CitiTower — Local services in Orlando

I want to preface this review by saying that everyone with whom I have physically interacted personally in the building has been incredibly nice and accommodating. The front desk staff and on-site management are very kind and helpful. That being said, I can only assume it is the upper management and owners that are to blame for making this a less than ideal place to live given the cost. I don't know where to begin, and the photos I am attaching don't do justice to my points. First, and most importantly, this building is so poorly built it defies belief. In the lobby, apartments, and everywhere else, fixtures are uneven, there is caulking all over the place in the bathrooms that was never properly cleaned, and there are gaps and misalignments of all sorts of things. Second, they give you the cheapest dishwasher and range that was possible (see photos). The thermostat is the cheapest I've ever seen and doesn't work - I have to set it a degree below what I want for it to actually work. Third, expect large gaps [also see photos] where walls and floor/carpet meet and gaps between the bottom of the front door and the floor. Oh, and expect fire alarms to be placed so low on the walls that they interfere with you hanging items. Oh, and don't think the floors are wood or bamboo. There thick slabs of fake wood looking rubber. Yes, RUBBER. Indents [see photo] happen where fixable scratches would normally occur and never self-correct, and you'll have divots in your rubber floors as long as you live there. You may have missing tiles in various parts of the bathroom because the quality control was so poor when it was being built. Third, if they promise you a restaurant or something similar on the ground floor, it appears there is no signed tenant. Fourth, they have no computerized package system like every other building in the world, and they have no carts or anything else to help you take large packages upstairs. Occasionally, they have this busted chrome thing they might lend you, but it is filthy and doesn't work well. Fifth, they were too cheap to buy the parking spaces in front of the building, so there is no loading zone for food deliveries, and so you'll have to chase down uber eats or postmates outside. Sixth, and perhaps it is an Orlando thing, but there is no recycling period. You can't even put empty folded boxes in the trash room on your floor and expect that they'll bring it down like every other high rise on earth. You have to bring it to the loading dock every time. Seventh: they promised grills on the 23rd floor and that hasn't happened yet, two months after I moved in and was told this would be imment. Eighth: There are no events for residents. Well, I guess there was a weird single event that involved yoga that was totally perplexing but they're too cheap to throw any events for the residents. Compare this to Nora or 55 West where they actually care about the residents and do nice things for them. Ninth: Although parts of the gym are nice don't expect biceps or triceps machines but there are 3 different back machines. The person that picked the items in there has clearly never worked out...ever.

Oh, and finally, be careful if you live on an east facing part of the building. A friend tells me that there is a huge strobing beacon that flashes from a nearby TV station along 408 that flashes light into his apartment at dusk and dawn and all other times that paints his wall with light every other second. Additionally, I am told to expect that a rotating light from the airport will hit your deck every few seconds if you live on that side. Thankfully my apartment faces east and that I am only paying for a small unit.

Given the above, the rent is absurd. I know there are 50 other things I can't remember right now. So easily this could have been a 100x better place to live, but the upper management doesn't care about you at all. I feel bad for the on-site staff that has to deal with all of this because they are all really kind and helpful. Do NOT live here until the...

