Apartment Reviews for Charleston - Salt Lake City

I loved renting here. I had so much sunlight in my apt. People move in and rarely move out. I want back in but they have nothing. Included cable and heat. Power was cheap.

In reading some of the previous reviews, I've noticed that most of the gripes people had with their experience at the Charleston might very well have been their own fault. The "fat guy with the goatee" who one reviewer thinks is the "owner's son" is actually the owner, and if he is constantly mentioning things to you as you exit the building, then you're probably doing something wrong. There are very clear-cut guidelines for living at the Charleston--rules that help keep the appearance of the building nice and help keep things running smoothly. For instance, if you're moving a couch into the building, you're supposed to use the garage entrance in the basement instead of the front glass double-doors. This prevents the lobby of the building from getting dinged and scratched. Also, when you ask the staff at the desk to hold open the garage door, they'll most likely offer you some dollies to help you in your move. Another rule: if you have a one bedroom apartment, you can't have like 8 people living there. This is a constant problem that some tenants don't seem to understand...and yes, the owner will likely get on your case about it. Too many people mean an unfair drain on the utilities that the building covers, fewer parking spots for everyone else, etc. <P>
This building was built in the 1950s. Because of that, it does have some trace elements of a kitschy aesthetic in some of the appliances and so forth. However, it's really not that dated. The apartment I live in has a brand new refrigerator, brand new range/oven, and a new window air conditioner for the living room. I got my brother-in-law's old window A/C for my bedroom and I'm all set with cooling in the summer. The heat in the winter is perfect, too, I think--sometimes even too hot, where you might want to crack a window. <P>
My wife and I have added some curtains to our killer view of the entire Salt Lake Valley, and we've hosted a few small cocktail parties for our friends there. We're impressed with our view and the space we have, and we pay what I think is a very low rent for such a space. <P>
The location is perfect for us too. We are both graduate students at the University of Utah--as are many of the tenants--and with the building being two blocks from the campus shuttle stop, one block from the Trax light rail, and with a city bus stop right outside the front door, this is the perfect location for me. This is a very quiet building, too. <P>
As for maintenance, we've had a backed-up drain, a leaky faucet, and some other typical things, but each time we had our maintenance requests completed within a day. The maintenance guy even saw how we had the A/C rigged in the living room window and when we came home from school one day we found he had taken the A/C unit and set it into a proper plywood brace for the window, painted it clean white, and caulked it airtight. We've received nothing but good service from the maintenance guy. <P>
I think those who complain the most about bad service from the office staff, the owner, or the maintenance guy are probably the tenants who behaved the worst, were the rudest, or we just overall crappy tenants. They're probably the ones who had big parties at their apartment at late hours and had their friends park in the handicap spaces and fire zones. And they're probably the ones who scratch up the lobby and the front glass doors moving their cheap dorm furniture into the building the wrong way. They're probably also the ones who don't treat the office staff with respect and think they are to wait on them hand and foot. Heck, they are probably the ones who were always late on their rent or didn't follow any of the policies of the building. <P>

THE CHARLESTON APARTMENTS IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. IT IS VERY QUIET, AND CLEAN. THE OFFICE STAFF IS FRIENDLY AND ALWAYS THERE TO ASSIST YOU. THE SECURITY IS VERY GOOD THE FRONT DOORS ARE SECURE AND THEY HAVE INSTALED SECURITY CAMRAS AT ALL EXITS. <P>
THE MAINTENCE STAFF IS ONSITE AND FAST TO RESPOND TO ANY PROBLEMS THAT ARIVE. <P>
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE WITH A FAMILY FEEL TO IT THIS IS THE PLACE YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR. <P>

After reading the responses I was compelled to come to the defense of a place I have called home on and off for over 10 years. I am a super student (currently working on my masters degree) and love living in the Charleston. I have a fantastic view of the city, can conveniently walk to school and trax to head downtown, and feel safe all of the time. Any time there is a problem in my apartment it is fixed promptly, and I have a good relationship with all of the people who work in the office. Lastly, the cost of living in the apartment far outweighs any small hassles - and I knowingly chose these apartments for their quaint style and 50's charm. <P>
I have lived in four different apartments in this building from the basement to the 8th floor and have found all of the floors to be equally quiet and very livable. Again, you just can't beat the view! I have recommended these apartments to over 10 friends and all of them have thanked me for it. <P>
In return, I have been a good tenant, always paying rent on time, following the rules as far as moving in and out, and kept to agreed upon amount of tenants in each apartment. This building is a historical icon in Salt Lake and should be treated as such. To those who don't like it, they may be happier in a brand new apartment with cardboard walls and synthetic carpet in West Valley. For me, the location, the view, the staff, and the charm are well worth the insignificant hang ups that every apartment building has. <P>

