RT Dairies — Attraction in Atlanta

I lived at the Dairies for several years and am moving out. I wouldn't recommend living here for several reasons. I'll list out some pros and cons:

CONS: You live next to a concert venue. If you live on the side of the building that faces the venue, be prepared for: traffic entering and exiting your parking garage area; corporate rooftop karaoke nights; loud music and bass shaking your floors until 12am on Fridays and Saturdays, 11pm on weekdays; loud screaming drunk people in the street popping balloons and also buskers smacking drums on the street until who knows when as people wait for their cabs. Way back when I thought the front office would care at all (naive of me, I know), I brought up my concerns and was told that other residents thought that the concert venue was an amenity and that it, and I quote!, "was like a free concert." Yeah, sure. You try listening to a bass line reflected 100 times off of the surrounding buildings and then tell me it's great.

Overpriced. The Dairies will absolutely gouge you with your renewal rate. My rent went up 7-8% each year I was there until this last year, when they realized they had gouged too much and people might actually leave. When I got my renewal rate, I went online and looked at the other comparable units in the building that were available. They were going for like $150/month less!! On the same floor! So I contacted the front office and asked if they could bring my renewal rate down. They said they had offered a very fair price since they hardly increased my rent. So I decided to leave! Shocker! Once I told them this, the unit was listed online for $150 less than the renewal rate they offered me. So they lost a long-term responsible tenant.

Fees are exorbitant. To save people time: Nonrefundable pet deposit is around $400. Pet rent per pet is $25/month. Non-optional valet trash is $25/month. Non-optional Fetch package service is $25/month. Parking is like $30/month. Online 3rd party utility fee is like $8/month. Or at least it was Summer of 2024.

Utilities are exorbitant. For a 750 SF apartment, expect to pay something around $150/month for gas, water, sewer. Expect to pay like $150/month during the summer for electricity. Around $120 in the winter. Internet is like $80/month but depends on what you get. So all told, you might be paying like $500 - $600 in fees and utilities on top of your rent.

When you pay your rent, NO LIE, you are asked if you want to DONATE. Seriously y'all. Check out my photos on this review. Out of absolutely morbid curiosity, I clicked on the link to get more information about what I would be donating to. Y'all. You're being asked to donate to the MANAGEMENT COMPANY'S EMPLOYEES WHO ARE ON HARD TIMES. WHAT!! Take care of your own employees!! I make a VERY solid "donation" once a month when I PAY MY RENT!!! What an absolutely scummy business practice.

Hallways and stairwells smell like dog urine and smoke.

The elevators and parking garage gates are frequently out of service.

People frequently prop the access-controlled doors open, which is unsafe.

There have been several days-long gas outages! Some had very little communication, so you're kinda like, hmm I wonder when I can cook? I wonder if there was like an emergency or something that I wasn't told about?

There have been a few incidents where the fire alarm has been pulled, but TBH it hasn't been that terrible over several years.

There have been several car break-in events where many cars have been broken into.

The parking garage sucks to navigate. Every turn is a blind corner. I'm surprised I didn't ever run into anyone because the garage is so tight that people drive in the middle of the lanes. There are no mirrors to see around corners.

PROS: Maintenance is responsive. You're close to stuff. You can walk to restaurants and grocery stores. Appliances etc. are newer. Amenities are fine. Pool is frequently closed. Gym is nice. Mail is fine. We got the majority of our deposit back.

Overall: if I were you, I'd...

This review will be full of nothing but positivity and excitement so if you’re one of those people who just like to hate on something keep on scrolling cause you won’t find it here.

My wife and I recently moved to Atlanta and looked far and wide for a new apartment. Most of our visits ended in heartbreak cause we couldn’t find something that didn’t feel like settling. Then the clouds opened up and God himself shined a light on the Alta Dairies. We scheduled a visit and knew within stepping into the leasing office that this place was different.

