Mason Street Flats

I lived in Mason Street Flats for 1 year. If there was ever any problems or questions that came up, it was always a struggle with the management company. You'd talk to one person and get things worked out, then you'd hear from someone else, and basically they'd want more money. The company just tries to squeeze out as much money from you as possible. If you lose your keys, it's a $75 charge no matter what (and they don't give you a spare, which is a pain in the butt trying to figure out what to do if you work long hours and have a dog that needs to get let out). And for cable and internet, it's another $80 we pay to them, when we get a bill for the same services through the provider and they only charge $40, but it's non-negotiable and part of the services here. It's also located right beside the train and can be deafening and quite irritating with how loud it is. For the high amount of rent, there should be some amenities available to tenants, like a common area, workout room, grill, or even a bike rack closer to the apartment (I left mine locked by the road one night, and the light was stolen off it). There is barely any parking to speak of unless, you guessed it, you want to pay for a spot. And parking keeps getting taken away from businesses in the area. Anytime you have a visitor, you have to go let them in, there's not a call button or even a number pad, which is the biggest pain if you get locked out, and if you don't have a phone on you, you are screwed. The door situation is absolutely ridiculous. They say it's for safety, but honestly, it's not that safe, it was just a cheap easy alternative when throwing up these buildings. The insides are nice, but they are small, tight, and cheaply made. The carpets are already tearing up and it's supposed to be new.... and that of course comes out of our money. I would never recommend these places to anyone. It's way overpriced and you don't get what you're paying for and the management company, Brinkman Partners, are ridiculous to work with. I haven't had one decent experience with them. It is a total rip off. Look around more in your apartment search, it will be worth it.