Manchester State Thomas

Lived here for about a year in a one bedroom apartment. Apartment itself is okay. Windows are a little dated. The floors are composite laminate. I felt like the air didn’t flow right in the apartment… Like one room would be significantly cooler than another and not because of exposure to direct sunlight or some other external factor.
The gym is pretty limited but it’s kept pretty clean and tidy. The grounds around the building typically do have some dog crap laying around.
Parking garage is normal. Plenty of room for parking even large trucks and the entire 4^th floor is guest parking.
Staff is normal. They’ve helped me out when I had questions and haven’t ever been rude. Couple maintenance tickets were addressed quickly (same or next day).
Neighbors are nice and friendly folks. Haven’t had any noise issues or really loud parties here on my side of the building.
There was one instance when it was storming really badly and all the fire alarms started going off in the middle of the night and it lasted several hours. I slept in my car with my dog after a while.
For all you dog people, Griggs park is the best park in Dallas for your dog. No it is not a fenced dog park and you could get a ticket out there if your dog is off leash but I have not seen it happen.
Lease is up for renewal. I don’t think I will renew here but it has nothing to do with the quality of the facilities or the staff. Just looking for something new.

My boyfriend and I moved in about one week ago. We currently rent a 1 bedroom with a den, that is three levels.
Upon our move in, everything was extremely clean and nice looking. Hardwood floors in the living room, dining room, and tile in the kitchen. Nice upgraded stainless steel appliances in the kitchen along with nice looking counter tops. Carpeted den and bedroom. The closet is decent sized. Good enough for 1 person but way too small for two people!
The bathroom is simple, white with white tile, nothing special, but still nice.
We walk one block and are right down the street from a great skyline view of Downtown Dallas, as well as The Nodding Donkey and Boxwood Restaurants/​Bars.
The actual leasing center isn’t too far away, and neither are the pool or fitness center. I wouldn’t recommend walking there, but it would definitely be a short drive.
We are right across the street from Griggs Park, really nice park!
We had originally thought it would be a loud park of town since we are so close to so many things, but its extremely quiet! We don’t even hear our neighbors.
We are about ½ a mile from the Neighborhood Walmart, Target, Big Lots, Ross, West Village, and many other places!
We have an attached 1 car garage, but that still leaves us with 1 more car to find a spot for. It is open parking on the street next to our building, some days we get lucky, and other days you have to park quite a ways away.
The staff here are very polite, and respond to calls and emails very quickly, as well as their Maintenance team.
Their are separate AC units on the 2^nd level and 3^rd level of our home, so you do need to be cautious about that. Our AC unit was broken upon move in, on the third level, which is our bedroom. Maintenance came out twice to tell us that it was «supposed to be like that» and we finally had them send us an actual HVAC person. It was fixed the same day he came out, which was great! The AC units are old, and tend to make a lot of noise! So, beware.
All in all, we are very pleased with where we decided to call home :)

Perfect brownstone for my wife and I. Reasonable rent for a huge 1BR in uptown. Maintenance staff was quick to respond to all requests and management staff very friendly and accommodating. Grounds always kept clean. Gym and pool adequate. We’d be staying but time to buy a house. Thanks for a great 3 years!

The best place I have ever lived! I was so sad to leave, but had a job transfer. I LOVED my apartment and the team there could not be better! I hope that my life brings me back to Dallas at some point so I can live here again. The neighborhood is fantastic as well.
The team at Manchester is so incredibly kind, helpful and responsive. They are so customer focused it is amazing. They truly made me feel at home at the Manchester. It really is a bargain for what you get– from the apartment, to the team and help, to the amazing neighborhood. Best place ever! I feel so lucky to have lived here.

I have been a resident here for over 10 years, and I absolutely love it. The location is excellent, the neighborhood is fun and friendly, and the apartment staff is great.
Manchester is very responsive to service requests, and the walls between apartments are very insulated – I rarely hear my neighbors, and they have a dog.
The complex is very dog friendly. They had a problem recently with residents not picking up after their dogs, which made the common areas kind of gross. But they redid the landscaping and kicked out the residents who didn’t pick up after their dogs, and everything is great now. I have a dog, and so I appreciate it that the common areas are kept nice and clean.
I highly recommend this complex.

