Crossings Raritan

The apartments themselves are attractive, but luxury living is about much more than what is inside your front door. It's the overall experience, and that's where this property falls far short.

The hallways feel more like a budget hotel than a luxury building. The carpets are cleaned so infrequently that I can literally watch the same piece of trash or a dirty tissue sit on the floor for weeks before anyone removes it. During the summer, the hallway temperature is consistently over 85 degrees,… while the lobby and first floor remain comfortably air-conditioned around 70 degrees. Apparently only the areas prospective tenants see deserve climate control.

The dog waste stations are another ongoing issue. They routinely overflow with bags of dog waste over the weekends, leaving piles of waste baking in 90-degree heat. The smell becomes so bad that you have to cross the street to avoid it. That's not what anyone paying luxury-level rent should have to deal with.

I understood there was no concierge when I signed my lease, but I didn't expect food deliveries to be left scattered across the vestibule floor. There used to be a table where deliveries could at least be organized, but management removed it in an effort to "teach" delivery drivers to bring food directly to residents' apartments. Instead, many drivers simply leave orders on the floor. Residents are the ones paying the price for a lesson that clearly isn't working.

Communication from management is equally frustrating. Important information—such as alarm testing or other building-related events—is often poorly communicated or not communicated at all. Yet we'll receive emails asking residents to avoid cooking with spices because someone complained about hallway odors. Even more bizarre, management once sent a building-wide email inviting only a small group of lease-renewing residents to the office for pizza, essentially emailing everyone else to let them know they weren't invited. It was an odd and unnecessary message.

So what exactly makes this property "luxury"? Beautiful apartments alone don't justify that label. Clean, well-maintained common areas, prompt communication, attention to resident experience, and basic upkeep are what separate luxury communities from ordinary ones. Unfortunately, the rent here reflects luxury pricing, but the day-to-day experience does not. Read More