Where to rent downtown?

[cmubryan]

DetroitDad-I completely disagree. Washington Square and The Pavilion are two perfect examples of middle-range apartments. Nice places with a decent mix of residents that have some basic luxuries such as a fitness center and pool but no tanning beds, and extra frilly items. I hardly call $600-$700 for a one bedroom over-the-top expensive.

[Downtown Lady]

DetroitDad-I completely disagree. Washington Square and The Pavilion are two perfect examples of middle-range apartments. Nice places with a decent mix of residents that have some basic luxuries such as a fitness center and pool but no tanning beds, and extra frilly items. I hardly call $600-$700 for a one bedroom over-the-top expensive.

I believe Lafayette Towers would fit in that category as well. There have been some issues recently mainly resulting from management changes and perhaps financial issues with the owner of the building, but all in all Lafayette Towers is clean, safe, pleasant and reasonably priced. There are plenty of professionals, medical students/residents, senior citizens and families. I think it fits exactly the criteria that Detroit Dad mentioned above, plus has the bonus of a pool and a workout room.

Lafayette Towers gets a bad rap, but it is still a great place to live.

[fryar]

Mindfield, my apologies, I was strictly lurking at the time.
Detroitdad, FWIW, I suppose Cadillac Square is a lower income building? Having lived there, I for one think it's okay, though the balconies at Washington Square are tempting [[also the dishwasher). But it's so cheap, and secure, it has a diner, and the location's really at the heart of downtown. I like it for the money [[I'm a bit of an Aldi shopper).
cmubryan, what's the business center like over at WSA?

[jtf1972]

As a renter? I took in two stray kittens while staying at Cadillac Square without any problems. There was a fee or an extra security deposit or something, as I recall, but I was not aware of any restrictions on that kind of thing.

Yeah, as a renter... but I have an 80 lb Labrador!

[manualshift]

I believe the parking lot not being fenced in is by design -- if I'm not mistaken, I believe the architect Mies van der Rohe incorporated into his designs a concept of openness and space, with the deliberate lack of fencing. Perhaps someone more well-versed in this can confirm? [[Neilr maybe?)

Openness by design in the late 1950's or whenever the plans were drawn up. Its 2010 now and people should realize that if you have something nice or anything at all in Detroit ,AND you want to keep it, then you put it under lock and key. Fences are helpful in this. Along with the club and never leaving anything in your car. Or you live in a neighborhood where people are constantly keeping watch. A good security company can obviously make a world of difference too.

In fairness, the security at Lafayette Towers is very good, and I don't recall ever hearing of a car being stolen or vandalized.

Never heard of a car being stolen or vandalized there? Give me a break. It happens everywhere.

All of us Jr. Warren Evans out there now have access to this crime map. http://www.crimemapping.com/map.aspx...7-17f60e517d9d

Last few months look pretty good according to this map. So, it could just be a bad reputation, which is a hard thing to shake.

Frankly, I don't even bother reporting car break-ins anymore. Living here I would have to be crazy or rich to keep anything but a PIP on my car. So, I gain nothing from reporting, unless you count the wasted time traveling to the station and having some desk cop take thirty minutes to fill out the report while giving you crap for choosing to live in the city he works for [[an experience everyone should have).

[DetroitDad]

So, I gain nothing from reporting, unless you count the wasted time traveling to the station and having some desk cop take thirty minutes to fill out the report while giving you crap for choosing to live in the city he works for [[an experience everyone should have).

For God sakes, TAKE A STAND!

Tell him that past indifference to injustices do not justify the perpetuation of those injustices or indifference to them.

Tell him his attitude of not caring is unacceptable, take down his badge number, and file a complaint or talk with the supervising officer.

Wrestle the alligators and start taking back your government.

[cmubryan]

The business center at WSA is decent. It consists of a few newer computers and workstations with a decent printer. It's in a room on the sixth floor right off the pool deck and across from the fitness center.

[stasu1213]

Lafayette Towers has developed a bad reputation. Numerous owners over the past two years. Two winters ago the Towers had no heat for over a month. Parking lot is not even partially fenced in.

I have not heard many complaints regarding the Pavilion. With the exception of the heating and air conditioning in room fans being noisy and breaking all the time [[the finest in late 1950's technology). Senator Levin has an apartment there, so I guess can't be that bad? Nope, it is a pretty nice place.

I also have two friends who resides Lafayette Towers who had complained weekly to managment and the tenant association with no avail. Especially the complaint about the elevators. The Pavillion is an excellent place to live downtown for it is off Gratiot. You could also cut through the former Lafayette Clinic property when walking and head straight to Greektown in a matter of minutes. Check out Cherbenou if you are in to buying co-ops. There is a great deal going on there.

[Neilr]

The original concept for Lafayette Park did not include fencing or gated developments. That still holds for all the coops/condos/rental towers that surround the northern segment of the park [[between Lafayette and Antietum) with the exception of Lafayette Pavilion which more or less enclosed its grounds with a high black [[fake) wrought iron fence ±10 years ago.

I believe that the feeling of many of the Mies van der Rohe TH residents is that we are, and want to remain, a part of the city rather than gated off from it.

1300 and the couple of rental terrace-style buildings on the east side of the middle section [[between Larned and Lafayette) are now gated.

In Elmwood Park, just to the east of the Dequindre Cut, none of the coops/condos are truly gated although some have installed high black [[fake) wrought iron fences to eliminate unfettered walk-through access.

[Downtown Lady]

Openness by design in the late 1950's or whenever the plans were drawn up. Its 2010 now and people should realize that if you have something nice or anything at all in Detroit ,AND you want to keep it, then you put it under lock and key. Fences are helpful in this... A good security company can obviously make a world of difference too.

I appreciate the openness of Lafayette Park -- as Neilr mentioned, the idea is to feel part of the city, rather than walled off from it. Regardless of the year, if there is not a need to have an area gated, why do it? Layafette Towers has 24-hour security, which as you suggested does indeed make a world of difference.

Never heard of a car being stolen or vandalized there? Give me a break. It happens everywhere.

Well, of course it happens everywhere -- I am not naive enough to think that it doesn't. What I said is exactly what I meant -- that in 7 years of living there, I have never heard of a car being stolen from the lot or vandalized while there. Which is not to say that it hasn't happened, just that in a relatively safe area with 24-hour security, the occurrences of such seem disproportionately lower than perhaps in other areas of the city.

P.S. Thanks Neilr for the info on the concept behind the openness of Lafayette Park -- I knew that you would know.