We were greeted by the one and only Natasha. Not only a phenomenal leasing professional but an incredible person. She didn’t try and sell us on anything or rush us into making a quick decision. She talked to us like human beings instead of numbers. I could tell she was truly being herself and not putting on any show. One of the most meaningful things Natasha mentioned was that her and the other leasing officers lived in the building. Out of all the places we looked at this was the first time we heard this. It meant a lot knowing that the people who worked here also live here. Says a lot about the building. The tour she gave us was better than the moment when the old white guy in Jurassic Park says “Welcome to Jurassic.” I won’t lie I got goosebumps when I saw that for the first time as a kid but when Natasha showed us the future unit we would live in, it was like Jurassic Park times a hundred. We continued our tour of the building and also got to know Natasha even more. Some fun facts about her are she loves zombie movies and selfies. She showed us all the amenities that are beyond nice. The rooftop patio offers beautiful views of the city and opportunities to get to know your neighbors with a pool table, lounge area and vintage arcade games. Anyone want to see me on Galaga, come find me. The pool is something that the Greek Gods would use to sun bathe in. There is a community room fitted with a restaurant style kitchen, board games, and a COZY couch. Oh and did I mention the theatre style tv that’s in there where you can watch all your favorite movies. Natasha and I will probably watch Zombieland and some point. If you keep on cruising you’ll see the gym which is all state of the art equipment and to be honest one of the nicest spaces I’ve ever seen. I love exercise and knowing that this space exists is a huge help not only for the convenience but also on the wallet. Cause let’s be honest some of of these gyms are charging TOO MUCH. There is a business room with individual work cubbies so you can get your zen on while you come up with the next biggest thing that will change the world. Honestly this place has it all and it’s done well. After all was said and done we said our goodbyes which was sad cause we had so much fun but also exciting cause as soon as my wife and I got into the car we turned to each other and said “we found our place.” We officially moved in last Thursday and it’s been better than we could imagine. There was even a mixer that night for the complex that turned into 2 hours of meeting some of the most amazing people that Atlanta has to offer. The neighborhood is growing and it’s minutes from amazing food and the belt line. Men, you wanna look like a boss in front of your partner? Say “baby, boo, honey, sugar or whatever. I thought we could take a walk along the belt line.” They will be all over you cause it’s a great date and awesome way to explore the city. My wife and I are beyond excited and honored that we get to start our new life here at Alta Dairies. Thank you Alta Dairies for presenting a spirit of joy and i look forward to the memories we...

UODATE: After living at the property for 2 years, the management basically asked me to leave “with no early lease exit penalty”. And charged me half of my deposit for Normal wear and tear over two years (holes in walls that i repaired without paint, out of courtesy to the great maintenance team). This, I believe, is retaliation for my prior alteration with the current leasing staff member, Ashley. Shari apparently pretended to take our situation seriously, but did not deliver. Steer clear.

Hi All, I would like to provide a cautionary review for potential residents. I have lived at this beautiful and conveniently-located property for 2 years. The apartment is amazing and well-appointed. That being said, I would like to advise on several things that others should consider before adding this to their list of potential apartment communities.

Property management changed from Alta to Lincoln properties in January 2021, at which time the quality began to decline.

Please expect, when you visit or live here, that the carpets will be dingy and stained. The hallways will smell of pet urine, cigarette smoke, or marijuana. Garbage bags will be left outside apartments (not in proper receptacles), outside stated valet trash hours, sometimes for an entire weekend. This not only smells, but is a fire hazard and attracts pests.

Gates will not operate efficiently 50% of the time. Communal areas and walkways will be stained. Elevators may be out of service, without community notification. Pet owners let their animals use the hallways and elevators and elevator vestibules as greenspace. It is also not uncommon to see a dog off-leash inside the community.

The most concerning thing to me is that I personally experienced harassment by a leasing agent (Ashley) and her friends that live in the community, when I addressed the group violating property rules and guidelines (letting strangers off the street enter the community, having animals off-leash and propping open doors/gates). I was threatened and called derogatory names.

The community safety officer did not respond, so I called APD to report an incident. Neither came. When I addressed and shared video footage (mine, in addition to their own CCTV), I was very concerned about an individual (Ashley) having access to all of my personal information and my home. I was assured the issue would be addressed.

The regional manager Heather Holladay indicated that "I personally addressed the situation, including corrective action, with Ashley however this is an internal personnel matter that will not be discussed publicly nor can I send any detailed information externally." This is unacceptable as a resident and parent.

I have given the property months to address my justifiable concerns, while Ashley continues to man the leasing office desk.

So, long story, short, please consider another more reputable community when choosing where to spend $2,500 a month in rental expenses. You can certainly do better than this.

I reach out regularly to the management team and receive no responses on all of said issues. And they conveniently respond to other reviews and not mine.

I will continue to add issues and photos, for public...