Dock Street Flats

When I see a 1 or 2 star review by a reviewer, I generally check their profile history… usually the only reviews they give are 1 and 2 stars. You lose all credibility if you only see the negative in the world. Who would ever invite that person to a party?
Now to my review, I’ve lived at Dock Street Flats for two years and I’ve been very happy. I’m from the Boston area and I landed here when I moved to the TC’s. I love the location, access to the light rail, and the community (and surrounding communities). I live on the top floor facing the train tracks. Sure the train is loud with the windows open but I knew that before signing my lease. I own a condo next to a commuter rail in Massachusetts and freight trains use that rail all the time. There is nothing unique about the rail next to DSF. I signed the lease with my eyes and ears wide open. With that said, if you are really looking for quiet living move to Woodbury, St Louis Park, or some other place in the burbs. It’s noisy in the city!
The management team is awesome. They are very accommodating and willing to listen to your concerns. The common areas are great and the rooftop is amazing. I love hanging up there during warm days. I plan to renew my lease for another year.
My only gripe: They charge $ 100 to reserve the function room. That’s ridiculous given the premium paid for rent. I think every unit should get at least 1 – 2 free 4 hour slots every 12 months.

Everyone knows people usually only take the time to write a review if it’s negative, so I wanted to do opposite since I’m in love with my new home and think the 1-​star reviews are just not true! I moved to Minneapolis after living in NYC for 8 years and I couldn’t be happier. Noise is not an issue whatsoever for me — I’d suggest picking a unit that is not on the train track side if that’s a concern. Jane was upfront about that in the beginning, which is why I picked the unit I did. I have my balcony door open all of the time and have zero complaints.
The staff at DSF is amazing. The person who called the receptionist passive-​aggressive and management «maniuplative» is clearly high on something, or is just someone who has a hard time getting a long with people, because the receptionst (s) are so friendly! I’ve never had one issue with anyone — they are pleasant, helpful, fun to talk to, and overall just great people. Any issue I’ve had has been resolved immediately — I think the longest I’ve waited is under 2 hours for a response.
As for my unit itself, I love it. My washer and dryer work perfectly the appliances are great (though I’d love a garbage disposal), and the set-​up is perfect.
The amenities can’t be beat. I haven’t been to any other buildings with as many outdoor spaces — I love grilling so having the roof open year-​round is a game-​changer! The gym is also really nice. It has everything you need, and my trainer even approves and doesn’t have to bring anything of his own!
The location is phenomenal. I don’t own a car and don’t plan on getting one while I live downtown. I work and live downtown and can easily walk everywhere. I love it! The restaurants/​bars in the area are super fun as well. And, you CANNOT beat the 200 ft. walk to the skyway. I can walk from home to work via the skyways in 15 minutes. This is huge.
The tenants in this building are also very friendly and fun. The resident appreciation events are a huge bonus, and I’ve met a lot of great people through it. Friendships have come out of the events — I regularly hang out with at least 2 people in the building.
I am extremely happy with DSF and the service I’ve been provided with. I really can’t say enough good things about this place. Keep on doing what you do, DSF!

by far the worst apartment i have lived in over the past 15 years.
1. it was the noisiest apartment i have ever lived in, despite having lived in new york city for 10 years. main causes: the patrons from the strip club next door that shout outside until 4 am; the loud trains that frequently run past the building; the walls are paper thin so you can hear every single word your neighbors say. we could not sleep at night and it seriously affected our well being. when we notified management, they didn’t care or do anything.
2. the ventilation in the entire building was extremely poor, particularly in our apartment. we had to keep our windows open, despite the loud outside noise, so we did not feel like we were suffocating.
3. poor insulation. our apartment got unbearably hot, even in the spring (in minnesota!). most days, we had to decide which was more important to us: opening the windows to maintain a bearable temperature, or keeping them closed to live in peace and quiet– we couldn’t have both.
4. parking was terrible. we had a 2 BR unit which only came with one parking spot. they sold us the apartment by telling us that we could easily park our second car in the guest spots, which was untrue. the guest spots were rarely available, and when they were, our compact cars barely fit into the tiny spots.
5. the receptionist was extremely passive aggressive and condescending, and management was uncaring and manipulative. when we told the building manager that we needed to move out because we couldn’t sleep due to our excessively loud neighbors, she belittled us and did nothing to help our situation. our well being was being affected, but she didn’t care. she still made us pay a lease break fee, and threatened to charge us for the remainder of our lease.
we lost a lot of money by paying to break our lease, but every penny was worth it! we still live in the north loop, but we are so much happier now that we no longer live at dock street flats!

