Apartment Review for The Zenith - Baltimore, MD

Review sites often attract negative content. Like many rants, the 2/1/09 review “Do Not Live In the Zenith” really said more about the attitude of the authors than the quality of the product. However, it still has value, because it shows the Management Office’s skill in handling difficult residents. High-price buildings attract high-maintenance renters. The Zenith opened in 2007, and I have been a resident for over a year. I’m active in the building’s community, and am familiar with both the property management industry and the rental market. I never post to review sites, and never respond to posts; this is my first. I don’t know these former residents, and they don’t know me. But, it’s clear that they did not write this to warn you away from the Zenith for your own good, because they “really feel this needs to be made public”. The authors do not care about you. They did not care about their neighbors. They care about affirming that they were somehow victimized by trivial apartment experiences that less-privileged folk wouldn’t even notice. Let’s review the terror that the Zenith imposed on these noble souls: “We signed a 9 month lease, and only stayed six..” i.e. the authors didn’t meet their contractual obligation. Credibility over. None of these complaints comes close to justifying a lease-void, on any rental, anywhere. “The building is terrible, the apartments are terrible..” Based on their expectations, they would find 95% of Baltimore rentals intolerable. The places that are higher class than the Zenith are *clearly more expensive.* They are also not in this neighborhood. “Toilets breaking, closets systems falling out of the wall,..ceramic soap dish,..leaky dishwasher”..etc. I’ve had no problems like this, yet I’ve lived here over twice as long. Interesting that these are all things that careless renters could break on their own during regular use. And even if they had broken through bad installation…so? These are Home Depot parts, not safety systems. The Zenith staff fixed each one. And regarding their total omg! amazement that the soap dish was empty when it fell…I hope the authors recognize how couples who live together tend to do things that loosen wall fittings in the shower. They can’t sustain much knocking and weight before the glue comes off. Got it? Good. “Headache inducing smell …towels / dust blown on them…stay at the Hilton” Wow. WOW. 1. The Zenith repaired something trivial (a soap dish) at the authors’ request. 2. The authors promptly flipped out about the glue smell and drywall dust that occur when repairs are made to things in bathrooms, in residences anywhere in America. 3. The Zenith responded by GETTING THEM A ROOM AT THE HILTON. “The office staff..” Let’s clarify some basic business realities: 1. Property management attracts young, sociable women to the profession. 2. Good PM companies encourage social activities at their properties. Apparently, the authors are bothered that the staff were more focused on planning events for the community than catering to their personal requests. Perhaps the authors forgot there were others in the building. The staff are pleasant, articulate, professional, and dedicated – by far the best I’ve encountered in years of renting in various cities. The office is very open to constructive commentary. (Note: The management company does not own the building. They did not design it, build it, set the budget, or choose the parts. There are many things that are literally set in stone that they have absolutely no control over. Yet they remain pleasant and accommodating to residents who confuse Leasing Agents with Architects.) “One of the girls...” Let’s stop that sentence right there. College-educated women work in the leasing office, not girls. “She would call us at all times of the day..” Absolutely. This is what customer service professionals do with difficult, high-maintenance customers. They constantly confirm, repeatedly inquire, and usually play dumb so the complainer can feel righteous and authoritative. “It was like we had a part time job in the leasing office because of the amount of incompetence”. It’s more like the Zenith staff took on an extra job just trying to satisfy the authors. It’s interesting that the authors believe that by requesting service for themselves and answering questions about their own needs that they were somehow doing “work”. “It's managed by Bozzuto, and I must say they were nice and helped us with the issues once we bypassed the office staff” It wasn’t bypassing. Bozzuto closely coordinates with each office. Again, the authors needed to feel special by going over someone’s head, and Bozzuto accommodated. My assessment of the Zenith: At its worst, the Zenith may disappoint as a *luxury experience*. It’s modern and new and convenient, but it’s not luxurious. It’s more like an office building. At its best, it offers a complete, safe, straightforward solution for people who are new to the city, or work outside it..and it’s the only place in the neighborhood that does it. Parking is right here, in the building. It’s not in some open lot, or two blocks away, or in a sketchy public garage. You can get to 2 highways in under 2 minutes. The office staff will answer every ridiculous request with a smile and a good-faith effort. Everything is purpose-built; the bathroom wasn’t someone’s broom-closet in 1940. There’s an icemaker in the fridge, a disposal in the sink, and a real washer+dryer in the closet. You can fit your furniture through every door. Nothing is rusted, mildewed, or worn away. You can’t hear your neighbors music, or smell what they’re cooking. There’s a world-class medical school across the street. And one of the best baseball stadiums ever is right next door.