Lofts at SoDo — Local services in Orlando

Highlights - The staff. The front office is helpful and always friendly. Blanca and Jennifer are such an asset to that building. I hope they are appreciated by their employers. The building is going thru a series of upgrades throughout the complex that are all for the better. The residents are for the most part very friendly. They are about to open a multipurpose fitness room which by the looks of the pictures I have seen will be an awesome improvement.

Low points - Pricing is a bit on the high end. I would be ok with this if parking were not such an issue. Parking for residents is limited to the top three floors of the Grant Street Parking Lot. The first three floors are reserved for patrons of the SODO commercial complex. God forbid you park your car in those first three floors too early in the morning or leave it overnight as they are quick to put obnoxious stickers on your car that are near impossible to remove and are very quick to tow your car. To make matters worse, with the limited parking we do have, all of the best parking spots are reserved for residents that pay an additional $100 a month for those spaces. At most, this new revenue generating stream will bring the owners $2,000 at the cost of further annoying their residents for an already disturbing parking situation in that complex. I can't stand businesses that nickel and dime their patrons. That is what SODO Lofts does. Building improvements are taking forever. The pool has been closed a good portion of the summer and is showing no signs of ending anytime soon.

All in all, you can't beat the location and comfort of this building. I have lived in downtown Orlando and the SODO Lofts location beats anything a few blocks down the road based on the numerous business right downstairs that are available for residents. You will also be taken care of by a very professional staff. The actual apartments are clean and if you have any issues, they are quick to fix any maintenance issues.

Beware however; parking is a nightmare, you will pay a premium for the convenience and are dealing with a complex that while making building improvements for the better appear to be taking forever due to the fact they are dealing with slow contractors or are not paying their bills on time as those two are the only plausible explanations for these...

Recently moved out after living at the Lofts at SoDo Apartments. The following review is based on my opinions and observations while I was a resident between 2015 and 2016.

PRO: Location; with several restaurants and stores located in the center and the proximity to downtown, it's hard to beat it.

CON: Parking Garage; all I can say is "Good Luck!" My vehicle sustained several scratches and door dings over the course of the year. The corners in the garage are extremely hazardous. Which was disclosed at move-in, but OMG they weren't kidding. The trash shoot is located in blind spot in the center of the garage, and it is a leap of faith stepping out of the room hoping a vehicle is whipping around the corner.

Neighbor Noise; You WILL hear them! If you don't live on the 5th Floor good luck. You will become quite familiar with the living habits of your up stairs neighbor.

Pet Waste; is EVERYWHERE!!! I honestly feel foolish paying pet rent for two dogs over the last year. The vast majority of the animals are not known to the leasing staff, as such don't clean up or report any accidents that occur due to their pet. The interior hallways and exterior stairwells are covered in pet waste. The maintenance team does try to keep up in the hallways, but the stairwells need help.

SoDo Plaza; Maintenance took 3 weeks to replace light bulbs in the elevator waiting area room. Which meant you had to stand in pitch black and wait for the elevator. This happened several times throughout the year. The security patrol is worthless. Homeless people sleep on the benches through the plaza or even in some of the many outdoor hallway areas if the weather is bad. My personal favorite is being asked for money whenever I would leave Target. The onsite security (if seen) is usually sitting in a golf cart playing on a cell phone.

Leasing Staff; they could care less about any problems you have. They do the bare minimum to appease you to get you out of their office. Document everything with them and submit work orders through their online portal. They are forced to deal with them. At move out we were charged mysterious "extra rent" fees, that still have not been disclosed, even after sending a certified letter requesting it.

Fire Alarms; get used to them...they...

If you want to live downtown or close to it, there are ultimately better options for the price.

Pros: Location, location, location - it isn't the safest area, but lots to shop and do around here. Good security in the garage - I don't think they have cameras but there is a person on a golf cart constantly checking the levels. Haven't had problems finding a parking space. Nest thermostats. Roomy apartments! They answer the phone every time and try to be helpful as much as they can.

Cons: Mold infestation problem - when we moved in, our AC was in standing water and full of black, green, and white mold. Maintenance guys came to clean it out but it's still the same. Musty, mold smell when the AC turns on but it works, so I don't think they will replace it. Possible leak issues? I've seen people up on the roof often, maybe checking and scoping it out? Back in 2012, the 5th floor flooded and there was an evacuation. This could be a culprit to the mold problems, uneven and cracking floors - we worry about the safety of the structure as there is many cracks and uneven walkways. The exterior hallways allow for rain to come in and just sit without AC, allows mold/mildew/and structure problems to just fester. Gym is extremely limited and tiny and old. Pool is nice but it's not our favorite that everyone can look down on us and just stare. The layout of the buildings are very interesting and a weird layout. People smoke marijuana and it's very strong permeating our room. Garage is tight and dangerous and we've also heard cars speed around the corners like it's some game. The yellow granite kitchen countertops and the dark cabinet rooms are just plain ugly. Haven’t had roach problems in our apartment but I know neighbors have and we’ve seen plenty on ground floor. Apartment doors are opened with a key and not the fob - wish we could just open our room with the fob given for the garage and...