of pam,that poor building is going down fast! One of my friends of mine went there to look at a unit without telling me and he said that pam acted so bothered when she had to get up from that chair to show him a unit. He felt so unwelcomed. I am glad that i found out that he went there cause i told him about pam being so lazy and that ever since she became the manager there,that once beautiful place is now just a shadow of what it once was. I also have eight freinds that were interested in moving there but i told them of the laziness from pam and that she is a horrible manager and also one of my female freinds that lived there was attacked in the parking garage and she is still traumatized. And again,all this happened while pamela anders was and still is manager there. SAVE YOUR MONEY CAUSE YOU WILL REGRET LIVING THERE. I now live in Carrollton Tx and absolutely love it here. Now we will consider moving back to American Beauty Mill only when they get rid of that joke of a manager and then who ever takes her place i am sure that that person will clean up the mess that PAM ANDERS left behind. It is so sad that because of her,that place is now a rats nest. GET RID OF HER AND LET AMERICAN BEAUTY MILL SHINE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!

Current Resident 464142

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Enter At Your Own Risk

I would not enter if I were you. I've since moved out. Manager, Pamela, is extremely dedicated to her job which is the only positive thing here, but everything else is null. If you wish to talk to those who have lived there for a while, they will be more than happy to give you the scoop on everything and everyone. Tight knit gossip mill. Truth is in the pudding, sinking without proof. Let me just say this, move here if you wish to be in an unsafe environment, with neighbors who are creative. If you can get past the safety issues, and the endless ramblings of some about nothing in particular...this may be the place for you.

Current Resident 533768

Resident • 2008 - 2009

NO GOOD, STAY FAR AWAY

Building looks great and artsy/industrial style at first glance, then you realize this place needs a makeover badly. 1.Parking - lots of break-ins, no security patrol(in south dallas?!) Pigeons dirty your car everynight too. 2.Electric Bill - pe prepared to spend at least half what you pay in rent on your electric. Winter is super cold, Summer super hot. Central air and heating systems are out of date and dont work well for these apts. 3.Cleanliness - Pet urine in halls and elevator on regular basis, halls are filthy and mopped with dirty water. 4.Rent - rent speacials are intended to take your mind off the overall conditions. 5.Location - homeless, drugs, and people walk the streets at all hours of the night. Bums fighting and pissing in clear view. You'll not want to leave the gates because of the fear of getting mugged or robbed. People have lived here for a long time and like it, its all up to your taste of living. Lots move in and move right back out when lease is up. N

Current Resident 194788

Resident • 2008

Going Downhill Fast

I have lived here for a couple of years now and it USED to be a really cool, artistic-driven GREAT place to live. BUT, recently there a SO MANY things wrong that I - and several others- are moving out at the end of our leases. PROBLEMS: 1. Crime. A girl was assaulted in our garage, motorcyles stolen, and cars broken into--- and that was just in July. Theft and break ins are a continual problem here. The management installed "security cameras" that are easily seen and have not deterred the thieves who are continuing to prey on ABM residents. 2. Trashy. The hallways and the stairwells are never cleaned. The hallways are filthy. 3. "Pool Table" Community Room and Weight Room: The manager had to clean up once after a party and thus installed LOCKDOWN at SUNDOWN for the place we're supposed to be able to go with our guests or to our gym. Westdale touts these features but if you happen to have a job or something good luck getting in to use it. 4. Pool: It's usually not working (pumps off) and each week we get a letter from the manager threatening that she'll cut off use of the pool if she has to pick anything up on Monday. Or, this week- it was dogs. If you take a dog to the pool you will be banned from the pool. SERIOUSLY. These are the notices these people put on the doors of THEIR CUSTOMERS. 5. HIDDEN FEES- Watch them on this. There's rent. Then, they'll send a bill for water. And for the garbage. Crazy. 6. UNSETTLED PART OF DALLAS: Great promise in this area, but yet to be developed and the neighborhood is unsafe- drugs, prostitution, break-ins.... SO- If you're considering WESTDALE'S American Beauty Mill be sure you consider OLD OPINIONS (what a great place!) versus the opinions of those of us having to live here now (decline in management--increase in crime). *** The management left us a note about one of our neighbors being assaulted in the garage but gave us no indication of the girls condition. We have no idea if she is ok...the manager just notified us for legal reasons. Again, beware. There are better places to live in Dallas.

