The Saratoga

To counter argue what the reality of this complex is really like, I can sum up in two words what the real issue is: MELISSA PILGRIM. Where can someone possibly even begin with this unhappy and bitter person? Not only does she enter the apartments illegally (not to mention repetitively screams HELLO?! or your name _​_​_​_​_​to wake you up early in the morning with no warning or merit) and generally just doesn’t care about the tenants or anyone else but herself point blank. It’s a waste of time trying to communicate or discuss any issues you may have with her because she just cares about making her next coin. I have felt beyond harassed to the point of her screaming profanities at me in the elevator because she didn’t get her way. I know, I was beyond shocked at her unprofessional behavior and actually really embarrassed for her. After my court case reached the verdict, Melissa was so irritated she continued to follow me and shouting obscenities all the way until the elevator closed on her so I could finally get some peace after dealing with her misplaced anger. This has been just one of the many episodes from this «property manager» I’ve unfortunately had to deal with at my time living at the saratoga lofts. I don’t understand how a supposed «professional» person could lose all dignity simply because she didn’t get what she wanted. The experience was beyond awkward almost like I was watching a badly behaved child throw a temper tantrum in public. I can’t imagine she is unaware of the Fair Housing Act as a property manager for the well-​known Wisznia group? If she is not familiar with the law, she will be soon. To anyone thinking about making the saratoga lofts their home: run away fast while you can, you’d be better off spending $ 1300 anywhere else without dealing with the hardly working cheap amenities, and requiring you to purchase their cable/​internet service added to your rent each month. Did I mention these «luxury» lofts happen to be in the most sketchy area in central business district where almost every homeless person sleeps against the building? I’m not even joking. For $ 1300/​month I don’t believe you should be scared to take your dog to the restroom at night. The saratoga building is advertised as an «up and coming» area of the city, but to put it in lehman’s terms, it’s smack dab in the middle of the HOOD/​location of the most dangerous bus stop in New Orleans! I feel lucky to even cross the street without being hassled by a homeless person that later gets fussy/​scary because you are not going to give them your hard earned dollar! However, the conceirge employees are great and appreciated by everyone who lives here. I wish I could say much nicer/​positive things about this place, but there isn’t anything substantially good about the saratoga lofts. Use caution, and be sure to read the fine print in your lease! Also, if you do decide to become a resident here with transportation, be sure to get your parking garage spot DIRECTLY through the garage property itself and NOT the saratoga lofts. You will save so much money doing so and have much more room for your car with the space size!

The reality is that your experience here depends greatly on the particular unit you choose. I have a Loyola facing unit so I get no noise from the club on the backside. There was streetcar construction for the majority of my first year, but that was worth the streetcar that was ultimately the result and out of the hands of management anyway.
(Wiznia) management is not hostile, but they can be lazy. Investment in the property has gone down since HRI was removed. Wiznia will not replace the faulty and often broken trash receptacle door on my floor, which requires that tenants put their trash in the closet on the floor for days at a time. Fortunately, they try to pick it up quickly. Similarly, they have not repainted damaged hallway/​open bathroom walls or caretaked those areas as well as they should for their prices! Part of the issue I think is not the management so much as BAD, UNCLEAN TENANTS.
If I had only one piece of advise I could give my complex, it would be: Please, please be more strict about the kind of people that you let live here! We don’t want drunks falling asleep in front of our door because they can’t find their own apartment! And, because those people cause you guys to make stupid babysitting restrictions (like we can’t use the wonderful movie room 24-​hrs anymore), the rest of us have to be punished even though we are quiet and just want to enjoy the amenities and be left alone.
On price, Saratoga is definitely more expensive than other apartments downtown with no doormen, but to me it’s a worth it to have those guys.

Every time I have visited The Saratoga, it has been for special events; Parties and fashion shows. The main hall downstairs is great for events. It’s spacious enough to be able to create whatever environment you have in mind.
I have visited the spaces. They look nice if you are the creative types. The spaces look pretty small for the prices in my opinion but the location I’m sure makes up for it.
If visiting this location, try to park by the library or in the back lot. Never park in the main lot directly next door if you are staying pass 7pm because it will close on you.

