METRO 5514

ijholmes

Resident • 2013 - 2014

So as you've probably seen in the other reviews, if you're looking for a place to stay, do not move here. This is a terrible place to live. Yes the apartments are big for the price, but look at what the apartment doesn't offer compared to what is normal by most apartment means now days. Don't listen to the 5 star rating that people here are hired or ask to come give reviews, because like the idiot above that did the last post, gave negatives, yet still gave the place a 5/5? Right....... Anyways. You have little to no amenities at all. No balcony, no pool, no work out room, NOTHING at all. I rather pay the extra 200 bucks for the nicer apartments closer to the med center and have all of those for a slightly smaller place. One of the major things here im sure you can read through is the internet. There is nothing but a balls slow internet company here that you will get no higher than 2-3mb/s. Yet you pay almost the amount that you would have for comcast. The biggest problem with this, is not only to find out that they were under contract, but was the fact that the management LIED to everyone here for months, to get people to move in. When i was looking here the management told me they were getting comcast very soon, and they even believed that a resident has already gotten comcast already. You can find other reviews to where people were told this same lie. Well good thing, because i stated my mom works for comcast, so i asked her if this is true. She looked up the property and said Cityside (skyview at the time) has never even attempted to contact them about their services. There would be a record. So that put a terrible taste in my mouth that i didnd't find this out until a month after i signed my lease. Since my job and school require me to have a decent internet connection. I had to go out and buy a 4GLTE hotspot from Verizon and pay 120 more bucks a month JUST for the internet, because i was lied to initially. Management also responds on earlier reviews saying they were going to have faster internet up by october of last year? HAHAHAHAH that hasn't happened at all. the internet is still balls slow. Also, when i moved in management said the new gate system would be working within weeks, because i was getting tired of sitting in pile ups at the gate, or if you had a visitor you had to drive out of the apartments and back in with your key, and drive back then. It was the most annoying process i've ever had with an apartment. So management again told a lie, and kept dragging it on. I signed my lease in May, the gate situation didn't get fixed until october. People who already lived there said they had been lied to about this for more than a year, which is crazy. The dishonesty within this complex is ridiculous. Don't be fooled by the big space, i had rats in my apartments. They were leaving droppings while i wasn't home. So i called the office, and you know what the office told me? Come by so you can get some rat traps. thats all they could do. and the "traps" were traps at all, all they were was a sticky pad to try to catch them on. I also had a bad roach problem, after having them spray my apartment 4 times, i finally stopped seeing roaches on the daily. The apartments are very unsafe. If you aren't somewhere to where you can see your car ALWAYS check on it. My girlfriend, who basically lives with me was parked out in the visitor side over night, the next day someone had broken into her car and stole all of her stuff. These apartments have no cameras, so your safety protection is little to none. Maintenance is a joke. I had issues with both my washer and dryer and had the maintenance guy come out to look. The guy didn't speak english and just told me that the dryer and washer were working fine, when they obviously weren't. my dryer took 4-5 cycles to completely dry my clothes, and the washer was so cheap it wouldn't even rotate my clothes while they were being washed. Yet the maintenance guys said it was fine. The only goods i can say about the apartments is that its a good size, and when i signed at the time, was a good price. They just sent me a letter wanting me to resign and pay almost 100$ more in rent this time. i laughed my --- off so hard that they would have the nerve to ask me to renew. I'll be moving out as soon as my last months rent is paid. Instead of paying the 850 they want for a renew, i'll pay another 150 and get a luxury apartment down closer to the medical center. take this as a warning, don't waste your time here. There are a lot of fake short reviews that try to boost the recommendation level, but please learn to look past whats fake and whats real.

Current Resident 3393

Resident • 2014

I apologize for the negative reviews this apartment community has been receiving. Ok. I received an rent increase as well but I also understand that when I moved in Spring of 2013, the price I was quoted for a 2 bedroom was awesome. Did I suspect I wouldn't get an increase. Was I surprised I got a big increase, no. Even at the rate I was quoted for a lease renewal, was good for a 2 bedroom apartment. The square footage is outrageous. I must say and not to mention the area, where I need to be because of my job. It's the best place to live for the price price and square foot. I cannot afford to live in the medical center or midtown Houston. The apartment complex maintains very clean. You his the older gentleman always picking up grounds. I do see furniture that residents leave around the dumpster area (I have witness this) but its removed on a regular basis and timely manner. The train can be annoying, which I did notice when I applied and figured I would have to deal with the noise. Big issue, Internet. I understand, it's was the previous owners agreement. Stop crying people, there other alternatives. Did you not see the satellite plate that was installed to receive faster Internet. I received a notice as well. The only time you want to come on this web page is when you have something negative to say...grow up folks. This this a nice place to live. Go visit the community that looks like this one down the street and compare. There isn't a comparison. Cityside Crossing is a nice place to live.

