Phoenician Apartments

The Phoenician is one of the top places in the Galleria to live for the price.
Pros — Management seems to be very organized, helpful, and attentive. The location is hard to beat off the busy Westheimer road (leaving the complex during rush hours is… fun). I have not yet had a chance to get in the spa because it was down for maintenance for a while there, but the pool area is amazing; very resort like. Valet trash is nice (but they can be quite loud slamming open and close all the bins late at night). The security guard is a nice addition considering this area has recently had more criminal activity (break ins, thefts, etc.)
Cons — The little things: Parking, thin walls, little storage space, tow trucks and the gym
1. Parking is ALWAYS a hassle if you come home later than rush hour or go out to eat late at night; I typically work nights, so when I come home late, I have to park on the opposite side of the complex and walk to my apartment. Sure, I get some extra exercise in for the day, but being a female… I would like the perk of being able to park out front of my apartment. 2. Walls are a bit thin; I can always hear my neighbors in the morning playing some deep bass music, or neighbors across the hall during their smoke breaks out front (why they don’t use their patio — I have no clue!!) 3. Storage space = 0. There is a very small closet near our front door but it barely fits our vacuum and other cleaning supplies. 4. Tow truckers here do not play games. They search every single car with a flashlight making sure you have a parking ticket. AND when they ARE towing you, they DO NOT care about your car! I cannot tell you how many cars I have seen them pull out of here halfway locked on, alarms blaring and all. Make sure your visitors park at the front (IF there’s room) or again, because parking is ridiculous here… out in the back on the complex or front of the complex on the street. 5. For such a nice overall complex, their gym sucks. The machines are typically broken or jammed. coming from 3000 Sage who has an amazing gym to this one, I’d rather drive down the street to 24 hour fitness.

this place is a POS
the management is horrible, the district manager lorena is condescending and a disgusting person, she will go out of her way to treat her tenants bad and not be flexible.
the units will have a problem at least once a month its like lipstick on a pig.
every renewal your rent will increase even if market rates are DOWN elsewhere in a comparable place and they dont care at all.
the only reason i gave even 1 start is the maintenance guys are nice workers the rest of the people are all trash. good luck and hope you dont get burglarized or your car get vandalized… if you stay here long enough its certain to happen

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
I am originally from the Houston ‘burbs, but have been away for 18 years. When my husband, indoor cat, and I transferred here from Chicago, we wanted to live within a few miles of his job near the Galleria. Note: Since I was a kid in the 70’s, the Galleria was, and continues to be, a desirable, affluent area to live and work. However, it has also attracted its fair share of crime, which others have written about in previous reviews. Yes, I read ALL the reviews for every complex that we considered prior to signing a lease. We chose to live at the Phoenician because our friends love living here and because we had a good gut feeling. Glad we did! We are 5 – 20 minutes from EVERYTHING!
PARKING– packed after 8pm on the West side of the complex; ample parking elsewhere.
NOISE– Sometimes hear my neighbors above me, but they are nearly on the same schedule as us. Although we have not lived here through the summer, we expect to hear some noise during pool hours. We will be at the pool ourselves! Pool hours end at 11pm.
GROUNDS: Immaculate and beautifully groomed landscaping with a resort style pool with waterfall on one end and fountains on the lagoon end. Pool is tended to every single day, including winter. Always appears sparkling and clean, and I love to hear the rushing waterfall starting at 7am. Gorgeous planters around pool have flowers, including winter flowers/​color. Flower beds at entry gate are lush and colorful. Valet trash service (front door) 5 days a week including recycling. As for pets, there are several dogs that I see on a regular basis; most have respectful owners. Same for smokers; most are respectful.
SAFETY: The Phoenician has an imposing entry gate with a guard shack, an HPD officer living onsite, and security cameras. One feature that I really liked is being able to call the office or stop by the guard shack and ask for an escort to my apartment if I come in late. We have lived and traveled all over the world, and the same rules apply, don’t be an easy target by leaving valuables in plain sight! Although the Galleria/​Greater Uptown area is affluent with multi million dollar homes all around, no apartment complex, house, or office building is 100% secure.
CONSTRUCTION: These apartments were built in 1993 with an update in the last several years with crown molding, stainless appliances, brushed nickel faucets, humongous shower heads, slate tiles, and dark laminate wood. The wall color is a dark taupe with cream trim. Full size fridge/​icemaker, stove and microwave; the washer/​dryer is full size stackable. I like the paint color, but my husband likes white walls. C’est la vie! Double pane windows help insulte from sound and summer heat. Phoenician is in the process of updating the exterior light fixtures at each front door and patio door.
MAINTENANCE: I was very pleasantly surprised! All work orders have been handled within 1 day and sometimes on the same day as reported. The exception was having the A/​C and heat (inside and outside units) replaced. It was exactly 1 week for the unit to be ordered and replaced. When my kitchen sink was leaking into the cabinet below, they came immediately and repaired it. The washing machine had a loud noise during the spin cycle, and it took two different visits, but it has worked perfectly since then. Very nice maintenance personnel.
STAFF: All staff have been very professional and responsive to our needs or concerns. We have lived in lots of apartments and the Phoenician currently has, by far, the best managment team we have come across. For us, we make it a point to know the staff and for them to know us, including the guard shack security person, and the Houston Police Dept Officer that lives on the premises. It feels nice to get a friendly wave and the staff know us by name. I have never experienced or witnessed disrespectful or flippant attitude from any staff member.
OVERALL: We are very happy here and plan to stay for a couple of years until we retire. We have met some very good neighbors; some have lived here since the place was brand new! There are several opportunities to meet neighbors: free exercises classes, monthly breakfast at the clubhouse, and more planned summer social events. The pool and BBQ areas nearly always have someone around. We LOVE having everything around us– grocery stores, Trader Joe’s, House of Pies, Whole Foods, Central Market, coffee shops, french bakeries, library, gas stations, post office, amazing restaurants/​bars, live music venues, parks, schools, sports stadiums, universities, Galleria Mall, art galleries and museums, proximity to international airport. Overall, a great place to live.