Griffin Center City Apartments — Local services in Philadelphia

UPDATE: The trash chute issue was fixed like they promised (it's usable 9/10 times now, which is good enough, just occasionally fills up on the weekend). While I did have a slightly major issue with the apt. since I wrote this, Zack dealt with it really well and it all got resolved promptly. Other than what I already mentioned I can only say that I'm still very much enjoy living here and would considering staying after my lease is up depending on any potential rent increase/competition.

After living here for a little more than two months, I can say that with this building located at the center of center city, this is as close as you get to being in the heart of the city. The apartments have a premium/modern feel to them, which is not surprising considering that the whole building was remade just a few years ago. Parts of it feel a bit sloppily done (e.g. paint that has been spilled on the floor/counters) but overall it feels more or less perfect in an everyday-perspective (as in, you don't notice the small flaws unless you look carefully). Worth mentioning are the electronic locks for all the apartments, meaning that you will not be needing a traditional key. Also, naturally, since the apartments utilize a central air system for heating/cooling, you will smell your neighbors' cooking if it's of the more intense kind. Beyond the apartment itself, most of the concierges working in the lobby are really nice people that truly make you feel at home (shout-out to Shawn for being one of the top ones). The outside of the building is beautiful, especially with the lights at night, and the rooftop also offers a good amount of fun/amenities (though, the sports simulator that they brag about hasn't worked since I moved in 2 months ago, despite me mentioning it twice). Finally, the gym is in great condition, along with the rest of the public spaces. Now, as for the main parts that I am skeptical about, there are two: the garbage handling and the maintenance people. There is a garbage room on each floor with two chutes (landfill and recycling). At least on my floor, the chutes have been stuffed since the day I moved in. In other words: the garbage room is truly that, a room filled with garbage. Depending on the day the room will be near-empty or stuffed full. Since the door does not really close (it's jammed in some sort of way), the smell (and on a bad day: the trash itself) can sometime creep into the hallway. As long as you don't live near this room this won't be a problem. Since I live far away from it, it's more or less a non-issue for me. However, I figured it would be helpful to know for future residents. As for the second issue I have with this building: a part of the maintenance staff are not the smartest kids on the block. If you're the kind of person that expect to have issues fixed the first time you ask, you'll have to ask the right maintenance guy directly instead of going through the online system. I haven't had any really serious issues with my apartment since I moved in, but there has been a few minor things here and there. Though, with some persistence, it was possible to get them all fixed (still working on a few of them). All in all, I would still say I like this building, partially due to the great location, partially due to the modern apartments, and partially due to the nice doormen/ladies. It's not perfect, and you're paying a premium to live here, but as long as you're aware of the trade-offs and are willing to deal with them I think...

This review is long, but if you’re considering moving in, please read it. It’s accurate, personal, and I genuinely hope it saves you from a frustrating and expensive mistake.

I lived in this building for several years, and for a couple of those years, it was truly a great place to live. Nancy (previous assistant property manager), Shawn at the front desk, Jared, Jennifer and Tiffany, were the heart of the place. They knew your name, checked in on you, and made you feel like more than just a tenant. Friendly, helpful, and consistently reliable. They created a community where you actually looked forward to coming home.

Then Greystar replaced the entire team, and things went downhill fast.

The new community manager, Zack, was always standoffish and not very friendly. He rarely made eye contact, never said hello, and didn’t seem to want anything to do with tenants. His assistant, Lora, was the same. The energy shifted completely. It stopped feeling like home and started feeling like a place where management was just waiting to catch you doing something wrong so they could charge you for it.

The building itself has also started to show serious signs of age. Appliances, fixtures, and elevators break frequently. And when you bring it up? The response is basically: “It’s an old building. Deal with it.” No urgency, no real care, just a shrug and some passive language that makes it clear you're on your own.

They claim to welcome and love pets, but my experience says otherwise, I had a senior dog with arthritis who relied on the rooftop dog park. They sent an email saying it would stay open during maintenance , then shut it down completely with no warning. I asked for help and got zero empathy. Management blamed the contractors, stayed out of sight, and followed up with a cold email. That incident said everything about how little they actually care. They also will charge you ~1k if something happens to your stove top, so if you do move in, make sure they give you a brand new one, or it will break and you will pay for it. Mine showed signs of use when I moved in... didn't think much of it and then it randomly broke... and had to pay for a brand new one.

On top of all this, they tried to raise my rent to more than what many newer buildings with way more amenities are charging. When I asked if they’d consider my loyalty and clean record, they brushed it off and claimed the location justified the price which isn’t true either.

Moving out confirmed what I already knew: they don’t value long-term tenants or care about the living experience. I always paid on time, never caused a problem, and still left feeling like just another lease to flip.

If you’re considering moving here, think twice. The community that made this building special is long gone. What’s left is a tired building, hands-off management, poor communication, and a growing list of fees and disappointments. I don’t write reviews like this often, but if it helps someone avoid the same experience,...

Edit: Had a very pleasant and productive conversation with Zackary, who is newly in charge of managing the community at The Griffin. It sounds like they will be making things right.

Several months back, I applied online for an apartment at The Griffin, paying a $75 application fee to do so. The unit I applied for was listed as available, and the website gave me the option to apply for a 4-month lease term. However, after I submitted my application, Kevin from their leasing office contacted me and told me that their website was incorrect and that 1) the unit I applied for isn’t actually one that they rent out (it’s their “executive unit”), and 2) they don’t offer 4-month lease terms. Given that the apartment and lease term I had applied for were never actually available, I requested that they refund the application fee, which they agreed to do.

I followed up by email a couple weeks later and was assured that “they will get it taken care of,” but that I needed to be patient because it was “somewhat of a lengthy process.” After waiting another month, I sent a follow-up email and didn’t receive a response. I followed up several more times over a period of months without again receiving a reply. I finally managed to get someone in the leasing office on the phone, and they told me that they had changed their mind and would not refund the application fee after all – despite the fact that they had taken the fee by falsely representing an apartment as being available when it was not.

I reached out to my credit card company to see if they could resolve the problem, but discovered that they couldn’t do anything once 60 days had passed. Those 60 days had of course passed while The Griffin was still insisting that I would receive a refund if I waited. That is: for so long as my credit card company could help, The Griffin was telling me that they would refund me, but suspiciously, once my credit card company couldn’t do anything, their tune changed.

The Griffin continues to refuse to return the money that they took under false pretenses. If you’re thinking about putting in an application, I would recommend against it: there’s no guarantee you’re applying for an apartment that’s actually available, and if it isn’t, they’re going to pocket your money. And I shudder to think how they treat people who are trapped in a lease with them, if this is how they treat people who they ostensibly still want to...