Barton Hills Park Place

We love, love, loved living in BHPP. So much so, that we’re considering moving back. I’m not sure why I haven’t reviewed them yet and when I saw some of the negative reviews, I decided it was time. I’ll break it down as some others did, into the pros and cons to make it easier…
Let’s start with the cons:
–Older exteriors: OK, so they ARE older, BUT I happen to know, that they are in fact addressing that and take VERY good care of their property.
–No BBQ grills: We grill a lot, so this is tough for us, but being close to the greenbelt has it’s «issues» and that’s one of them. It’s not their fault.
–Carpet… Well, I’m a white carpet hater, I’ll admit it. It’d be better if maybe they had the low pile tan shag I’ve seen in other communities, but throw an area rug on top and voila– instant cute update.
–Older kitchens: We, well, HE likes to cook… and I like to buy kitchen stuff for him, SO… this posed a bit of an issue for us. They’re kitchens that show their age. Some units have upgraded kitchens and those are awesome. Some don’t and those can be a challenge. But with the magical help of Ikea, you can do a LOT and get a LOT more space from it. You just have to put your creative hat on. To the person who complained about not having «real mahogany» lol… go research the cost on that. Most kitchens do not have real wood, it’s costly and not as functional. However, the white kitchens in BHPP are real wood and cute, if you like that vintagey look that adds nice character to your place.
Now I’d like to address some of the other comments. Not that I in anyway represent BHPP, but living there for 3 years, I went through some of what others commented on.
–The hot water issues. Resolved. We had a water boiler or whatever the main thing is called, that yes, did break often, but they (Marlowe) got it resolved ASAP.
–Plumbing: when plumbing breaks, you need to turn off the main water break or you risk flooding other units. I work from home, so I know that at most, it was turned off for 20 – 30 mins when a repair in the building was needed. This did not happen often.
–Parking. Um, there’s enough parking 99% of the time. There will be events where people (no matter how diligent they are about controlling it) sneak others in or take up the closer spots. This is Austin, there are a lot of us living here. I never had a problem and we lived in 2 different buildings over the period of 3 years.
Now the pros (which also includes what some considered cons):
–Management: Marlowe treats this property as his own. He is meticulous with it and yes, at times «passionate». But, in my opinion (and I have owned several of my own homes while living in other cities), that is what makes him a great manager. He is quick to resolve issues, he genuinely cares about whether or not you like living at BHPP and with that, he genuinely gets frustrated and angry with people that don’t treat the property well. There are a LOT of units, just imagine juggling all of that and all those complaints, etc. Everyone has a bad day.Everyone.
–Maintenance: They are FAST. I never waited more than one day for a repair and when I did, they were extremely apologetic about it. They also are great about coming back if for some reason you are not happy with the repair. During the bad rains/​floods. Our bedroom had a leak. They had to come back 3 times to get it right. Not for lack of knowledge or trying, it’s just like that sometimes. I had a similar issue in my home once that took a month to repair.
–The staff (management, grounds, maintenance) is friendly and they will make an effort to learn your name. They wave, ask how your day is and make your apartment experience feel like your home.
–Location– AWESOME proximity to everything and best of all SAFE. I currently live in a building that has a gated garage and security like a jail. Cars are broken into at least once a month, bikes more often than that and people have been assaulted right outside the building. In case you’re wondering, we live in a nice area of Lamar.
–It’s quiet. I never heard anyone above (just the normal footsteps if it was really quiet) or on either side of us. Even with people on their balconies talking, you can’t really make out words, just mumbles. So you actually get to sit on your balcony and talk without feeling like you’re bothering neighbors.
–Views…ah, the views. Miss my view of the park so bad! We had a direct view of the Zilker tree in the winter, could sit on our balcony and hear the productions from Zilker hillside theater at night and see all the park goers in the daytime. Plus, we felt like we were living in a tree house (oh and btw, there are wasps… lots of them, but they’ll treat them for you as best they can if you ask).
I’m sure I’m missing other things, but I think I’ve written enough. If we ever DO move back, it’ll be as if we’re moving back «home». I loved it and yeah there are some quirks… but, what place doesn’t have them?

