Kenmore Towers

This building is average, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

In Koreatown, rental properties seem to be firmly divided into two camps - cheap, dilapidated and unsafe, or brand new, luxurious and laughably expensive. It's become increasingly difficult to find a place that's a perfect compromise in the middle, and this building is probably as close as you might get.

It's a bit more expensive than many of the older buildings in the area, that's true. It's also newer, the apartments are… larger, have newer appliances, fixtures and flooring, and parking is included with the price of rent. Since we've lived here, there's been a couple breaks-ins in the parking garage, but we have personally never encountered any problems. Though noise from outside cannot be entirely ignored, our neighbors have been respectful and the building is surprisingly quiet. We haven't had any problems in our individual unit, but it seems that occasional plumbing issues plague the building as a whole. However, repairs are always fast, and during convenient hours. If you work a regular 9-6 type of job, you'll never have to deal with the water being shut off. The manager is fairly responsive for questions and major problems, though he's hard to catch at home. Just save yourself the effort and call instead.

And of course, when it comes to location, the building is right in the middle of everything - it's super convenient to be able to walk to get groceries, go to the post office, print shop, restaurants, night life, hop on the subway...you get the picture. I look forward to parking my car on Friday, knowing that I will most likely not have to look at it again until Monday morning.

Overall, Kenmore Towers isn't perfect, but that's ok - because I don't want to pay for perfection. This is a pretty good spot to call home, as long as the rent doesn't go up. Read More