Review for Claremont Apartments

If you're familiar with the normal middle-class experience of big city living, this place will neither thrill you nor frighten you. The neighborhood is nice, quite. It's near South Street and Whole Foods. Close enough to a hospital that the area has plenty of security around, but far enough away that sirens don't wake you. A few blocks away from a pretty lively night-scene, which again... it's close enough to walk there, but far enough away that you don't have to hear it once you're gone home.

The place itself is about the same. Security seems adequate - there's a combination lock into the entryway, and then you need a key to get into the hallways. Add in a locked apartment door, and a crook would need to get through three locks to get to your place. The walls are average - you can't near your neighbors unless they're already being loud. But if they are loud, you'll know. There's a dumpster-esk area outside the building (fenced in, so you don't have to deal with dumpster divers), and it's cleared pretty regularly.

There is infestation of many curious insects - I've only see one BIG roach, but there are plenty of little itty-bitty ones. And gnats live in my bathroom sink drain - no amount of Draino seems to stop them.

My biggest (and weirdest) gripe is this place's bizarre experimentation with color schemes. The doors of all the apartments have been painted three times over the past year - from terracotta, to blue to black (they say it's 'midnight blue', but it looks like black to me...) This might not be AS obnoxious if they didn't need me to leave my door ajar while it was drying... for both coats. When you have two cats this can make for uncool times. They also didn't give any advance notice on what day they were going to do it - I had a very surreal experience trying to get a nap in before class while some guy in coveralls crouched in my doorway painting my door.

All in all, the place is 'meh'. If you live here (and can stomach the sight of a bug or two, which happens everywhere in Center City anyway), you won't hate yourself for living here. It's close to a lot of cool stuff and you can sleep perfectly safe at night.

...but if you're rich and looking for a good bargain... Ehhh. I wouldn't if I could afford not to.