Hi — bitter former resident here.
As a former teacher, I think the parents who are teachers were some of the hardest to deal with — they have higher standards, and they were comfortable being vocal about it. I was definitely not a perfect resident, but I currently work as a facility manager, and maybe I have higher standards — but unfortunately I have to encourage you to find a better place to live.
The location is obviously killer (greenbelt views, easy walk to Barton Springs and Zilker Park, close to downtown, etc) but after living in BHPP for 1.5 years — I realized the pros didn’t outweigh the cons.
Here’s my short list:
— Management sucks
The building manager, Marlow, is a lunatic. He has worked for this complex for almost 20-​years, so he’s obviously emotionally attached, but he takes things too personally, and he and his staff aren’t good at communication. I expressed disappointment that I couldn’t get guest parking during ACL (apparently it was «first come — first served»), and he literally yelled at me. I came home around midnight that night, and he was waiting in the bushes outside my apartment to apologize. He’s also yelled at a friend of mine for walking through the parking lot with his (large) dog. When I signed my paperwork I saw red flags — he talked about childhood trauma, his office is FILTHY, and of course he has a pet tarantula. Get a life, man.
— Maintenance sucks
The full time service team is unskilled, and they won’t schedule appointments for building repairs — they insist on showing up unannounced. It sucks. The building is 40-​years old, so even with the (already outdated) updates, things break a lot. My bedroom windows and bathroom ceiling got moldy, my dishwasher was broken for several months, my washing machine and toilet would leak, bugs are obviously gnarly, my patio door would sometimes lock on its own, etc etc
Also, almost everyday for my first five months (and sporadically during my tenure) they had lots of construction and maintenance on my building. My bedroom was four inches lower on one end than the other (because it’s on a cliff, basically) and they were basically pouring concrete to slow down the sinkage — but of course they didn’t schedule it, and of course the construction people walking past my patio ruined what I thought was a beautiful, calm greenbelt view. My bed was always tilted, and the building never helped me come up with a solution to get a good night’s sleep — they knew the building was dramatically tilted, but let me sign a lease without telling me. A huge part of the reason I chose this location was for the peaceful view, but I could be lounging in my skivvies when all of a sudden some dude would walk past my private patio. They have so much random construction, and they’re unapologetic about it. Not to mention the messes (piles of trash, trails of mud) and the noise!
I’ve since moved to a new place, and I’m much happier. The view isn’t the same — but I can sleep through the night, and I don’t have to worry about the emotional management stalking me.
Don’t be fooled by this place — you deserve better (and can find it cheaper too).

