Metropolis

NOTE: I have only a few visits to a studio apartment on which to base this review, so I will be sure to update it when I have a better feel for the place.
Located in the heart of Midtown, this megaplex of mixed-​use space offers a very urban lifestyle experience. With restaurant and retail at the storefront level and apartments above, in two towers, there is always some kind of hub-​bub going on in this area.
Parking in the area is «Pay to Park» lots, or garages with «by the hour» fees, and they do NOT offer free parking to visitors. So if you are going to visit a friend who resides in Metropolis, be prepared to pay for your car. Or take MARTA– the nearest rail station is less than half a mile away.
The interiors are very modern, white illuminated plexi and concrete everywhere, once again contributing to this urban feel.
Every apartment is equipped with floor-​to-​ceiling windows in the main living/​kitchen space facing out towards other apartment buildings. Fishbowl living at its best.
If you plan on living here, prepare to use those blinds… or get binoculars and enjoy the prime people-​watching opportunity.

I am so happy to live in the Metropolis. After several bad renting experiences, it is really great to have a place to call mine and with such great staff (Stacey! You Rock!!) All the staff is very friendly and helpful and has ensured that I am well taken care of.
So happy to have bought here!

I’ve been a resident here since 2009 and I love my neighbors, the building with its amenities as well as the location. However, I’ve had a couple of problems with the HOA/​Management of the building. I first had to replace flower pots for not having «earth-​tone» ceramic pots. Apparently terra-​cotta is not a natural earth tone, even though it is natural clay coming straight from the ground.
More recently, a very large portion of residents got fined $ 100 for not moving their cars during a pressure wash of the parking deck. This is a new policy as fines were never given for this in the past 4 years for not moving your vehicle during this time.
The new fine policy notice was listed in one of the 400+ emails we receive from management every year, clearly most of us do not have the time to read the entirety of that number of emails. Apparently it’s not a problem to post wine parties on hallways to ensure everyone knows of social events, but apparently it’s not important to let residents know of new fines the same way. Given that so many residents were given this fine, I went to a board meeting to let them know that residents were not properly informed of the new policy and that the fines were therefore not ethical/​fair.
I received a letter a month later stating that this was not of concern to them and that the fine stands. I paid the fine reluctantly to not break HOA rules but I must say that I’ve never been treated this way by the HOA/​Management in any other location I’ve lived.
So overall great buidling and neighbors, but be warned that you could get back stabbed by those who hold the power and in my opinion abuse it at any given moment.

We are in the market to purchase a condo in Midtown and looked at several complexes. We really loved Metropolis! The unit we looked at was a corner unit with a view to die for. Huge deck with total privacy. Really nice layout and large kitchen and living/​dining area for entertaining. I think we could call Metropolis home. Would love to hear from some of the residents there as to their opinions.

I have lived here since 2006. The location is very convenient in Midtown, there is no doubt about that. Some of the noise issues stem from being in the heart of it all, so it is a double edge sword. You can’t have it both ways. If you chose to live here make sure you buy/​rent at the end of the hallway, not close to the elevators. LOTS of noise through the thin walls. Do not live in the cluster of 4 units close to the elevators, you will be in your neighbors lives at all times. Living in a building where the public parks is another issue. Getting to the ramps to enter or exit can be very crowded waiting on those not familiar with the process. It can add a great deal of time especially when there is a game and Taco Mac patrons are involved. Also, living on a floor that is mostly renters (not putting down renting) can be a challenge. The folks I have experienced are not financially or emotionally invested in the building as much as an owner may be. The pool area and clubroom are great in the summer. Because this building is has two towers it is like a small town. Just be sure to check the unit out at multiple times of the day to get a real feel for it and try to find out who lives on your floor. I am sure most large condo buildings experience the same issues.

I’ve lived in the building for over three years as an owner.
The location is second to none in the city — it’s in the middle of a ton of great bars and restaurants, just ~3 blocks to Piedmont Park, ~1.5 blocks to Midtown Marta, 2 blocks to Publix, CVS or Starbucks. I feel really safe. My neighbors and their pets are friendly, as is the concierge staff for the most part.
The gym is generously sized and great for working out ‘at home,’ the common/​club room is updated and comfortable, I really enjoy the pool any time.
I don’t notice or am not annoyed by noise issues much, but I’m also at the end of my hall and my unit faces out toward the park.
I love my unit itself and it’s been easy for me to maintain thus far.
The HOA is stable and tries to improve things based on residents’ feedback, the community/​building is active and involved with that and the regularly hosted events.
The only real and pretty huge negative is parking. My spot is good, but it takes me a long time to get to it. AAA owns all the ‘visitor’ parking and readily boots/​tows at-​will, without posting the ‘rules’ for parking there. And you always have to pay to park. There are a couple of workarounds, tho. Parking issues are par for the course in midtown, at any rate.