Current Resident 902798

Resident • 2013 - 2014

I moved into the apartments last summer (2013) and I can't recommend these apartments to anyone. I constantly smell cigarette smoke in our bathroom and laundry room despite the fact that I don't smoke, the hot water will run out in about 30 minutes of use. The apartments are poorly insulated. In the summer the air conditioning will be on 24/7 but it'll still be around 80 in the apartment. And, as you've probably seen in 90% of the negative views the internet situation is horrendous. I am currently using Clear and, while better than Access Media 3 it's ridiculously slow. If you use the internet for anything at all expect loading times that make it nearly unusable. It seems like every tenant threatening to move out gets the same useless response from the management. It's so hilariously fake that they'll start it with "dear anonymous" (let's see if they even read these reviews). There's dog ---- in almost every grass covered area and during the week expect either a complete lack of parking spaces or parking only in barely lit areas along a wooden fence. The road exiting the apartments is one way and, before the first intersection, is crossed by train tracks. Several times a day trains will cross the intersection and just stop. They'll wait for up to an hour before moving enough to allow traffic through. The gate does absolutely nothing to prevent people from coming in when they have no reason being here. If you want in just sit and wait 5 minutes for someone to open the gate for you. It'll be poem long enough for you to get in and absolutely no one will ask what you're doing there. The only positive things I have to say about these apartments is that they're really big. And that's it. I'll be taking my money elsewhere as soon as possible.

tooblessed33

Resident • 2008 - 2014

I've lived her 6 years and the rent is ridiculous. We went from paying $850-1,025 a month. These people are crazy as hell. The floors are weak in spots, the carpet is old, the trains block the track daily you have to wait anywhere from 20-30 to cross or et into the gate, and they have enough nerves to try go up on rent. They are basing these price off the metrorail. They are jacking up the price, moving in students from U of H, and relying on them to catch the rail to and from school. There are older residents that have been there longer than we have and they are mad as hell about the rent situation. They should allowed there old tenants to continue to pay their present rent amount and allow incoming tenants to pay the new rent amount. It's a money thing. The area is not worth the amount they are charging, and the cable and internet don't work, everytime a plane go by the cable pause and the internet is slow as a turtle.

Prospective Resident 527512

Prospect • Visited 2013 - 2014

I was seconds away from signing my lease but upon finding out that I could not get comcast internet and cable I had to reconsider. It's unfortunate because I really liked the complex but I am a comcast employee and recieve free internet & cable. I refuse to pay $200 a month for services I recieve free. Its a really unfortunate and I believe illegal situation since it seems the complex requires you only use their specified internet & cable service.

unhappy1911

Resident • 2013 - 2014

I lived in these apartments for nine months. The internet sucked, wasn't even worth paying for. They kept saying for NINE months that the internet was getting faster and they were getting with comcast (lies). Nothing ever changed. I moved into these apartments because they had a lot of space, came with washer and dryer (that we had to have replaced the day we moved in because it was rusty and didn't work. I would like to note that we asked to have it changed out before we moved in and they said no because there was no reason to. Well it didn't work anyway so they had to change it out.) None of the reasons stated above was worth moving there. After nine months of living there, my apartment got broken into while I was working. Someone had smashed in my bedroom window and stole a ton of electronics. I went to the office to talk to the manager, that day. When I walked into the office the manager was standing there and another person walked up and started talking to me. While I was telling her what happened the manager whispered something in her ear and walked out. The person I was talking to then informed me that the manager, who I JUST SAW, was TOO BUSY to talk to me. I asked, "So my apartment just got broken into and I can't even talk to the manager?" The woman's response was, "Well ma'am, everyone has problems that are just as important as yours. She will call you." I was infuriated. All they did was board up my window and left all the broken glass inside my apartment. I didn't get to talk to the manager for three days and when I finally did she told me that she assumed I would be breaking my lease and these were the terms to break it, etc... Needless to say after that unprofessionalism and the down right inconsiderate nature of the Manager, I left and never looked back. Yeah it is on my credit right now that I owe them 3K!!! It was worth it though to get out of that situation. This is a fair warning to anyone who wants to move in...please don't do it. They will screw you and you will have problems the entire time you live there. These apartments should be torn down and everyone who works in the front office should be fired. In my opinion. To the manager that screwed me over and was too busy for three days to talk to me...Karma is a B****. Also, trying to talk to corporate is like trying to talk to a brick wall. It won't happen. I have a documented log of how many times I have called and have never spoken with anyone or recieved a call back.

Current Resident 195967

Resident • 2013

I am in disbelief with the Internet reviews. With today's technology, really? I moved here 6 months ago because of the square footage. It's the best place in the area for the price and again square footage. I was told they are working on it. It's not the complex fault, they inherited a contract from the previous company. Some people are so clueless and and a waste of society time. I have the same issues with Internet and I'm sure everyone out there have smartphones. Heck, I use my hotspot which every smartphone has. Hello folks, use your hot spot. Overall this is a great place to live. Management has the property clean. The ladies in the office are nice and helpful. I see the manager walking all the time, she has helped with carrying my groceries. Again, this place is great living for the price and square footage. Folks use your hotspot

