Phoenix Apartments

The apartment was built circa 1912, so if you like old sinks with two taps, clawfoot bathtubs, cast iron radiators, wood floors, and old windows, you’ll understand that all of those things, while lovely, come with issues. When the heat is working, it’s roaring; when it isn’t, your apartment won’t be much above the temperature outside. Last year the heat was out for about two weeks in the beginning of winter. They recently got a new maintenance guy; he lives at their other apartment building at Willis and Woodward. My understanding is that they had a difficult time finding someone because the offer was a «garden level» (that means basement) apartment, but you have to pay a reduced rent and take care of both buildings… the only reason they found someone is because the gentleman is a retiree, so it’s something for him to do. That being said, if you aren’t very sensitive or demanding of quality, this might be the place for you.
The studio apartments are small, maybe only 350sqft. With Mr Ken Davies (the proprietor who acts and talks like a shady used car salesman) asking $ 525 for a studio, that works out to be about $ 1.5 per square foot. Not a good price for the lack of quality, mediocre maintenance, absent professionalism, lack of parking… (UPDATE: he wants $ 575 now with a 1-​year lease, $ 600 month-​to-​month).
…did I mention parking isn’t a thing? Most tenants fight for the few spots on the street, but the tattoo parlor, students, restaurants, and bars are all trying to park as well. Most people park several blocks away (Cass Ave. is all meter parking, strictly enforced Monday through Saturday, 7am-​10pm, you WILL get a $ 45 ticket, it WILL happen). If you don’t have a car, there are a few bus lines very close by, so this might be ideal.
The walls are thin, so be prepared to listen to someone else’s music. Again, if you are of particular sensibilities, this may be a pain. If you’re a young college student, you’re probably the one making the noise. Most tenants don’t care. The kind gents at the tattoo parlor make a bunch of noise at all hours, but they’re pretty nice; the yelling and loud music never bothers me. The floors and poor insulation make even the lightest on their feet sound like an elephant to the neighbors (that can’t be avoided).
The tenants mostly keep to themselves, but aren’t rude or dodgy. Mostly university students. It makes this place a bit of a revolving door, but that’s the whole neighborhood: people move in and out with the semesters.
There’s a small yard in back. It isn’t well maintained, but you can potentially barbecue. If, of course, someone isn’t letting their dog relieve themselves. Some folks aren’t exactly responsible dog owners. (Update! They recently added a butt-​can and garbage bin! A real upgrade for this place!) The front isn’t much to talk about. The iron waist-​high gate just traps trash, but you can lock a bike there!
Wayne State Police HQ is just down the street, and with their regular patrols, the place is pretty safe. The doors are a bit thin and the front door security is spotty, but I don’t know of anyone that has had problems. The apartment building on the other side of the tattoo parlor is seedy and every once in a while someone has to call the cops on a knife-​wielding drug-​addict, but other than that, it’s mostly filled with people begging to get their next fix (not a huge problem). Only problem I’ve noticed recently is that people try to steal bikes from the front (it isn’t lit). I had to get a new lock after an attempt (the cut the metal cable three-​quarters of the way through). I think someone at the tattoo parlor scared the thief off by walking out for a cigarette (being at they’re there at all hours of the night has its perks).
If you can put up with this, you are relatively close to downtown. For Detroit, it’s not a very violent part of town, just the usual stuff like car-​theft, car break-​ins, muggings, larceny, etc., there hasn’t been a murder around here in a while. I wouldn’t raise a kid here, but if you have your wits about you, you should be fine.
Apparently this is where everyone wants to be, or at least that is what Mr Davies purports; «With 97% occupancy in Midtown, you won’t find anywhere else this cheap! Go ahead, look!» If you haven’t bought a used car before, this is a good time to get some practice. He really should be selling used cars instead of renting apartments. Slimy. By the way, the whole «people are banging down the door to get in here» is a bold-​faced lie. Don’t believe the hype, people, this is still the City of Detroit: crime, a poor economy, and poor services are still very real.
Let’s call a spade a spade: this place has seen better days. It’s fine if you don’t expect much, but Mr Davies will demand too much money from you. My suggestion: haggle. Everything can be negotiated. Otherwise, look elsewhere. Don’t get ripped off.