I hesitate in writing this review as I don’t want to let this secret out and over populate this building. I’ve lived here about 3 weeks now and love every bit of it. I toured every high rise in downtown Orlando and picked Citi Tower for a lot of reasons. The start of my experience started better than other places. From the first phone call until today has been top notch. Alex was great from the start. He showed me the complex and upon picking this building, he had all the paperwork ready for me to sign and made a very smooth process for me to move in. His communication w me was excellent. And when he was out of the office, the other staff helped flawlessly. April is the other person who was great for me. The property manager Brock is young and also great. The security guard Larry is one of the nicest most pleasant people I’ve ever met. I love walking into the building and hearing “welcome back sir” “have a great day sir” “anything you need sir”. Now on to my review..... This is a high end building. This is An adult residence. Not for the young and foolish looking to Party and be annoying. This is for young business professionals. Although it is the most expensive building downtown, I’m completely ok w “getting what you pay for”. I’m ok w paying more for getting more. The building is always clean. And it even smells great the moment you step on the block. The attention they put into the detail, to have the building smell good even on the outside is impressive. The amenities are beautiful and top notch. The location is nothing short of perfect. I love being close to the restaurants, clubs, and bars, but still 2,3 blocks away from all the loud music and heavy traffic. I walk to a bar, Streets full of life and loud music, yet when I walk home it’s completely quiet and serene so that I can feel like home. When I walk into the lobby, I feel at home. I rarely hear sirens or car alarms on this side of town. It’s one block away from lake Eola so taking my dog around the lake and for regular walks is pleasant. Also having the lake so close allows me to be around the party at a rocks throw. The farmers market on sundays, the concerts, and the everyday life makes Citi Tower ideal for my lifestyle. I enjoy sitting in the lobby and listening to the piano play while waiting for my car. I walk to Publix 1 block away. The pool is never busy. The gym has a great view as I enjoy my 630 workout to catch the sunset at 250 feet up. There are no bums hanging around downstairs like other buildings. So i feel safe w my girls walking around. The dog park is 2 blocks away.

I could go on and on about my choice of Citi tower but I don’t want to be too good and make you feel like I’m spamming. This is an honest review from a tenant who just went through the entire process of moving downtown. And Citi tower is by far the most expensive, but the best option for what you want. I’m completely confident and comfortable in my decision here and look forward to the future.

I do have one MAJOR recommendation for management when you read this...... if we could get some mirrors in the parking garage for turning corners, I would feel a lot safer walking from car to elevator and make turning the corners a lot safer as there are blind spots. All in...

What can I say that hasn’t been already said? Cititower is by far the best building downtown - the people make it even better.

I just moved out after living there for 2 years and it’s so bittersweet. We are moving out of state which has been the plan for a while but leaving our home at Cititower has been super hard. Our apartment was absolutely gorgeous, you can’t hear your neighbors, the balconies are super private and the amenities are insane. (Oh and living lakeside is even more amazing during the fireworks for Pride, July 4th, etc. The building is SUPER dog friendly and there is always a cute pup to pet! The residents are amazing and respectful - it’s not a frat house like other buildings downtown (which I’ll refrain from mentioning) yet there aren’t curmudgeons who make it an uncomfortable place to live. I truly enjoy all of the residents that I have met and will miss them dearly! People can complain about guest parking all they want but can we talk about how FAB it is that we actually HAVE guest parking??? That is such a rarity downtown. I’ve spent a lot of money in local parking garages for friends when they’ve come to visit me in other buildings I’ve lived in. It’s insanely convenient that we have free guest parking until midnight or we can request an overnight spot for those who plan to stay longer.

But what REALLY makes Cititower home is the staff. Broc, Alex and April are more family then building managers. They truly care about you which is so so rare these days. They also care about the building and creating an environment where you really feel at home. They host breakfasts, paint nights, movie nights, decorate for holidays (with THE coolest Halloween scene ever). It’s always super clean and if anything ever is out of order, it’s fixed before you know it. Phil and Ubal are the best maintenance guys I’ve ever met. (Thank you for constantly unclogging my drains since I shed more than my dog 😂 - you guys are the real MVP). Broc keeps the place running better than any place I’ve ever lived. (Thanks a lot for making my new standards unattainable hahaha... there really will never be anyone as great! Can’t you just come with us?!?) April and Alex are always so pleasant and it’s always a pleasure to chat with them.

If we weren’t leaving Orlando, we’d stay forever. My bf and I already are planning on visiting when we come back to town... how many people can say that they go back to visit their old building staff??

Yes it’s expensive and those whom complain about that don’t understand value. You get what you pay for and Cititower is undoubtedly the best bang for your buck. I can’t rave enough about the entire experience.

Bill and I love you guys and will see you sooner rather than later! Ringo sends a growl (but it’s a love growl) and Mikey Waffles thanks you all for handling his food...