my wife was over there today, her comment was that it is a very beautiful building 
I know some one who just moved out of the Paul Brown, as their lease was up. They liked the building (and it's location) however it had it's pros and cons. She told me that noise, lack of safe parking, other tenants smoking in the building, and the management were the bad parts about the building. She feels the amenities are unmatched for a building in that price range. Has anyone else had or knows someone who has had a similar experience at Paul Brown??
I'll be moving from the Paul Brown Lofts in November. The place has changed considerably and is no longer what I am looking for in a residence.
This link will answer a lot of questions since nearly 100 of the units are now leased under the affordable alternative option.
http://www.paulbrownlofts.com/rental_rates.html
This link will answer a lot of questions since nearly 100 of the units are now leased under the affordable alternative option.
http://www.paulbrownlofts.com/rental_rates.html
How has it changed? My friend moved to West End at MetroLofts, however she also looked at Merchandise Mart and liked it. If you look at some of the apartment rating sites, Merchandise Mart is ranked higher than Paul Brown.
Comments bring up an interesting aspect for all the new housing.
Management of multi-family housing is extremely complex and difficult.
Fortunately, a state-of-the-art practice for housing management has emerged over the past 15 years.
I hope many of the new, inexperienced developer/owners invest in management excellence. Otherwise, they could see properties easily and quickly slip through their fingers. Mediocre property management can be devastating and hard to correct in midstream.
Management of multi-family housing is extremely complex and difficult.
Fortunately, a state-of-the-art practice for housing management has emerged over the past 15 years.
I hope many of the new, inexperienced developer/owners invest in management excellence. Otherwise, they could see properties easily and quickly slip through their fingers. Mediocre property management can be devastating and hard to correct in midstream.
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Matt wrote:Management of multi-family housing is extremely complex and difficult.
Especially when you have low income renters.
^That is a generalization. I've lived in solid middle-income rental communities, and etiquette-wise many low-income families/people would make rings around people who supposedly have more "class" and money.
Income doesn't necessarily dictate behavior - as we see with Paris Hilton and others (drinking and driving, porn, loud partying, drugs etc.). If a person/people is/are going to be loud, obnoxious and show no respect for the community where they live, it has more to do with socialization and personality than it does income.
I've lived next door to middle-class people who probably would have been better off living on an island by themselves. I know low-income people who you would never guess were low-income because they did not fit the stereotype.
Income doesn't necessarily dictate behavior - as we see with Paris Hilton and others (drinking and driving, porn, loud partying, drugs etc.). If a person/people is/are going to be loud, obnoxious and show no respect for the community where they live, it has more to do with socialization and personality than it does income.
I've lived next door to middle-class people who probably would have been better off living on an island by themselves. I know low-income people who you would never guess were low-income because they did not fit the stereotype.
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^which will likely have more "problem" residents (crime, graffitti, broken windows, cars on blocks, refridgerators in the yard, etc...):
1) A low income trailer park in High Ridge
2) Trump Tower in New York
We all know the answer.
1) A low income trailer park in High Ridge
2) Trump Tower in New York
We all know the answer.
The Central Scrutinizer wrote:Matt wrote:Management of multi-family housing is extremely complex and difficult.
Especially when you have low income renters.
I take offense to this statement. It is a very broad generalization. I pay $750 a month for my 2 bed, 2 bath in South County and would give an arm to live downtown.
If I did, I would understand what it means to live downtown and treat my leased property with the same if not more respect as someone who made three or four times as much as I do.
But seeing as a few downtowners apparently think that people like me are nothing but poor white trash who don't take care of their stuff, I'll just stay here in SoCo with my two barefoot kids, with their rat-tails and dirty clothes, drink my Milwaukee's Best or Busch Light and not have to worry about taking my Jeff Gordon and Confederate flags down off my balcony.
The Central Scrutinizer wrote:^which will likely have more "problem" residents (crime, graffitti, broken windows, cars on blocks, refridgerators in the yard, etc...):
1) A low income trailer park in High Ridge
2) Trump Tower in New York
We all know the answer.
Funny how the truth isn't 'politically correct' nowadays, so we're expected to act like it isn't the truth. Interesting choice of a low income example, CS. Was that the first low income neighborhood that came to your mind, or were you (consiously or subconsiosly) trying to avoid backlash from certain forum members? I'm sure it worked since there is probably a pretty low representation of the High Ridge trailer park population on the board.
BGeldy wrote:But seeing as a few downtowners apparently think that people like me are nothing but poor white trash who don't take care of their stuff, I'll just stay here in SoCo with my two barefoot kids, with their rat-tails and dirty clothes, drink my Milwaukee's Best or Busch Light and not have to worry about taking my Jeff Gordon and Confederate flags down off my balcony.
Hey, didn't I see you on the float trip last weekend?
SoulardD wrote:Hey, didn't I see you on the float trip last weekend?
No, but you have seen me at Six Flags getting my kids out of the back of the El Camino.