I moved into Metropolis in March 2011, so I have been living here full time for almost 6 months. I have been in Atlanta for 12 years. I lived in Buckhead, Woodstock, Suwanee, and now here in Midtown. This is the first time I ever lived in a sky-​rise and I have to say I was a little concerned as it was a big lifestyle change from houses. I am a engineering professional for over 12 years and I live full time in the Metropolis (M) currently.
Since I have been here it has literally been a dream. I moved here as my dream was to have a place with a wonderful Atlanta skyline view. It has met that and more. I am lucky to have a corner unit that I can see both the amenities as well as the skyline.
When I bring friends and family to my home and show them my view they look at the amenities area and say that its one of the most beautiful views they have seen. My mom even calls it my own little zen garden in my backyard. Its true as the M keeps the grill and rest area looking amazing. At night everything is lit up with lights in the trees and the walkways are lit so it looks very inviting.
The staff here at M is wonderful, I have gotten to know many of the concierges on a first name bases and it feels really nice to come and go and see and talk to a staff member who knows you.
I am fit and use the gym at the M regularly. The equipment is a bit older than the newest stuff at gyms but they have a good size area and a nice selection that covers all muscle groups. Including a good free weight area which is usually missing at other places.
I have gone out of my way to meet people as it was my goal of moving into Midtown. I know 3 or 4 people on my floor and they are all nice and diverse. Noise on my floor is at a minimum, however it probably helps that I am a corner unit and on the end so I don’t get much foot traffic going past my door.
The building has quite a few committees, my favorite is the social committee. Every month there is a first Wednesday where you get to meet people and socialize which is very nice. There is a green committee too and about 5 in total so you can get active in it if you wish.
The pool is always busy which I personally like, I love looking out my window or balcony and seeing people being active and enjoying themselves. I have been to it a few times and while it generally is more adult oriented, there are kids and families that go.
The building is very clean and in fact one of my favorite morning rituals when getting ready for work is to watch the daily cleaning crew go out and break down the massive open gas grilles we have for everyone to use. I am always impressed on how much cleaning they do in the building. It shows. In fact they just recently added all new lighting on the trees that are all along Peachtree Street NE that are multi-​color and shoot-​up the trunks. They also replaced all the flowers and they give it a very fresh, clean and pretty look now walking down the street in front of the building.
One thing I did not realize until after moving in how secure M is. In fact in talking to one concierge who works at multiple sky-​rises in midtown she said M is the most secure one she has ever seen. For driving in you have to use your fab for 2 gates, elevator access, the elevator itself and then your door key. Walking in after 10pm you have fab outside door, inside door, elevator, and then door key. So you have almost 4 levels of security to go through walking or driving. I am very happy about this not that there is a lot of crime but it just makes one feel extra safe about their home.
The location of the M in my opinion is the best place in the Atlanta. My favorite things to do is just walk to Taco Mac, see UFC fights for free at Hudson Grille, or dine at Ra Sushi. I enjoy walking to Crescent street for the night clubs and Ri Ra’s Irish pub. For lunch after this post I am just going to grab a quick Jimmy Johns sandwich that is in our building. I can literally park my car Friday night and never need it until work Monday morning.
Overall in the first six months of moving to M, it has been more than I ever dreamed living in a sky-​rise. I honestly can say almost each day when I come into my place that I feel like I live in a 5-​star hotel with the amazing view and staff. My friends and family that have visited my place say it is amazing and love the view and location. I plan to stay here for a long long time.

In regards to the comments placed after mine. Oh… my apologies, didnt realize the experience varies that much. We own, not rent, as to clarify… but we dont face the pool either, which I guess makes a difference. If a homeowner is comparing this place to apartment living, (IMO) it’s wonderful. I could see how this would be intolerable to someone who is accustomed to a single family home previous to this. Or maybe it is just your neighbors? As the previous reviewers have mentioned, I guess with any real estate investment, a potential homeowner should exercise their due diligence in all aspects the condo living experience.

Absolutely do not rent here. Building management treats you like a second class citizen. Multiple times they have turned off my key fob with no notice and left for the day or weekend. My resource (elevator, ect.) request were continually ignored and placed lowest on the priority list.