This complex has two parts: the townhomes/​brownstones and the apartments in the main complex. I have had the former, so this will mostly be helpful to those looking at the townhomes. I’ll try to focus on the things you won’t necessarily see much of from just online.
Summary: As far as large complex renting goes, it does nicely. You certainly aren’t getting a bargain for it, though.
Great:
1. Maintenance. The guys are professional, fast and do a good job. They even stopped by when they noticed water streaming out of our place and replaced the waterheater within an hour of noticing it. They fixed something on New Year’s Eve at 10pm.
2. Location. Love the area. Close to lots of restaurants, but far enough away from the crush of just-​out-​of-​undergrads that dominate closer to McKinney in the Gables and Post Complexes.
Good:
1. The townhomes themselves. The layouts leave a little to be desired (they waste a TON of space with pointless fireplaces), but the overall construction is pretty good, offer nice finishes for a rental unit.
Fair:
1. Price to Value: Let’s be serious here. These things cost a ton to rent. You get a garage and limit the number of neighbors you have, and it can feel quite spacious, but you are paying for what you get.
2. Trash Service: On the one hand, it’s pretty nice to just put your trash out your doorstep and it’ll be picked up 5 days out of the week (Sun-​Thur). On the other hand, $ 26 a month is a bit high and for some reason they don’t offer recycling. The apartment complex DOES have a recycling bin, but the townhomes can be pretty far and unless you want to walk 5 minutes with a bag of recycling, you’ll end up just throwing it away.
3. Air/​Heat: The air conditioners keep the place cool, but they are LOUD. The problem is that though they are central air, the units themselves are in the wall, so you can hear them running and they are not soft. Additionally, the heat is electric and it is very pricey. We had an end unit though, so I think we paid more than our neighbors for utilities.
4. Expectation of Price Hikes: I’ve seen this complained about a lot on here, but to be honest, the offer for rent for our second year was only a 3.1% bump, and it’s quite a bit lower than what’s offered on the website for similar places. This seemed fair to me. We didn’t end up staying because we bought a place, but we probably would have stuck around if not.
5. Common areas. While the façade facing the street is nice, the interior of the townhouse area is pretty drab. Lots of concrete. Not sure this is really their fault — and not sure I’d want to pay more to have something nicer, but it doesn’t make hanging out on a balcony or outside an attractive option.
6. The Gym. There is a small gym in the bottom of the apartment complex all can use. It has 2 ellipticals, about 4 or 5 treadmills, three recumbent bicycles, a dumbell weight set and a bench to use them, a squat bar area, and a handful of weight machines. The machines don’t have TVs, but there are a total of 6 TVs in front of the cardio machines. The place is kept clean, but one of the TVs has been broken for about 80% of the time I’ve been here. I think they could stand to rebalance the machine composition a little: I hardly ever see people on the recumbent bicycles, and the ellipticals are frequently used. I think it’s weird there’s not even one regular stationary bike. They don’t have a lot of room to add much though. All in all, this works as a very basic place to do cardio. I suspect those really interested in pumping iron will want to go elsewhere and if you need to workout at a popular time of day on a particular piece of equipment, you might need to find elsewhere as well. But if you go at non-​peak times, are flexible about what cardio you do, or you normally run outside and just need a bad weather spot, it works pretty well.
Bad:
1. Package delivery: This was probably the biggest continual aggravation to me. These are townhomes with doors that are accessible. The UPS delivery men are great about just leaving the packages at the front door if you want. But USPS doesn’t even try to deliver to the door. Instead, you have to walk to the leasing office, which depending on where you are is kind of far to pick up packages (several streets away). My packages all say «Leave at Door. Do Not Leave at Office» but USPS doesn’t care. This is doubly annoying because the leasing office, understandably, is only open during certain hours of the day. So if you work and get back home after 6, you can’t pick up your packages until the weekend.
2. Carpet Installation. The one place where I felt like the units were completely substandard (particularly for the price) was the carpet. Ours was clearly installed in a rush and particularly on the stairs, it was coming up from Day 1. I suspect they simply replace the carpets each time a new resident moves in, so they go with the cheapest possible solution, but still… not great stuf

Roaches.
That’s literally what’s done it for me. I’ve been living here for 4 months and I cannot wait until my lease is up so I can get out of this roach infested hell hole. And the worst part is that the first time I called to complain because within a 3 day span I had already encountered 5 giant roaches and 1 giant bug (which no one in my family could identify), the guy at the office had the audacity to ask me if I was from Texas because apparently roaches happen in Texas. Well I’ve lived in Texas for more than a decade and I’ve officially seen more roaches in this 4 month period. Come to think about it, I’ve even lived in Africa and I’ve seen waaaaay more roaches in this 4 month period. And these aren’t small ones they’re huge. It just doesn’t make sense to be paying this much for rent and dealing with such disgusting critters. So my recommendation is if your not down with sharing your place with these critters, then be advised and stay away!