I just completed an 18 month lease in a 2-​bedroom at DSF. I decided that I didn’t need the space, but I love the building, so asked about a 1-​bedroom unit and the office staff worked with me to find the perfect floor plan for an awesome price. I just moved from one unit to another this past weekend. As others pointed out, yes, there is noise from the train tracks that are RIGHT next to the building. But this should not be a surprise — there was a disclaimer in the lease. And the windows/​structure are solid, so while I’m now on the tracks side of the building, the noise doesn’t bother me.
The location is second to none. I don’t own a car, but from DSF, I can walk to work (downtown), the light rail, Whole Foods, Target, great restaurants/​bars, and several ZipCar locations. It’s also great being alongside the Cedar Lake Trail — just a half mile to the Mississippi River. Perfect for walking my dog or going for a run.
Rob and the maintenance crew are SUPER responsive and take care of every request within 24 hours of submitting via the website. They even helped me finish up some Ikea shelving units recently (above and beyond their job).
Jane and the leasing office staff have been so helpful. I’ve had a few bumps in the road, but as soon as I brought them to Jane, she addressed them and it is clear to me that customer service is her priority.
I’ve never seen the elevators out of service, my washer/​dryer works great, yes there are some issues with dog owners picking up after their pets, but that’s been something I’ve dealt with everywhere I’ve lived. I also think the gym is as good or better than the other buildings I’ve looked at in the area. (Just my two-​cents on the complaints I’m seeing here.) Couldn’t be happier to be a tenant here!

I want to share my wonderful experience living at DSF (as we residents call it)! I moved in April of 2014, and will be ending my lease March of this year. But I won’t be moving far, just 8 blocks down Washington Ave to sister property Lat45. I believe that speaks to the great experience I have had living at Laramar properties. Since move in, everyone in the office has been kind, professional and accessible. I was in a state of transition, potentially taking a job out of state, and the current office manager worked with me to allow me to keep my rent at the same rate while I worked out the details of my future move. Obviously that did not come to fruition, but I ready for a change, and am excited to explore the Lat45 community.
This has been such a fun community, where I’ve met some great friends. I highly recommend DSF if you are a young (or any age!) professional, looking to connect with others in the North Loop neighborhood. The pool and rooftop areas are a great excuse to enjoy the summer weather and meet new people. I am sad to say goodbye, but all my friends can come visit me just down the road!
Thanks to all DSF staff for making this a fabulous 2 years!

I have been living in Dock Street Flats for over a year! Unfortunately I need to move out due to a relocation with my job but before I did I wanted to give a HUGE shout out to the team at Dock Street! They have been so wonderful to work with and it has been an absolute pleasure getting to know each of them. The building manager Jane is always on top of things, as well as her colleague Josh! Kim at the front desk makes coming home a happy experience. She really cares about the tenants and does EVERYTHING she can to make life easier for them. Rob and team are the «handymen» around the building and they go above and beyond to make sure any issues inside the apartment are handled immediately… even things that might not be in their job descriptions… errr helping with Ikea stuff… are no problem for these two! In short I am sad to leave. The facilities speak for themselves — truly the best in the city — but it’s the Dock Street team and tenants that make it a home. If I ever move back to MPLS this is the first place I’m calling! Thx for a great year Dock!