Current Resident 969826

Resident • 2013

The only issue I have is with the internet. Their exclusive contract with Access Media 3 provides the slowest internet imaginable. Can't even watch videos. Management says high-speed internet is just around the corner. That's what their supposed to say. Their job is to get you to sign on the dotted line. They'll say whatever you want to hear. This is what they told me back in June: "Comcast is coming. We're in talks with them. We're going to break the contract we have with AM3." Then after I've already moved in, they said, no they're not going to break the contract. Comcast is not coming. Go back and read the earlier reviews from the summer, and you'll see a discussion of this. The truth is, as I learned, is that they have an exclusive contract with AM3 that will expire "sometime in 2015." So residents are stuck with them for awhile. Bottom line: If you value internet, don't sign the lease until high-speed internet is up and running. Don't fall for the yeah in a couple of weeks. This issue has been festering since this company took over last December. To be fair, maybe it's not their fault. They took over the contract when they took over the property. The part that is their fault is how they mislead prospective residents about how the internet issue is going to be resolved shortly. To the manager that will reply to this message, can you please not cut and paste a response? Address this issue of deception by your employees or possibly yourself. You guys have been, if not lying, wrong about how quickly the internet will get fixed. Own that please. I'm no genius but if the idiots at AM3 have taken a year and still can't manage to give us high-speed internet, it's not going to happen. They are going to get paid regardless. They have an exclusive contract. There's not much incentive for them to do much. This is the argument against communism. Something else for tenants and prospective tenants to consider, many management companies like this one go around renovating complexes and then sell them to another company to turn a large profit. In other words, they're not in this for the long haul and will say anything to give us hope, then they'll leave and a new company will come in, saying the same thing. "Oh we're different, we'll really fix things, not like that last horrible management company." there are many things i think we can do about this unfair situation. all of which involve being a nuisance to management. only then does management take you seriously. that's how change happens. i'm going to think about this over the next few weeks, and i'll come up with some ideas. but one obvious thing to do is to continue to express your dissatisfaction on this review guide. My suggestion, though some might not agree, is when you post your review, give them the lowest rating possible on everything. Their approval rating is around 45%. That's way too high. Let's bring this down. Some reviewers just look at the number, don't read through the reviews. You can preface your review with something like,"The low ratings I gave for each category do not accurately reflect how I feel about this complex, yet I felt compelled to give the lowest rating possible to call attention to the major issue tenants are facing--ridiculously slow internet." I believe there are enough people who live in this large complex who feel similarly, and I think it's time we start fighting back.

Current Resident 987523

Resident • 2013

My lease will be up in a few months and while the space is very large and close to UH, I'm definitely choosing not to renew. Not even just because of the large rent increase, but because the internet service here is atrocious and shows no signs of getting better. When I first moved in, most of the units around me were empty. So the connection (which everyone on the property shares) was slow already. But then at the beginning of the fall semester, a bunch of folks moved in and now it's a nightmare. To "stream" a twenty-ish minute episode of a show via Netflix I have to wait about 10-15 minutes for the thing to buffer before I can watch. And then it will only buffer about 5 minute chunks at a time. It's like you're living in the late 1990s with this siutation. Thanks but no thanks. Access Media (Ygnition) is a joke. There's no way to take advantage of streaming video or gaming when living here. Youv'e been warned.

Current Resident 921121

Resident • 2013

I recently moved in and Rosland has been very sweet & extremely helpful. The apartments are very spacious and seem pretty safe. The only disadvantage is the internet speed. It is SLOW! Maintenance has been very prompt and they do a good job. So far I'm really enjoying living here. Read more: http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/TX-Houston-Cityside-Cr

Current Resident 880697

Resident • 2013

I recently moved in and Rosalind & Regina have been very sweet & helpful. I have a 1 bedroom/1 bath & it's huge! So far I'm really enjoying living here.

Current Resident 668564

Resident • 2013

I recently moved here from Miami. The staff here was extremely professional. They accommodated me with the utmost courtesy. My move in was quick. The staff was very knowledgable in regard to my concerns about safety, Internet and cable. They made me feel right at home the minute I got here. I couldn't ask for a better interaction. Also anytime I have a question or a problem they are expident with an answer or remedy to resolve my issue. I can't thank Erika Rubio enough for making thins such a pleasant move. The facility is well kept and the maintance staff are nice.. Sincerely JH

kimmy5237

Resident • 2013

Well we took months trying to find a good apartment for our daughter while she attends college downtown and she found cityside loved the layout but was lied to about the horrible interent service,my daughter needs the high speed internet service for certain homework,and Regina said the company had just installed 3 new satellites well that dont help with the interent service they provide very disappointed with that.I hope the owner of these apartments understand we need better service,Well on a better note we only been here 2weeks not much to complain about hope it stays that way but Regina and Rosyln was very nice....oh yeah and do something with all these CATS!!!Need better lighting all the trees has grown over the lights on the buildings too dark.