I have been a resident of Metropolis since 2003 and have been pleased with my living experience here. While I travel a good deal with work and am not in the building as often as some, I have never had a bad experience with anyone at Metropolis. My neighbors on 18 are professionals (engineers, attorneys, PhD, business executives, etc), and are always courteous.
There are newer buildings that have populated the Midtown skyline since Metropolis opened, yet none have the sense of community, occupancy level, and financial stability/​reserves that Metropolis enjoys. The vast majority of units are owner occupied, giving a «pride of ownership» factor that some buildings lack, and the vast majority of those who rent units here are good neighbors and are positive additions to the Metropolis community.
The HOA fees are very competitive and commensurate to those charged by similar properties in the city, allowing Metropolis to maintain a sizable reserve in the event of an unforeseen expense or needed capital project, preventing the need for assessments (there has never been an assessment of the owners in the history of the property, to my knowledge).
Management does a good job in managing the Association and maintaining the property. While Metropolis is the oldest (original) of the newer large condo projects, the overall property does not show its age. The common areas are generally clean and well maintained, and repairs, when needed, are made in a timely manner.
It is unfortunate that Mia J had such a negative experience. Obviously, based upon the preponderance of the reviewers (and residents) of Metropolis, Mia’s experience was an exception and not typical of the residential experience of the vast majority of those who call Metropolis home.
If you are seeking a warm community in the center of Midtown where a short walk affords great dining, nightlife, Piedmont Park, and the like, then Metropolis is worth investigating.

I bought a 1BR in the north tower in December 2010, and have been extremely satisfied with the building so far.
The management and public area maintenance is very responsive, concierges all very helpful, owners are cooperative, friendly and interested in continuous improvement to the physical and social environment of the building, operational efficiency, etc. as evidenced by the activities of various committees which meet on a monthly or bimonthly basis, and the monthly (at minimum) social activities. For example, a Lighting subcommittee has come up with a reduced wattage corridor lighting scheme which looks better than the original, but will save the HOA many $ 1000s/​year.
I agree with all of Mia’s, Stephen’s and Robert’s comments as well. I think the exterior architecture is more classic modernist than Spire or Viewpoint, and will remain more appealing in coming decades (the way some good mid-​century architecture still looks fresh today while other looks dated).
There are a LOT of dogs (perhaps almost as many as people), but they don’t seem to cause any problems.

Good place to live. You can walk anywhere or take Marta. People are polite and the services work! Besides that the amenities are just fantastic. Never saw a broken elevator… We have kids and our neighbors too, so it is a friendly environment and there are good public schools around, like Grady. Many many people have pets. We saw condos for sale in all other buildings around and decided to stay in Metropolis.

I bought in December 09, and while I know people are freaked out about the oversupply of condos in Atlanta right now, I feel really good about my decision.
I think a lot of people were judging the building based upon it being a shiny new place in 2003, competing against all the new 2010 buildings.
I chose to look at it in a different way. I tried to imagine the neighborhood ten years from now — because all those new places are going to age, too. And then there will be even newer ones.
My sense about Metropolis was that the «bones» of the building were good. It was Novare’s first effort in Midtown, and I think they really sweated the details to get it right. Construction seems very solid. (Someone told me floors are thicker here than in more recent Novare projects, but I can’t say for sure.)
I think the location is the absolute best in the city. I can walk to 70 restaurants. I can see Emory, Ga Tech, Kennesaw Mtn., Stone Mtn, and Piedmont Park from my balcony. And there’s a new restaurant from a James Beard nominee chef next door. It is the most walkable location in the south. The Midtown Mile is flourishing — and particularly this part of it, with the opening of the Loews and CB2.
The association seems very solid, and while they’re kind of hard asses, I think it’s probably better that way.
Yes, there are some younger party people moving in, but I like the vibrancy. And my unit itself is quiet and peaceful.
No real estate situation is perfect, but for the way things are in 2010, and the way I believe they will be in 2020, I don’t think I could have made a better choice.

I hated living here (one year, two months). Our neighbors were loud and unfriendly; however, it could have just been our floor. You can hear all the noises from the hall, so be careful about buying a unit if you have or are thinking about getting a dog (or children for that matter). The elevators break once a week and having only two for the building is not enough.
On the plus side the location is really good.

I bought a condo in Metropolis (have since sold) and lived there for a little over 2 years. I loved the Metropolis. This is a solid building, it was built well. There are rentals available here as well from owners. You are in the middle of Midtown, so you’ll have to expect a somewhat rowdy pool scene at times, and late night arrivals back home from neighbors.
It is a very social/​friendly building, it has a great location to walk to Piedmont Park or to local restaurants, etc. The pool is a good size and on a 7^th floor landing between the 2 buildings which is very cool. The fitness center is top notch, and there is conceierge services which can come in very handy. No noise issues side to side or up/​down, the only noise you will hear is hallway noise, which can be considerable.
One of the negatives is your guests have to pay to park, but that is an issue with most Midtown residences. There are ways around this… but it’s a secret! The HOA doesn’t always make the best decisions in the interest of owners, but again, you’ll find that in most places. The HOA fees though, are very low for what you are getting in return!
If you are looking to buy a condo, you can’t go wrong with The Metropolis!