This is an older building built in 1950, so if you expecting ultra modern it isn't here, people rent here for the charm. the kitchens are the original stainless steel 1950 kitchens. The staff is very caring and involved. Camara in all of the hall ways. The owner lives in the building, so he is very involved. In the summer the older people get together on the roof and chat, no charge for community. Alot of people drop off their relatives and the staff ends up taking care of them. It is a hands on management staff, try to get that in many of your rentals now a day. I believe the people that written the rude remarks probabley didn't pay their rent or left owiing money and that is why they wrote those unkin remarks. <P>

I have lived at the Charleston for 4 years and love it. I like the diversity of the tenant population, the responsiveness and kindness of the management, and the building engineer who knows this building like the back of his hand. Although I had originally intended to buy a home when I moved here from San Francisco, I now plan to make the Charleston my home. The apartment is good-sized, I have quiet, civil neighbors, and am very happy. I could (and do) recommend the Charleston frequently to friends and colleagues. And a big plus is that the owner lives on-site. I have found him to be kind and responsive. <P>

There is on-site maintenance, which is good because things tend to break every-other month. It's usually not that bad though. Today the hot water was out, but I expect it to be fixed by tomorrow. It's the first time in a few years I've seen that happen. The elevator inspector was here a few weeks ago to make sure everything was up to code and up-to-date. <P>
The manager is an ex-cop who doesn't take illegal BS. He's rarely seen, and the other staff seem to be pretty nice. They know me by name and greet me when I come through the door. One of them runs a salon in the basement; from what I hear it's pretty decent. <P>
The rent is quite reasonable considering what you get. Of course it's a bit higher than usual because cable TV (among other things) is automatically tacked on to rent, whether you watch it or not. The good news is that the premium HD channels are just a few bucks a month extra, so it keeps your "cable" bill pretty low. <P>
Parking is the biggest concernt for most tenants, but the owner is trying to get a permit from the city to ticket cars and have them towed himself (instead of wasting Highway Patrol's time). The irony is that parking woes can be solved for another $20/mo., which gets you your own parking space in their three-level garage. There are spaces available, but nobody wants to pay another $20, so they gripe about parking. But really, you can always find a spot on 13th East if you need; you just have to walk half-a-block once in a while. (I mean once a month or less.) <P>
The tenants are... shall we say "culturally diverse," but oddly enough there aren't any Spanish speakers. French, Japanese, Bosnian, Pakistani, but no Latinos. This is not to say that everyone there is an immigrant who learned English as a second language. There are also elderly tenants who are very nice and keep mostly to themselves, and some local citizens who are very polite. As with any apartment building, noise is a concern, but if it's really a problem, each tenant is willing to quiet down if you just bring it to their attention that you can hear them. <P>
There aren't any dishwashers in the units, and the plumbing is a bit old, but the apartments are spacious with nice carpet. If a tenant smokes, there's supposed to be a strip under their door to keep the smell inside their own apartment. <P>
I would recommend this building if you're looking for a place to stay. It's definitely not a condo, but it's not a rat f*@$ either. At any rate, give it a look yourself before making a final decision. <P>

The key here is making sure the apartment you get is a good one. I've never seen a rat and my neighbors are all quirky but quiet and polite grad students or old tenants. It's not uncommon to hear an opera singer in the hallway or see stylish people dressed elegantly; they rent furnished to opera & acting companies. Pick an apartment above the 5th floor on the north side and you'll be comfortable and have a great view. Ask what the floor is like--if there are smokers, undergrads, or crazies, ask to see another one on another floor. Pick a floor with old tenants, engineering grad students and professionals, and you'll never even hear your neighbors. Concrete floors and well-laid out apartments are quiet. <P>
And make sure you pick one with window A/C, or be willing to spring for a few $100 units; Salt Lake is over 90 degrees for several months a year. Heat is more than adequate unless you like to roast; they recently put in a new boiler so the hot water problem is fixed. Another plus is an office that's open during the day and indoor mailboxes. <P>
Another key--be nice to the office people. Stop and say hi to them. Be polite but clear when you ask for maintenance. Act like a good tenant and they'll go out of their way to fix things quickly. If you don't like apartment buildings stay away; but if you want the convenience go for it. <P>