Avalon Somerset

In terms of management, they are always responsive on maintenance requests. The staff is always friendly and helpful. After I moved in, I wasn’t sure why the dishwasher always took a long time to run. One of the staff, Ave Mathur, taught me the dishwasher settings on a Sat afternoon such that I don’t need to take time off from work. Today I put in a request about the bathtub clogged up. He came just a couple hours later to fix it.
The ground is always nice. I also like the underground parking as well.
The walls are definitely thin. It is always a problem living in apartment complexes. So, I don’t think this place is suitable for someone who is very sensitive to noise.

I think for the rent cost, things could be better. The management and extras are good to great. The people, the service are great. All fine there. However, for what I pay per month in rent, I feel I’ve had far too many service calls. This place should be «turn key» to the max, and I agree with another assessment that the bathroom fixtures and some other things are not the best. The actual apartment itself is very nice despite this, albeit like others said, the bedrooms are small. My biggest problem is the «Quiet Time» rules. While we all must respect and honor everyone’s right to privacy, when I cannot even run a washing machine at 10pm or grind coffee, without fear of neighbors ratting on me, something isn’t right. 10pm for me, is early. I get home from work at 6:30 or 7pm, eat dinner at 8 and don’t start to unwind and finish up take home work UNTIL 10. Then, i’m forced to tip toe around for fear of making noise while walking (I’m a big guy). I think there’s something inherently wrong with this. Thethought that comes to mind is, the «Quiet Time» is a proxy cover for thin walls and floors. In fact, NJ township ordinance often state «reasonable» when describing noise levels allowed at off hours. Grinding coffee? Reasonable. Doing laundry because, unlike your neighbor who gets up at 4am and gets home at ?, you get home at 7pm? Reasonable. You get the idea…

I am reviewing this after living here for almost 4 months. Overall, it’s a very nice place. Apartments and finishes are nice, landscaping is great, nice amenities (pool, gym, pool table, shuffle board, etc). Walking around the complex is nice at night. Rent is a little pricey, but manageable for this area.
The reason I’m giving it three stars are for the following reasons:
1. It’s FILLED with affordable housing tenants. It’s very hard to pickup on when you visit here because they hide it very well. It is NOT disclosed to you up front or in any of the documents you sign. I’m pretty sure the people living above me are affordable housing because every time I’m home, it sounds like a jungle gym upstairs.
2. If your route to work puts on you 287… be prepared to be severely upset with your commute. It sometimes takes me 20 minutes to go the 2 miles down Easton between 730 and 830. Coming home off 287, be prepared to hug the right line for about a mile before being able to exit.
3. Pet fee is not out of the ordinary, but be prepared to spend $ 500 non-​refundable, plus $ 50/​month per dog.
All the staff is super helpful, getting deliveries are generally very easy (since leasing office signs for them). If you’re able to live with the fact that people that make $ 10-​$ 12/​hour combined in their household enjoys the same luxuries as you, it’s a great place. I, personally, do not like that. When my lease is up, we’ll be looking for another place.

We moved into one of the townhouses in February and after four months I feel like I can give a fair and comprehensive review.
Pros:
The grounds are immaculately maintained and the amenities are state of the art. We don’t use the lounge/​pool room as much but there aren’t a lot of people there at most times.
2. All the staff are exceedingly polite, helpful and genuinely nice. From move in to maintenance requests (unfortunately more of these than I’d like) the entire staff is responsive, professional and have a great can-​do attitude.
3. It’s been quiet around the complex, but that can be due to the extra long winter. Now that the pool is open, we’re seeing more people out but that is a plus. The BBQ grills around the grounds are busy on weekends, but since we work from home a few days a week, we have it almost all to ourselves during the week.
Cons:
1. Bedrooms are on the smaller side. We knew this moving in of course, but expecting our first child in a few months, we realized just how small they were when we started preparing.
2. The toilets and bathrooms are not the best quality. While the maintenance staff are very quick to respond, the underlying issue is that the materials are not top quality, which they should be for a luxury development.
3. While it bills itself as a non-​smoking community, a walk around the grounds shows that many people do smoke (and probably do so outside to avoid stinking up the apartment and losing their deposits).
Overall we are happy with our decision to move here despite the drawbacks.