Current Resident 608951

Resident • 2013

I said 'Yes' for recommending this place--but just barely. And theres really only one POTENTIAL reason for me at least why I would say yes to this property. If it wasn't for this reason--I'd say stay clear from this place! But I'll get into what I think --at least for me--is the POTENTIAL saving grace for this property later. I'm going to try and do a fair review. I think I'll try and expand on some of the star ratings I gave as well as some other points. It'll probably be a long review--but if you're a person like me who thinks the more info on a property the better--then you're a smart and cautious renter-- and you should listen up. Parking: It's good. I feel like there are some places that are well lit but then other parts could be a tad better lit. But as far as having enough parking spaces--there seems to be plenty. Grounds: pretty well kept for the most part. Seems like some dumpsters have an overflow pretty quickly while others aren't full most of the time. In some parts of the complex-- there seems to be a couple of residents who constantly just--i mean I guess they eat in the parking lot instead of entering their apartment because I'll see bags and containers from fast food places and the trash will just be in the parking lot or on the grass part of the sidewalk. Also, there are some parts of the complex where there seems to be small groups of cats and kittens. But so long as it doesn't grow into a bigger group and it doesn't start to smell like cat pee everywhere--it doesn't really bother me. Safety: Like I mentioned--seems pretty safe to me. I'd just say maybe some more lighting around certain parts of the complex would help make it feel a bit safer. But it already feels pretty safe.. Construction: everything seems to be great. Maybe my water pressure in my shower head could be a bit better but that's something that I can--and should whenever i remember--just call about for them to fix it. No bug problems at all. I'd say though the windows---I don't know...the panes seem a bit thin...I just feel like it really lets in a lot of noises. I mean I think the first day I thought I was missing windows because of the noises I would hear. but perhaps the windows are just fine but that it could simply be due to another factor--which I'll hit on later. Maintenance: It wasn't until like the 4th day when I moved in I think that I finally had stopped eating out for a bit and actually cooked and had some dishes to finally be cleaned. I loaded my dishwasher but when I came to close the door up--it wouldn't. It seems like it was off it's hinge or something. Anyway, when I finally got around to reporting the issue--it was fixed pretty much right away. Whenever I think about an apartment, I like to get into the complex and talk to residents there to get a feel for the place and to get their honest opinion. Because sometimes with these online reviews either they're way old or it's just some pissed off A-hole who had one little tiny thing go wrong with the apartment and just write off the apartment completely. So who better to get honest opinions than from the people who actually live there. When I would ask about maintenance, all the people I spoke with said that maintenance issues were handled really well and timely. Seems to be true so far. Staff: I'd say for the most part--everyone's been at least nice to me. So that's good. Regina is very nice. I had an issue that Joy was able to handle really well. Haven't really had much dealings with Erica or Roselyn so can't say much. I'd say they're all nice but that sometimes---it seems like maybe memos are being missed/not issued/misunderstood. Case in Point: Internet issue. I will get to that later though. So everything so far is really nice. Now lets move on to what I think are the two issues that I think most people have. Noise level and Internet. On top of that, I think I would have just one or two more issues to address. Noise: Now this issue actually doesn't bother me really. I mean it does. But I mean--I knew what I was getting into. I'm talking mainly of course about the train. Here's the thing--it's a train. And it's right there! I mean this is just a matter of Buyer Beware I think. I'm not really quite sure about some people thinking that the train passing wasn't going to be loud. But here's the thing--it's really just the horn in my opinion. and that honestly seems to only last ..meh..1 minute. if that. More like 30 seconds. After that the horn stops and I can barely here the rest of the train passing on the tracks. And I don t feel my apartment shaking at all when it runs by but that could be because I live on the 3rd floor. So for me--the train is not that big of issue. I mean I'd say in terms of frequency---it varies at certain parts of the day but I'd say in a given hour---we're talking maybe 2-4 trains. sometimes a little more. sometimes a little less. but like I said--for me it's just the horn that's the loudest but that's only about a minute if that and I just turn up the volume a little bit more on my music or on netflix. And when the train is not here--i mean I fee like it's actually a pretty quiet scene all around. I think because there's no patios and what not there's no real reason for people to be out and about and be really loud. That's why I rated "occasionally noisy" on the star rating. I've read on other reviews that the planes are loud too....meh. I honestly don't notice it anymore. So that's my take. I feel like you had to know there was going to be some noises from the train when you were looking at the place. But it's all about factoring in what you value more right? Not having to handle Noise level for a minute or two a couple times an hour. or sucking it up and paying for a pretty decent amount of space for an apartment with an awesome layout for a pretty decent price. and If you're kind of laid back like me, you kinda find a way to roll with it to find that it's not THAT bad. but hey--for other people it may be different and that's just how it goes. Before I move on to the Internet... Getting in: You'll notice that when you drive to the place--you're more than likely come from 610 south. And the obvious fastest way to get to the complex from 610 would be to exit Long/Griggs and Wayside. And then You'd go up Griggs and then boom ideally you would just turn into the apartment complex. nope. You'll find that they are expanding the light rail on that straight. Which I'm actually kinda looking forward to. But I guess what puzzled me is how it doesn't seem like they are making a way to cross from one side of griggs road to the other side of griggs road. In other words, there's no easy medium (I think that's what they're called) to turn into and then simply turn right into the apartment. There doesn't seem to be one developing on that whole street. I think they're doing a pedestrian crossing but nothing for a car to turn into if you want to easily get on the other side of the road i.e. the apartment complex, library, post office. nothing. You have to go all the way to M.L. King to do a U-turn (and even then--there's a sign that says you can't but everyone does anyway) ...do the u-turn and then you can enter the complex that way. Now--yes--we're talking an additional--what--4-5 minutes driving time. big whoop. but i mean it just kinda bothers me that none of the "builders" or engineers didn't think to include this somehow in the plans. I mean even in downtown---one doesn't need to go all the way to end of main street to do a u-turn to get to the other side of main street/downtown. So that's kind of a bummer. But again--buyer beware right? It's not like I didn't see the building of the light rail when I first visited. Of course not. And in making my decision for these apartments---factoring closeness to work, hermann park, price, sq ft, etc. i decided that for ME--I can get over that fact and I can just simply add on another 4 minutes to my drive time. but hey that's me. if you think that's something that'll bother you-probably don't live here. Okay--on to my last and BIGGEST issue I take with this place and then I'll explain what I think is the saving grace...potentially. Internet: ....There's not enough swear words in the dictionary to describe how horrible I hate this place soley because of the internet. It's absolutely ridiculous. Let me start from the beginning. When reading the reviews to this place--they were all eh pretty favorable. with someone being upset at this thing and another person with another thing. One thing though that was unanimous--the internet here is god awful. So of course I inquire about this to the leasing agent I had met. "I hear very bad things about the internet here. This is a major major concern of mine. I need fast internet. Don't use tv. I use netflix and the internet to get tv. I need internet." The woman straight up said--well actually in August they had just installed 3 new satellites and just recently in the beginning of October they --I'm paraphrasing here--"flipped on the switch" to offer significantly higher speeds. With that I said great. Next week, I go to turn my deposit and application, I ask again..."I know you told me last week but I want to make sure there's high speeds available. Because that really is in my mind kind of a deal breaker. I can handle the train, the sort of obstruction of ease to get into the complex. As long as I have fast internet, I really don t care. Once again she said no worries. They offer the higher speeds. No problem. Now I don t think I m stupid. I obviously know that leasing agent this woman---is gonna try to say anything to have me sign on the dotted line. But her statement had seemed to correspond to another statement made by a manager on this very website. So I said great. I signed the lease. Thinking okay If I have great speed internet then I can get over the little hiccups of this place and be cool with everything. Well when I call to sign up for internet and ask them to give me the highest internet speed that's offered--imagine my surprise when they come back and tell me okay that'll be the "high power speed" which is 3mbps. ".....no no no. There must be some mistake. I was told on more than one occasion that the property now offers way higher speeds than that." NOPE. Apparently according to the internet company 3 mbps was the fastest they had and at the time they didn't really have anything showing that a deal was on the table to offer higher speeds. Well I'm just furious. 