Apparently everyone that used to live here hates it, but we live here not and really like it. The place is expensive, but so is everything in the area. The kitchens are great, and the layout is really nice for couples or roommates.
The best thing so far is the repair service. They are absolutely spot on with everything. It took 1 day to get a new garbage disposal when it leaked. It took ½ a day to change bulbs. They are really responsive and have been very friendly.
I’ll update to see how they jack up the rent after, but we don’t plan to stay more than 12mo anyhow.
Tip: if you’re new to the area, dont believe anything the ‘rental search’ people tell you. They are wortheless and since we’ve been here we’ve found many places at least as nice as here for less from independent owner/​landlords. Check craigslist and drive around the area you like to look for signs…

We decided to live here after moving from SF — thought it would be a good transition neighborhood so we decided to rent a three story townhouse.
Neighborhood — nice neighborhood, walkable to restaurants and bars, very dog friendly (except there are a ton of dog owners that do not pick up their dogs doodoo)
Manchester raised our rent over 20% after the first year which was a bit outrageous. When we first moved in, we found many issues such as nails/​tacks in the carpet where our new puppy could have swallowed. After three weeks, our first floor bedroom flooded due to a leak in the roof (water went down the side of the wall) and some of our items got ruined — no compensation from Manchester, no apologies. They did get a contractor to come out the next day to dry the carpet… the roofer had to come out on two separate occassions to fix the solution (first time did not solve the issue).
they also charge a $ 300 pet fee just to have a dog — it doesnt cover any issues/​damages which is a bit steep.
Seems to have a high turnover of those that work in the office so what was told of us regarding pet fee and parking spots at the time of move in changed at the end and we were not notified of this. I’m glad I’m no longer living here.

I lived here for one year, 2012 – 2013 in a townhome on Hugo St.
It’s an apartment complex, so take all the 1 and 2 star reviews with a grain of salt. 2 stars is average for an apartment complex.
Let’s start with location:
Good: If you like the ability to walk to many bars and restaurants, it’s great. Walmart is also across Hall St, and if you feel like walking over a mile, you can get to Clyde Warren Park and the Arts District.
Bad: The nearest DART station (Cityplace) is a good 15 minute walk from the State Thomas neighborhood, so pretty much everybody has a car and drives to/​from work. The neighborhood is extremely busy with cars. State St acts as a major thoroughfare not only for people who live in the neighborhood, but also people driving to and from McKinney Ave and the bars/​restaurants near State & Allen. So while it’s walkable, there are a lot of cars to dodge, and there is a lack of stop signs in some heavy pedestrian intersections. Also, parking, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, can be a issue. For some reason, tons of people have huge SUV’s and pickup trucks despite living in a very dense urban neighborhood. That’s Texas, I guess.
Other than the good location, it’s a pretty standard, nice apartment complex. I lived in a townhome that was built in the mid-2000’s, so it had newer amenities. Management was good, maintenance requests were fulfilled the next day, usually.
The worst thing about MST is the price. $ 1688 for a 1200 sq ft, 1 BR/1.5BA townhome with a single car garage — and that was a «good» deal that I negotiated down. They offered around $ 1900 to renew my lease. I know they’re willing to negotiate down, so maybe I could have gotten them down to $ 1800, but still, that’s a lot for what it is. Oh, and don’t forget the $ 75 per person application fee, $ 350 admin fee (???), and $ 500 pet fee. They soak you for whatever they can get, but I don’t blame them since it’s mostly rich people that live here and they are willing to pay.
One more bad thing: there are two A/​C units (which is good, for heating/​cooling multiple levels efficiency) located inside closets in the townhomes, with vents to access outside air. Most homes you see have A/​C units located completely outside, on the ground or on roofs and only an air circulator inside each place. Having the A/​C compressor units inside the home makes it very loud. And if you’re a light sleeper, it might wake you up when it kicks on. Just walk up and down Hugo St in the summer and you’ll hear all the loud ass A/​C units — these are located directly in each living room, yay!
To sum up, Manchaster townhomes are newish, nice, good location, but are very pricey with loud ass A/​C units and there are some drawbacks to the neighborhood.
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Adding on, after reading Scott B.‘s review. Ditto on the lack of recycling pickup. You pay $ 26/​month for trash pickup, you would think they would pick up recycling too. You have to take your recycling over to a parking garage a couple of blocks away. I didn’t mind doing it, but I think most of my neighbors either weren’t even aware of it, or didn’t want to put in the effort because over half of them just threw everything (bottles, cans, paper, cardboard, EVERYTHING!) in the trash. Kinda sad.

