The Redwood

I didn’t have heat for the entire winter. It took 9 service requests, 4 months, 50 emails and 3 verbal ‘altercations’ to get it fixed. I hope Mr. Frederick (the manager) becomes homeless. DO NOT LIVE HERE.

The Short: Don’t live here, grab a row house in fed hill with some friends or your significant other!
The Long:
I moved from Boston to Baltimore to work as a nurse at UMMC. Never been to Baltimore before so I picked the closest ‘luxury’ apt building to the hospital. When I am in my apartment I am happy, but all the surroundings have started to leave a bad taste in my mouth in the past year…
Management:
Over the past two years the faces in the management office have changed, Not for the better. They aren’t always as professional as you would like them to be. They pretend to love all their residents, but often talk about them behind their backs (I’m surely part of their daily conversations now). Unreliable… Nothing is done in a timely fashion, you have to ask twice to get anything done (maintenance/​general renting questions, etc.).
We went several months without constant running water due to pipe problems. the water is STILL brown. They took 4 months to switch over to a new security company. They never give you enough notice about repairs/​inconveniences. You will get a morning email that tells you your floor is closed for carpet to be replaced or painting etc…
Positives:
Spacious apartments, typically quiet, good A/​C, laundry in every unit. Located above a parking garage, so you are off ground level, with 24 hour security (sometimes the guards sleep overnight or aren’t at the desk so I don’t know if that truly counts as 24 hours.)
Negatives:
Overpriced, not exactly «Luxury». Really only worth the cost if you have a roommate to split rent. Don’t live on the 16^th floor, their «pent house» apartments… I lived on 16^th. The only upgrades were higher ceilings, crown molding in living room, stainless steel appliances, and a tiled kitchen floor. The bathroom looks like 1980’s with black and white tile and copper/​gold hideous finishes. They charge you more for the «view» which is the same as the 15, 14, 13^th floors. The gym is outdated and equipment often broken or dirty. The apartment is located in a very dumpy area across the street from a strip club, and two blocks from Lexington market. Homeless crackheads on every corner.
Don’t live here, grab a row house in fed hill with some friends or your significant other!

I’ve been living in the same apartment in the Redwood for almost three years now, and for downtown living, there isn’t a whole lot for me to complain about. When I first moved to Baltimore, I barely knew my way around the city, and I was looking for housing that was within walking distance to work (University of Maryland, Baltimore). Safety and security were pretty high priorities as well. It’s a really convenient location: you’re literally two blocks from Camden Yards, about a 10 minute walk to the Harbor, 15 to Fed Hill, 10 – 15 to Mt. Vernon. I pretty much walk everywhere.
Amenities include:
— 24-​hour gym (includes free weights and weight machines, a few treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes)
— Doorman/​security guard on duty 24hrs
— Washer/​dryer units in each apartment
— Resident lounge that you can reserve for private functions
— Roofdeck with barbeques and lounge chairs and a (now obscured) view of Camden Yards (due to the new convention center Hilton)
— Business center with fax machine and printer
— Free breakfast on weekdays (pre-​packaged Otis Spunkmeyer muffins/​pastries)
— Free coffee (Flavia coffee machine)
— Parking garage
Of course, all these amenities and conveniences do come with a price, and every year my rent has been raised more than I’d like. You’re responsible for your own utilities (the apartment pays for water). If you have a car, you can purchase a parking pass that costs $ 145/​month. If you have any issues in your apartment (lightbulb out, etc) they usually get resolved within a day of reporting them. The evening front desk worker, Les, is really friendly and always welcomes you home with a smile. Although it would be nice to stay, I will probably move out when my lease is up and find somewhere less expensive to live. (Then I can afford to find new places to Unilocal!kidding… sort of…)