3mbps. What the hell can you do with that?!?! Barely watch netflix with a few freezes for buffering and thats it. And thats if you're getting the full 3. But what are you gonna do. One needs to have internet. Clear wouldve been my next option but learned that they don't do unlimited anymore. Lets put it this way--just 12 gigs a month will set you back like $80. Yeah. So I get the internet--and wow . In case I didn't mentioned it. The property has like a deal with this company called allaccessmedia 3. You can basically only get your internet from that company, att, or clear. This internet company is the worst. It leads me to think--did the people running the show at the time ever even think to test the services from this company before signing a contract that makes all its own tenants to use their services. Ridiculous! It is straight up the worst internet company ever. And I think it reflects very poorly on this complex and the people who run it. This company is god awful! Say what you will about the customer representatives of ATT and Comcast---but hey I ll put up with them if it means in the end I ll get higher speeds that ll let met watch a youtube videos quickly rather than the 15 minutes it currently takes to watch a 1-2 min youtube video. First off--you'll be on hold FOREVER! They don't have a person you can chat with online. They don't have anything really. After holding forever you'll be lucky to talk to someone without an attitude or a condescending tone. Heres what I paid for. I got to pay for 3 mbps at basically 33 bucks a month. I got to pay an activation fee which was some guy plugging the modem from the wall and all but took 10 mins tops. I got to pay 35 bucks for that. I got to lay for a rental of their modem. And I still get to pay for a wireless router. Yep. Where comcast and attt will allow you to 3-4xthe speed at the ssme price and their modems are ALSO wireless outers too. With this company? Nope. If you want to be on the toilet while on reddit or stumbleupon-you out of luck unless you fork over what is it? 50-100 bucks for a wireless router. So i paid a total of about 75 bucks this weekend and i haven't seen ANYTHING AT ALL that shows me something for which i paid for. Apparently--from the internet company I called they said well all my modems work fine and this and that work fine. But because everyone is on the internet it s ultra slow. I mean we are seriously talking 0.05 mbps---if you re lucky!! I told them again! What did I pay $75 for this weekend?!? The best the manager could for me was let me rent their modem free of charge for 90 days. Oh great! Yay! I get to save what is it? 4-5 bucks/month. Wow yay..awesome. And here s the thing even though the customer service of the company is rude and awful the internet speed doesn t fall on them. It all falls on the management of this property! I mean ---I would get it if this was in the middle of nowhere Texas. Somewhere way outside of Houston. I would get it. But that s not the case here! We are inside the loop of the Energy Capital of the world ! We are mere minutes from one of the best medical centers in the world! We are mere minutes from some of the nations top schools and universities U of H, Rice, UT Houston, Baylor Medicine! To be here in this part of the city and have what essentially amounts to ZERO internet here is ABSOLUTELY CRAZY! It s crazy! It s downright ridiculous and I can t believe that this management has left it this long----look! Lets say that what management said was true. Lets say they actually had flipped the switch in October to offer high speeds. It still would ve baffled me to think---well then what the hell have people been doing all this time beforehand?!?!? I mean we aren t in 2001. This is 2013! Any apartment complex should be able to have a way for a tenant to have access to high speed internet. And If you re going to make a deal with a company that limits the choice the tenant can make regarding their internet provider well then how about---I don t know make damn sure that the company you re doing the deal with can actually provide internet throughout anytime of the day and not just after 4am when even then you re lucky to get 1.5mbps! It s crazy that we live in this part of Houston and not have access to high speed internet. I mean where is the money going? Business 101: you gotta invest some of that money back into the biz to keep people wanting more and coming back and being happy. So I m just out of luck for now it would seem. I m here thinking to myself---I only signed up because they told me they just put in high speed internet. And now that I m here, I m thinking---how in the world did anyone ever stay in the place before? Who could ever stand a place like this? And then I think---you idiot! That s probably what these people thought too. They knew this place had internet issues but when it was brought up in the initial meeting with the leasing agent they were told vehemently that the place just got upgraded and were offering significant higher speeds and then! Based on their word people signed the lease only to find that it was all a bunch of B.S. But hey I mean I guess buyer beware. But I don t know I still think that either A) there are incompetent people in the leasing office. Of B) they are very deceitful. I feel like it s one way or the other. Because the woman I had asked about the internet issue straight up just lied to me even though I had asked on multiple occasions OR she is kind of clueless and didn t really understand what the company meant by future upgrades. So! The Saving grace .potentially. When I first learned that what the leasing agent had told me was basically full of B.S., I connected with the District Manager of the Property. I basically told her listen i ONLY signed up because I was lead to believe that the internet problem had been fixed and that I would be able to have access to really high speeds of internet. Well basically she told me that unfortunately due to weather delays and what not it was supposed to be done in October but now she was thinking that it was more than likely going to happen by the end of November by the latest. I had asked in one way or another---to just give it to me straight. No b.s. are you telling me the truth or is it more likely that the higher speeds will be offered once we see the 2014 world Series? I didn t say that part but still. Well, she said that she was being honest and that she really does expect to have the higher speeds available by the end of November at the latest but possibly even sooner than that. So I took what she said with a grain of salt. Later, I actually called the internet company and asked about this supposed order for higher speeds for this property. At first they said they had no idea what I was talking about. No order according to them. But since I kept having internet problems everyday---I would call everyday. And even though they never helped me much with the internet problem itself I would ask is there an update on faster internet? And always I would get no. until two days ago. Finally! The manager said yeah it looks like this property is in the process of getting significant higher speeds really soon. So with that I mean I guess I just have to go on faith right? What else is there to do? But it would seem like the higher speed thing is coming to fruition. We ll have to see. I will definitely come back here to give an update by Dec. to let everyone about the internet situation. So that s the thing. For ME at least---if this internet situation gets resolve soon---and I mean SOON and I m able to get ultra high speed internet then I would say that for ME I can forget about the trains, the noise, the ill-lit parking lots, the cats, the obstruction of passage, everything! I would forget it all and say yes, this place is worth living here. But without the internet this place just seems like a pitiful place to be in. If I can come home after a long day of work and whip up a meal and sit down and watch Michael Scott make an idiot of himself while I StumbleUpon on my phone I ll be one happy camper. But only IF! And look I know it may sound sad and ridiculous to put this much emphasis on the internet speeds here and to be very upset about not being able to watch Hulu or Netflix----and to those people I would say---when nearly a third of all internet traffic comes from Netlix and where Netflix accounts for 89% of streaming tv shows to those people I would say shut your face and go to hell. And to management I would ask---are you even listening? I mean I should flat out say no to this place as a recommendation! But I'm giving this place the benefit of the doubt. Please fix the internet! and not next year. not in 6 months. not at the beginning of 2014. NOW! NOW! NOW! Long review. Oh boy. Let me know what you thought. Too long? Uh-duh. But was it helpful? Fellow tenants---agree? Disagree? Wanna get together to sharpen our pitchforks and prepare our torches over some milk and cookies? Let me know. I m always down getting to know my fellow neighbors. chillguyx@gmail.com. This was 6 pages with single space in Word. 3,689 words .jeez

