Apartment Review for Paradrome Square Properties - Cincinnati, OH

I enjoyed living at Madison Court for a little over 2 years. I worked at University Hospital and returning home after a long day was always pleasant. My apartment was on the 1st floor and the layout was studio/efficiency. First, the location of the 2479 Madison Court building is convenient; within walking distance just down Erie avenue you find Hyde Park square and restaurants, clubs, cafe (Awakenings), ice cream parlor, art gallery, bank, boutiques, outdoor recreational goods store, etc. At all hours you can find people taking advantage of the low-crime rate to go running, walking, working outside. Also, the building is near I-71 and Columbia Parkway (http://homefinder.cincinnati.com/closetohome/cth_hydepark_060997.html). Grocery stores and shopping plazas with upscale shops located in Oakley and Norwood are just a few minutes away. The Hyde Park area could benefit from more cultural diversity...anyway back to the apartment. Unless I'm mistaken, each apartment at Madison Court has large windows through which you can see the charming courtyard; just across Madison Road you see the historic Withrow University High School (http://withrowuniversityhs.cps-k12.org/). In the morning during spring and summer, birdsong lifts from the trees in the courtyard. Thick walls provide decent sound insulation from the street and your horizontal neighbors; however, as Madison Road is a busy road, you will hear the occasional first responder sirens, and also if your vertical/upstairs neighbor steps very loudly in boots or heels, you will hear that as well (a few nights, it sounded as though a team of horses were playing upstairs). Regarding the apartment itself: I had an efficiency which included a living room, a dining room, a kitchen and full bathroom; the kitchen was new and the landlord has just installed a dishwasher. In the living room I kept my bed, a sofa, coffee table, bench, and nightstand. In the dining room was a dining table with four chairs and six-foot bookcase. The LR had two large windows (w/ blinds) that opened into the courtyard and permitted a good amount of sunlight for much of the day. There is also a ceiling fan with light in the LR. The dining room had a smaller window with an AC window unit that was adequate for the size of the apartment. The stairwells are wide and facilitate moving in/out. There is no elevator to my knowledge at 2479 Madison. The previous tenant did not take care of the apartment; when I moved in the floors required mopping three times before the natural wood color could be seen. If it matters to you, the floors aren't new and would benefit from replacement. The building is beautiful and it wouldn't hurt to have the brick exterior powerwashed/cleaned to restore the original charm of the architecture. There is plenty of parking either in the gravel parking lot (uncovered) or in the carports. There are even a few carpoorts with doors that close, though I don't know whether there is a charge or what the cost may be. Laundry is available in both basement wings of the building, I believe $2.50 for each load of washing and drying. Could the capacity of the washer been greater? Sure. (But how energy efficient would it be?) One thing that could be improved is the recycling opportunities for the area. Paper, plastic, aluminum, glass, other metals currently do not have public bins. I suppose that the companies that provide recycling services in the area may charge Paradrome for pickup, and so interested residents currently can set up individual contracts with the recycling agency. A collective effort may be the best option; if enough residents agreed to recycle and help the landlords with the cost of recycling at 2479 Madison court, everyone renting there could benefit from weekly recycling services. During winter, the common walkway through the courtyard is shoveled as is the paved driveway in the back. Another reviewer on this site said "There is someone living in the basement next to the laundry room. Talk about creepy." This is not true. Occasionally after a long day, a worker for the properties may crash for the night on the bed in the designated room on the ground floor, perhaps too tired to drive back home. But "creepy"? Hardly. Don and Kim are among the maintenance and repair guys and they're very nice. The landlord usually posts bulletins in advance if someone needs access to your apartment for plumbing or painting, etc, and the landlord is very responsive by phone; I've called the emergency number when I've been locked out, or when I noticed a leak and someone has returned my call within a reasonable time. If you're interested, call Paradrome, set up an appointment, have a look and talk with some of the residents. I think you'll be pleased.