Sunnybrook Residences — Attraction in Raleigh

After living at Sunnybrook for a full year, I wanted to write as detailed a review as I wish existed when I moved here– Don’t be fooled by all the positive reviews; most are by people who have ONLY TOURED the property or by EMPLOYEES of the property itself– particularly those who work in the front office or offer tours. If you’re looking for an apartment close to downtown or NCSU campus, this is not the one to take a gamble on!!!

The apartments themselves are very well kept with brand new appliances, digital thermostats, spacious closets, and even built-in desk and office spaces! The amenities are also wonderful, especially the pool, but many of the community areas are extremely crowded in the summertime, with massive parties of people taking over the pool and grilling spaces, playing loud music, and inviting multiple non-residents. Most of the highpoints of these apartments end there...

Rent is on the rise, prices have increased for all units since I moved in. Do not expect your rent to stay the same when renewal dates roll around. The apartments themselves may seem cheaper than those in surrounding areas, but with the lower price tag comes the cost of personal safety!

First floor apartments do come with an alarm system, but be warned, they are not always the most reliable! Mine would trip randomly in the middle of the night, turn itself off without me touching it, and overall did not work properly and consistently for the entire second half of my lease. Sunnybrook is “not responsible” for the alarm systems, maintenance is not trained on how to fix them, and getting in touch with SecureTek is often hit or miss.

There have been numerous instances of car break-ins, smoking on property, and random people walking in and around the complex who do not live here! It definitely seems like the “smoke free” aspect of living here is optional as cigarette butts are everywhere on the grounds, and the smell of weed is evident around many buildings / porches. The complex is not very well lit at night, and I often did not feel safe on property after dark (especially as a young woman living alone)!!!

The walls here are extremely thin (as is the case in most apartments), but if you have louder upstairs or wall-sharing neighbors, it can be difficult as you will hear every footstep and conversation. My upstairs neighbors were especially retaliatory in regards to noise complaints and would make the situation ten times worse every time I filed a report… You also have to time calls to the office perfectly in order to get an actual person on the phone; if you have an issue and don’t go to the office in-person, you will likely have to play phone tag to get it addressed. Management also seems to have a “nothing we can do” attitude in regards to complaints made about lease violations (i.e. noise complaints, smoking, littering, domestic issues).

The complex has been promising to build security gates ever since AIR communities took over, but it appears that this will probably never happen. AIR also temporarily suspended the overnight security patrol for reasons unknown, and once they brought it back, the car simply did a few hurried laps about once a night. Additionally, the number given to residents to call for overnight security goes directly to a call center and not the security for the complex!

This apartment was fine for a year, but I cannot imagine why anyone would want to renew after AIR took over management and security seems to be less and less...

The apartment itself is very nice, however the message that the leasing department provides “luxury” care and service is incorrect. I lived here for 18 months and upon my arrival it was under a different property management company, which was much better from my experience. After Air communities took over, the quality of the environment declined. Now you struggle to get someone on the phone, getting your maintenance needs met, which is horrible when dealing with emergencies like bug infestations in your home. The property is a new build so be aware of bug problems. The leasing office may seem on top of issues as they are great at convincing you to move in, but dont count on their help much after. I once had to throw away everything in my kids room, all of their toys included because ants infested our apartment in a span of 48 hours, and I could not get a response from the office. If my father did not own an exterminating business I have no clue when they would have fixed this. I do want to emphasize that the pictures do match what you will get with your apartment, however its not worth much when the leasing office is not up to par. The amenities are nice but beware that the multitude of residents are a lot of younger adults, so forget about the pool and other amenities on weekends if you have kids. They get very rowdy and its uncomfortable being there with family. I have seen police being called for this several times. Lastly, there is a car break-in problem in the neighborhood. Get the ring door bell app to stay up to date on those things. There is a parking lot that use to be free, but now you have to pay for parking which is ridiculous for a private lot. Overall, the apartments are nice and a good distance to a lot of things, but the bad unfortunately outweighs the good and I would not recommend someone move here with kids or a...

After living here for about a month, there are a couple of things I can highlight about this apartment complex. Firstly, the leasing office as well as the maintenance crew go above and beyond. Your questions and concerns will not be overlooked as the people who work here are extremely attentive and always willing to lend a helping hand. My move-in process was seamless. There were some hiccups that needed to be addressed: my mailbox needed to be replaced and a large package of mine was delivered to the wrong building (no fault to the complex whatsoever; this was a delivery issue). Jay and Matt’s timely communication ensured that both issues were immediately addressed—my mailbox was fixed within a week and Jay took the time to assist in locating my package with me!

The complex has great amenities that are well-maintained. The BIGGEST inconvenience is the limited visitor parking. There are only a couple dozen spots available for visitors that are first-come, first-serve. (It’s nearly impossible for a spot to be available on the weekend.) Overflow visitor parking is available at the sister complex, Olde Towne Residences, which is about 1.5 miles down the road.

The location is… just okay. I’m a student at NC State, so the drive to campus isn’t too bad. Limited options of nearby grocery stores, restaurants, and shopping. Not too far from Downtown and Garner. The apartment is also adjacent to an amphitheater, which kicks off concert traffic around the building.

Although rent is a bit expensive considering the inconvenient parking layout and building location, the staff and my overall experience have been well worth it. If you are interested in signing,...