starshine133456

Resident • 2013

I recently moved into these apartments since they where so close to u of h, and i agree that the staff will say anything to get you to sign a lease. I made it clear my biggest issue was internet since i am a college student, and i was assured that they were in process of getting comcast and it would be availiabe a couple months into move in. four months later and they cannot give me a straight answer.The internet i have only works at about 4am and the rest of the time it takes almost 10 minuets to load a 1 to 2 minute video, and im paying almost 120 bucks a month to have internet and cable that doesnt work. another thing is they changed the pet weight limit to under 25 pounds suddenly and without any notice. There is a major bug issue and the roaches i can live with, but the biggest problem i have is fire ants I literally have crawl around my aprartment without touching the floor. My ac was broken the day i moved in and took them 6 hours to fix and now weekly my ac goes out and i have no ac for days, and the walls seem to haven been paintd with chalk; the paint literally comes off with water or just rubbing it. The grounds are not kept up with; there is trash everywhere and the dumers always have trash scattered around them. The trains amd planes are awful, whenever a train goes by the apartment shakes and i can feel the noise because it is so loud and the whenever a plane goes over to hobby airport, which is close, my cable stops working and thats like every 10 minuets. the only nice thing about these apartments is the price and size, but honestly you get what you pay for.

Current Resident 553740

Resident • 2013

I moved in here August 2013 and it has been a complete disaster since I've gotten here. What lured me to the apartment complex was the location being that I am a student at UH and also how nice and big they were, but boy did I make a BIG mistake. The people in the front office are rude, unhelpful and liars. Erica is the worst on she will tell you anything to get you moved in, Joi is new and doesn't really know anything and Rosalyn has her days when she's nice or wants to be a complete B word. When I moved I noticed there were train track up the road from the apartment and asked Erica how active were the trains, she assured me that the track were very old and hardly ever active. That was a lie. My apartment is in the back of the complex and I hardly get any sleep at night due to the loud trains passing by 2-5 times EVERY night rattling ever thing in my apartment!! It literally feels like an earthquake. Bugs are another big issue here when I first moved in I had to have pest control come in back to back because bugs were every where and not just roaches. Speaking of when I moved in the gave me the key without my apartment even being completely ready, It wasn't cleaned and bugs were all over the place completely disgusting. Yet another lie from Erica and Joi, they told me that pest control had already went in and that they had housekeeping stop by and it was all ready for me to move in. There was no way possible for either of the two had been there once I walked in. The list goes I could probably write a book, but the point is don't let the great price of these apartments fool you they are not worth it at all, if I could get out of my lease today I would do it with no hesitation. LASTLY I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IF YOU ARE A STUDENT DON'T MOVE HERE THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT I HAVE IS INTERNET CONNECTION NO MAJOR PROVIDERS WILL SERVE THIS LOCATION THE ONLY REAL OPTION YOU HAVE IS CLEAR INTERNET WHICH SUCK. BEING A STUDENT HAVING INTERNET IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT SO UNLESS YOU WANT TO GO TO THE LIBRARY EVERY TIME YOU NEED THE INTERNET. I WOULDN'T SUGGEST THESE APARTMENTS TO ANYBODY!

