Nine On Canal

I am updating my previous review as the management has changed and appears to be much more organized and professional than the previous group. However, there was no warning given to residents regarding the transition, just an email saying «you can no longer access your online account as of right now» and «oh by the way management is changing effective tomorrow». So that was a pretty rough transition. But I feel much more confident in the new management than the old management. I cannot comment on the maintenance team or issues since I haven’t personally had to use them yet.
However, the noise issues with the Cross-​fit gym remain. So now formal complaints have been put into the actual company who owns the property, in hopes that finally something will be done. In the meantime, DO NOT LIVE IN THE SOUTH-​WEST CORNER OF THE BUILDING, unless you like the sounds of literal anvils being dropped in your apartment every day. It’s pretty ridiculous.
The actual facility (minus the piss-​poor planning of the Cross-​fit gym on the ground floor and the single trash chute) and location are top-​notch. Other than the torturous banging from the Cross-​fit gym, it’s quiet and peaceful most of the time.

I have thus far been very dissatisfied with this apartment. Having transferred cities recently to start a new job, I picked 9 on Canal because according to their advertising they boast «modern luxury», «sheer indulgence», and «exceptional furnishings» and I needed the convenience of a furnished apartment. To date the only positives I can say about this complex is its location, on the edge of downtown in the Canal district, it is a nice and convenient place to live.
Cons:
Disorganization: Move-​in paper work was «hard to find» and had to be redone after having filled it out 1 month prior. This despite calling 3 times before moving to confirm move in date and time.
Cleanliness: The unit I moved into reeked of cigarette smoke. For a non-​smoking building, this is upsetting. There was skin and hair debris from the previous occupant in every drawer. There was sticky residue on the table tops. The pleather couch had broken glass under the cushions, and there was an open container of tuna beneath the refrigerator! I brought it to the attention of the building staff on four separate occasions, through three different employees, who assured me that something would be done about it. They also told me that they were struggling with being understaffed. It was not until 1 month after moving in, when I raised the issue again, that I was offered another apartment.
«Furnished»: Certainly, this is open to discussion, but I don’t know if I can call industrial strength office carpet, indestructible Walmart chairs, and a plastic leather office-​waiting-​room couch luxury. At best, this is a serviceable higher-​end dorm room. The accordion door dividing the bedroom and the living room was not even screwed into the drywall. The bathrooms do not even have doors! They open directly into the closet, which has a door, but means that any humidity from the bathroom is absorbed in your clothing! The granite counter tops is smaller than the surface area of my work cubicle desk, and appears to be purely present so that it can be part of the advertising.
Garage: There is a curious sheen of dust and dirt that is present on every surface in the underground garage. This accumulates rapidly over 2 days and longer. I would love to know how this is going to affect my car over the course of a year… I guess we’ll see
Clientele: For those of us who actually work, the noisy and publicly intoxicated college students or recent grads are an annoyance. I can tell you that neither my college nor graduate school loans would have allowed me to live in a place this costly.
Emergency services: I locked myself out of the unit due to a thoughtless moment and upon realizing the situation that evening, I called the on call phone line. This is actually an automated phone-​tree where you leave a message, without talking directly to someone. Three more messages and 1.5 hours later I got a call back from someone who told me to «sit tight» and came by to let me into my unit. He was disheveled, sweaty and smelled of alcohol, and once we got to my apartment, realized he did not have the right keys. He instructed me to «wait here», and never returned. I waited nearly 3 hours, calling the help line about a half-​dozen times before sleeping in my car and then going back to work the next morning!
Price — at $ 1300 – 1400 per month for a studio, having lived in several other cities including high-​rent Chicago, this is absurdly pricey and does not approach the expectations for aforementioned reasons.
Two stars is generous, but the location is pretty damn good. Unfortunately, they have a lot of work to do to live up to their advertising.

I’ve only lived here a short time, and let me say this place is tops due to the amenities it provides. The rent is a little pricey but it includes all utilities, cable, HBO, and internet. Each room has its own washer and dryer even.
The staff here is friendly, and very knowledgable about the area. The real value of this place are the amenities, in addition to what I’ve already mentioned. There is a huge work room overlooking the canal, a lounge for get-​togethers, a rooftop deck, and last but not least, a pool over looking the city! Throw all of your bills away because you get this all included in rent.
There are also a coffee shop (Quills coffee), and a burger place (Burgerhaus) onsite. The small 1 bedrooms are a little cramped, but the units all have granite countertops, tiled bathrooms, hd tvs, and they come fully furnished with the price of rent! Now I don’t think a poor college student could afford to live here, but good for working out of town like myself. It appears that the mix of people that live here are 50%college/30%yps/20%everyone else. So there’s a good mix. I haven’t spent a summer here yet, but imagine it will be quiet with school letting out, and look forward to laying in the sun and writing the pants off some new reviews!