251 Dekalb

251 is a really nice apartment complex and I would recommend it to a friend, but would explain all of pros and cons first. I’d like to give 3.5, but 2 star dock is for the lack of timely communication follow-​up and for the sometimes lousy work from maintenance which is EXTREMELY frustrating in a luxury building. No complex is perfect, and this one tries, but has growing pains.
One major con is the complex’s very poor processes around communication and ensuring competency in maintenance requests. There has been several times that maintanence has come left doors unlocked, or improperly installed air filter. We’ve had to coach the staff on a minor ant pest problem to ensure the chemicals used were pet safe. The 251 team has also helped us out many times like when we hit concrete trying to hang things on the walls.
Some positives about this complex is the management staff tries to make it an awesome community. There’s holiday soirees with cupcakes, catered networking, summer bbqs, resident appreciation nights with wine and cheese, etc.
The response from management on issues is VERY immediate, but follow-​up is really slow. I don’t worry about management fixing something ever. I worry about when it will be fixed and if there will be communication and follow-​up about it.
There’s new appliances, paint, modern superficial designs, etc. The upscale Porcelanosa fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom stain with water, and are not very usable; popup drains get stuck, shower head isn’t movable. The Porcelanosa floors looks great, but came installed messy with dings everywhere and aren’t the most durable for the premium.
The apartment layouts are really good too. There is really ample closet space. In a 1BR there’s 3 generous closets, a walk in closet in bedroom, plus an in bath linen closet. Know that there is no conventional pantry closet, only an oversized pull out cabinet. One odd thing about the apartments is the very narrow doorways inside.
A 1BR can fairly well fit two people and one small animal. You just need to be comfortable with sharing space sometimes.
Concierge staff is pretty wonderful most of the time. The good ones are friendly, alert, helpful and see things from residents’ perspective. The others don’t and are disinterested, busy on their phones, not in tune with resident needs and forgetful with resident requests.
The outdoor grounds are kept exceptionally well. There’s great landscaping and I don’t see trash around. There’s also an outdoor doggie park in the back.
This complex is more technologically savvy than some other complexes. They believe in email communications vs paper mail, have bluetooth Kevo locks, usb charging port on kitchen counter, and that’s about it. The temp controller isn’t as hi tech as I would like to see.
One thing to consider when moving into a newly available building is that unless the entire building is complete, it is still an active construction work zone. So you may hear loud sounds and work in units above or below you, or water and power could be out with very short notice… until it’s all done. If that’s concerning to you, you should discuss it and document something in your lease.
Two HUGE cons are the thin walls and HVAC setup. Cross your fingers that you have quiet neighbors or ones without yappy/​loud dogs. At night you can hear conversations especially when bedrooms are back to back. And the loud dogs are easy to hear between the floors.
The HVAC SUCKS really bad and I have no idea why they chose this setup. It can only ever be on AC or heat mode at a time and the mode is controlled by management. So in the winter the temperature cannot be reduced and it’s always warm and humid even with windows open.
The small, Euro-​style dual washer/​dryers — if your unit has one — are pretty cool. I say it’s all in how you look at it. You can do small loads throughout the week and have it dried by the time you’re home. There’s no need to switch over wet wash. No, you cannot save all your laundry until Sunday… unless you don’t mind spending the whole day switching over wash. There are large, paid commercial units available downstairs.
The ammenities are unique in this complex. Kidville, small gym, pool, paid yoga classes, gated entry, outdoor doggie park, paid indoor parking garage, resident hangout areas, etc. They do hold packages for residents. AWESOME perk because visiting KOP USPS is unpleasant and time consuming.
Location is central to: major highways, supermarkets, malls, target, etc. Flat rate utilities. Gas ovens are great for culinary enthusiasts. Residents are ok. Some people are pretty thoughtless and basic, and throw their cigarettes everywhere, including out their windows. There are some fancy cars in the lots… Jaguar, Maserati, Porsches… and a lot of average cars.
Take the other reviews with a grain of salt. The writers were frustrated for great reason, but definitely fail to balance with the complex’s positives.

POS management and product, plumbing leaks everywhere, malfunctioning appliances etc. Be for-​warned!

Living here is a mistake. The apartments are very very cheaply made and VERY expensive. Upwards of $ 1500+ a month for a modest one bedroom and the utilities are a flat rate, so in the spring and fall when you will have windows open and won’t be using much electric or gas you are still paying over $ 100. Don’t count on ever having a functional washer AND dryer in your apartment if you are unlucky and get a unit with the combination washer/​dryer, it breaks constantly and has the capacity to wash maybe 6 garments at a time, if it works. Oh and they do have an on-​site (paid, not free) laundry room, but will not compensate you when you are forced to do your laundry there because your in unit washer/​dryer is broken. The water pressure is terrible, your kitchen sink has the force of a power washer splattering all over the kitchen and the shower is so weak you will spend more time washing soap from your hair than you spend trying to wash your clothing. The flooring is cheap laminate that is very uneven and has bubbles in spots. The finish in the tubs chip off from normal use and require refinishing leaving your apartment stinking of chemical. The doors are incorrectly planed causing them to stick and make them very hard to open. The HVAC system is building controlled so once they switch over to heat or AC you are stuck with only heat or AC. So when it’s November and 75 degrees outside your apartment will be 80+ degrees. The management company spends all of their money on the appearance, they make the lobby look nice, have a decent gym and a pretty nice pool, but the quality of the finishing in the apartments is AWFUL. This place is all about appearances, do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. This issues are not unique to one apartment, multiple tenants complain of the same issues. Essentially these buildings used to be a step above a project and then they were purchased and quickly remodeled. The quality of the work is very poor. But on the bright side the staff is friendly and accommodating to a certain level and the pool is pretty nice in the summer.