I lived at Manchester State Thomas for 7 years. We started out in a gorgeous 3 story townhouse that had 3 bedrooms and a study. Due to the 20% price increases, I moved just down the street to a 2/1.5 townhouse. I have to say that the floor plans are great, and there is a lot of storage. The location can’t be beat.
However, I had a pretty serious issue with my second unit. A maintenance man came and worked on the sink one day, and the next day I had a call from management that my apartment was flooded. And by flooded, I mean deluge. A pipe had burst on the second floor wiping out the kitchen and living room. There was a waterfall down the stairs and into the garage where my items were stored. The units on each side also had water damage and mold and I believe the tenants moved out. The floor in my unit cracked and sank a few inches.
Manchester told me that they could dry the unit and I could move back in after about a week. Each time I went by there was more mold, and I realized that their remediation efforts were not working. They offered to move me to a similar unit, which I quickly accepted. After a fight with one of the visiting Greystar managers (in which she literally screamed at me that it was my fault the place had flooded — classy!), they finally agreed to cover my moving expenses. I was still out of pocket from packing expenses, transfers, and a week of missed work.
It was a nightmare, and the most distressing part is that they rented that unit out just after I left.

I relocated to Dallas from Arizona last summer and picked Manchester State Thomas as my place to live. First off it’s in a great location as there are lots of restaurants that you can walk to from it’s location. I lived in a 3 story town home that had hardwood floors that was pretty nice.
Now for the reasons I moved from there after only a year. First off the AC unit was located in the closet of the Master Bedroom and is quite loud. Secondly in the last 3 months I lived there the upstairs AC unit broke down 3 different times. The straw that broke the camels back for me was when my lease came up to renew and they increased my rent an exorbitant amount. My rent was was $ 1380 and they were increasing it up over $ 1700!!! Over a 20% increase is insane!!!
I would avoid Manchester State Thomas unless you want to move after a year or face a rent increase of 20% or more.

The place itself is not bad. The AC is awfully loud (I mean like the back seat on an airplane) in your bedroom. The management says it’s normal (maybe they should sleep with earplugs then too) Residents leave their garbage bags all day long in 100 degree weather (which smells). But the main reason for 2 stars is definitely their most ridiculous way to do business. The rent is increased by 30% after 12 months! It doesn’t make sense to rent anymore as owning a house costs just as much. We are out of here.

I am about to complete my 25^th month of living at Manchester, and I must say I am very disappointed in the management. As can be seen in my previous review, they attempted to raise my rent after my first lease term, I did a little negotiating, and they met me about halfway. I thought that was pretty ridiculous and I didn’t understand the point for an extra $ 600 for 12 months. But, it was more economical than moving. Strike 1
However, they were supposed to change my carpets and they never did. Strike 2.
Upon completion of my second lease term, I was anxiously awaiting my renewal rate. My wife and I knew we were going to rent for one more year, and would have loved to stay in the area.
Problem 1 — They gave us the renewal rate 3 days before my 60 day notice was due, and there was no concession about the date. Therefore, I had to make a decision immediately. See below for why it was so easy. Strike 3
Problem 2 — They raised our rent $ 200 a MONTH!!! I thought that was completely unbelievable. I have been there for 2 years and would have stayed a 3^rd. Strike 4.
Problem 3 — I went to request my 60 day notice and the manager asked why I was moving. I said you raised my rent $ 200 a month, and she said, oh well we can work with that. Just seems like such a crappy way to do business. NEVER FALL FOR THEIR RATE INCREASES. Apparently they HAVE to raise the rent something, but it is never near where they originally present to you. I spoke with another resident and they raised his rent $ 330 a month before settling at around $ 120. Ridiculous. I attempted to convince the manager that I have been an on-​time payer, and it would cost them less money to keep me there. They didn’t seem to care and said they could clean the apt, change all the carpets, and have someone in the property within enough time that they wouldn’t lose more than the $ 1,200 they would make by increasing my rent.
Strike 5 — There are probably termites digging under the apt. I found a swarm of termites one day along our door frame and told the office. They said someone would come out the following Wednesday, they did, but the exterminator said he had to deal with management. Not sure if they fixed it or not, but management was definitely not concerned. Oh well. Their problem
My wife and I were apartment hunting this weekend and every property we visited had several Manchester former residents looking for new places. I know the property is 98% occupied, but they will hit a wall and no one will be able to afford the rent. At that point, some people will get some great deals.