I would never recommend this place to anyone.
To start things off, we were told that there would be a disposal several times. I told Dock Street that it was between them and the Vue (Loring park area) and was very upfront that the only difference was a disposal. We didn’t get one installed until 6 months later — half our lease — and it was like pulling teeth to get one installed.
Jason T covers a lot of the problems:
* The dryers are worthless!
* In order to get to the public spaces, you have to live on a certain side of the building or you’ll be walking a long way to get there. For us, we had to take two different elevators to get to the rooftop, so we rarely used it.
* Unlike places such as 222 Hennepin, the Vue, etc., there is no indoor space to entertain other than the lobby.
* There are only a handful of spots set aside for guest parking — most only being 2 hours or 30 minutes.
* Elevators are ALWAYS broken — people have even been stuck in them
* The woman at the front desk is very snooty (this is something that everyone I knew there agreed with and working with her is stressful)
* Our deck, which was over Dunn Brothers, had some sort of water problem and for the first few months of living there we would wake up to men working on it without our consent.
* The garage would be nice if the door didn’t always brake/​if we didn’t have to move our cars as often as we did (parking them overnight outside in an uncovered lot during the dead of winter multiple times)
Something to note: The two people who originally worked there no longer do, and I would say management is still just as bad. Pretty high turnover for just one year…
The only redeeming factor is the maintenance staff; they are so helpful and very quick! Those guys are awesome.
STAY AWAY — THIS PLACE IS A TRAP

As a newer resident to the Dock Street Flats community, I’ve been elated with my decision. After spending 3 months perusing the Northeast, Downtown, Mill City and North Loop areas (at least 20 apartments), I found Dock Street to be the perfect fit for my son and I. The spaciousness of the apartment was incredible and the kitchen provides more than ample storage and a great breakfast bar to cook for my friends and family. I had been prepared to sign papers on another apartment that day but immediately changed my mind once we visited the Dock. Honestly, without a doubt with what you get, the cost comparison with other buildings, the spaciousness, community spaces and cleanliness far exceeds any other place we had visited.
After being wooed with the kitchen it was clear that the quality of construction also surpasses any other place. The apartment layout is done really well. We have a two bedroom and I love how the bedrooms are not side by side; which wasn’t a common scenario with other places. There is a nice hallway coming into the apartment that is calming — doesn’t plop you directly into your living space. The community spaces are perfect. That was another important factor for us. The view of the top balcony overlooking downtown and the Twins stadium is fabulous and the other balcony with the hot tub, grilling areas and sun lovers area looks tantalizing (can’t wait to use it). Downstairs is a beautiful lobby with a fireplace, large tv and fun shuffleboard. When I’ve had friends and family over it’s been a big hit. For me the workout room and lobby have been areas that I’ve used a great deal and find everything to be clean and refreshing.
I was a bit concerned about Deja Vu the very first night I moved in (Jan. 1^st) and was pleasantly surprised to not be awakened. My apartment faces an alley so the noise does ricochet off the buildings but it’s not that bad. I do wake up with the recycling and garbage activity at 5:30 in the morning but realize I am living in the city… oh, and I do sleep with my window open. Friends have commented how quiet the apartment is and I agree. Even at night when you expect to hear noises from your neighbors and the bar I really feel that it’s the windows and walls that are well insulated.
In terms of the staff, I find them approachable, friendly, helpful and attentive. After moving in there were some light bulbs that burned out and I had some issues with the temperature of the water. The maintenance team was right on it that day to fix it. The next day I had a problem with the microwave and they were right there again. When I run into Rob and Devon around the building they’re always asking how things are going in the apartment and are sincere. Jane, the Community Manager, is always helpful — there have been a few things to get sorted out once I moved in and she’s been great to work with. Kim is a 5 star Concierge and I find her always positive, helpful and reliable.
Love the Dock.