Upstairs at Van Aken — Local services in Shaker Heights

This is a followup to the August 13th review I posted three months ago. It is now October 10th. In early October, we moved to a new home, as we decided to purchase vs renting. Reginald was so accommodating in ensuring that our moving requirements, date and time, all related specific move out information was well anticipated. And, implemented. My point being that even at the end of our four plus year very positive experience at Upstairs Van Aken, Reginald was as caring and on top of things as he and his other team members have been from the onset. To me, that is a reflection of a true professional and a reflection of a quality living experience! Jeffrey Grover October 10, 2024

We have been residents here since early 2020. The building and premises are kept in a clean and tidy state. The common areas are terrific, bright and inviting. The individual units are spacious and well fitted with good appliances and layout. And, a big bonus is the proximity to The Van Aken District, and its tremendous offering of shops, restaurants, activities and events, and a "hip" vibe that brings such a wonderful level of energy to the community. And, when there have been any needs related to my questions, concerns, required maintenance, the leasing and property management and their teams have been uniformly responsive. In particular, Reginald Degaffenreid has been terrific. I highly recommend Upstairs at Van Aken, and for people of all ages and backgrounds. Jeffrey Grover ...

I have been living here in a one bedroom for 11 months now and I love it. The apartment themselves are extremely well kept. The appliances are great. There is a ton of light with floor to ceiling windows. I have a beautiful view of the Van Aken District with all its activity, eg folks sitting outside eating, kids playing. There is great sound insulation though - I don't hear my neighbors or outdoors if my windows are shut. The closet space is super spacious. Internet is fast. They even have pick up for the dry cleaners down stairs. Also during winter the trees are all lit up with festive lights. The complex is kept extremely clean. The management is awesome. Katelyn is super responsive to all requests and was so helpful to me particularly as I was moving in and receiving misc packages, furniture etc. The lobby is lovely. The downstairs garage is easy to get around. The roof deck has an awesome view and you can sit out with friends in the warmer months. The community room on the top floor is also a nice place to hang out or reserve for an event. The Van Aken area is so full of great restaurants and shops. In the Van Aken Food Hall my favorite is Brassica. Of course Mitchell's ice cream is not...

In the 12+ years I've lived in apartment buildings, it's always felt like management and residents just tolerated each other or had cordial relationships at best. In our 2 years here, we've received half a dozen random gifts at our door: a bag of treats from a nearby dog bakery, gift cards to Mitchell's, Covid-19 masks when the pandemic rolled around, and even flowers that we could bring home to arrange. The building is well cared for with a regular and friendly crew of cleaners, and a very attentive building manager. This is a very dog friendly building (it seems like every other resident has a dog), you might just want to watch out in the winter for over-salting around the market district. But it's understandable given that many of the residents here are older and probably appreciate the salting on those icy days! Overall we're very happy here and will be sad when it comes...