For a while, I really thought I had a great thing going by deciding to live here. Great location, okay-​looking, okay-​pricing, and it seemed like customer service was great — something incredibly important to me.
Unfortunately, several recent headaches have me counting down the days until my lease is up.
1. Parking — I live in a building that faces Barton Hills Dr. Unless I’m parking during 9 – 6 on a weekday, I usually can’t get a parking spot any where close to my own building. Does anyone go out at night here? On weekends in the summer, the parking on the street is so dense, no one can see if a car is coming when leaving the parking lot. This is not even including days when actual local events happen.
2. Plumbing — My water is turned off during the day on what appears to be a weekly or biweekly basis, sometimes more than once a week. With no warning. After several calls I’ve learned that apparently the entire building’s water has to be turned off for someone to upgrade the faucets/​plumbing in one unit. But this has been going on for months. I often have visitors, and I work from home, so I’ve had to deal with water being turned off in the middle of cooking, in the middle of a shower, in the middle of a sh*t, etc.
When it is actually working it randomly gets really hot or really cold from time to time during a shower. Not exactly ideal either but by this point I’m usually just grateful the water’s back on.
3. Cheap interior — I was warned when I moved in that the doors and cabinets were not real mahogany but had mahogany panelling, but I had no idea they would deteriorate so quickly. They warp with changes in the humidity (too bad the bathroom has them too!) and peel at the slightest scuff.
4. Apartment Building layout — Rarely can anyone find my apartment without me giving explicit directions or just meeting them outside at the gate. My building is #9. My apartment is not in the 900s, or –90s. Not intuitive at all.
5. This takes the cake and is my reason for writing a review today in the first place. My girlfriend walked to my apartment (with her dog, who is a 20-​something pound char-​pei mutt) to pick up a blanket because she and some friends had just parked down the street and were heading to Zilker. When she got to my door she told me some guy had pulled up and started hassling her about her dog being on the property. Shortly after she grabbed the blanket and left, I get the manager and his henchman at my door, lecturing me about the situation. Apparently the little guy had to go get the big guy to go beat up the big scary lady who broke the dog law. They walked up and asked where the dog was, despite me telling them it was my girlfriends and she had just barely stopped by he kept peering over my shoulder in disbelief.
That alone pissed me off more than anything. I’ve done nothing to warrant the lack of the apartment office’s trust. My girlfriend visiting with her dog does NOT warrant me being reprimanded like a child. Talk to me about it sure, but the lecture droned on while I stood there in pjs, hair half-​straightened, trying to pay attention while he spoke of what-​ifs like a visiting dog drooling on my apartment when I didn’t have a pet deposit. (I do have a pet deposit. And two cats. And for people all up in my business, shocked they didn’t seem to know that.) He insisted that during the lease signing I was told visiting dogs had to be cleared by the office. Well I INSIST that I was told visiting dogs had to fit the requirements of live-​in dogs (that is, be under the weight limit and not be large.) In fact, after reexamining my lease I couldn’t find anything about the rule we supposedly broke. An ordeal out of nothing.
I could see how some people living here might have a good experience, if you live on the side opposite of Barton Hills Dr or aren’t next to constant plumbing maintenance and construction. Or maybe if the SO that visits you doesn’t own a dog.
This location is great despite being such a pricey, white-​washed area but I’ve decided I will not be renewing here.

I’ve lived in a lot of apartment complexes and this one is by far the best. They are a little dated but don’t let the outside fool ya, they are pretty decent on the inside. Here’s a pros and cons breakdown of my experience at BHPP:
Cons:
They look dated on the outside.
There seems to be an exceptional wasp population here but it doesn’t really bother me much. They take care of it but living on the green belt probably makes it a challenge to conquer.
Pros:
Location! 5 minute walk to Barton springs pool and if the water isn’t too high in the creek, you can cross it and get to Zilker park in 5 minutes too! If water is high, it’s about a 15 minute walk to Zilker.
It’s super quiet. Maybe I just got lucky with my neighbors but I NEVER hear my neighbors. I lived in 2 brand new luxury complexes in Austin and could hear everything through my walls.
The maintenance staff is super fast and friendly. I’ve only had to call on them twice for minor stuff and it was taken care of the same day.
The manager is on it. All the time. He knows what’s going on with everyone and everything and makes sure everything is in order and that the residents are happy and safe.
Despite the close proximity to Zilker Park, I’ve never had any issues with parking. They enforce towing for un-​permitted cars during acl and BoG. Traffic isn’t a problem either, I just avoid Barton springs rd and go through the neighborhood.
The massive coffee/​espresso machine in the clubhouse is always working and stocked. I can’t say the same for past complexes I’ve lived in.
The quirky little clubhouse has actually really pleased me. I never thought a gift wrapping station would come in so handy but it does. And there is wifi in there so I can work from my laptop while sitting in the massage chair. I’ve never used the gym but it seems average. I think they have a rowing machine that seems pretty unique to a complex gym.
The pool is super deep. Hard to find these days. It’s always quiet and when it does get busy, everyone is cool and respectful. There is also a restroom at the pool which I didn’t have at either of the luxury complexes I lived in before.

