I've been living at 125 Oak Grove sincec October of 2007.
1) The property management company: Warner Properties. Don't be confused, the mantenance and rental managers that live on site are not the owners--I've found that the main office, which also owns several other buildings around the area, is GREAT. I have less than ideal credit, and the company was willing to work with me so that I could still get a unit.
2) Maintenance: If you have a non-emergency maintenance request, expect it to take up to a week to fix. I had problems with a leaky toilet, so I went through the routine of call one day, maintenance comes out the next, leak still happens so call again, maintenance comes out the next day, etc. They're pretty good--just be sure that you leave specific instructions for them or they are likely to miss something the first time around. The only complaints I have are that in winter the sidewalks get very icy--they shovel, and it's hard to avoid, but some salt could do a world of good.
3) Emergency help/maintenance: They have an on-call emergency phone line 24 hours a day. The one time I had to use this the person I called was SUPER helpful and friendly, and even called me back after he thought of an alternative solution to the problem. Very attentive.
4) On site staff: I've been here a little over six months, and they've changed property managers three times. They've changed maintenance managers once, but I get the impression that the old maintenance people had been there forever and that there isn't much turnover in this position. I haven't had much interaction with the on site staff but they seem friendly enough.
5) Unit itself: I have a 400+ sq ft studio. Base rent is $550, if you have a six month lease add another $20, and if you're a smoker another $20 on top of that.High speed internet is avalable--first three months are free--for $25/month. Basic cable is free (it's actually satellite), and I've been meaning to look in to upgrading the number of channels but haven't gotten around to it. One word of caution: by some cruel trick, the basic cable package comes with Lifetime for Women AND Women's Entertainment, but no ESPN. This has been a source of neverending frustration for me. The unit was really dirty when I moved in--I think it had been uninhabited for several months and that they hadn't cleaned it since the last tenent moved out.
7) Parking: off street parking is available by contract for $50/month. There are two lots--one right next to the building on the eastern side and one across the street and one block to the west. Which parking lot is more convenient for you in terms of location will depend on which wing of the building your unit is on. If you get parking in one lot, you can keep your name on the waiting list for the other lot if a space opens up there (I did, and in April moved to the lot right next door) When it snows, don't expect the parking lot to be plowed until mid-day. Since they don't require you to move your car before they plow, the lots get pretty snowed in, so keep a shovel in your car to dig out (you live in MN, it couldn't hurt to do this anyway).
8) The Building: Other reviews I've read say that this building is noisy, but I've found the opposite to be true. Perhaps I lucked out on the neighbors, but on my 1st floor hallway I hardly ever hear anyone in their units, incl. tv, radio, etc. The carpet is ancient and smells like it--no bodliy fluid smells but just a dankness. The laundry rooms are ok--sometimes units go on the fritz for a while, but I have to wonder if this is because no one tells maintenance that they're busted. The dryers are crappy--expect to either fry your clothes or run them through twice. I've hardly met any of my neighbors, but I get the impression that the building is populated by a lot of people like me (mid 20-30 something singles or couples) and a lot of little old ladies. (shrugs)
A few words on heat/comfort: heat is paid by the property owners, although you have a thermostat in your unit. For most of the winter I felt that the apartment could be a lot warmer. I also found that if I wanted to have a hot shower, I had to make sure to get in before 7 am on the weekdays. A few months ago, however, I got a letter under my door (Warner Properties preferred method of communication, by the way) that after several complaints regarding hot water, they discovered that the 60 year old water heater had a leak. It's since been replaced, and I haven't had any problems with hot water since. I also suspect that this will take care of the heating problems--but it wasn't as though the apartment was unlivable by any means. One thing I didn't anticipate was the summer--my unit faces east, and (I think) all of the studio apartments only have windows on one wall. That = very little cross breeze, and if you face east your apartment will heat up at about 7 am when the sun comes up.
Bottom line: there are things about this neighborhood that you can't control, like the fact that Hwy 94 runs directly parallel to Oak Grove Street and that in the summer time, Loring Park is inhabited by roving homeless alcoholics. In the neighborhood itself, and especially on Oak Grove Street, I've always felt safe--safer than when I was a student living in Marcy Holmes. I can't afford this place on a nonprofit salary, so I'm looking for a less expensive studio in the neighborhood--I'm thinking of sticking with Warner Properties at one of their other (cheaper) locations. For its size and location, the studio is probably a pretty good deal, but I've found dozens of buildings that average about $50-100 less in rent--although they're on average 100 sq ft less than mine.
Good luck with your apartment quest!