Phoenix Rise

Staff are great, but the building is noisy and overflowing with fees - add about $400 onto the base rent to get a true estimate.

Pros: Roomy layout, nice sized cabinets and closet space, good appliances. Kitchen is great. Workout room is alright but could do with fewer treadmills/bikes and a weight rack/bench instead. Decent natural light in unit. Maintenance and admin staff are super.

Cons:
- the noise. Washington blvd is super loud (literally within a few decibels as when I lived a block... from a freeway) - drag races and motorcycles cruising 7 nights a week until 2 or 3am, and around 6am several buildings under construction nearby start with almost daily 7am dumpster pickup here and in the other nearby apartment buildings. Windows aren't great (single pane which ice over in the winter) and don't do that much to reduce noise.
- costs. Forced 3rd party and bundled fees aren't unique to Phoenix Rise but they really pass on every single possible cost imaginable to the renter, worst I've seen. $125 for internet (asymmetrical "fiber" maybe $70, but the "smart" features, two non-dimmable massive light circuits in the living room are a joke), $25 property tax, $15 parking (maybe 1/4 of tenants use), ~$60 for common area fees/utilities out of your control (heat and AC are often both on, battling each other like Godzilla vs Mothra) and a $10/mo 3rd-party service to bill you for all this. Plus another $8 just to pay your rent online, and the usual water/sewer/trash utils which actually aren't gouged. Adds up to around $400/month, and i'm super efficient w/my electric use
- location is meh unless you drive for everything. Not close to many restaurants, just 1 decently stocked grocer nearby. but at least there's Daily Rise for coffee, Salt and Hops for beer, and good taco joints
- little things surprising for a new luxury building. Small kitchen sink (half my pots/pans can't sit flat), no peephole (people buy their own Ring cameras), large inefficient water heaters that take 2 mins for hot water. Bike storage is minimal - maybe 3-4 bikes fit in each of the 3 stairwells, not enough for ~80 units. Very few plants and trees, presumably to make space for the precious 75% unused parking lot. Hallways only get vacuumed every 2-3 months. Top floor balcony overhang is a foot short and doesn't cover the full balcony, so the last foot always gets hit with rain/ice.

All in all, unless I win the lottery I'll be looking for a quieter & less fee-heavy place when my lease is up. Read More