Vantage at Merrifield

the property manager at Vantage asked for proof that I had paid the initial 100 $ after sending proof, he promised to look into this but never got back. so i do not think they will return it.

There’s never any parking in the public garage from 5−8pm. The staff lied to me, they told me that parking wasn’t an issue. I was promised a private parking space, but after asking about the status of the parking space for a month, I gave up. As I write this review I’ve been waiting 20 minutes for a parking spot and counting.

I’ve lived here for about 7 months now, and don’t entirely understand the animosity towards the management on previous reviews.
Choosing our apartment and moving in was fairly easy, Nick was great and negotiated with us on the amenity fees since they would all be under construction shortly after our move-​in date and wouldn’t be able to enjoy them. We were able to transfer from another Kettler community without incident, and both properties prorated my rent for that month. I live in the North building and noise is fairly minimal (with the exception of two very excitable yorkies across the courtyard), I have yet to hear a neighbor through the walls and if I didn’t see them I wouldn’t even know they were there.
The only reason construction noise is noticeable is because I live very close to the heart of it by the office. Each time I’ve gone down to the office to turn in a rent check, I’ve gotten an apology from the building management about the noise. They suffer through it too on a daily basis, it’s just a necessary (and temporary) evil for upgrades.
I was thrilled when they installed the security features, since it can be easy for just anyone to get up into an apartment building. It’s comforting and although it can be slightly inconvenient when having people over, it’s absolutely worth it for the safety.
My only complaint, which has been echoed by so many other reviews, would be the maintenance. None of them seem to be trained properly, and I’ve had one occasion where they just came in to my apartment unannounced. Sorry, but as a young woman that’s absolutely terrifying. One «fixed» (as in, placed a weight on the raised hardwood trimming) and left without saying a word. Two more have stated that the weird smell emanating from the pipes in the toilet are unfixable, and we’d just have to deal. Each time I’ve approached the front office with an issue, they’ve been very empathetic and dealt with it immediately. There was a sewage smell coming from the vents one day, and the moment I approached the office they had someone follow me back up to my apartment to fix it immediately.
However, when most (if not all) of the maintenance staff is poorly trained or uninterested in their work, there’s not much they can do except wipe that slate clean and hire and entirely new staff of handymen. Maybe during all of their amenity upgrades they’ll upgrade the maintenance staff too.

I do not recommend Vantage at Mosaic District. Nick is a terrible property/​sales manager… unfortunately he’s not pleasant to deal with… very argumentative. They also hike up the rent significantly each year.

I’ve lived here a year and a half and am getting ready to move out for greener pastures-​a house in a peaceful neighborhood.
I don’t understand the hate for the new building management. I found the old building management to be unreliable and unhelpful. The new building management generally seems friendly and efficient.
I, too, mostly work from home. But, then, I’m on the fourth floor of the North building. I hear some of the construction racket, sometimes more than others. What other commenters don’t seem to be noting is that much of the construction sound during daylight hours has been room renovation. As units have gone vacant, management has been taking up carpet and putting in laminate floors. I know. I first heard the noises a few months ago while working and walked down the hall to investigate.
Now, and for the next month or two, there’s major renovation on the first floor as the amenities are being refreshed-​presumably to keep pace with the luxuries people are expecting in modern condos: a cookout area for the north building’s common area, a café-​like space, and some other goodies that I won’t get to experience.
As others have noted, these buildings were built about 10 or so years ago to be condos. It was only after the economy tanked that they became rental units. Due to the concrete ceilings/​floors, it’s exceedingly rare that I hear neighbors. What I do hear, being on the Strawberry Lane side, is the occasional douchebag with his jacked up exhaust system revving his engine for all its worth presumably to enjoy the unique acoustics afforded by 8190 and 8191’s brick walls. And let me tell you, dear reader, just how enjoyable their neanderthal antics are to those of us who live here! But, on the plus side, there’s only one or two of those a night.
From the fourth floor, the rest of the noise of the neighborhood is kept at bay by the solid windows and walls of the building. I don’t hear anything from the gym. The worst thing I’ve smelled is the occasional heavenly aroma wafting up from the Four Sisters down below. No complaints here.
I watched the other apartments go up in the Mosaic. Don’t be fooled. Avalon and Modena are both wood frame apartments. They have concrete separating them from the retail below. But the apartment structures themselves are just wood. I can only imagine how little privacy one gets in those units. Pretty much the only time I hear my neighbors is when they’re having a loud conversation walking past my front door. Otherwise, I can almost forget that they’re there.
If you dig the Mosaic, the Vantage is almost certainly your best bet.