After really wanting to live here and immediately getting turned down for having an Australian Shepherd that is only 40 lbs, I feel much better after reading the comments below.
«Are they dog friendly? Yes, but up to 25 lbs. If that’s your idea of a dog, well… get your handbag out.»
Awesome.
They realize they own a property in Austin, where almost everyone has a dog.
Other than that, I feel like the location is the only thing you are paying for. Don’t take my word for it, just read the other comments.

I waited until i no longer lived at the complex to review it, because telling all of Unilocal where I lived seemed creepy.
First, the all-​important question: why did I leave? Because we bought a house. I’d have continued to stay there indefinitely, but the call of house and yard was stronger.
I really enjoyed my six-​plus years at BHPP. The location is great (though the traffic during ACL and Trail of Lights is a little crazy, being able to sit on your porch and listen to the music or walk over to see the lights is worth it). The people are genuinely nice. The amenities didn’t really make it or break it, but you only need to find yourself wrapping presents at 11pm on Christmas Eve once to stop making fun of the fact that you’ve got a gift-​wrapping room. However, I would like to know what that bizarre machine in the workout room was.
The apartments themselves are a little old. As noted in other reviews, there were some serious and consistent issues with hot water flow, and you can hear loud neighbors, if you have any. I got a notice a few days before my move-​out day that they were replacing several components of the boiler system, so perhaps the water issue is resolved. I know I didn’t have the problem when I moved in, so it was likely something wearing out/​breaking down slowly. There does appear to be a lot of maintenance happening, mostly landscaping and improvements; that seems consistent for complexes in the area, though.
Really, any faults are made up for in the general energy of the place, and the people. Marlowe and the office staff are super-​friendly and helpful. I had a few maintenance issues over the years (garbage disposal clogged, thermostat not working, that sort of thing), and they were resolved quickly. They were always happy to run a package they’d signed for over to my apartment and tuck it safely inside my door if I was going to get home too late to pick it up. The maintenance guys helped me change my tire one morning, and one of the women who works there knows and has befriended almost every single pet in the complex.
I can personally attest that the staff will go above and beyond the expected for the tenants. One of the units had a small fire one afternoon, in the building connected to mine. After calling the fire department, the staff started going into the connected apartments where they knew the tenants (most of us were at work) had animals, getting them out and to safety in the office. The fire damaged several apartments, but no one’s pets were injured. Not every apartment complex is going to worry about whether your cat suffers smoke inhalation or your dog is in the apartment when firefighters soak the place.
After several years of living there, of talking to the other tenants about who left and who stayed and why, I can safely say that if you’re an easy-​going, responsible, friendly person you’ll probably love it here. While I can’t say that everyone who doesn’t love it is biased (because no experience is consistently perfect and some personalities just don’t mesh), I think it’s significant that most of my neighbors had lived there for 5 – 10 years, and generally the people I knew who left had bought houses or left Austin.

I lived here for about 1 ½ years and overall had a great experience. You really can’t beat the price for the location. The apartments aren’t the prettiest on the outside, but they’re perfectly fine on the inside. Obviously, the buildings are older and that shows here and here in terms of layout and some of the features, but they’ve also renovated — updated appliances, granite countertops, etc.
The office staff are really kind and attentive and the maintenance guys are perhaps some of the nicest people I’ve met. They were always very responsive and took care of us and our requests.
The only trouble we had was with the hot water. There were many times our hot water would go in and out, but I know they were in the process updating the pipes and the system overall. Regardless, they were really transparent about what was going on and even gave us a little break on rent one month to help make up for the trouble.
I’ve lived in 8 complexes in Austin and this is one of my favorites and I’d definitely recommend living here!