Hi! I have been a resident at the Avalon Somerset for almost a year. The grounds are beautiful, easy access to major roads and highways, as well as shopping, rail station and Rutgers college (for anyone downsizing while your child maybe a student its a great location!)
The staff here from Director of Sales/​Operations to the Avalon sales & community team and of course maintenance; THEY ALL ARE TOP NOTCH. In a world where customer service is almost extinct, they keep it VERY MUCH ALIVE! They are always working on keeping residents requests getting done ASAP, doing community gatherings on the house (like the delicious pizza party the other night in the lounge) just so we all feel like family. I downsized from a huge home & property to this development and it was THE BEST move I did. I’m a single woman, 42 and it’s like hotel living. All is taken care of. The gym is fabulous, always clean, open ²⁴⁄₇ (for those restless nights) and this summer I was able to enjoy the gorgeous pool. There are lush cabana areas to sit, outdoor BBQ stations all over the property as well as beautiful built in outdoor stone grills and bar stool seating. BTW, the pool area never, ever feels too crowded. Seems like people don’t or are unable to use these facilities. I walk among any of this stations throughout the summer and I grilled or swam like I was in a private pool. Lastly there is this upscale lounge and game room that again is empty a lot. Good place to get out of the house a bit and enjoy the games on 3 massive flat screens or another quieter area to use your computer if you have a work from home schedule.
I live in a 2 bed/​2 bath on the first floor where I have a large private patio; large enough to place a full outdoor seating area of my own. The space I have is FANTASTIC, in the kitchen there are cabinets galore as well as walk in and DRESS closets in both bedrooms. I signed a 18 month lease, Avalon Somerset always has some incentive program going on too when you decide to live here, ask to see what they have running at that time. Moving here is something I am so happy I did! Love the lifestyle they strive for here with non-​smoking, great to us pet lovers too! Long paths to walk your dog as well as close to a walking/​running path along the river. Don’t second guess this development, they have done & thought of it ALL for its residents! THANK YOU AVALON SOMERSET STAFF, you truly feel like FAMILY. ~ Gina F.

After looking at this place, I must stay the apartments are beautiful and the staff professional, but I was very very disappointed in the price. What a COMPLETE RIP OFF! SO MANY HIDDEN FEES!!! Beware! Whatever the price is on the site or other sites $ 1600-​$ 1800 add on an extra 1k-​2k in FEES FEES FEES. First off I HAVE TO PAY TO PARK??? $ 10/​mo for outside parking. Are you kidding me? Like the apartment was not enough. There are so many spaces they just charge what they want. There is a $ 50/​mo parking fee for the garage which I understand but to park outside where there are more than enough spots? Then there is the $ 500 non refundable pet fee then a $ 50/​mo fee for the pet. On top of that a $ 500 amenity fee to use the gym for the year and to pay for «landscaping» (like they need it with all those people paying $ 500) and to use the outdoor pool to use 3 months out of the year. Then there is mandatory renters insurance fee (at your discretion), water fee, gas fee, and $ 10 trash fee. This is just to move in. This DOESNT include cable or electricity, or any other billing payments. All these fees for a tiny 634 sqft apartment. The studio was a joke and wasn’t even cheaper then 1 bedroom by like $ 100 – 200. The apartments are beautiful don’t get me wrong I would love to live there and if I could pay just what they advertise then by all means I would, but to have all these fees is ridiculous. They advertise «luxury» and use fake wood for their flooring. If you make millions live here if your average look else where.

My experience with Avalon Somerset has been delightful! From the wonderful staff, to the beautiful grounds and amenities this place is a dream. I’ve been here for just over a month and I am so happy my husband and I made the decision to move here. We drove all over the area, checking out different places and honestly, none compare. Everyday I feel like I wake up to my own little luxury retreat.

Ahhh… The Avalon– All that’s Glitter aint Gold!!!
Beautiful grounds and the best walk around and showing of the model will get you especially the refriderator filled with candy and soda!
You probably wont see the exact unit you will live in, but a model. If you are in the townhomes the model will show recessed lighting in the livingroom and kitchen, however when you move into your 3 bedroom there is just a cheap lighting fixture.
Air-​Conditioner is really loud and so is the dishwasher. You cant hear the TV or have conversation when the units are on. near your bedroom upstairs you will have to close your door to sleep at night because of the loud blower. The place is nice as far as the layout, but the appliances are cheap. The refridgerator is small with a tight freezer. Staff is nice, they take your packages. You pay for trah sewer water and utility fees on top of your PSE&G bill so factor that in.
Make sure you read your contract very well because they are nice as sugar, but Avalon Customer Care will not budge.
Overall I like it here, but I have to say it’s very over-​priced.
Look around before you commit to the Glitz!!!

My wife and I just had a newborn baby a week ago. Back in March of 2014 we decided we needed to find a larger place to live considering we were pregnant. We found this place and fell in love.
I’m assuming every one complaining lives in the apartments and not the town homes. They also have affordable housing in the apartments. A lot of people living so close together would get hard to manage.
The amenities are great! Great gym, great pool, barbecues, playgrounds, and even a nice dog park.
If you move into the apartments expect the normal things you get living in an apartment, but with better amenities. Or pay a little more and fall in love with your town home.

