Colonial Reserve at Medical District

I’ve had some bad experiences with apartment complexes before, so I usually try to do my research before choosing a place. I saw good reviews for Colonial Reserve and liked the price/​amenities so I signed a 12 month lease. I was happy at the complex and think it’s a really good deal overall. You don’t have some of the more flashy amenities like in uptown, but I wanted to pay less anyway and forego those expenses. The area is not in a fantastic neighborhood, but it’s not terrible either. I liked the proximity to the highway and especially to the big new kroger next door. I think what distinguishes this place from other apartments the most is that the front office people were always really helpful and friendly, which seems to be very rare in the apartment industry.
My only complaint is that the pet fees seem
like highway robbery. There’s a $ 400 fee which is not applied to your deposit at all… it’s just money they pocket. They also charge you $ 10 a month for pet rent. Upon move out, they replaced my carpet and charged me $ 150 for «pet treatment.» In fairness, I had a puppy and they were pretty stained, but I think it’s more fair if they were to use my $ 400 for this expense. I can’t hold it against them too much though, as these Pet fees seem to be a pretty standard racket no matter where you live. I would still recommend the complex to friends.

I would not recommend living at this community. It has plenty going for it, but I will outline 3 specific reasons which I had a terribly negative experience.
To start with the positive, the community itself is nice, and proximity to kroger is great. Maple street can be a little shady at night though.
1 My first issue is they did not give the apartment that was promised. Our contract has specific details, but the apartment we given was a «handicap access» unit and for that reason the details had been changed without us knowing (involving the layout, bathtubs ect). They «fixed this problem» by giving my roommate and I $ 10 a month off. This was not nearly enough. If we would have known about the changes we would not have signed.
2. The apartment was full of animal hair. They did not clean it, even after I had complained. As someone that suffers from animal allergies, I spent months suffering. Despite however much I cleaned I could not get all the hair out. I gave up asking them to clean.
3. A rain storm had caused a huge hole in my roof, for the last few weeks of staying, they did not repair it (they said it had to be dry for 2 days). There were 5 dry days in a row (I counted). All I got was excuses, as plaster and particles of roof fell into my living room. That is how I spent a Majority for my final month. They did not compensate me for this disaster. I turned in my keys 1 day early and they gave me that credit and that is all. In conjunction with this, in their attempts to assess the damage, they broke my lock, and I spent a night after work not being able to get into my home. Can you imagine if someone locks your out of your apartment which you have already paid rent? I found this very unethical and unprofessional.
I understand some of these experiences are specific to my situation, but during my time there it is obvious that they do not care about the individual or doing the right thing. They would rather put a bandaid on a situation rather than dealing with it, and hopes it goes away.
At the end of the day, you can spend your money elsewhere. They do not deserve your rent.

FYI, This place has new management and is now called Colonial Reserve at Medical District.
I’ve rented my fair share of apartments, but this is probably the first complex I lived at that didn’t leave me with a sour taste in my mouth. Maybe it’s because I’ve only rented in Austin, where apartment managers don’t give a shit about pleasing their renters (if you don’t want to rent with them, there’s always plenty of other students who are desperate for a place to stay). My past experiences with apartment managers have always been shady, shady, shaaaaady. But living here was the first time I’ve had a pleasant experience with management. This is the only place I’ve rented where I actually got any of my security deposit back!
I stayed here for 2 years, and really don’t have much to complain about. When I first signed the contract, it was a steal! I paid $ 950 for a 2 bedroom + study! During my second year, I got lucky. They were undergoing a change in management, and the new management team really wanted to keep the current tentants. They negotiated with me and I got to renew my place for the same rate! The prices have definitely gone up since then, but this is still one of the cheaper apartments in the area. It’s a relatively new complex with modern design. The interior is nice, but don’t expect stainless steel appliances. Also, you get faux granite and faux-​wood flooring — not the real deal. But hey, if you want ultra, top-​of-​the-​line luxury, you should be paying for one of those apartments in Uptown.
The staff here is really great too. The maintenance team responds to your requests quickly (they have a policy of responding within 24 hours). They really get to know the tenants and are always pleasant and friendly. The tenants are also friendly with each other. I had a dog, and whenever I walked her, I would be surprised by how many of my neighbors remembered her name and would greet her. The valet trash pick-​up was also really convenient. Good for lazy people like me who do not want to walk down the hall to take out my trash.
I think the main down point for the complex is it’s location. It was convenient for me because I was a student at UT Southwestern, so I only had to drive 3 minutes to get to campus. But other than that, the surrounding area is kind of ghetto. The apartment is in between Maple St. and Harry Hines, neither of which are the safest streets. However, with the recent opening of Krogers and other new apartments, I think the area is slowly getting nicer. And despite the surroundings, I never felt unsafe living at the apartment. They have gated access into the parking garage and you can only enter the building if you have your fob key. Also, Uptown, one of the nicest areas of Dallas, is only a few streets away.