Marketplace at Fells Point — Local services in Baltimore

Starting with the bad, then will get to the good/neutrals.

Safety issues: I could not be more dissatisfied with the safety of this building and the management's lack of response and corrective action. I've been personally trapped in the elevator twice within six months, there are only two elevators right next to each other and are constantly an issue or out of service. Which is a big issue for the residents that live here who are not able to take the stairs.

Aside from the elevators being a safety hazard the entrance doors and stairwell doors as well are never secured, the locks either do not work, are shut off or the hydraulics need to be replaced. Maintenance request for these are always closed without repair or residents are told it's being worked on and will take months to fix, if ever, for example one of the double doors going outside took 15 months to replace. A neighbor had her car stolen from our garage, which is one of the most secure I've seen in the neighborhood, camera footage was not clear enough to capture the driver.

Noise: Get ready for monthly fire alarm testing or alarm trips. Management does not follow-up when an alarm is triggered and not a scheduled test. The management will advise via email and flyers when testing will be a few days before but their windows are never accurate. If you have a pet at home and are not there you should definitely have plans to remove them from your residence because the alarms are LOUD and go off for 15+ minutes when testing is done. Testing is often being the alarms are wired to the entire retail block, so all of the businesses and their work is wired to our alarms as Dolben owns multiple properties on the block, that they refer to as their "retail tenants".

Aside from alarms being a reoccurring norm and disturbance as others have mentioned the walls, floors and doors do not provide any sound proofing. I can hear my neighbors talking next door, walking in the hall, and even people walking in the hallway above me. yikes I have had to ask neighbors to stop blaring music etc. late at night when I have to get up early, thankfully my neighbors are polite and respectful when asked but that's a variable you'll have to weigh for yourself. Management's take on this is to alert them when there's disturbances after hours, although they can't do anything at the time being no one is on staff, and to call the police (which is not a warranted police matter in my opinion).

Amentities: The courtyard is relatively clean, the fireplace is never on or able to be worked by the resident. There is a grill that is not well maintained which some may see as a nice to have.

The gym is a nice benefit to have, however equipment that breaks isn't fixed. They recently replaced the floor (to add shock absorption) and most machines + a water fountain which is great.

Maintenance when needed in unit is awesome, timely, and very polite. Big kudos all around for them. I've had a few emergencies off hours with my air shutting off and my sink overflowing from my neighbor's clogged kitchen sink and the speed and fix was fast in both scenarios.

Rooftop view is amazing, couches and tables are a great place to hang and entertain friends. There's always cushions and pillows missing but otherwise seating is plentiful.

The above has been mentioned to the head of the management team with suggestions on how to improve. They've agreed to take on improving communications on issues around safety and disruptions to common areas...

I really enjoyed living in this neighborhood, and my studio apt had high ceilings and modern fixtures and was comfortable. Early into my lease, I noticed that the walls were pretty thin and a lot of sound traveled through the vents. Despite only having a neighbor on one aide (and it was unoccupied for many months) I heard a lot of conversations and coughing just through the vent. Additionally, despite the high ceilings, the walking around of my upstairs neighbor kept me awake on more than one occasion. The building probably lacks a lot of insulation? I used the roof deck and gym a fair amount and I appreciated them! Lots of pet owners used the courtyard and that seemed nice. I also had limited but good experiences with maintenance. The location drives the value but the buildings themselves are just fine, nothing too luxurious. My biggest concern about Marketplace, and the reason I wouldn’t return, is that the phone number connects to an offsite group. If no one in the leasing office answers, your call gets routed to someone random in an offsite location who is totally unable to actually resolve onsite issues. I needed to contact onsite staff and I kept getting the runaround from the call center telling me to press a certain extension, which I had been, only to then be explained that all calls eventually get sent off site if no one onsite answers. I do want to thank the leasing team for making move in and out seamless. I am satisfied with my residency at marketplace but it wasn’t my favorite or #1...

We lived at Marketplace for over three years, and generally had a good experience.

Pros: -Great location!!! -We appreciated having to go through multiple sets of locked doors before accessing the elevator (also locked) and overall felt very safe despite being new to Baltimore. -Maintenance was extremely timely and responsive to our needs, even for minor requests like a clogged sink drain. -The rooftop deck is beautiful and a wonderful location to host friends. -Although small, the gym was well maintained and often empty. -There were regular social gatherings organized by management

Cons: -Though it was not a surprise, the great deal of extra fees (e.g., location on the inside of the building, pet rent, mandatory “valet waste” program) seemed excessive and added almost $150/month to the base cost of rent. -Turnover of management was high and the staff was poorly responsive to the one major issue we had (A pipe leaked onto and significantly stained the hood of our car in the parking spot we paid $160/month for, and we had to battle with management for them to acknowledge the damage and eventually pay for the car to be detailed). -The courtyard (which we paid an extra $30/month to overlook) was put under construction last spring but the project appeared to be terminated -it has been in a state of disrepair (see attached photo) for the last 8 months, with no explanation...