The Highlands Apartments — Attraction in Ann Arbor

I cannot express how much I have loved being a resident here for the last three years. The only reason I’m moving out is because I graduated and am trying to move away from the school. I’ll give a ridiculously long review so it’s thorough.

Tl;dr is that while the buildings themselves are old and the laundry situation is inconvenient, the units are reasonably priced and are made worth it by the amount of space inside, the location for students, the communal outdoor space, and most importantly the amazing management and maintenance team. We moved in specifically because of reviews of the management and it’s been absolutely worth it.

Some of these cons for me are personal, some I included for fairness:

Cons: -There is no in-unit laundry and there are only a couple of machines per building that are coin-operated. There is no change machine. They’re also a little old. -The set up is strange in that we were on the first floor and had to go down two levels to get to our apartment. -There is no fitness center -The units themselves are old. Some cabinet doors fell off and our carpet could’ve justified replacement when we got here. -Overall these are apartments for college students. Every once in a while, the pot smell is strong and the parties are loud (even in a pandemic ugh). -The kitchens are small, closed off and not well-lit.

And here are the overwhelming pros: -Aside from one previous manager who should remain nameless (but won’t, Brenda):

Highlands Pros:

Maintenance was mostly fixed same day: Once we had a leak in our bathroom ceiling which took more than a day. Besides that, we had a problem with ceiling fan, I accidentally broke blinds, kitchen drawer always came off track, and garbage disposal broke. All things fixed same day.

Dana and staff were flexible/ willing to help: We switched tenets a lot. Dana never got annoyed. My apartment, in the last year, needed more parking passes and she came up with a compromise so we could all park. My past roommates had caged pets and Dana let them stay (I am not sure about a deposit). When I moved out of state, she and her staff opened the apartment and watched as the movers took my furniture. She even volunteered her staff to remove the furniture the company wouldn’t take.

Quiet, community feel: I hated that at UM you are surrounded by school ALL THE TIME! That is why living on North Campus was great. You were able to go home and escape the feel that you are still at school. I think it is really helpful for one’s mental health, especially if you are having a hard time acclimating. QUIET ALL THE TIME!

Free Parking! Fairly close to stuff: I could walk to Pierpont in 10min and to Baites bus stop in 4 (the Bursley stop is also close, but you aren’t likely to get a seat.) I shopped at Kroger less than a 5min drive down the road. I worked on Central and it took me 10min to drive

I could always find a sublet for the summers.

Highlands Cons: Issues with parking: There were several times we had to move our cars so they could work fix parking lot, leaving us vulnerable to towing. There were times when tow stickers were put on cars of visiting friends. I was always freezing in my apartment! Recycling bins not dumped enough. No overhead lighting. Bring lamps! The style of the apartments is old: They have old, brown cupboards and carpet floors. Things broke periodically because old. Given the great pros and relatively few cons, I would recommend this place a...

Very nice place to live on North Campus. Competitive prices with other locations on North and much cheaper than Central Campus. It is nice to have the largest apartment out of my friends at around 1000 sq ft for a two bedroom unit cheaper than other smaller apartments nearby. The apartments are well maintained by the kind and helpful management staff. Brenda, the property manager, is very easy to reach, is prompt to get things done, and will let you know if there will be, if any, delays. The apartments come unfurnished. There are also outdoor picnic areas, a basketball...