City Club Apartments Lafayette Park — Local services in Detroit

I don't know how this place's rating isn't lower, considering nearly every conversation I've had with anyone who has ever lived here.

Living here was like a fever dream. It was unsettling.

I lived at City Club Apartments for one year (Feb 2023 - Feb 2024) and, unfortunately, cannot recommend this property despite its potential. While the location near the river and some walkable food options were convenient, and the outdoor pool area was attractive when functional, the numerous maintenance and management issues far outweighed the positives.

The problems began on day one when my assigned unit had a cockroach infestation, requiring an immediate transfer to a different unit that hadn't been properly cleaned.

Plus carpet beetle infestations.

Throughout my stay, basic maintenance was consistently neglected: the hallways, stairwells, and trash rooms were rarely (if ever) clean, the dog park was perpetually unsanitary, and amenities (hot tub, grills, fire pit, washers/dryers, pool deck) were frequently out of service for extended periods (the laundry room physically stunk).

The only time the numerous complaints about the dog park were even a little bit addressed was when an angry email was sent from the manager saying owners needed to pick up after their dogs because they were doing sales tours soon and didn't want to turn off the potential guests... aka they didn't give a damn about the resident experience but only cared when it might affect their sales. I already caught that vibe, but I was FLOORED that she was bold enough to say it so directly after MONTHS of multiple of us asking for the situation to be addressed without a response.

Nothing changed, and they sure weren't going to take any measures themselves to keep the space safe, sanitary, and usable.

Safety and security were major concerns. The parking gate was often broken. Break-ins and theft were frequent in the guest lots, making having overnight guests or free parking unsafe (my boyfriend had all his tires stolen). The package room was unsecured, resulting in stolen deliveries (experienced first-hand). The promised 24/7 concierge service was frequently unstaffed, compromising building security.

Infrastructure issues were equally problematic. The balcony design was flawed, causing drainage problems and constant water accumulation. The system was subpar for the price point, and utility billing through City Club was consistently questionable – I experienced ongoing electric metering issues that were never properly addressed despite monthly complaints.

I couldn't even hear the fire alarm clearly from my bedroom. The only way I know this is because there were multiple false alarms requiring full evacuations.

At one point, a pipe burst (flooding a friend's unit), causing us to lose heat in the middle of winter. We didn't even get told anything until after it got so cold that all my plants died and I had to move in with a family member until it was fixed.

Management was in constant flux, with periods having no property manager at all. Communication was poor, maintenance requests went unanswered for months, and even getting my security deposit returned required legal threats.

While the frontline staff (particularly the chief engineer and concierge team) were friendly and tried their best, they seemed understaffed and under-resourced to handle the building's numerous issues.

The advertised community events and amenities often fell short, with insufficient supplies and inconsistent scheduling. The laundry facilities were inadequate for the building's size, frequently broken, and poorly maintained.

While this property offered competitive pricing for its location and amenities on paper, the actual living experience was rather anxiety-inducing and frustrating and I cannot recommend it to future renters.

Overall, I wanted to love it here so badly, but the mistrust, lack of care, lack of responsibility and accountability, and attitude from higher-level management have made it so I will never again live in ANY City...

If I could give 0 stars, it would still be too generous. My fiance and I spent an absolutely horrendous 9 months in this building. We got sucked in by the low price, but ended up paying the $1100 lease breakage fee to get out early because we couldn't take it anymore. The maintenance and management people were always pleasant and trying their best, but the building is cheaply maintained and riddled with bugs. The worst problem is the BUGS! Roaches all summer long, even with constant cleaning, maintenance sealing off every possible entry and Orkin coming weekly to spray and put out traps. As we were moving out we found bed bugs in our box spring (it's not possible that we brought them, as this was both our first apartment) and had to throw out the bed, the couch, everything and fumigate. Everything is very cheaply done here. We had tons of issues with plumbing, heat, and light fixtures breaking CONSTANTLY. The shower would turn boiling hot if anyone on our floor was running water at the same time, the sink would randomly fill with a smelly black substance every other month. Every sound our neighbors made could be heard through the walls, whether they were being loud or quiet--I could even hear the sounds of neighbors using the toilet. The appliances were new, but were practically child sized--you couldn't even fit a medium pizza box in the fridge. Not enough washers and dryers for the building, especially since they break every other day and take weeks to be "repaired". Also the dryers eat socks and any small clothing; I have a dozen socks missing their mates now, and have lost several shorts and tank tops. The vinyl fake wood flooring cracks and peels, the paint and drywall paper peel off the walls (I had three paintings fall off the walls because of this). The hallways and common areas are dirty, dimly lit and smelly. They overcharge you on utilities ($100+/month for a 500 sq ft apartment with 2 people in it, and they cover electric). But there's nothing you can do about it because the fee is calculated by a third party service, instead of each apartment paying the utility company directly. The parking lot is an ice rink in the winter, and the only place I was allowed to let my dog out was all the way in the back corner where the ice was the worst (and only the chief engineer's spot had ever been shoveled or salted). My fiance's tires got stolen in plain view of the security camera in the gated parking lot. The buttons to let you out of the parking lot were always shorting out; fantastic when you're late to work and trapped in your own parking lot. Only two elevators for 18 floors, one of which is always broken, and the first floor door to the stairs is usually locked so you HAVE to wait an eternity to get to your floor. The only A/C unit in our apartment was in the living room, and there's no fan so the bedroom is a sauna in the summer. The control knob on our radiator didn't work and apparently couldn't be fixed so we had to always use space heaters in the winter. One of our elderly neighbors disappeared suddenly and his door had the doorknob removed for 6 months...sketchy. I could honestly go on forever about how awful this place is. Don't waste your money. Don't even step foot inside, you'll end up with bed bugs. I'm so glad I'm gone and got my security...

Overall, it is a great location for how much you pay.

Pros +Great location +Fairly priced considering the location and view (no other high-rise adjacent to cover view) +Friendly and professional staff +Ashley has done a great job communicating with residents through the flyers placed on my doors

Cons -Shower water will all of a sudden run very hot -Elevators break once every week or two -Hallways can be cleaner (please vacuum more often) -Utility is split. I would prefer to only pay for my own unit. It ranges from $25 - $97 (colder months Dec, Jan, Feb) -Some walls are thick cement walls in my unit. Some are thin walls so I can hear my neighbors

Comment from other reviewers =Bugs: I personally have not experienced anything. Not even a single bug. I do sweep my clean once every week or two. I could be lucky to just live in a cleaner unit/floor from previous renters. =Loitering: You have to realize that the apartment is attached to a public library and therefore the space in front of the building where the metal statue is probably common area. Yes, it is not the safest, however, just take that into consideration. Also know we have gated doors and gated parking, but there are areas that anyone can walk into that common area. However, you need key fob access to get into the apartment building. Front desk/ Tracy is much better about security now and signing guests in. I’ve noticed loitering has gotten better, but who knows when spring/summer comes around. If you really can’t handle it, go to Broderick Tower. Make sure your have rubberband banks in your pocket. =Car break-ins: I have not noticed anything but I have had a friend’s car keyed. It is not hugely noticeable but it is definitely there. =Staff turnover: my guess is that is because it is a corporate company that manages the building. They will often send staff in other locations or promote staff to bigger buildings. =Maintenance: I’ve had my kitchen sink clogged and did not have problem getting someone in to fix it very quickly for me. Some of the maintenance staff live in the building. I’m not sure about maintenance coming in my unit without my knowledge but I try to coordinate it so I am in my apartment when maintenance needs to...