I want to echo some earlier reviewers about the continuous construction which is ongoing at Vantage. I work from home, and the construction makes this almost impossible. I cannot take conference calls at home anymore; I have to leave the building. Yes, they do keep the construction to between 9 AM and 5 PM, but again, if you work from home, this is no help. Also, if you have small children who might need to nap, Vantage is also not the place for you. They did send out an announcement in September 2014 saying they would be updating some flooring over the next «couple weeks.» Apparently that means over 9 months. And by «update» they mean jackhammer out. As soon as someone moves out, the jackhammers come in. Currently they are renovating two floors up and several units over and it’s still too loud to have a phone call in my unit. The noise travels through the structural elements. If you work from home or have kids, this is not the place for you.

Let me start off by saying I’ve been living here for years.
I am beyond pissed off with this «management» can’t do anything right. I work late nights. I come home around 1am and look forward to getting home. BUT I can’t you know why because of the extra stupid security that’s on each elevator. They’re broken. If people that live here don’t want them because they’re a hassle that means «management» should get ride of them.
Also they gave away my parking spot due to me leaving town for a couple of months. I am livid with this «management» because instead of managing they’re ruining this building.
Just because you’re renovating doesn’t mean it fixed the bullshit everyone that lives here is going thru daily. What they’re doing is hiding dirt under a rug. Can’t wait till my lease is over this year.

Great friendly leasing agents. Very thorough in explaining the units and amenities. Lots of renovations going on just in time for me to move in.

The best location in Mosaic District. Close to shopping, theater, and restaurants. I moved to these the Vantage after extensive research on line before relocating from Tampa, FL in Nov 2013. These units, by far, exceed those around the entire Mosaic District. Excellent quality marble counters and vanities, cherry wood 42″ cabinets, stainless steel fixtures, and newer units have wood floors, washer/​dryer in each unit. I have a lovely cream berber carpet. These unit were originally built as condos, so I never hear my neighbors, which I see the complaints from every other luxury apartment complex in the Mosaic District. Being only 249 units, The Vantage is not too big and not too small. There are so many different 1, 2, and 3 BR layouts which can fit just about anyone’s requirements. Every unit has a balcony, which is a rarity in all of the Mosaic District luxury apartments. We have assigned parking spots in our secure garages and plenty of free public parking if friends come over. The amenities are wonderful: concierge service, rent can be paid on line, same with service requests or package receipt notices, a nice gym, great theater room, nice swimming pool, free shuttle to the metro (4 blocks away), pet friendly (and very few issues with residents failing to clean up after their dogs), free trash, (on each level along with recycling bins, which are emptied multiple times daily), a small community library/​computer room with a copier. There is month to month agreement option with Xpress Fitness connected to the complex.
The maintenance staff have always been extremely efficient with any issues I have had – 3 days max for resolution. The cleaning staff are up and working every morning at 0730 keeping the main areas, trash rooms, and elevators pristine. Kudos to them! There have been some issues with the freight elevators and garage doors, which Vantage maintenance can’t be expected to repair, since those systems are run by outside companies, but those have always been kindly explained in a letter to each resident.
There were some hiccups with changeover of management companies in late August, but that was because there was a 2 week notice, so issues were to be expected. By late November, the new management staff was really doing a great job! All the carpets in the hallways were cleaned, which was long overdue. Every light in the halls and garages had been replaced, notes were given to residents in due time if service would be conducted or elevators were going to be serviced. A holiday party was provided for all the residents in December, and today, we had a wonderful spring brunch with made to order omelets and other tasty treats to include mimosas if you like. The management team is even making our place more secure by requiring our FOBs for use to any floor above the Management office – which makes me feel even
safer. All in all, I have enjoyed my 18 months living in The Vantage and plan on staying for a long while. I would like to personally mention Nick, The Property Manager, Monica, the Asst Manager, and Jason in the management office for turning the property management around to a great place to live. Same goes for the maintenance and cleaning staff. For the price, this is the best place to live in Mosaic District.

I have lived in this building for almost five years and the first four years were great. Then the management team changed and this place went to hell in a handbasket. Since December of 2014, I have had an almost constant stream of cigarette smoke coming into the bedroom of my apartment. I have brought this issue to the leasing office’s attention on multiple occasions and yet last night I (or rather my lungs) were awakened at 2 in the morning by the choking aroma of cigarette smoke. I don’t know if it is a lack of honesty or a lack of competence, but the entire team here from top to bottom have failed at addressing this situation. The manager Nick looked me in my eyes, shook my hand, and promised me the ventilation system in my apartment would be checked within a few days. That was almost a month ago. I suspect that the people in the leasing office looking to rent who overheard my complaints had everything to do with this immediate promise which was subsequently not kept.
There are much nicer options in Mosaic and the surrounding areas unless you enjoy secondhand smoke in your apartment all day and night and cigarette butts littered on the floors. Run don’t walk away from leasing here. It’s become so bad here that complete strangers have taken to commiserating in the elevators about the deteriorating conditions especially when considering how much we pay for rent each month.

