Woods of Brookhollow — Attraction in Balcones Heights

The amount of square footage for the price of rent paid at Woods of Brookhollow is a bargain. Although situated under the wing of busy Hillcrest Drive/Fredericksburg Rd/410, the place is peaceful. One feels very safe there and its location directly across from Balcones Heights City Hall means that a patrol cruiser glides through each night. Parking is assigned and does not require a decal if the vehicle is registered with the office. Some spaces are under canopies. Within less than a mile, there is shopping and dining of all kinds. Some places can be walked to.

Pros: Responsive management and maintenance including quick turnaround for maintenance requests and email queries to management. Robin in the front office gets a particularly honorable mention – she’s a sweetheart who goes above and beyond. As to maintenance staff: both Joe and Victor have been employed there for a long period of time which speaks to their aptitude and their dedication to excellence. Exception: a three month wait and numerous requests for updates from the office for a broken dishwasher to be repaired before it was eventually replaced with a new one. The online portal where rent is paid and maintenance requests are laid in is fast and reliable. There is no mobile version; only a website. The laundry facilities are clean and tidy as are landscaping and common areas such as courtyards.

Cons: It is important to take in mind that this is an almost 60-year-old complex, and it shows. There are not nearly enough electrical outlets for today’s 21st century high tech and gadget filled life. The kitchen was notably lacking with an entire wall needing outlets. Windows have not been updated to maximize energy efficiency, resulting in tenants lining their windows with towels and blankets to keep out the winter cold. A shifting foundation results in doors that do not close snug. The swimming pools are in bad need of resurfacing. The plumbing fixtures are ugly and stained from decades of hard water and they leak and drip.

Then there was the ancient HVAC system. It could not keep up with South Texas summer heat. Setting the thermostat to an average 76F resulted in the unit running all day but never getting below 83. A fellow resident complained to maintenance about this and was told that there is a 15° variance allowed before a repair will be attempted. This is not acceptable in the face of an almost $200 monthly utility bill for 700 sq ft and temps in the ‘80s well past bedtime.

This was when it was working. Six times over the term of the lease, the compressor went out entirely due to a buildup of ants in the electrical conduit. Pest control came out twice monthly, but could do nothing to combat a roach infestation. One of the two swimming pools had trouble keeping algae under control and was regularly green (water remained clear though). A peek into the skimmers revealed a buildup of leaves, and leaf and other debris were not kept vacuumed off the pool floor.

Although friendly and accommodating, the office staff keep the door closed and locked. When visitors come, the staff step outside to do business. Based on signage, this appears to be driven by a fear of the corona virus, but poses an inconvenience when one needs to get inside to load up a laundry card and it fosters a feeling of being unwelcome.

Overall, if you have a low budget but want a decent place with no ratchit neighbors (some tenants have been there for decades), you can't go wrong giving this place a try. Three stars for Woods of Brookhollow, quaint Mid-20th Century Modern living with big square feet for an affordable price.

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I've been living here for less than a year and I have absolutely no complaints. Since the day I went in looking for information about their apartments I was greeted with very pleasant staff. I am a student and I thought this would give them a bad impression but instead they offered me a discount on my move in fee. They even waited till after office hours to give me my key because I wasn't going to make it into town in time. I had a leak with my water heater and it was immediately fixed and they even cleaned up all of the water. My neighbors have been very friendly. My upstairs neighbor even let me know when I left my car lights on. I have always felt safe walking to my car very early in the morning and very late at night. I definitely recommend this place for anyone. They offer great floor plans for a great prize. Sadly I will be leaving due to my new job being a little further away from me but I have been very very happy living here. They even give you cookies any time you go into their office and they left me a little note on my door with cookies thanking me when my lease was almost up. Thank you Woods of...

I loved and will miss Woods of Brookhollow. Moved to SA from out of state and wanted to find an affordable place close to the city. $660 a month for a 1 Bed 1 Bath is fantastic. It's an older building with occasional maintenance problems, but it's to be expected. Most of my issues were resolved quickely. The tenants are very welcoming, helpful, and the community is generally quiet. An occasional odd ball will loiter in the area, but all in all it's peaceful. Pest control wasn't helpful - had a personal war with roaches when I first moved in, but was able to clear my place of them completely. It was absolutely worth it in the end. I was able to make my space feel like home. Thank you...