The Dalton Apartments

This place could be a wonderful home. The pros are that the building is beautiful and the location is excellent, and neighbors tends to be respectful and quiet. Parking on the street is free and easy to find, and seems reasonably secure on any of the main or cross streets. They allow dogs which is nice.

Unfortunately that's about the end of the positives. Any positive reviews you see online are significantly dated. Don't expect to move into a clean or bug free apartment. The building and... grounds are not at all maintained. As in, the screens are broken and the windows don't fully close because their mechanisms are either broken or breaking. For temperature control, some units have A/C window units. Some have old ceiling fans. You have no control over when the radiator heat comes on, so in winter, you have to just hope the building's water heater is working, which it often isn't. Speaking of hot water, say goodbye to hot showers. The bath and sink water gets warm, the showers do not. In the kitchen, the cabinets are old and breaking. There is no dishwasher or garbage disposal, and there are very few outlets in both the kitchen and throughout the apartment. There are 2 washers and 2 dryers in the basement. Only one of each actually works properly. With respect to maintenance, they eventually come to fix maintenance requests if you pester through the portal. Maintenance is unhelpful and a little creepy. The worst thing is that management is entirely absent. I have no idea who our point people are, where a leasing office is, or who even to contact. Their number goes to an office in New York. They fired the only occasional on-site rep they had. There are hidden application fees and I'm expecting serious nickel and diming on move out. Finally, for security, the building seems relatively safe inside, but that could be because we have good neighbors. Sometimes, people sleep in the front lobby, and some packages have gone missing. The garbage situation outside is fine, but the alley can get a little dicey with people shouting or throwing the garbage cans. No composting unless you toss yours in one of the neighbors' compost bin.

In sum, this looks at first pass like a good place to live, and indeed could have been, if management was ever present and invested in the place. As it is, it's falling apartment and the thousand little inconveniences and genuinely bad things weigh on you. We will not be renewing, and I don't recommend anyone lease from this place. Read More