Current Resident 985629

Resident • 2003 - 2008

It could be great, but it's not

Having lived in the Mill for several years, I've seen the ups and downs as management companies and building managers have changed. When Post managed the property the maintenance was much better, especially in the common areas, and also in regard to holding residents accountable for cleaning up after their pets. Since Westdale took over, with the new owner, the Mill has gone into serious decline. Construction - Yes, with concrete floors and thin walls you do hear your neighbors. Maintenance, while emergencies are addressed, the common areas are trashed. That rooftop people mention in other reviews? It s now locked because dog owners let their pets crap up there and never picked it up. The pool? It closed the second half of the summer. There have been no improvements to the grounds since the new management and ownership. Parking is generally first come, first served, with some reserved spots in the garage. But, if there is a party, forget it. Residents are stuck parking outside the gate, sometimes even if they have a reserved spot. The handicapped spots are always being used by able residents, and cars are often parked so as to block others from getting out. Why Security - There is NO security. Even the gate is a joke; it s often broken, and even when it s not people can walk in off the street, then go around asking for money to stay in the homeless shelter just down the road (the shelter is free), or break into the cars to steal anything they can find. In a three month period there were over 18 car break-ins. Management talks a lot, but does nothing. Problem residents are not dealt with unless there are police reports. This could be a great place, as it generally attracts a more creative and outgoing set of people, but you have to put up with a lot. The best thing that could happen to the place is it goes condo so the residents who want to live here would have the latitude to do what is needed to make it a safe place to live.

Current Resident 868540

Resident • 2006 - 2008

ABM Security, Theft, and Noise Levels

American Beauty Mill is a property with character; however maintenance of the property is at its' bare minimum. In addition, there is no security here. Management speaks of a police officer on property, yet he is only around after the fact to take the report. We can dial 911 for that. Also, there are continuous auto smash and grabs, and homeless people roaming the property, inside of the gates. The homeless are roaming the breezeways, hallways, and knocking on doors asking for money. It is my recommendation that you do not move to American Beauty Mill. In addition to all of the external visitors, there are internal residents that play loud music, have pets that bark all day long, crap on premises, and roam without leashes. Do not move to American Beauty Mill. The property is managed by Westdale management and this company cuts corners to reduce cost.

Current Resident 961284

Resident • 2003 - 2005

Awesome building but no security

We have lived here at the Mill for two years now. We absolutely love the building.... the concrete floors and the exposed pipes on the ceiling .... but the part we can't stand is the lack of security measures takin to protect our vehicles and anything that we decide to put on our patios..... in the last 3 weeks we have had 3 of our cars broken into... and along with having to replace our c.d. players, c.d.'s, and anything else of value that was stolen out of our cars (and it happens in broad day light as well as at night time) we also have the headache of replacing our windows..... this is an irritating and not to mention a costly price to pay to live anywhere, despite the cool factor of the place. One thing we do get is alot of sympothy from our management but nothing has changed to make the break ins stop. We are supposed to have security but hardly ever are they seen around (well expect upstairs in our community room watching T.V.) The safe factor is almost non-exsistant here and there is nothing really to do at this point but move. So even though the building in really awesome.. open your eyes we are in the middle of crack town.

Current Resident 710709

Resident • 2004 - 2005

Awesome views, cool building, but definitely has issues

I lived in the Beauty Mill 2004-2005, I leased there because of the views and the building itself. It has really amazing industrial architecture, tons of opportunities for photograpy of the city and the flour mill itself. We thought it was the most industrial building of all of the lofts, and chose it over Southside on Lamar and several other loft buildings for its view and atmosphere. There are actually photoshoots held there with fashion models, that was interesting to see.<br><br>The neighborhood... well, it aint the greatest. I was never approached by bums or anything like that, nothing was stolen from me, but the other residents comment about the local shopping is true.. be prepared to drive 10 minutes if you want a safe store to pick up some milk and eggs, there is nothing in the area, it is very industrial. I never really felt unsafe ON the property though.<br> <br>The bulding could use nicer appointments in the kitchens and baths. The appliances and counters are just basic no-frills. The spaces are mostly well layed out, but could use more closet space, and WHY don't they put a washer dryer hookup into every unit? There is definitely space, and its not that expensive. Its insane. <br><br>We almost transferred to another loft there but the w/d hookups were a must-have for me and despite how nice the other loft was, it didnt have one, so I stayed in the smaller loft with the w/d connections. <br><br>The worst thing about my loft (and I understand this isn't true of all the units there), the huge electric bill I received in January. (almost equal to my rent amount... the heat ran 24/7 and it was still cold) I was told it was because of the nature of the building, but cant help thinking that there was something that could be done about it.<br><br>Management did credit me somewhat less than half, but it was still pretty outrageous. Especially since I was promised that it would be under 200 a month. <br><br>Overall, still a really cool place I don't regret living at, amazing views of the skyline, very trendy indeed...but I have opted for a more traditional style home this time. <br><br>If you like lofts you will love this place, but dont expect all the comforts of a non-loft apartment. Its like having a ragtop jeep instead of a ford taurus, more rugged, rougher around the edges, but not as practical.

