Crane Ordway Apartments

This place is in desperate need of a permanent security guard. For six months there was one and the thefts, break-ins, and bloody tampons in the stairwell (true story) went way down. Then they took the guard away and it all started again. There were fights in the hallways, more break-ins, screaming matches, and a very big problem of people breaking into the storage units to sleep in them and then steal things. Oh, and CHECK THE BASEMENT FAR WALL. There is mold growing everywhere and water that never goes away. The management people are never in the office when they say they will be, and if they are they often sit there with the lights off and the door locked so no one can come in. The windows don't open very far and you are not allowed to do anything to make them open further so there is very little, if any, air flow. Every year it took them longer and longer to turn on the air, and then it only worked for half the apartments and would take them at least a month and several tries to get the air to start working. Oh and the elevator is always broken. Always.

The price is right, the location is okay (if a bit noisy and crowded), but that's about all this building has going for it. The basement is flooded all the time. They will tell you the water rises a bit when it rains like it's no big deal. They are lying. There are at least two spots in a wall that has been eroding away for years that always have a steady stream of water pouring onto the floor, regardless of weather. Because of this water, and their complete lack of interest to do anything about it, there are several problems. First problem is the water itself. There is always, ALWAYS standing water by the far wall. It often spreads to the second to last row of storage units- further if there's been a heavy rain. This water comes into contact with the wooden storage unit doors, and then the doors no longer work. They become warped, covered in mold, and begin crumbling from the bottom up. If you're going to use the storage unit, put everything you own up on shelves. Mold, algae, and fungus are growing rampant in the water and on the rotting doors. They will tell you the green tint is a chemical they add to the water. Once again, they are lying. If you're considering moving in here, ask to see the entire basement and not just the clean section by the elevator. Speaking of the elevator- if you have anything that makes it hard for you to climb stairs, do not live here. The elevator was broken more than it worked in the two years that I lived here. At least twice a week they send for a repairman who pokes around, says the elevator needs to be replaced, and then is back in a few days when it once again stops working. It's been known to just quit while people are in it. Now that leads me to the management. I know it's not entirely their fault of course, but this does need to be mentioned. They are never in the office during the posted office hours. Ever. This is also never an explanation. They're just simply not there.

The apartments downtown St. Paul is very convenient for transportation. I have a studio apartment. Great set up. The walls are too thin, and there is concrete floors and wooden cabinets. Having no carpet sometimes mean you have to dust and sweep almost every other day. Comes with refrigerator, and oven and all utilities included except electricity. Sometimes you can smell smoke very strongly in your bathroom but not often. Laundry room cards and a workout room and party room.