Park at River Oaks — Local services in Houston

Disclosure: I am looking at this property as a potential place to rent. I do NOT live here currently.

I took a brief introductory tour of a C unit with a young lady named Peyton. She was very nice, patient, & very professional and agreed to give me a tour despite it being close to closing time (on a Saturday no less). The leasing office itself is quite ornate and well decorated to the point of being somewhat dazzling upon first entrance and outmatches the lobbies of some high-end hotels that I’ve been to.

The outside of the property was lovely and reminded me quite a bit of a Las Vegas resort; there were pallid pink and blue hues in the outside paint throughout that I was very fond of. The outside parts of the property I saw were exceptionally clean and the fact that there were people gathered around the pool and using the patio furniture are a good sign; people aren’t afraid to leave their homes and use the amenities. A poorly maintained pool area is as good as no pool area at all. The greenery was also very well maintained and there were no animal feces or dead patches in sight.

The hallways were also really very clean; there was little outside debris and no chipping paint or dead insects. I saw only one wasp but it was a mud-dauber which are solitary insects that do not build nests and thus live as nomads.

The apartment itself was also cleaned very carefully and kept clean. The paint had a certain gloss around it and there were no paint drips or bubbles nor any debris at the front door from visitors coming for a tour; this can be a good sign (the properties are well maintained and the leasing office takes their duties seriously) or a bad sign (the apartment had undergone serious renovations after its last tenant) but my experience here suggests the former. Even in the case of major renovations, a maintenance team that simply slaps paint on the walls will leave obvious signs of their indifference which were absent here. The edges were crisp and careful and only a single co-ax jack was painted over out of the many jacks and outlets in the apartment.

The front door had two locks which required a key instead of a code which is VERY important. A tenant door that can be unlocked with a code is a privacy and security disaster; the administrative codes are literally NEVER audited or rotated, meaning any number of current (or former) employees could have the code to your front door, whereas a key, a physical object, is by its nature less accessible and therefore more secure. A lock that can only be opened with a key is an example of KISS technology (the best kind of technology).

The neighborhood is largely single-family homes and office space. There is a (very large and well-stocked) Whole Foods 15 minutes away, but the sidewalks are a bit rough and I had to cross the street three times to get there. I got fantastic sushi nearby and a slice of pie from the Pie Shack. The closest bus is roughly 10 minutes away. There was little to no trash outside. The athletic field next door is undergoing construction, as will be the empty lot across the street, so construction noise may be a concern for those working from home, but that...

We were apartment hunting in November for our son who was graduating from college in May - and we literally chanced upon The Park quite by accident.

First impressions make a big difference and the way Marisa, the property manager, treated us when we walked in significantly helped our decision-making process. There was no sales pressure, no dangling of deals, nothing. She understood that our requirement was six months out - and like the professional that she is, she promised to communicate with us when units became available.

Every communication over the next six months - we exchanged over 56 emails - was timely. My son was in Austin, we were in Dallas, so responsiveness to our email questions was crucial. Selecting the best apartment with the best deal, locking in on the optimal term, signing the lease, setting up the portal, selecting the insurance provider, the internet service provider, the utility provider - Marisa was with us at each step.

We had told her we would move in on June 26. When we walked in to the office, everything was ready in a package. It was almost as though we were picking up a parcel at the UPS store with no one ahead of us in line.

And once we got into the apartment, everything was neat, spick, and span - and everything worked.

Thanks, Marisa - you made the whole thing so easy.

And we know that it was not by accident.

Update, July 9, 2024: While my original review about the move in stands, I can only rate the community with a single star for how they responded to residents following Hurricane Beryl.

Like most of Houston, the community lost power. But where they fell short is that it was woefully unprepared when it came to running water. As soon as the power went out, the water stopped running in the apartments. No water to flush toilets; none in the sinks. Nada.

Their official response this morning sums up the issue:

“Some have asked about turning the water on. Unfortunately, our pump system is run off electricity so there is no way to turn it on. Residents can use pool water in the meantime for flushing toilets. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Please know that many of our team members live on site and we are all in this together. We are doing everything we can to try to get the community cleaned up quickly. “

In talking to frustrated tenants, I learned that the management has done little to solve this issue, although power outages in Houston are more frequent given the region’s propensity to receive storms.

An easy fix would be to have backup electricity to power the pumps through a diesel or gasoline generator. Or an UPS system. These are far better options than asking residents to carry buckets of water from the swimming pool to flush their toilets. The last time I checked, we live in the most advanced nation on Earth.

We evacuated last...

I spent the year of 2021 living at "The Park at River Oaks." Building 8 to be exact! When I was transferred down to Houston, I didn't know what to expect. I connected with a dozen or so different apartment buildings but it always felt like they were trying to hide something from me. Understanding that being new to a city, you aren't always sure what is the best & safest place to live. When I arrived at PARO, I was surprised to see how nice the community was. They took extremely well care on ensuring the place doesn't feel like another apartment but as a home. Safety is a one number priority which was really great for me to hear as I was always gone on travel while my spouse spent many nights home alone. I was fortunate enough to have an updated unit with all of the newer appliances. However, even though everything was new, I still had some issues along the way over time. The maintenance team was always quick (most times under an hour to arrive) to resolve any obstacle I was facing. When I moved there, the winter storm really affected us, especially Building 8 which lost power & had our pipes burst. They allowed us to use empty units with water/power to shower & warm up. It was really impressive to see how they supported us but once the storm was over, how much they put back into ensuring the highest standards for this community. The leasing office & staff were always really kind to us. They recently just switched owners but kept the same great staff on hand. I didn't experience any events (besides the taco truck every once in a while) due to them having COVID restrictions but most neighbors respected each others privacy. I cannot say the same about other locations I've lived at. If I didn't have to commute as far as I am current state, I would have absolutely renewed my lease at this community. Houston traffic is no joke (as we all know). I wish them well & appreciate everything...