Sophia Square

Really enjoyed my time here. Staff was nice and great to work with. Location is fantastic with so many things within walking distance.
Only issues I had were in the winter. I could feel the cold air coming in through the glass. Parking was a pain as more people coming into the area used the garage. Not sure what the plan is going forward but having an assigned spot sure would have been nice.

Piles and piles of dog feces as you step outside, the daily slam-​bang of dumpsters being emptied as early as 6am that goes on for at least 10 minutes outside your window, the smell of those dumpsters permeating the hallways and elevators, the drunk patrons stumbling out of the three bars within a block from each other, neighbors slamming their doors at all hours, electronic locks that won’t open, exterior doors and service elevators that stay open allowing any to waltz in, a public garage that many people in the area use to store their vehicles increasing your competition for parking with all the restaurant patrons… these are the joys that await you as a resident of Sophia Square.
And now they are adding additional street level residences right next to the restaurants! Some of these units share a wall with a commercial kitchen! I can hear my neighbors talk on the phone in my bedroom for goodness sake.
This place is not cheap. You’ll come on a tour and see the amenities center and think «wow» this might be worth it. Well, the pool cues are all warped and broken (they’re just cheaply glued together things) and the table has warps and tears, the golf simulator has not worked properly the entire time I’ve lived here, and there are some residents regularly there who act as if it is their personal living room. There are computers, but at the time of this writing only one of them is working and someone was using it when my wife went down to print something.
The truth is you’ll probably spend very little time there, but it does show well. We’ve used it to host friends and family on three occasions, and it was very nice.
The usability of our apartment is lacking too. There aren’t enough outlets in the kitchen, and one of them is used up by a carbon monoxide detector that must remain plugged in. The light switches in the bedrooms control outlets on the far side of the room from the door, except that’s likely where you’d put your bed so your floor lamps (must have since no overhead light in bedrooms) are on the opposite wall. I’ve had my water heater bust, the dishwasher leaking, utility room doors that won’t stay shut, a bedroom that won’t get warm because there’s just no warm air coming out of the vent, a bedroom door that sticks, and an unsolved odor mystery that occasionally makes a walk-​in closet smell awful (we run an air filter ²⁴⁄₇). The water is so hard that we had to stop using the dishwasher for a while. The water quality varies a lot; we have to use a Brita filter and even at that there is a often a strong chlorine odor and chalky, metallic flavor.
The maintenance folks are really capable and helpful. They are responsive and polite. The leasing staff are friendly and empathetic.
The location is good and bad. Lots of things within walking distance seems like a good thing, and it really is, but with that comes crowds and cars (wish they would enforce the speed limit on Main St), and the incessant smell of hamburgers pouring out of Bub’s 7 days a week. Also, there are _​so_​many dogs with irresponsible owners; the Monon around here has hardly any grass left from their urinating, and there are piles of poo on the trail itself and much more just off of it. I guess they figure for about $ 1500/​month, they shouldn’t have to pick up after their dogs.
So, living here is really a mixed bag. I was leaning toward three stars, but when they started putting in street-​level apartments instead of getting more businesses in here, I realized it wasn’t about building community to the owner of the building, but just making as much money as possible. A small grocery store with vegetables is sorely needed, for example. The street-​level retail and restaurants are more important amenities than a five-​year-​old Wii.

Best location to live (hands down) in downtown Carmel. Leasing Center staff is great.
There are so many restaurants within walking distance. There’s a spa within the building as well as a gym. Parking is wonderful! It’s garage parking so no more shoveling of snow during the winter.
It’s right next to the Monon so you can walk, bike or go people watching while eating at Bub’s which is across the street.
The amenities are fabulous. They have a movie theater, wii station, clubhouse with free wifi, business center, conference room, pool, and a virtual golf.