experienced_renter89

Resident • 2013

I put a review on here earlier...this was part of the manager response... "We have repaired the visitor access in the gate system. For more information to grant community access to your visitors from your phone, please contact our local management office at 713.847.8303 if you are continuing to experience issues utilizing the system. We also have a new manager at Cityside Crossing, her name is Thelma and we encourage to stop by and meet her!" So what I get from this... 1. The person who is responding as the manager doesn't actually work in these apartments so they really have no idea how it is run or what is actually going on here. How dissapointing. 2. I contacted the office and they told me that whoever entered my phone number for the gate to call my phone so I can press 9 to let people in, typed it in wrong!! In fact they also told me that this happened to many people so my name was added to a long list for this to get fixed, with no time line as to when this would get fixed. In fact, the office doesn't do anything, it is through a separate company so I guess whenever they get around to it. If there is going to be a "manager" response to this then I would love to actually hear from the manager of the apartments and not a corporate person who has no idea of the situation in these apartments. Hey corporate "manager", it might be a good idea to go check out the apartments here and see what is going on if there are this many bad reviews over a place that has your name attached to it. "there are many things i think we can do about this unfair situation. all of which involve being a nuisance to management. only then does management take you seriously. that's how change happens. i'm going to think about this over the next few weeks, and i'll come up with some ideas. but one obvious thing to do is to continue to express your dissatisfaction on this review guide. My suggestion, though some might not agree, is when you post your review, give them the lowest rating possible on everything. Their approval rating is around 45%. That's way too high. Let's bring this down. Some reviewers just look at the number, don't read through the reviews. You can preface your review with something like,"The low ratings I gave for each category do not accurately reflect how I feel about this complex, yet I felt compelled to give the lowest rating possible to call attention to the major issue tenants are facing--ridiculously slow internet." I believe there are enough people who live in this large complex who feel similarly, and I think it's time we start fighting back."

Current Resident 569025

Resident • 2013

The staff at this apartment was very helpful (Regina Savage). They helped me find an apartment ASAP! I'm a new student at UH and the commute will be less than two miles. Great location. Keep up the great work over there CSC.

Current Resident 297868

Resident • 2013

I put a review on here earlier...this was part of the manager response... "We have repaired the visitor access in the gate system. For more information to grant community access to your visitors from your phone, please contact our local management office at 713.847.8303 if you are continuing to experience issues utilizing the system. We also have a new manager at Cityside Crossing, her name is Thelma and we encourage to stop by and meet her!" So what I get from this... 1. The person who is responding as the manager doesn't actually work in these apartments so they really have no idea how it is run or what is actually going on here. How dissapointing. 2. I contacted the office and they told me that whoever entered my phone number for the gate to call my phone so I can press 9 to let people in, typed it in wrong!! In fact they also told me that this happened to many people so my name was added to a long list for this to get fixed, with no time line as to when this would get fixed. In fact, the office doesn't do anything, it is through a separate company so I guess whenever they get around to it. If there is going to be a "manager" response to this then I would love to actually hear from the manager of the apartments and not a corporate person who has no idea of the situation in these apartments. Hey corporate "manager", it might be a good idea to go check out the apartments here and see what is going on if there are this many bad reviews over a place that has your name attached to it. "there are many things i think we can do about this unfair situation. all of which involve being a nuisance to management. only then does management take you seriously. that's how change happens. i'm going to think about this over the next few weeks, and i'll come up with some ideas. but one obvious thing to do is to continue to express your dissatisfaction on this review guide. My suggestion, though some might not agree, is when you post your review, give them the lowest rating possible on everything. Their approval rating is around 45%. That's way too high. Let's bring this down. Some reviewers just look at the number, don't read through the reviews. You can preface your review with something like,"The low ratings I gave for each category do not accurately reflect how I feel about this complex, yet I felt compelled to give the lowest rating possible to call attention to the major issue tenants are facing--ridiculously slow internet." I believe there are enough people who live in this large complex who feel similarly, and I think it's time we start fighting back."

