Hawthorne Apartments

TL,DR: The building is back to its functional, livable and comfortable glory. I’d resume recommending my building to people looking to move close to WashU med.

It was about time to update the review of my beloved apartment building. A new management, RCI Realty, took over on Feb 1, 2023. They called advance elevator repair on Feb 1st to get started on the elevator issue. Back orders for elevator parts were still a hold back, but RCI provided freight elevator services throughout the repair... period. Doorman services were restored. There is now someone at the door ALL the time. Both elevators have been replaced with new parts, interiors and machinery have been upgraded. There were kinks initially after the elevator replacement was complete, but they were promptly taken care of by the new management. Several upgrades happened in the lobby too, starting with a massive cleaning (LOVED THAT), polishing of the marble floors, fixing the plaster adornments on the ceiling, replacement of ALL the mats inside and outside the building. Now there are mats even in the elevators. Cleaning crew comes in regularly and everything is cleaned and wiped. Garage repairs also started with the new management and they provided us with an alternative garage space tie-up. It is slightly far and the residents that chose to skip that option and parked on the street had their cars broken into (EVERY single car on West Pine from Euclid to Newstead has been broken into it seems) so that was very painful to see, esp for my neighbors who I’d grown to like through our shared struggles during the broken-elevator phase. Nearly 90% of the residents who were here in 2022 when the elevators started to break down have left. I believe that was the driving force for the owners to open their eyes and pockets and do sth about the situation. It was actually getting pretty empty for some time in the building but several new tenants have moved in. At some point in this period, a roach infestation began (or was uncovered by the rest of the deep cleaning??) and several rounds of pest control have happened. I have not seen a cockroach or a nymph in my apartment for 2-3 months now. Warmer months may tell a different story.
But RCI has amazingly turned over the tide for this building, kudos to them!!
As for the good features: beautiful views from this high rise building, open and bright apartments, prompt maintenance and amazing staff on-site. Read More

Please don't rent here if you're getting an apartment above the 3rd floor, the elevators are constantly down, you'll have to hike up 17 flights with your dog, grocery's or laundry.

I am not one to leave bad reviews - I think this is the second time I have ever done this. Please read this before you sign a lease here.

The people here are great, the staff is friendly, and I think they do everything they can, but they are limited by the owners. When I moved in, the front desk was staffed 24/7, the lobby was nice and clean, the elevators worked, and I was quickly hooked by the aesthetic of the building. Since then, I signed another year lease, and I regret it. There is one... person at the desk, he is there only a few days a week. The lobby hasn't been cleaned in a long time, and the elevators don't work.

The first elevator went out around May. They didn't do anything to fix it as there was still one working elevator. I bet you can guess what is coming next! The second elevator went out in early July. It was down for a little over a week that time before they had it up and running again - I say that lightly, you are lucky if you can get to your floor without it skipping your stop or taking a few extra along the way. Since then, I can't even count the number of times it has gone out. If you are lucky, you get an email from the office letting you know that it is out and they will staff the service elevator after hours (but if its evenings or weekends, you're out of luck). Pretty bad time of the year for the elevators to break in a 17-floor building with no central cooling.

I understand a lot goes into fixing 100-year-old elevators, so I don't think that is necessarily why you shouldn't live here. But I think their lack of urgency in repairing them and their lack of communication with the residents is very telling. And to be frank - I pay a lot of money to live here and I would just like to have the amenities I pay for.

And as for the cockroaches, there are just cockroaches in the hallways and the stairwell (which the residents spend a lot of time in nowadays). Read More