Southside Flats

I've now moved, but had a great experience there. The apartments are huge, and the property was always well cared for. We loved being able to walk everywhere on the weekends, or take the electric shuttle to the movies or to the Northshore. The property manager was always responsive and seemed to really care about the quality of life in the complex. Neighbors were quiet and kind.

I've lived at Southside Flats (on the corner of Williams and 16th) for many years. It's a good location in that you're close enough to downtown for convenience, but far enough away to avoid most of the traffic and noise. The current tenants who occupy the building are for the most part friendly. Southside used to be a much more dangerous area, but that has improved in recent years, though there is still an occasional shooting/murder that occurs nearby (just comes along with any city environment). Other than the location, this place has some major problems. By far the biggest problem is the paper thin walls. The walls are honestly the worst of all the apartments I have ever lived in, and I've lived in some really shady apartments. There is no sound proofing in any of the walls, including the ones between apartments. The various sets of neighbors that I've had since living here have all been quiet and considerate, but I can still hear everything they do, from normal conversation to other stuff. This summer, new management bought the building and "renovated" it over the last few months, but I am not convinced they did anything to address the thin walls. If you do a tour of one of these apartments, the biggest advice I can give you is to ask about the sound proofing of the walls and actually test them yourselves. There are vacant apartments in the building that are adjacent to one another, so bring a friend with you and check it out for yourself. For the price they are charging new tenants for rent, the level of ambient noise is unacceptable. Around 2011 or so, several of the apartments also had some severe water damage due to poorly designed patio decks. Some of the apartments have been vacant for many years because of this problem. Be sure to check the ceilings carefully for water damage or mold, as these problems went unaddressed for many years. One minor issue is that there is a nearby chicken factory. About every 3-5 days, an intense odor permeates the entire Southside area. It's pretty gross, but there's not really anything you can do about it. I sincerely feel sorry for the fools who bought property in this area without renting first. Overall, it's an average place when you consider all the pros and cons. I'm still here for the convenience, but I'm not sure for how much longer. If you're considering living here, at the very least test the walls for how easily sound carries prior to signing on the dotted line.