If I could give this place no stars I would. BAD MANAGEMENT. Overpriced. Management doesn’t care about you. Higher parking than half a block away. Ammenities suck, dirty pool. Cheap tubs, cheap flooring yada yada…
It was only 2 blocks from my work and I still moved because the place is literally terrible. Wouldn’t pay $ 1,000 a month to live there if they offered it to me. Oh yeah I paid 1,650 a month here for 940 SQ feet. 2 bedrooms is not 2 bedrooms. You’d be lucky to get a full size bed in the «2^nd bedroom»
Other apartment communities also know that Wisznia apartment has BAD MANAGEMENT.
OH READ THIS —— if you have two vehicles it’s only $ 280 a month lol. You pay $ 180 for a parking spot that can hold 2 Toyota Camry’s but it’s an extra $ 100 if you park 2 vehicles in the same spot… Really?! Yes that is true.
Plus insurance costs are higher living in 70 112 zip. My advice — River Ridge /​Elmwood area…

I came here because it was close to the medical school and they heavily advertised here. For the first 6 months the parking garage had no remote entry (it was closed every day from 7pm to 7am), and the few times I did manage to use my car, I had to pay 180 $ for the privilege to go all the way up to the 6^th floor, walk down in the garage to the 3^rd floor, and then cross over, and then finally take the elevator up to my floor.
The Internet is slow and buggy (the roku they give is the oldest version that has none of the features that make a roku halfway decent), the water is hard and emits odor, the common areas are a disaster (with exception of the balcony, which is nice, but the grill is never clean or functional), the movie room does not have a cable box or a functioning sub-​woofer, and now apparently they are instituting a curfew at midnight where the balcony, movie room, common area, and hot tub (which is always dirty and nonfunctional, in fact they locked the controls so you can’t bring it up to temperature any more) are off limits because some squatters started to smoke crack on the 2^nd floor (this is real, not exaggeration). Additionally, some Taiwanese started sleeping (again, i’m not exaggerating) ten to a room (presumably because they can’t afford the rate otherwise) — and began to take turns sleeping in the media room and common areas.
With the apartment itself, you are basically paying 3 $ a square foot for a glorified cubicle, with cheap fixtures, thin raggedy easily stained carpet, press-​board cabinets of the lowest line, shower glass that goes only ¹⁄₃ the way of the tub such that your whole bathroom is a mess after showering for only seconds… the list goes on and on. The ‘gym’ is literally one treadmill and weights that go up to 25 lbs… The art is also very weird and highly publicized. The doormen are nice though.
I’m normally a fan of government, but these guys got the federal go-​zone guarantee, so they don’t have to finance their debt on a cash basis. They therefore have no incentive to a) lower rent to a reasonable rate, b) negotiate with individuals who want to stay on but can’t accept these things with a 3 $ rate, or c) actually improve their facility. Because they can’t fill the rooms at these astonishingly high rates, they turn to corporate renting which means you have high turnover quickly, and no real community feel…
Horrible 1 year stay, never again will I go with a wizsnia property! Architects in the business to make money don’t know how to run a property, nor can they design one properly without cutting corners! It’s the worst of both worlds!

STAY AWAY
We have had issues with the apartment since the first day we moved in the apartment was dirty and there was old food in my fridge. Our windows in the bedrooms were dirty and stained we couldn’t look outside we asked them to replace them they refused. My windows in the living room has leaked every time it rains since the day we moved in. They still have not fixed it. It got so bad that during a storm my apartment got flooded with water. The management seems really nice and act like they care to get you in once you sign a lease they don’t give a shit. We payed $ 4,000 a month for rent and they still didn’t give a F**K. Every tenant I know is unhappy here. It is so bad we are breaking the lease and paying them $ 4,000 just to let us out. You can rent a house for the price of a crummy one bedroom at this place.