Midtown 5 — Local services in Miami

This building isn't going downhill...... it's fallen off a cliff.

We've lived in this building for 3 years already and absolutely loved it. The building was a well-maintained, efficient, clean, high-end condo. That all changed in December when the building was sold, and a new property management company came in.

Since Greystar Management took over in December 2020, it's been one issue after another. For a company that manages 728,000 units, you'd think they would have the property management process dialed in already.

Unless this is their method of operating. Increase revenue by reducing overhead and delivering less service to residents. Seems that way.

They replaced the staff at the front desk with what looks like interns. Anyone who is not a new resident remembers Brenda at the front desk and how on point she was. The new front desk staff seems to have no experience or desire to do their jobs properly. They do not look up when you're coming or going as they can't get off their cellphones. They allow anyone off the street to go up without calling the residents. So if you have a crazy ex that wants to get to you, they easily can. You won't be alerted about food deliveries. So if you're not monitoring the delivery, it will be sitting in the lobby for a while.

The mailroom is no longer organized, and you have to hunt down your packages. Half the time, packages are not even punched into the system to alert you of mail delivery, so much for a carefree experience.

What happened to the security guard? Previously we had a security guard that would do his rounds through the building. Not only is there not a security guard, but the parking gate is always broken and remains wide open for anyone to come in. Especially dangerous for late-night workers. Literally, anyone can get into the garage at night.

If something were to happen to you, your only hope is a 20-year-old at the front desk that hopefully stops scrolling Instagram long enough to view the cameras and find out that you are in trouble.

The tagline on the website says, "Experience Luxury Apartment Living" who are they kidding? Look at the attached pictures when you think of luxury living; is this what you imagine?

The place has become filthy! My parents noticed it as well; they came to visit and were very surprised by the building's appearance compared to previous visits. Not pleasant having to stand in the elevator with urine all over the place. Being a dog-friendly building, did dogs have accidents before? Yes, the difference is that it was cleaned quickly. Now, your lucky if it gets cleaned at all. Most of the time, it seems to just dry on its own.

The AC in the lobby is off 70% of the time! Not a joke! Can you even begin to believe that in the hellfire that is Miami's climate, they would have the AC off in the lobby?

Cost-cutting? Broken AC? Who knows, because the management doesn't update residents with what's going on.

With the front desk staff being so young and inexperienced, the condo rules and policies have collapsed. The building has turned into an Airbnb station. No longer filled with residents who care about the place they live at, but just a bunch of transient tourists coming down to Miami to party. Which doesn't help with keeping it clean.

You'll also have to make long lines to get to your apartment. Not because of Covid, but because one elevator always seems to be broken and takes days to repair.

The button to open the lobby doors is broken as well, which has been like that for two weeks. Just goes to show you the level of maintenance the building is getting.

Gas grills routinely don't have any gas. I've run into countless other guests who were planning to grill some food to find out none of the grills worked.

The pictures may look repeated, but they are not. They showcase that these are not isolated issues but a repeated...

I had been asked to write a review of the building many times by the management, but I had not because I would just leave this review, but after so many unnecessary rude encounters with one of the staff from the management department, I was left with no other option.

I moved into the building because the apartments are beautiful and modern. Prior to signing the lease though I had an awful customer service experience with the administrative assistant from the management department Diandra Palancar, also known as “Dee Dee” who was extremely rude and unprofessional. One afternoon hours before my offered price would expire, I had called several times to inquire about my contract but could not get a hold of the office, so I made my way to the building and when I got there, no one was at the front desk but the door was open, so I made my way to the management office as I had been there before and didn’t want them to close for the day. When I got there Diandra’s first words were “who are you?” shocked I responded that I was a client ready to sign a lease but had a few questions first. Her next words were “how did you get in here?” then for the next minute she proceeded to inquire as to how I “by passed security” feeling attacked and shocked at the worst customer service I have ever experienced I said that I tried calling prior to coming here (which would have been a lot more convenient but no one answered the phone), then she asked me for my number and went through the phone record for literally 4 whole minutes to see whether I had actually called or not until I got very annoyed and asked her to stop doing that and to assist me with my questions, but for the first five minutes of interacting with her, she was able to condescendingly treat a serious client like a trespasser and a liar. As my other lease was up in less than a week and I had no time to continue looking for alternatives, I decided to sign the lease and convinced myself that it would probably not happen again.

