University Gardens Serene Gardens Apartments

Pros:
-Close to various bus stops, PG plaza metro station, UMD, Grocery and Pharmacy Stores.
-Some interiors look pretty nice with vaulted ceilings and hardwood floors
-Spacious 2nd floor balcony
-Cheap
Cons:
-Dangerous - Multiple people have warrants for their arrest at this property. Not as dangerous as other areas in hyattsville however. Straight up this is a barrio so don't expect anything too nice.
-Dirty - I have seen kids pee behind dumpsters, and people just leave trash laying... around. Expect roaches because of the dumpsters being so close to the buildings and bedbugs. Better hope you don't get bedbugs because if you do, you will have to wash and dry every piece of clothing and cloth you have and put them in trashbags. You also have to pick up everything off the floor, move furniture a couple inches from the walls, clean out closets and shelves of everything. Have fun with that for the next month as they come by and treat your home. No in unit washing machines and dryers so you have to take that to a local laundromat and spend upwards of 100$ just on cleaning.
-Loud - This community is very loud. There are lots of families with children who like to scream obscenities. Ice cream trucks plague every street and there are multiple that come by and blare their songs. Good luck trying to have any peace with kids constantly playing soccer and kicking their soccer balls at your windows. Not to mention, sometimes neighbors will like to play music for everyone within 5 blocks to be able to hear by setting up big speakers in their doorway. Better hope you don't live close by or your walls and floors might start shaking. They also like to party and play music loudly until 2am sometimes.
-Lack of hot water - During the spring and summer there is ample hot water. During the winter however, expect 5 minutes on average of hot water. They won't do anything to fix it of course.
-Deliveries - Lots of times UPS and other delivery services will not deliver to your door. You need to sign off on packages first of all, and second of all if you live on a second floor unit, they need a key to enter. Lots of times they don't have the key and are not able to deliver your package. Sometimes they'll deliver to the leasing office, other times they'll come up to the door to the second floor and just leave a note saying they missed you. Not like you have any chance of hearing them knock(sometimes) on a glass door down a flight of stairs though. Read More

I've never left a negative review on any item or service purchased before. However for this apartment complex, I'll make an exception. This is one of the worst place you'll ever live at. I came in with a positive attitude. The only good thing here is the maintenance service which I will admit was average. Forget about your security deposit once you move in. The buildings are poorly maintained. Pests everywhere. Mice will send you packing (not just me but my coworkers who all loved in the same... complex). The staff in the office will not try to help you if you're having any issues that have to do with money, even though the Problem was caused by then. I've lost over a thousand dollars over the course of my time there. Don't get catfished by the free utilities deal they offer. I would have been better off living somewhere else. You'll see what I'm saying once you're ready to move out. I didn't yield the warnings reviews when I was apartment hunting. Just do yourself some food and save yourself later regrets and fraustration. There was always an issue. Something was always wrong. I'm just so glad to be out. Read More

Rude and unpleasant staff all around. Lack a great amount of customer service skills. Have taken longer than 48 hours to complete emergency requests or just completely ignore. For example, the main door to my apartment building was forcibly opened by someone -causing the lock to break and no longer function; called emergency maintenance to resolve issue. It has been two weeks (at the time of this review) yet no one from the office has replied or resolved this issue.

Residents struggled to... enter the building for more than 24 hours. Some propped the door open with any object they could find. Finally, a kind neighbor, on the second day, gathered his tools and took the lock apart in order to fix it. However, one still has to shift the key a certain way in order to open the door.

Residents shouldn't have to resort to fixing apartment issues themselves.

On another note, when I received my apartment, I noticed bed bugs on my walls and floor boards. There was actually a nest in a crevice of my closet. I quickly called Resident Services to inform them and request a fumigation. The woman on the other end (who later informed me was the property manager) questioned me about my living situation. She asked if I was sure I did not bring in the pests from my previous residence. She advised me to keep my home clean in order to avoid this type of "headache" -insinuating I was at fault. I couldn't believe my ears. I had just purchased new furniture for my new home, so I am more than certain the pests were not my doing.

This community does not care for or respect its residents. PLEASE STAY AWAY! You have been warned. Read More

My apartment is mines. It's quiet, peaceful and security. Never a problem, when something needs fix they attend asap.