After reading the recent reviews, we were hoping the new management had gotten better. But, it hasn’t.
We made an appointment in advance to view an apartment for rent. When we got there, the leasing agent said that he had nothing to show us. He was very rude and questioned «how’ we made the appointment. Apparently they have a call center that knows nothing about what is going on with the leasing aspects. Regardless, we called the leasing office directly, so it was clear no one knows what they are doing. He made no attempt to talk to us about other options and was very dismissive. It was a truly disappointing experience which makes me agree with the other Unilocal reviewers that are unhappy with the new management.

Review pending

I agree with prior reviews about the lack of response of the new management team, but I’m giving them a pass for the moment since it seems there was virtually no cross over time. I imagine like any new endeavor, it takes awhile to settle in.
However, as someone who has lived in the building for over six years now, I have to say that I’m totally baffled by the bad reviews. The amenities in the building — theatre, fitness equipment, courtyard, swimming pool, party room, shuttle morning and afternoon to metro — we have taken advantage of all of those. We moved in from a single family house, and were not at all sure we were going to enjoy apartment living again. We love it, love the proximity to great dining and shopping options. We are not one bit ashamed to showcase the building to friends and family, and I look forward to this new management team earning a 5^th star, which I will gladly give them once they have earned it.

We’ve lived here a year and I echo the comments about the building and the new management. The staff seems to rotate frequently and when I came in the office today to see about moving into a one bedroom and den the rate went from $ 1850 last week to $ 2150 this week because they said «rent amounts change daily but if we could move into the unit THIS WEEK they could honor the $ 1850» WOW! We’ve been great tenants for a year and run into a staff that is unfriendly and treat you like you are just in the way.
The carpets are worn out and dirty and with the increased amount they are trying to get out of an older building there is just too much competition around this area to pay these amounts. Add to that the garage gates were broke for several days, some of the «secured» doors weren’t working and office hours are not practical for anyone with a daytime job. Do yourself a favor a look elsewhere, we will be.

So when the builder originally started construction, they promised that these condos would never be «for rent.» When the economy took a downturn, what did they do? Turn the condos into rentals. When I went on the tour, the work and craftmenship was basically non-​existent. Case in point, when I looked at the model bathtub, it wasn’t flush to the wall and there was a gap in the caulking. I don’t know about you, but it sounds like a «leak”/fungus situation waiting to happen. It also shares the ventilation with the Vietnamese restaurant below it. Can someone say «fish sauce?» and «shrimp paste»? At the time I did the tour, they also imposed «income limits» of around 80K for the «lower end» renters. Seriously? With that salary, people can just buy a place. The location, though, really can’t be beat since the Target and other stores opened.

My Wife and I had checked this place out sometime ago, and glad we didn’t move in after reading the latest review on here. They wanted to know about our Bank Accounts, Savings, Retirement, and anything else that had to do with our Money. Thought it was weird that they would want all of this just to move in here.
When they told us that these were going to be Condo’s and then changed over to apartments because of the Market dropping out like it did, we thought it was going to be a good thing. Glad now that we didn’t. Granted that there are a lot of things around here, but we’re staying where we are for the time being. Looking forward to the new shopping center that will be opening up in the coming year along with new apartments that we may check out.
The apartments that we checked out were nice, but for some reason they seemed very small. The Square Footage they had made it look bigger on paper, but not in actually seeing it. The Living Rooms were decent, but the Bedrooms were very small. It’s not worth moving into with what they are charging for rent here. WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!!!

The building is a cash scam for the management and the original builder – who was forced to convert the supposed condo development into rental apartments.
Corners were cut during the final phases of construction to save money – as these were slated for apartments. Many new units suffered water damage and management’s decision was to repair the wood floors the cheapest way possible, yet still charge the same amount (and upwards) for the units.
The building has numerous problems and the management team is much like one you’d find at a cheap hooker motel. The property manager that supervises Vantage’s property manager is a crook straight from Crook College. Yes, the staff seem friendly and polite – but they will turn on you in hot minute. And if you don’t think it can happen to you, think again. Ever heard the term – What they do to others, they’ll do to you.
The only advantages that I can see is that you have a Chipotle, 24 hour gym and a bank right downstairs.

My boyfriend and I are going to move when the lease is up. I have no problem with the interior of the apartment. Everything is new. It was a good price for the place when we rented. Now we’re giving second thoughts about it.
There is two grocery stores next door to you. There’s dining downstairs. Metro is within walking distance. Lots of things are convenient. There’s a big pool that hardly anyone goes swimming.
If you like to open window during the summer. You will enjoy the symphony of people honking their horns, ambulance (There is hospital nearby.)going down the street, and fire trucks waiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiling away. Then again, the window will block most of the sounds. Then this is the place for you.

Great, new, modern units. The walls are thick, so I’ve never heard neighbors. The double-​paned windows block most noise of the busy intersection. H-​mart is right across the street. Nice amenities (big pool). Good fast-​food and sit-​down restaurants in the same building! Sort of close to metro (they have a shuttle). Would have given five stars if the location was slightly better. The management was very polite and always responsive.