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BGeldy wrote:The Central Scrutinizer wrote:Matt wrote:Management of multi-family housing is extremely complex and difficult.
Especially when you have low income renters.
I take offense to this statement. It is a very broad generalization.
But you don't deny it either.
BGeldy wrote:If I did, I would understand what it means to live downtown and treat my leased property with the same if not more respect as someone who made three or four times as much as I do.
Good. Then you would not be one of the problem tenants.
BGeldy wrote:But seeing as a few downtowners apparently think that people like me are nothing but poor white trash who don't take care of their stuff, I'll just stay here in SoCo with my two barefoot kids, with their rat-tails and dirty clothes, drink my Milwaukee's Best or Busch Light and not have to worry about taking my Jeff Gordon and Confederate flags down off my balcony.
I'm not sure who thinks you are poor white trash. They shouldn't assume that.
SoulardD wrote:The Central Scrutinizer wrote:^which will likely have more "problem" residents (crime, graffitti, broken windows, cars on blocks, refridgerators in the yard, etc...):
1) A low income trailer park in High Ridge
2) Trump Tower in New York
We all know the answer.
Funny how the truth isn't 'politically correct' nowadays, so we're expected to act like it isn't the truth. Interesting choice of a low income example, CS. Was that the first low income neighborhood that came to your mind, or were you (consiously or subconsiosly) trying to avoid backlash from certain forum members? I'm sure it worked since there is probably a pretty low representation of the High Ridge trailer park population on the board.
First one that came to mind.
I have no idea what "certain forums members" you would be referring to.
Those that have been in St. Louis since about 1988 could name off an entire list of market-rate and above properties that completely failed due to bad management. I remember looking at the Drake, Lenox, and Columbus Square in about 1991-2. In St. Louis, I think McCormack Baron was the first to begin a property management "science" of sorts.
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which will likely have more "problem" residents (crime, graffitti, broken windows, cars on blocks, refridgerators in the yard, etc...):
1) A low income trailer park in High Ridge
2) Trump Tower in New York
We all know the answer.
Funny...I was just talking to a management company yesterday and they compared a market rate CWE high-rise to a mixed income development downtown. The manager had been asked several times to clean apartments at CWE, received calls from people with plungers but refused to use them to unclog their toilets because it was dirty and even went on to say a woman dropped her trash in front of a black man in a work jumpsuit (he happened to be from terminex) and demanded that he take her trash to the dumpster. He even explained he does not work with the apartment complex and she still insisted that the man take the trash for her. I'll take the trailer park anyday over those attitudes.
The income restricted units in PB, the Merchandise Mart, Cupples, etc. are "moderate income", not Section 8 or "low income". The rents are still relatively high compared to the average rents in St. Louis. The tax credits that made these amazing projects possible would not have been available if the developers didn't include some moderate income units.
Also, I don't know of any large rental properties that don't have their frustrations. I'm usually skeptical of the apartment reviews online. I think it seems like mostly those with an ax to grind bother to review their apartment complex.
Also, I don't know of any large rental properties that don't have their frustrations. I'm usually skeptical of the apartment reviews online. I think it seems like mostly those with an ax to grind bother to review their apartment complex.
The Central Scrutinizer wrote:^which will likely have more "problem" residents (crime, graffitti, broken windows, cars on blocks, refridgerators in the yard, etc...):
1) A low income trailer park in High Ridge
2) Trump Tower in New York
We all know the answer.
One can have low income properties and still have low crime. If the landlord screens residents and enforces the law by evicting offenders then it will work. The apartments behind my home are examples of how not to manage apartments. The landlord is from Creve Coeur and does none of this.
It all comes down to common sense. There are large amounts of people who lack it, and it doesn't matter how much money they make. I would be considered a low income person, because apparently they don't pay basketball coaches much these days. But that doesn't stop me from keeping a nice place, even if I can't afford an expensive one.
- 10K
The Business Journal is reporting that Sansone is taking over the leasing of the Paul Brown.
I am thinking about signing a lease here in the next few weeks. Does anyone know any current tenants and whether they enjoy living here? It is probably down to this or the Tudor Building/1818, but the location right next to Culinaria, the heart of Wash Ave, and hopefully now a new movie theater is probably going to win out. Any opinions yay or nay?
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"Hopefully now a new movie theater" ... what? Did I miss something?
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I have two friends who have lived there and they both liked it. The rooftop area and location is hard to beat.
I would assume he is referencing the theater proposed for St. Louis Centre.stlwriterman wrote:"Hopefully now a new movie theater" ... what? Did I miss something?
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I have lived @ PB for 2 years and love it. The location is THE BEST. Great building and nice staff.
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I don't know anyone who has lived there, but I've been up to the rooftop a couple of times during downtown loft tours, and I agree, it's very nice.Moorlander wrote:I have two friends who have lived there and they both liked it. The rooftop area and location is hard to beat.
You can't beat the location, either, as Culinaria is literally steps away, and it's not much farther to get to the restaurants on Washington Avenue or Macy's on Olive Street.