The View at Montgomery — Local services in Philadelphia

I will be an incoming Freshman for the 2017-2018 year and the uncertainty of not knowing if I will get a dorm on campus makes me very uneasy so I looked into The View and I can say without a doubt the day I get my acceptance letter (crossing my fingers) I will be signing a lease at The View. With all the violence going on on the other side of Broad Street I want to be safe, and with the Temple police station right across the street, extended leasing office hours, and very friendly 24/7 security at the desk I could not think of a better place to call my home away from home. When I went for a tour the office staff was so attentive, kind and patient with me, since this is my first time living away from home they helped me with so many things I wouldn’t have even thought to ask! The sticker shock was a bit much but when they broke it down compared to other off campus housing options, they include everything! I don’t have to worry about putting any bills in my name, forgetting to pay cable/internet. Also, they offer individual leasing so if my roommate fails to pay I won’t be held responsible. My family wanted me to have a dorm experience but while the View is off campus, they still do numerous activities throughout the year and have a student staff who are willing to help with University related issues if need be! The rooms are more spacious than the dorms as well, and with the full size kitchen I won’t need to get a meal plan for I will be so close to campus I can run home for lunch and make a quick PB&J! The gym alone is a huge perk, while the Temple gyms are free to students, they close during breaks and if I were to get an internship, I would have full 24/7 access to this amenity. I know tanning isn’t for everyone, but prepping for spring break is a must! The view offers 2 stand up tanning beds which is great, since the closest tanning location to the University is 2 miles away in center city. All three of my older siblings are Temple Alums and when they saw where I may be living they were so envious! One of my sisters lived in J&H and had a terrible experience then moved to south Philly, one lived in Oxford Village and had a rodent issue, and my brother lived off campus since he was a transfer student when he came in and The View was not an option at the time when they were students. I can say with confidence that this is the most convenient/safest option...

Problems constantly reoccur and when I express my frustration I’m almost always responded with attitude and frustration back. There’s a lack of professionalism and patience especially from those who work in the mail room. I’ve had water leaking through my bathroom walls, fridge leakage which I requested a new fridge for but they said it’s not necessary although my fridge leaks almost every single week. Maintenance requests will also say they’re completed when they’re not. Elevators don’t work half the time, washers and dryers almost never work so the convenience of the laundry room being on your floor is almost pointless. I have walked from floor to floor with soaking wet laundry multiple times. Elevators not working for days on end in the middle of the school year is ridiculous and can cause students to miss exams, work, which is basic common sense. There has also been wifi shortages during critical times including finals season. Have been in situations while taking online exams where wifi just cuts out and I have to connect to my hotspot. Thermostat has problems all the time in multiple apartments I’ve been to. And back to the lack of professionalism and patience from those that work in the mail room, I don’t know why there is constant irritation in getting peoples packages and answering their questions when that’s literally their job. I've been straight up ignored, interrupted while expressing my concerns. My package was once left outside in the parking lot and instead of being helped I was told to go outside and look for it at night time in the winter. The list goes on and on and they won't actually do anything about your frustrations. The price of the view and what I get is honestly ridiculous and if it wasn’t for the convenience of the location and safety purposes I wouldn’t live here, but safety is also a concern considering security doesn't even pay attention half the time. They do a great job in convincing you to sign the lease but be prepared for the...

I lived here for the school year 2021-2022 and it was the worst housing experience I had during my 4 years at Temple. When I moved in the living room couch was scratched up and damaged and I was informed by an email within the first month of living there that it would be replaced. It was never replaced during the year I lived there.

For several months I was charged a fee for not having renter's insurance which was outlined in their lease but I did have insurance which they didn't accept because they didn't believe my proof of insurance. I had to contact them month after month before finally having my insurance agency call on my behalf to explain that my current proof of insurance did in fact prove that I had insurance.

After my roommate and I moved out they tried charging us for damages to furniture which we did not cause. We submitted a formal dispute as per their policies and we were told our dispute would be reviewed within the next month. They didn’t get back to us again for 6 months when we received a notification of an outstanding balance with no mention of our dispute. My roommate and I immediately spoke to the staff about this and they made us believe the issue had been dropped. We received a notice in October 2024 that we had an outstanding balance after 18 months of no contact.

No self-respecting student should ever choose to suffer the indignity of living at the View at Montgomery. It is wildly overpriced for the small rooms they have available and they take advantage of the fact that many of their tenants are inexperienced renters so that they can claim damages. Plenty of options near Temple’s campus are better and more affordable than this sorry excuse...