Yet, soon after moving in I realized I was very wrong. Her rude, unprofessional, and snobbish behavior continued throughout my encounters with her. My patience with her ran out when she even went out of her way to be rude by saying inappropriate comments in the elevator like “smells like dog in here” when I, a paying tenant, was in the elevator with my dog. It is just so shocking and aggravating paying so much to live in a pet friendly luxury apartment and have the gatekeeper and the face of management be so rude and unprofessional, it is no surprise management had such poor reviews. One yelp reviewer mentioned having a similar experience when trying to lease the pent house apartment where Diandra Palancar treated them the exact same way but that one actually resulted in the loss of a client. The frustrating thing is that the building has gone through great lengths to improve their reviews and changed the management company but kept everyone in the previous team. Although they are doing constant trainings, her attitude shows no improvement, it is almost as if she does not care about retaining her job. As a high paying customer, I am extremely disappointed by the service I have received from management in this building because of this. As far as I am concerned this is supposed to be a pet friendly luxury building but unfortunately, they do not deliver the kind of service one would expect. Too bad one person ruins it for the rest, check the other reviews as you will see a common pattern with “rudeness” as a theme. The building goes under constant repairs but that really isn’t something that is an issue, whatever needs to be done is fine. The staff from the front desk reception on the first floor are amazing, extremely nice, welcoming...

Midtown Five is THE place to live in Midtown Miami. I moved in shortly after the building opened and have been thrilled with my decision to live there.

I was drawn to Midtown Five because I was looking for a new, upscale apartment. I loved the floor plans I was shown, and appreciated that Alejandra let me take my time to revisit them and decide what was best for me. She was very helpful and patient with the leasing process - two traits I wish more leasing agents possessed.

I love the layout of my unit. Although it’s only a one bedroom, it feels nearly as spacious as the two bedroom I was living in before moving here. The Nest thermostat included with the unit was I had been curious about. It has turned out to be a great addition, helping to keep my apartment comfortable when I am home while saving me money on electricity. I love it!

In terms of amenities, Midtown Five’s are among the best I have seen. They make me feel as if I am living in a luxury resort or vacation destination. I don’t have a pet, so I can’t speak to the dog amenities, but I love the pool and grilling areas. There’s no need to head to a South Beach resort for a “staycation” when you have the same amenities at home!

I haven’t used the study area, but I like how it was designed and could see myself using it if I was working on a project but needed a change of scenery from my couch or dining table.

The security/“Concierge” team is the friendliest I have encountered. They remember everyone’s names and are always a smiling face to see at the end of a long day or the start of an early morning.

The gym is better than an average apartment building gym. Since the building has only been open for a year, I love that all of the equipment is brand new and in excellent condition. Although I never see cleaning crews in there, I have noticed that everything is always incredibly clean.

I have read mixed reviews regarding the noise levels and crowds in the gym, but have never had any issues with using any of the equipment. Regarding sound, I WISH the music was better! They pipe in the same elevator music that you hear in the lobby, making it difficult to get pumped up for a workout when the music is less than inspiring. I haven’t seen any issues with crowds or machine hogs. The people training in there when I have been working out haven’t bothered me at all, and I have actually learned from them. I don’t see an issue with residents wanting to train others, and I like that everyone is always super friendly and motivating each other.

A feature I hadn’t come across in other buildings but have come to love is the package lockers. When you have a package delivered, you automatically get a text/email to notify you, along with a unique code for that package. You visit the locker any time you want, 24/7, and are able to retrieve your package. I love not having to rush home before the “mail room” closes, knowing that my packages are there for whenever I am ready.

The building’s location is ideal for shopping, dining and hanging out with friends. Target is less than a five minute walk away, as well as dozens of restaurants, bars, coffee shops and bakeries. I travel often and appreciate only being 15 minutes from the airport.

I have urged friends and coworkers to move in as I really believe between the floor plans, amenities, location, adjacent restaurants/bars and excellent leasing/management team, Midtown Five is THE place to live. At the end of my first year here it was a no-brainer to renew my lease and continue living here. I love that I can call...