My one year tenure here will end in October where a review would be appropriate, but, I’m dropping in early.
Here’s why:
There has been zero notification on ground maintenance — and by that I mean, they’re are going to be working on area beautification for the next however long. For as much as you pay here (and it’s reasonable with the location and amenities), you shouldn’t have to wake up to a construction zone every morning.
Right around the pool area is loose gravel that they’re working with, trailers, moving equipment, and all the associated noise pollution that comes with the respective job. When asked how long the project will be going on for, no definitive answer. So, I’m left to assume that until my lease ends at least.
So, if you’re looking around and think Park place might be right, talk to Marlowe about some of these overhanging conditions — he is a great property manager and goes the distance when making sure you’re fully informed about the complex. The website certainly won’t promote that ½ of your lease will include some front row exposure to ongoing maintenance work as in my case from when I got here in November.
Thus, I’m leaving a low review for BHPP (Barton Hills Park Place).
Are they dog friendly? Yes, but up to 25 lbs. If that’s your idea of a dog, well… get your handbag out.
The pool — go to Barton springs.
The gym — not bad, but, they have this monstrosity of a machine that I’ve never seen nor heard of that takes up room and nobody uses. That space could easily fit in other workout options and it certainly doesn’t classify your workout facility as ‘state of the art.’ More like, wtf kind of mini-​gym is this?
Now, I sourced this apartment out from NJ and wasn’t available to take a look at everything before signing so there is some buyer remorse here that could’ve been avoided with some proper investigation. However, paying 1250 a month for a below ground level apartment that has zero natural light and a bedroom window that looks out to the communal stair case (and the aforementioned) — I’ll be on the lookout for better.

OVERALL Experience after a year of being here.
Pros:
— So close to everything downtown and love being at the park
— small dog friendly
— Friendly /​safe neighborhood and neighbors
— we have a small washer/​dryer in our unit
— management people are very nice
Cons:
— Old apartments: they creak a lot; you can hear Everything (and i mean everything– even in the bathrooms) from below to the top floor cause there is no insulation
— Parking has been an issue. Even on a normal day parking is limited and they only permit cars for ACL. With Blues on the green, trail of lights, and pretty much every other Zilker event you’re lucky to get a spot in the complex.
— Bathtub is painted (never had that before) and has peeled A LOT in our time here
— my carpet was at least 4 years old and stained and they did not replace it :(
–my apartment porch (I’m bottom floor) floods all the way to the sliding door when it rains (ruined my porch furniture) and leaks when it rains (my friends are on the very top floor and it leaks in their apartment when it rains)
–hot water comes from one community tank so it will goes hot/​cold, hot /​cold, hot cold (never can get it perfect) also dealt with loss of hot water quite a few times
— It’s expensive. For this location is a good deal for the apartment Not so much
— you don’t get notices about things… like maintenance being done around you or if they are working on the hot water and you don’t have water for a few hours.
We will not be resigning due to the cons.

Let’s face it: you are totally paying for the location and the amenities: Zilker! Barton Springs! massage chair! tennis courts! swimming pool! free soda fountain! gift wrapping station!
Why I thought I’d ever use that gift wrapping station is a complete effing mystery. I drank maybe 6 free sodas over the course of a year. Played tennis once. Never used the massage chair. And the place is RIGHT NEXT TO BARTON SPRINGS! Why would I ever use the pool? Not to mention which: there was always a couple in pool who were doing it. I don’t want to speculate as to exactly how much semen is in the pool, but: probably some.
Walking to ACL was nice. Super nice! And mgmt can hook you up with one or two extra parking passes for your friends. But the parking in the neighborhood is nightmarish (and if you’re not going to ACL you end up trapped for the weekend). Parking and traffic also become absolutely intolerable for Blues on the Green and the Trail of Lights. Trail of Lights turned a magical Christmas wonderland into the 7^th circle of hell. Every day for weeks it literally added 30 to 60 minutes to my evening commute. No hyperbole.
Finally, there’s a review below that notes that Marlowe, the complex manager, threw himself in front of a moving car to demand rent from a tenant who had already paid. He did the same thing to me, but in order to tell me Barton Hills owed me a refund. So evidently Marlowe will throw himself in front of your car if you owe him money or if he owes you money. Dude, if it’s that important: send me an email. Maybe it takes a certain type of personality to manage a large apartment complex where one deals with money issues and broken toilets all day long. But maybe it also makes you want to throw yourself in front of moving cars.

