Amenity Rich Leasing Options

Everything from valet services to resort-style pools and fitness centers

By Jennifer Maciejewski

For many people, the word "apartment" evokes images of the first place they lived on their own, and, too often, that experience felt nothing like home. Amenities ranged from a window-unit air conditioner, which kept the bedroom at a sweltering 80 degrees on a good day, to off-street parking, where 20 tenants vied for a spot in the five-space lot.

When experiences like these spring to mind, it's little wonder that some apartment dwellers swap their leases for mortgage payments as soon as possible. But while homeowners don't need permission to transform the space into an environment that's uniquely theirs, whether they want pink walls or granite countertops, buying too soon can be a costly mistake, especially when an unexpected roof repair drains what's left of their savings or a new job on the other side of town adds an hour to their daily commute.

Refusing to settle for good enough, property managers across the metro area are redefining what it means to call an apartment home. With upscale features, such as crown molding, stainless steel appliances and high-end amenities that go beyond the community pool, like wash and fold laundry service and a billiards lounge, there's never been a better time to take a second look at maintenance-free apartment living.

Details, Details
"The experience of multi-family living has been treated like a commodity, but we don't believe that's what people truly want," says Howard Primer, CEO of Renaissance PG, which manages the Avistele Lifestyle Communities. "We're trying to rearticulate an experience that's as good, if not better than home ownership."

"It's as good because you can create your environment to be as nice as you would your own home," Primer continues. When members (never "tenants") become part of an Avistele Community, they begin their experience by selecting a custom paint color for their home-free of charge. And they can choose to add other upgrades to increase the value of their experience, whether they want walk-in steam showers, built-in surround sound or hardwood floors throughout.

It's better, Primer adds, because you also have two things you cannot have when you own a home: The flexibility to relocate with ease since you're not locked in to the property for longer than a year, and fixed monthly expenses that often run far less than the cost of homeownership.

Residents at other properties have access to many of the same perks. At The Worthing Companies' Heights Armour in Midtown and Heights Perimeter Center near Perimeter Mall, interior appointments range from custom lighting and trim packages to espresso cabinetry with nickel hardware and granite countertops.

Alexander at the District and Alexander at the Perimeter provide their residents with an array of luxury features once considered to be high-end add-ons. Extensive crown molding, tiled kitchens with stainless steel appliances, walk-in closets and garden baths are standard-issue in all one- and two-bedroom apartment homes.

At Your Service
Going beyond maintenance-free living, upscale apartment communities make it possible for residents to live, work and play with ease. In addition to avoiding the hassles of mowing the lawn or orchestrating home repairs, the apartment communities take other burdens off their residents' hands.

For instance, at the Worthing Companies' The Drexel, in the heart of the Perimeter area, residents can take advantage of valet dry cleaning and trash removal, a continental breakfast and housekeeping services.

Each Avistele community staffs a full-time lifestyle planner, who arranges an array of personal services for residents, from pet walking and in-home gourmet meal delivery to drop-off laundry service and errand running. And since each community features an Avistele Suite, a designer-appointed, two-bedroom unit available to members and their guests, residents can hosts out-of-town visitors with ease.

Building a Community
But Atlanta's apartment property managers offer their residents more than just convenient, carefree living with customization options-they've built a community within a community.

With so many businesses and services located nearby, it's easier than ever to find time to play. The Lane Company's family of Atlantic Station apartment communities (17 Street Lofts, ICON, Park District and Metro) places residents in the heart of bustling Midtown, steps away from fine dining, fashionable shops and exciting nightlife. Julian LeCraw's M Street Apartment Homes in Midtown West feature numerous retail stores on site, including Urban Grind Coffee House, Juice It Up, a hair salon and a dry cleaner, and with easy access to MARTA, it eliminates the hassles and expense of a long commute.

Residents of Gables properties at West Marietta, Century Center and Sheridan can discuss the convenience of intown living over a latte at the mezzanine coffee bar, or while keeping an eye on the kids from the poolside lounge or overlooking club-style fitness facility. Landscaped courtyards, entertainment areas and wireless centers also provide ample opportunity for neighborly chats.

At The Heights Armour and The Heights Perimeter Center, residents get to know each other while working out in the yoga room or sports club with cardio theater, gathering for a cookout in the outdoor grilling areas, and relaxing in the meditation gardens and pool.

Likewise, residents at Walton Communities' family of properties spend time together while hiking along nature trails, checking out books or DVDs from the fully stocked library, or hanging out in the 3,000-square-foot Adventure Center (at the Ridenour, Village and Reserve locations), which offers free summer camps and after-school enrichment programs for kids. That sense of community extends off the property as well as when residents take advantage of the monthly cultural enrichment activities, such as a day trip to the Atlanta Botanical Garden or the Cyclorama, with Walton Communities picking up 90 percent of the admission costs.

"Apartments can sometimes be transient and temporary, where you mark time until you enter the next phase of your life," says Pat Newman, director of public relations for Walton Communities. "But so many people nowadays are choosing to live in apartments because it's much easier. We do everything we can to enhance and enrich the lives of our residents."

"We would like for the children that grow up in our communities to look back on that time as a wonderful time in their lives," Newman continues, "that they lived in a home in a neighborhood and weren't just marking time until they ended up somewhere else. We're always encouraging people to get involved. When residents know each other, they really are neighbors, and it makes for a nicer place to live."