I absolutely love living at the Calais!!!
Other than the great location that is mentioned in many of the reviews, there are tons of other great reasons!
1. The floor plans and layouts are huge compared to a lot of the other choices in midtown, downtown and surrounding areas. The finishes are great as well! I have stained concrete, which I am obsessed with, but they also have great hardwood type floors. There is crown molding galore and wonderful arches through the apartments. I enjoy the high ceilings as well. The blinds are all wood, not the cheapo stuff. Good cabinets, not cheap either. Tons of storage space everywhere! I also appreciate that this doesn't have the "modern" style of a loft. It isn't cold but rather inviting. It looks like a home!
2. The staff. I can not tell you how happy I am with the office staff, manager, and maintenance. Everyone actually cares and wants to make things right. They take ownership and fix things quickly. They are all always smiling as well! I enjoy stopping by just to say hello! I really have never found such a caring team! I am so grateful to have them! As most of you know, the staff can make or break a place so having such a fantastic team is a huge plus in my book!
3. Package acceptance!!!! Most places no longer let packages be left in the office. Not the Calais!! Not only do they accept packages, they have a full system in place! The package lady (I am awful with names, so sorry!) is so kind and wonderful! She is very organized! When you receive a package there, it gets scanned in, labeled and organized in the package room. You get a text and an email letting you know it has arrived. You then go to the office and sign for it! It is so wonderful! No more missing packages or missed deliveries because you aren't home! I am so grateful that this complex does this!
4. Amenities! So the Calais has your basics: a brand new gym, an office for residents with apple computers, a common room with a kitchen ect. All of which have been recently redone but even before they were very well kept and never in of work.
What really sets the Calais apart is the outdoor spaces! The have completely redone the inside of building two! It has TVs, huge gas grills, and hammocks!!! Building 3 has a wonderful dog park, but not just any dog park! It basically has an outdoor living room attached with a giant TV and a huge grill. It also has like a counter/buffet added as well as great outdoor seating! Building one has the pool with a brand new gazebo with another big tv and a huge built in grill area. The furniture is all new with loungers as well as outdoor living room type furniture for gatherings. They are redoing the actual pool but are waiting on permits! It will be bigger!
Aside from just the community spaces, the Calais also keeps all the plants fresh and kept. The plants are changed with the seasons and I always look forward to see the new designs!
5. Parking! Unlike most midtown complexes, and frankly most complexes in Houston, parking is not an issue. Each apartment gets one assigned spot. What sets the Calais apart is that there is always tons of open spaces for guest parking! It is never a problem or issue to have guests. I also enjoy that parking is right below your building which provides quick and easy access to your apartment without getting into the elements or walking terribly far between buildings.
6. More updates coming! They are continuing with updating the complex. They have repainted outside and done many things in the communal areas, but they are starting to paint the inside hallways and doors as well. They are constantly working to improve and update this older complex. It certainly doesn't feel old!
7. All of the electrical outlets! There is literally one on every wall. Have a foot and half wall, let's put an outlet there. It is so nice not to have to hunt down an outlet and there is always one convenient to where I need it to be. This may seem odd for an apartment review, but as a techie, I love this feature! We do have one USB outlet, but I wish we had some more. The current one is in the kitchen, it would be better in the living room or bedrooms honestly.
8. I feel extremely safe here. I have lived all over Houston and the burbs, but I have never felt as safe at an apartment as I do at the Calais. It doesn't really even feel like an apartment complex. Great lightening, secured building access to the apartments and garages, visitors have to use a code that calls you and there is a safety office you can call at any time. I have never needed to, but I hear he is a great guy! I can walk around my building and in between the buildings at all hours of the night and day and never feel like I have to be on my A game guarding myself. Yes, I keep an eye out like you would in any public place, but it really is a great area in midtown.
Conclusion:
The Calais also has some nice resident events, which is a nice touch! And honestly, location is a huge plus, but there are so many other great things about this complex. You have tons of choices in and around Midtown to choose from, but I highly recommend visiting and checking this place out. It really is a breath of fresh air from the other complexes I have lived at or toured in the Midtown area.