SlowInternet

Resident • 2010 - 2013

Do NOT move here if you don't want to be forced to pay a ridiculous price for "high speed" internet that is slower than dial-up. You're not allowed to get it through other companies. They say they're in a contract with this company, but they've had the same company for years. How long is the contract? As more people move here, the internet gets slower and slower. You cannot watch Netflix or play online games here. Downloading a 530MB driver was estimated to take 2 days! -The big lights all around the outside of the buildings have been out for months, and it seems like it's like that for every building I've noticed. Maybe they're trying to save on electricity. -I do like the location, but be prepared to ALWAYS be stuck behind a stopped train as there are 3 train tracks right by the complex. You can hear them all night, but you get used to it quickly and wont notice it. -The maintenance has fixed repairs in a timely manner :) -The gate is a joke. You can't get in unless you have a card that must be swiped from the outside of the gate. Having company? Good luck having them come in unless you already have your phone number programmed in the system for them to dial, because they aren't adding any new ones. They do have a gate code that you can press to get in, but they won't give it the residents! LOL. -My car was broken into twice in the past years, BUT they have security now, which does make it feel safer. I like that part. -The previous management let me keep my rent price when I renewed. This management raised it as soon as they came in. Since I am on the fence about renewing my lease, if they require me to pay the newest $200 rent increase, I will be moving. -"Visitor parking" is always available close to your building, so that's good. BUT visitors must park on the side of the building where there are no windows. Thieves know this is where you can safely break into cars. Happened to mine in broad daylight. PROS: -I dont have roaches, and they will come exterminate upon request even if you just want it as a preventative measure. -Maintenance work orders are filled quickly -Erica in the office is nice and empathetic! -spacious -Nice looking on the outside, nothing special inside, but they don't look old and dirty Washer/dryer in the unit CONS -the cable and internet is expensive for such horrible packages and speeds. The cable is ALWAYS going out if you use their box (access media 3/ygnition) -Doesnt feel all that safe -They keep making promises to shut the residents up and won't give alternate options while they are making the "repairs" (ie. giving residents a gate code so they can have guests) -No pool/workout room -$200 rent increases, probably because of the location of the upcoming light rail and an attempt at gentrification in the area, but the construction theyre doing in the area leads to horrendous traffic

Evolution10

Resident • 2013

I moved in here roughly 6 months ago. I wrote a previous review when i was rather new and thought i would write another one to give you an update. Basically this entire complex is built around lies. They were called out on their lies and false promises many times already if you look throughout the reviews. The internet has probably been the most deceiving lie that ive been told. 6 months ago when i moved in, like many others they told me they were in the process of getting comcast and that even 2 or so people here were already on comscast. Well, someone here had a relative who works for comcast and called them out and said that was a lie, no surprise here at all. And theres the internet, they told me so many times that it would be running soon, if you even look up on older reviews here in a manager response to where they say that they will have better internet in OCTOBER, its now NOVEMBER and not squad ---- has been done. I had a rat in my apartment at one point and all they could do was give me sticky cheap mouse/bug things to trap it on, other than that they did nothing at all. My washer has been broke, i've had a maintenance man come out twice to look at it, and because he cant figure out whats wrong he just says its fine. When i can't even wash or dry my clothes without resetting the dryer for 4 cycles in a row. I told the people here when i moved in are they sure the internet was going to be up soon because my JOB that i use to pay rent, depends on me having a steady internet connection. 6 months later and the internet is even slower than it was before. So slow to the point to where i had to buy a hotspot from a phone company and pay overages just to have a fast internet connection. I spoke with my lawyer to see if these were grounds to break my lease, and while technically it is, it would be a long drawn out process. So last month i said screw it. They aren't letting me break my lease and rather have me lose my job, so i moved out myself. I found someone to take over payments on my apartment and they moved in and are currently living there. I couldn't stand this place anymore and the terrible management. Please anyone thinking of moving here, especially if you need fast interent, stay away from here unless you have a lettering in WRITING promising when they will have fast interent here, make sure to include that you can break your lease at any time if they do not have it. This is ridiculous. I'm sure the manager will write a response here with some BS excuse saying they are working every day on it, when in reality they are just lying to get more people to move in so they can stick it to you when you come back and complain and say "oh well you signed the lease". You're stuck here for a year. So please don't let the big places luer you in, theres many other places i wish i moved now, but now im finally at a better apartment complex. We have comcast here and its an affordable place thats 10x better than this place!

Current Resident 119060

Resident • 2013

I just moved my daughter in this past weekend. I was very happy about the care that was giving to us and felt that I was leaving her in a safe place. The apartments are really big which impressed me for the price. The staff was very friendly and worked hard getting things to run smooth for us because we were moving from a different state. I will tell anyone that no apartment will be outstanding, but I really feel that they truly did their very best to ensure that all sent well.

Current Resident 84030

Resident • 2013

The apartment is great! It is what I want; close to school and work. Easy access to 610 and I45. Friends easily come to see me because of this access. Close to Medical Center, downtown and midtown. There is a YMCA close to it and a post office. Spacious kitchen, rooms and bath. Oh my closet! almost as big as my former room. Overall, one of the leasing consultant is nice and hot! Maybe that is why I leased the place, maybe not. Come find out! But guys it is a great place.

godsblessing2013

Prospect • Visited 2013

i am currently getting ready to move in and Ms. Regina has been great in updating me and making sure that i am moving somewhere where management does care about their residents. my parents were with me when i looked at this apartment and she makes sure she not only keeps in contact with me but makes sure that my parents are reassured im taken care of. she is a genuinely nice person and i appreciate the hardwork she has put into help me.

nita2809

Resident • 2013

pros: HUGE apartments for the price close the MEDICAL CENTER (and LIGHTRAIL coming soon)..though I (as woman) woulnd't stand out there waiting for it alone or walk alone from the stop to my apartment at night LOTS of parking close to FREEWAY (610) Negatives: UNSAFE neighborhood (and no lighting inside the apartment complex) BUGS no HIGH SPEED internet available (I called EVERY COMPANY, believe me!) I just cancelled by Hulu account because I am no able to watch it. :-( NOTE: I tried to move out and they would not let me out of my lease. they said i had to pay a reletting fee, pay back my special, they would keep my security deposit and pet deposit, and then ....I would come back every month (after I moved out) and pay the rent on the empty apartment until someone else rented it. ...I'm still there.