Current Resident 690431

Resident • 2004

Does take getting used to, but well worth it...

I have to disagree with the first reviewer. My rent is very affordable as are my utilities. I've lived at the Mill since May now, and I love the place. I know and hang out with many of my friendly neighbors. I've never been accosted by a homeless person, nor have I had anything stolen from my car. Many people here drive Jeeps and know not to leave anything of value in their vehicles. The vibrations through the walls do take getting used to, and the insulation from sounds is poor...I do hear my neighbors playing music quite frequently, but I'm sure they hear my music as well. Overall, I love the place.

Current Resident 655213

Resident • 2002 - 2004

Nice place to live, but takes getting used to

My husband and I have lived there for 2 years now, since April of 2002. The other reviewer said they were approached by homeless people in the parking garage, but I've never once been approached by a homeless person while on the property in two years. <br><br>The advantages are eclectic neighbors, an amazing view if you get the right lofts, incredible atmosphere, and a really decent clubhouse. We also have night security from 9p-6a, and have few problems with crime on the property. We have had a couple of things stolen from Jeeps and other open vehicles like a battery and registration stickers, and occassionaly someone will steal something from a common area, but other than those small problems we haven't seen anything like robberies or assaults on the property in the 2 years I've been there. I feel safe there. <br><br>And it is an absolutely amazing building, filled with nooks and crannies to explore and a great rooftop to have drinks or watch fireworks on July 4th. I cannot express to you how amazing the building is. You have to see it to believe it. It used to be a flour mill from 1913 until 1971, and was converted to lofts in 1998 or so. It's got such great atmosphere and ambience. There's also a loft tour every November where you can come and see different lofts in the building, which is tons of fun. <br><br>We've had quite a bit of office staff turnover, and there is only staff on property 4 days a week, which isn't good. Their maintenance staff is top-notch, especially Ernesto, who is the best maintanence staff I have EVER had the pleasure to have on my property. He's the best! We've had difficulty with both past and current office staff (bad, condescending attitude); however, all maintenance issues are resolved promptly. General property issues have been very slow to resolve, but all ongoing problems are beginning to be taken car of. The assitant office manager is always available on the phone on weekdays if they are in the sister property, Post Wilson Building, and the property manager is also always available via phone. While the activities at the Mill are not nearly as frequent at the activities at other Post Uptown properties historically, they just hired a new CARES committee that is hosting events on the property. The annual big activities that they do have (July 4th party and Loft Tour) are loads of fun. I love getting together with my neighbors.<br><br>The disadvantages are graffiti in the elevator (which they've repaired but I don't anticipate it staying for long), a so-so laundry room (very few lofts have hookups), and there is no shopping anywhere near the place where I feel safe enough to drive by and get just basic groceries, like milk or eggs. The walls are a little thin, and I've had good neighbors and loud neighbors in the 2 units I've lived in, so it's kind of hit-and-miss there. Right now I have a great next-door neighbor and it makes my life much easier on that front. However, I'm not 100% positive, but I feel pretty secure in saying that my new upstairs neighbor likes to bowl in Dutch wooden clogs at night in his loft.<br><br>One thing to be aware of is that none of the units have separate bedrooms, and all units only come with one bathroom. It's a perfectly fine setup for a single person or a married/cohabitating couple, but it is a lousy setup for roommates or children because of the open nature of the units. My husband and I find it to be a good setup. Another thing that is unique about the lofts is that it is what is considered a "raw loft." The finish-out of the lofts is minimal, which means basic fixtures, appliances, and cabinets. However, because of the open structure of the loft, it is an optimum layout to do any kind of set-up or decorating you want, so the minimalist decor works well with any kind of decorating you choose to do.<br><br>One other disadvantage about the property is that while the complex is safe, the neighborhood itself is quite shady, and I would feel uncomfortable walking a dog in the neighborhood if I had one. But I have cats, so it's not an issue. And I do see people walk dogs right around the block or so near our lofts, so apparently there are dog-owners who don't have a problem with the neighborhood.<br><br>The loft prices are higher than apartments, but much cheaper than many of the lofts in the area. If you can get $1 a square foot or lower, you're getting a good deal. Anything higher and you should check out another unit or try to negotiate.<br><br>My lease is over in October 2004 and we are relocating. The #1 reason we're relocating is the neighborhood. I want to be able to walk around the block. Also, where we are moving is more finished out. While I have always loved the minimalist finish-out of these lofts, I miss being able to take a bath (their bathtubs SUCK). I would recommend this loft to people who love the building and don't need to have a neighborhood structure to make their living experience happy.