Overlook Pointe

I’ve been here at overlook apartment community for over 5 years. This winter of 2019 has been snowy, icy, sub-zero. Walkways always promptly clean and safe. The contracted snow removal company is very good at snow removal as well. Maybe my only issue is with parking lot entrances and parking lots themselves. They are rough, uneven without parking strips. Entrances are pot hole-y. Over-all living at overlook is issue free. It’s always clean, and management is kind professional and prompt with… any issue that might arise. Thanks for reading my review. Read More

Long Story Short: I had a great time living here for 3 years. I love the staff and my neighbors. I love that almost all utilities are included in the rent. Maintenance was quick and painless. Neighborhood is peaceful and pretty. Parking is great. Location is removed from the hustle and bustle of Madison. The laundry service and card is very inconvenient.

I was a college grad in 2015 looking for a place to live. I procrastinated the search, obviously. By the time I started, Overlook Pointe was… the only place left. I didn't want to be taken advantage of just because I was desperate. Since then, I have felt very lucky.

The Staff - Whenever I go to the office, the reception is warm. They made an effort to remember me, even after I signed the lease.

Maintenance - Never had an issue. When I first moved in, my fridge did not keep things cold enough. The work was done the next morning. Unfortunately, the fix didn't work - so they replaced the fridge the following day! The other time was a clogged shower drain. This was my fault, but I was young and didn't understand why it was flooding. They unclogged it for me - no questions asked. It's a little thing, but it made a big impression on me.

Neighborhood - Safe. Peaceful. Lots of families with kids. The nearby Conservancy is beautiful. I recommend you hike to the top of the biggest hill there. You get a great view of Madison and the capitol. Close to Groceries, Gas, Hardware, and Food. After 9 PM, the neighborhood goes to sleep. There are a few bars nearby. There's a huge lake between you and downtown.

Ameneties - My biggest gripe is laundry. You have to use a special card which you can only add money to by walking to the special machine outside the office. If you're not in the same building as the office, that's a rough hike on a winter's night. Only 3 washers/dryers in the basement. Laundromat was quicker and cheaper. Fitness Center is nice. Never crowded. Not 24 hour, but still good. No covered parking makes winter a pain, but parking lots were always plowed.

Utilities - Having everything included with rent was awesome. A/C is not included, so summers can get hot. But I never had to worry about heat. I figured that was more important. Read More

First of all the place is full of kids. Everywhere you go you will encounter, and of course hear children running around. Also, people living there are very noisy. I can hear them screaming from their parking lot cars and their apartment windows. Overall, I would not move here if I were you, save your money and get a better place.

My husband and I have lived here 1.5 years and have lived in apartments in several cities over the past decade.

Positives:
The office staff is EXCELLENT. They know our names when we come in, have handled any of our concerns, and generally keep an eye on the place (they know residents' vehicles) and genuinely want this to be a nice place to live. We also like that packages are kept safely in the office instead of at our doors and the office is open until 6pm (nice if you work til 5). We only had… one maintenance concern and it was handled before noon the next day. It's true that last winter there were a number of snow plowing issues, however this winter was very good. Our building is on Century, but our unit is on the back side and we do not hear road noise except for an occasional siren. We feel safe here and have never had problems with our cars or walking to/from the parking lot or fitness center at night. There is a small but nice fitness center with a few machines. We have a nicely-sized balcony and the grounds themselves are pretty and neighborhood-like with lots of trees. Their pet policy is very reasonable and they allowed both of our cats. Better yet, having cats does not put you into the "dog" building, which would have stressed out my older felines very much. There are also shorter leases available, which is great if you need something flexible.

Negatives:
The buildings are old. That said, they have made many improvements even in the short time we've been here, including our unit before we moved in. Sometimes visitors take up tenant parking spots, but most of the time we are able to park in our usual lot. There is no buffer between the hallways and units. If there is a conversation in the hallway, it might as well be in your living room. It seems better between the units themselves, however, and we don't hear footsteps upstairs. Occasionally we do hear sounds, but nothing that we haven't heard in almost every apartment we've lived in so far. For the most part, our neighbors are working professionals and young families and it's not a party zone. I like that the storage units in the basement are locked in separate rooms, but there are so many spider webs!!

Overall:
It's not the worst place we've lived, and it's not the best place. But we're comfortable here and plan to stay until we buy a home. I would never give it only one star unless I'd never lived in an apartment before. I think the rent is extremely reasonable and if I wanted something nicer, it would cost more. And like I said, the office staff is wonderful and that makes a huge difference. Read More