Alpha Mill Apartments

Location: Alpha Mill is not in uptown or NODA. It is in the middle of nowhere outside of 277. Very few places even deliver food to the apartment complex. I would not recommend walking into uptown from here. Parking: They only offer you one parking spot and say that there is street parking available. If you get home after 6pm it is almost impossible to find street parking. They will also tow you. Safety: Although Alpha Mill presents themselves as a "gated community" very few of their gates actual work and one is almost always open. In addition, there have been several times when I have noticed that the front door to Phase II is left open. They have also informed us that there have been some car break ins. Design/ Living: When we first rented here, we loved the design however, we have noticed some flaws since first moving in. First, the fire alarms go off randomly (sometimes in the middle of the night). Second, the water in the shower is cold. The gym equipment seems old and outdated. Also, the paint chips and becomes discolored easily. Lastly, we have recently noticed pests in our apartment. After talking to my neighbors I can assure you that we are not the only apartment with these pests. The only nice part about the design is the pool. Customer Service: I feel that I could have overlooked all of the above issues if the customer service from the office was friendly and helpful but alas, it was not. The office staff seems friendly when you are signing the lease but as soon as they have you sign it, they are aloof and rude. It seems that they are defensive about any question you ask and not willing to do anything to find a solution other than tell you to do it yourself. I should have left two months into my lease when they towed my car however, I thought it would have gotten better, it did not. When I expressed concern about the paint in my apartment, they told me that they can drop the paint off and I can repaint it myself. The staff also does not inform you of all of the times the fire alarm goes off when you are not there or the correct reason why it went off. Perhaps this is why most people end up leaving.

The converted mill is a great idea but they've made it soooo unbelievably cheap. In addition they have the WORST management I have ever experienced. The people working there are trashy and really do not care about anything besides harassing you. The apartments are in a horrible area and there is constantly dog crap everywhere--no one picks up after their animals. You can't walk ANYWHERE because of how bad the neighborhood is. Just don't waste your time.

Apparently they had some issues back in 2008, but since I moved in Summer of 2012 this place has been great. The original office staff and current staff have all been helpful and friendly. They can get busy in the afternoons answering phones and doing tours, so I wish they had a second person on duty, however it is a small complex right now and you usually don't have to wait more than 10-15 mins for someone to return. I assume when the approx. 100 new units are finished they may increase the staff.



Maintenance has always been very friendly, helpful, respectful, and seem to enjoy helping residents from everything like bringing a ladder to change high light bulbs, wiring light switches (with help of a contractor), fixing disposals, and unclogging sinks.



The complex has put in a lot of money to improve landscaping lately and it looks really good. One complaint is for a few pet stations with bags since some owners don't pick up after their animals, and this might help. A second recycle bin near the mailboxes for junk mail would keep the walkway cleaner. Lastly the complex doesn't have package mailboxes like some complexes so you can only get packages when the office is open.



The pool has been recently re-sealed and is usually clean and not crowded. The rooftop patios are awesome even if they do close early at nights for noise levels affecting the nearby units.



Many nights I come in at 2-3am and last year only 1-2 spots in the whole complex would be open and residents would sometimes have to park in handicap and loading spaces. This hasn't been a problem lately and is likely due to less visitor passes being issued. At one point management said tow trucks patrol the lot at least 2-3 times a night however I have only seen one a handful of times. Visitors without a temp pass MUST park on the public side streets which is a big pain since that side of the complex does not have a call box (it really needs one). Hopefully the expansion will including some parking upgrades for the increase in visitors competing over the street parking.



I have experienced a 2br and 1 br mill unit (the two older brick buildings on site) and the decor is great, noise levels are very low, and residents are generally respectful, friendly, and private.



After 9 months, I transferred to a 1br unit on a new 12 month lease and the fee was reasonable ($200 in March '13) to switch over my lease instead of the 1.5x monthly rent that some complexes charge.



The area north of the complex is a poorer area, but you wouldn't know it other than the occasional homeless/low income person walking past the complex during the day on the public streets which are separated by a fence from the complex. I have heard of only 3 minor incidents occurring in my year here bring, 2 car break-ins on the side street, and 1 purse theft (unsure if out of a car or off a person). The complex quickly sent out alert emails and held one Q&A session with a CMPD officer at the complex for residents. Multiple law enforcement personnel live in the complex and cameras with night capability are installed on exteriors.



Prices, floorplans, and availability are all accessible on the compex website. A handful of garages are available for any resident to rent if unoccupied.

If you like living with evil apartment managers that make all residents feel like troublemakers you should live here. Jason has completely RUINED the whole uptown experience, and has dramatically changed Alpha Mill from a fantastic place for young professionals to live, into an awful mess perfect for people who are losers and don't have a life. Management is rude, unfriendly, unaccomodating and treats everyone like a nuisance. I'm not living here again!

When I first moved in, the gates to the complex were not operational yet, and management kept saying that they would be working in only a couple of weeks. This place is situated in a part of town where you surely do not want the gates wide open to where someone can just break open or jack your car. Well, about 3 months after I moved in (three months!), they finally began to work. Also, I've been living there for 9 months now, and I can't remember one single time that all four gates have been in working order. Almost always there is one gate not functioning - right now, two are broken.



The heat in my apartment does not work properly. I've called to have it serviced - I was told they serviced it, but still the same thing happens, no change. My neighbor told me her dryer takes several hours to dry her clothing. There's not enough parking in the complex - some people park up on the sidewalks during the weekends because they are clearly out of spaces. There are trains that run behind the complex and blow their horns all day and all night because of a crossing right at the corner of the complex. Then, next door, a new retirement assisted living complex is going in, so with that construction plus the train plus the freeway (I-277), the place is never quiet. The paint inside the apartments is extremely cheap - you can lightly brush up against the wall with your hand and leave a mark. The complex allows pets, so there are dogs everywhere. And nobody picks up after their dogs (not an apartment problem, just a pet-peeve of mine... pardon the pun).



On the good side (and yes, after that much complaining, I will give them some high marks), the pool area is very nice. The grills are awesome, when they're working. The complex seems to be well maintained landscape-wise. The kitchen appliances in the apartment all work well.



All in all, an okay place to live - just don't count on management for anything, and good luck talking to them without pitching a fit bc they have no customer service skills.