Great price for the location (3 miles from downtown). Carpet was replaced and appliances were updated prior to move-​in, on a tight deadline. Tenants have access (via a security badge) to a pool, gym, and business center, which have all proven useful in my experiences. I factor that into the rent, for sure.
The property manager, Marlowe, is very nice and helpful and is a big reason for feeling safe, secure, and any problems that need fixing, the feeling that he cares.
Every repair we have requested hasn’t always been done in a timely manner or correctly the first time, but they try their best and eventually resolve the issues.
Please ignore the 1-​star review written by the dramatic actress who has only 4 total reviews on Unilocal (which shouldn’t be allowed). What a «weird» coincidence, all 4 reviews are 1-​star reviews for apartment complexes. Don’t ruin Unilocal with your bad days, personal problems, or inability to select the right dwelling. It’s an apartment complex — get real.

I’ve lived at Barton Hills Park Place for about two and a half years now, and while I may be too lazy to move anyway, I can honestly say that they’ve taken really good care of me. Marlow and the rest of the office staff really do go out of their way to make sure you’re happy living here. If there’s something wrong in my apartment I can call and leave them a message in the morning and by the time I get home from work, it’s always taken care of. That include calls about an ice maker that still works but was making a super irritating noise (they replaced it with a new one) to finding a rogue scorpion in my sink (they called in the exterminator and toasted the little guy).
So yeah, this place isn’t brand new and shiny like you’ll find downtown or popping up all over South Lamar, but you’re also not paying for it to be brand new and shiny. And the pool kinda sucks, but Barton Springs is right around the corner so why would you go to the pool anyway? Oh and if you’re looking for a frosty beverage, or need to wrap a gift, you can check out the fountain soda machine and gift wrapping room (random, I know).
Bottom line, I moved here for the location but I’m sticking around because I really do like it here.

I actually really like this place. Let’s level out here… it is definitely an apartment complex and it’s not a new joint.
So, put that aside for a moment, let’s talk pros and cons.
Pros:
Location, location, location — i can walk to Barton Springs, Ziilker Park (ACL!), all those cute bars and restaurants on Barton Springs Dr, less than a mile from the Alamo Drafthouse on S. Lamar
Pet friendly-​tons of dogs here
Tennis courts (that I’ve never used, but I swear I plan to)
Greenbelt RIGHT HERE — my view is trees, not parking lot!
Super nice management — they actually care, and if they eff up, they try to fix it
It’s definitely a lot more affordable than downtown
FREE coffee, tea and soda! (seriously love this)
Massage chair in the clubhouse (no, I haven’t used it, but someday I might)
Cons:
We live right on the greenbelt, there can be some bugs (or scorpions?!)
The water temperature can’t seem to stay constant… this makes for interesting showers
My cabinets appear to be from the 1960s (I like this, it is actually a pro, gives the kitchen character)
Not downtown prices, but it’s not super cheap either
Pool sucks
No storage (man I miss this about the Gables, I had the best storage closet)
Another pro, but not really – they offered to help me put my TV on the wall (over the horrible fireplace that has no purpose). That’s super awesome of them to help a damsel in distress BUT it’s seriously wonky. Not centered on anything. Kind of wish I had paid someone to help me, or found a friend, or not put it up at all. I dunno.
So yeah, I love this place. We’ve had a few hiccups (TV, some ants, hot water surges) but overall, very happy here.