First Ward I-II

The management office never answers the phone nor return messages left! EVER!

Based on the internet reviews I was a little skeptical about this place. I always give places the benefit of the doubt. I know people tend to weigh negative experiences more heavily and therefore tend if they take their time to write a review, chances are that they will be negative.
A friend who lives in the Garden District (the nicer part of First Ward) convinced me that this place is just fine. I was initially attracted to this place because you can get a 2B/​2B for under $ 1000 and the location is so close to the nightlife in uptown.
The apartments are pretty standard — no luxury. And that works just fine for me. I am all about location. After 9 months of living here though, I have decided that there are better places to live. Here are some things I wish I had considered before. I promise that this review is not meant to be a rant, I am writing it so that you make an informed choice.
–It’s dirty. Constantly I find trash all over the parking lot, and the stairwells. (see photos). Also, the neighbors are lazy and put their trash bags outside their doors and forget about it… as if there were valet trash. In several occasions, I witnessed neighbors taking their dogs to potty and not picking up after them.
–It’s loud. Neighbors are loud. Also, I didn’t think consider the downside of being close to the uptown action was that starting on Wednesdays you can expect people yelling on their way back from the bars.
–You can count on the marijuana stench on the weekends, and frequently during the week. This should have been apparent to me as there is a drug use and distribution clause on the lease agreement.
— Parking is an issue during big events. Many unauthorized cars parked at the complex. My car ended up getting towed because I couldn’t find a spot. And all that management could say was: «I’m sorry you had to put up with that.»
— No storage space. My small closet is my storage.
To be fair, I should include the upside of living here and all I can think is location. It is close to I-​277 and I can get to places quickly. Oh, I have a wonderful (unblocked) view of the city’s skyline from my balcony. But I just got lucky with the location of my apt. Most apartments in this complex don’t have that view. Also, they let me paint a couple of accent walls as long as a paint it back to the original color when I move out. Also, is it worthy to mention that the maintenance staff are super friendly and helpful –Expect to always be greeted with a good morning and a smile.
In sum, if you are willing to put up with all of the disadvantages Then, you have found yourself a bargain. You may be inclined to think that «you get your money’s worth».but I don’t think it’s worth it. There are more charming areas around the city. Time to move on. Can’t wait for my lease to be over.