Poolside Apartments

Good:

Everyone in the building is a grad student. Everyone is polite and quiet. I feel safe in the building. This is one of the closest properties to the law school. This is pretty cheap and very easy. I really like having a spot in the garage ... I would worry about theft if I parked outside.

Bad:

Everything is old and outdated. If school is online you will need to pay for your own internet.

Nothing really smells and I haven’t had any problems with bugs/bats but I have heard that some units have bats. So if that would ruin your life probably go with more expensive housing lol.

The building just changed management, but the rent is reasonable for a property this close to the law school. The building has wifi, but it's not strong enough for all the zoom classes this year, so tenants have to get their own. There are laundry rooms are each floor, but the machines are old and require quarters. The apartments are a good size, but the kitchen is smaller than I like. The interior of the building and apartments is outdated but it's supposed to be getting a complete overhaul in summer 2022. I really enjoy that the parking garage is under our building and only accessible to residents. The building feels safe, too.

I lived in Poolside my first and second year before working remotely from my parents house during the pandemic. Poolside was the perfect spot for me. I loved that it was just a 5 minute walk from the law school and that I could afford a one bedroom apartment. The building is a bit dated but it is kept up well and the maintenance staff is super responsive and helpful. It should be noted that the building no longer has a pool, but it is walking distance from the public pool! I lived on the top 3rd floor and didn't have any trouble with noise, but I have heard the lower levels get noise from the upper apartments. There was a noisy undergrad house across the street on my side of the building during my last year, but I think that is just the luck of the draw. Management was usually very accommodating and friendly if I had questions or concerns. There were bats in the building one year, for about a week, but I didn't have any near my apartment. It is a common place for law students to live and I really enjoyed seeing friendly faces in the halls and being able to easily run over to a friends apartment. Overall a great place for a law student on a budget!

I've lived at Poolside throughout my time at law school. The building is a 7 minute walk to the law school and only 10 minutes from the Sample Gates. Repairs are always incredibly prompt. The apartment complex is always clean. We have an underground garage, which is especially great during the winter. The building has been around for a few decades, but the management company has been good about updating things (and it's grad students only, so things tend to be upkept better). The only complaint is that there is no central air, but each unit has an air conditioner that works pretty well.

I have not had any bad experiences so far. A new management took over a couple months ago, and they have renewed current tenant leases up to the next school year. They did mention they will do renovations, so I don't know what it's going to look like then. There is a garage parking, with designated spots which is $45 more per month (one reason I chose this apartment). The new management will not be charging for extra parking, but rather increase rent and include parking with the unit. Great temperature control during the winter months, once the heaters are up and running.

Good.

Though there are some "party house" right across the street, and it can get noisy sometimes.

It really depends what you are looking for. If you are looking for something convenient and close to the law school, this would be a great place for you. It is about a 5-7 minute walk from the law school, so that is always really nice. It is also has a garage, which is nice so you don't have to park out on the street or pay for a parking pass somewhere else.

I will say, however, the condition is not the greatest. They are slightly run down apartments and don't have as many amenities as I would like. There is not an in-unit laundry facility (there are 2 washers and 2 dryers per floor), and also there is not a dishwasher. Everything else is fine for me but those can be inconcenient at times. Apparently the apartments will be renovated this summer or next, so the condition may improve, but as of right now they are not of fantastic quality. For me, I am perfectly fine with everything and will be living here for my 3 years of law school because convenience and being close to the law school is one of my main priorities. Many law students live in the building so there is a great possibility you will have friends in the building as well.

The location is the only reason to live there. The apartments are woefully out of date, poorly insulated, have very thin walls and ceilings, and parking, unless you pay for the garage slot is basically impossible. Climate control is nonexistent outside of boiler heating which can only be turned down so low and widow AC units that aren’t even in the bedrooms. While close to the law school the amount you pay is, in my estimation, about 30% to 40% higher than what the apartments are actually worth. Especially considering the coin laundry will cost 2 bucks or so per load and flooding often occurs in the laundry rooms. There is also a non-refundable “turn-over charge” on top of your security deposit that is a couple hundred bucks so be prepared to write that off. If you’re really concerned about getting to class on time then go for it, but if you are comfortable with buses/biking/or can find a parking spot close by, Poolside is not the way to go. Security is also not great since doors to the building are often propped open in the summers.