I’ve been living here since August 2013 and I plan on living here again this upcoming year.
First off, I don’t agree with the review below about the poor treatment by staff. Not only are they very nice people, but they’re extremely helpful as well. When I went in to inquire about the apartments they told me about a 1 Free Month Special I was unaware of (thank you!) and they’re always very quick to help when you have a maintenance request.
The property and apartments themselves are beautiful, and have proved durable through my 9+ months of living there. They have an awesome wade-​entry pool, great outdoor seating, really nice gym, and a really cool rec room w/​3 huge TV’s, surround sound, and a billiards table. You’re also located a very short cab ride away from New Brunswick entertainment and the train station if you want to head into Hoboken /​NYC.
Only reason it’s not 5 stars is because the rent’s gone up a bit and very little has changed since I moved in.
All in all, this is an awesome place to live and I highly recommend it.
PS — They’re awesome with their referral policy. I’ve referred 2 coworkers and got $ 250 each. Not too shabby.

The old saying, «If it seems to good to be true, it probably is» applies to this place. The property is beautiful, but if you move in, you’ll probably end up regretting it.
I was here less than a week when there was a pool of dog urine in the lobby. I called the office to report it. Hours later, a rep called me back and stated that they had «reviewed the tapes three times» and couldn’t find out who was responsible. I really don’t care who is responsible, I just wanted it cleaned up! I went to take my baby for a walk that evening, and the urine was still there! I went out with a bucket and mop myself and cleaned it up.
The trash room on my floor is always dirty, to the point that there is a stench in the hallway once you get within 10 feet of it. I feel sorry for the people that live next door to it and can’t imagine what the smell will be like in the summer. Gnats follow you out of the room. There are always boxes piled up, instead of being broken down and put into the recycling chute.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was their treatment of one of my guests. They have a no-​smoking policy on the property. I don’t smoke, so this wasn’t a big deal for me when I signed my lease. The policy applies to guests/​invitees too, which is also fine. What is not fine is the manner in which it’s enforced.
My friend was in his vehicle, with the windows rolled up, driving. Again, INSIDE a MOVING vehicle with the windows ROLLED UP. The maintenance manager saw him, turned his go-​cart around and followed him, waited for him to exit his vehicle, and confronted him. He was so rude to him that the property manager called me to apologize on his behalf. After his apology, he said, «Oh hey, no big deal, but we have to send you a letter about this whole incident.» I get the letter later that night and it states that it is my «final warning» and that if I or even any of my guests are observed smoking on the property again, they will begin legal proceedings. Like I said, I don’t smoke and this was the first time anyone associated with me was seen smoking. So one incident results in a «final warning» with the next step being eviction?
After that, I decided to take advantage of their 30 day move in guarantee and leave.
The incident I described above with the smoking is indicative of their overall attitude toward the tenants. It may be because the complex includes a large percentage of affordable housing units (which they do NOT disclose to potential tenants), but it seems like the management feels the need to police ALL of the residents. They are constantly patrolling the grounds. When I called to complain about the trash room, it was conveyed to me that they were considering installing cameras in those rooms, and it was admitted that they GO THROUGH TENANT’S TRASH. That comment was prefaced by, «I probably shouldn’t be telling you this but…» Do you really want to live in a place where they go through your trash?
Also, they offer a «cleaning service» upon move out for almost $ 300. They are pretty much extorting you into buying this service so they don’t take your entire security deposit. The law (Rent Security Depost Act — look it up) says apartments only have to be left «broom clean». Their lease (and move out documents) say that the apartment has to be left exactly like it was when you moved in. That is, of course, impossible (and illegal), and they expect people to shrug and say, «Well, it is ‘lived in’ now» and allow them to take their security deposits. If they try that trick with me, I’ll update this review with how I sued (and won) in small claims for double the amount of the security deposit (which is, unfortunately, something I’ve had to do with other shady landlords).
This review is long and detailed because I don’t want anyone making the same mistake I did: thinking the place is awesome and then being sorely disappointed when they find out how truly awful it really is.
Bottom Line: Stay Away.

This place is fantastic! Love the floor plan, design and mostly all the amenities (gazebos, bbq’s, pool w/​bodyguard, activity rooms, children’s park and play area, doggie park, recycling system, and as silly as it sounds, W/​D inside apartments!!). Everyone in the complex seem to be professional families. The concierge service is very helpful also. They are not supposed to bring in your pacakges but when I moved in very pregnant, they brought into my apartment the crib, stroller, high chair, carseat, etc. that arrived in the mail and accepted no tips. Whenever I call to get the air filter or light bulbs changed they come in within the hour. I LOVE this place! I have friends in Avalon in NY and they always spoked glories of this company and they were right!