Avalon Wharton — Local services in Wharton

Decided to delete my old review and write a new one since I'm about 6 months into living here. I've lived at two other Avalons before this one, Old Bridge - wonderful inside and out and management was great. Montville - terrible all round despite being brand new. Management was okay.

I didn't feel like I had much to complain about for the first month or so of living here, but now I understand why so many people were moving out as I was moving in.

I maybe got unlucky in terms of the placement of my apartment, but I am woken up almost every single day between 6:30a-7am from the sound of garbage trucks backing up and maintenance moving dumpsters. Management says there's nothing they can do about it. I also can't enjoy my patio really because the dumpsters are right below so it smells terrible + there are flies everywhere. I wasn't told this before moving in, and they wouldn't let me see the apartment before signing the lease. Now I know why.

You have to park on the 5th floor or above, even if you live on the first floor like I do, unless you pay extra for a reserved parking space... if they have any available. Dumbest and most inconvenient thing ever. Also not necessarily safe as anyone can just walk up into the garage and hang out if they want to mug someone.

I also got door dinged pretty badly on my new car in the garage and they "don't have cameras" so nothing could be done about it. Again-- not safe if anything bad were to happen in the garage.

I'm in a one bedroom and the A/C struggles to keep the apartment cool in the summer and heat struggles to keep it warm in the winter. My electric bill has almost doubled even just trying to keep the place at a tolerable level.

Trash is $40+ a month too... which is crazy seeing as that's how much it costs for 3-4 months of trash service when you own a HOME. I'm a single person in a one bedroom, I take a small bag of trash out 2x a week... $40 a month for self-service is crazy.

They've been talking about doing renovations since I moved in back in February... they aren't. They put two new treadmills in the workout room last week. Whoopdie doo.

They try to nickel and dime you, charging $5 for a "stale package fee" in a locker, when half the time the delivery guy doesn't deliver it properly so you don't get an amazon code and don't even know your package is delivered. Yet there are 10+ packages just laying out in the open by the lockers, because they don't have enough lockers nor a package room. You can't charge people because YOU don't have the capacity.

If the power goes out locally, it disengages the door entry points, so you are SOL to get in and out unless someone lets you in or the front office is open.

It's so close to the highway and shops which is great, and the maintenance peeps are great and take care of things quickly. Gym is pretty good. But that's about it. The original office staff has left, I assume they got sick of everyone taking out their frustrations and complaints on them, when the company doesn't offer them the tools to provide solutions to issues and create an enjoyable living environment. They make move in smooth, but it all starts to go downhill from there. Also heard they raise the rent quite a bit when leases are up. It's really a shame because the Old Bridge location was one of my favorite places I've ever lived, but it seems the other Avalons aren't quite up to par. The good reviews are only from the maintenance peeps asking you to leave a google review. They deserve the good review. Avalon itself does not. I won't...

It's all good until your Lease Ends.... Then starts the financial leaching by all Avalon parties irrespective of who you talk to. Be ready to pay huge rent hikes every year you decide to continue in the community. I ended up paying significantly more more every month after the first renewal than what was being offered to new residents for the same type of apartment. And unlike other communities I have lived in the past they do NOT offer any type of complementary carpet cleaning or window cleaning or any value added service if you decide to renew.... Yepp there are NO brownie points for loyal residents. They rather prefer you leave and pay all the extra cost they put on to your final closing amount and rent out the apartment to a new resident.

Now, if you decide to end the lease you have to be very careful about what you will end up paying in terms of cleaning costs and damages. They do NOT consider dust or dirt as cleanable and you will end up paying extra for every particle of dust or dirt they can find. If you dispute they threaten with handing over your case to a collection agency and messing with your credit report.

Also Notable points: This is advertized as a "NO SMOKING COMMUNITY" -- but you can smoke your lungs out like I have seen dozens of residents do all over the community and even in their balconies. When we first moved in, we noticed that the Water had a weird smell of chemical or paint. When we reported this to the front desk they said that they had it checked and it was fine and also recommended if the smell bothered us, to NOT DRINK the water and to buy it from the shoprite "that's just across the community" They try to make every last penny they can and so all the good parking spots on all levels are already reserved and irrespective of which level your apartment is in you will have to go all the way up to Level 5 or 6 if you don't want to scoff up more for reserved parking. Almost every morning on the way out the elevator floors are covered in pet pisss and sometime if you' relucky you'd get some poop as well..... step in it, get into your car and enjoy your morning ride :)

I would NOT recommend the Avalon Wharton to anyone. And after this experience I would NOT think of renting with any Avalon...

This place is great. Price point may seem high at first, but keep in mind that most other places for rent around here that are comparable in terms of amenities and options cost just as much. Pay any lower than this and you likely won’t have a dishwasher , washer or dryer, or peace of mind that you’re not living above a clandestine lab.

Maintenance staff is incredible; very knowledgeable and handy with what they do, and they get the job done as fast as possible whenever issues arise. Most of my maintenance experience has been with Eddie and Sean, and those guys have made this place so welcoming. Always appreciate the warm greetings in the halls from those two!

The office staff are the most personable too; if you’re a nice person and know how to interact with other humans, you’ll find that Nicole, Severina and John make a wildly capable team. Three people running a building of hundreds, alone? You’d think there would be more staff with how quick and efficient they do their job. Making positive relationships with those three has made me feel even more at home, knowing there are great people I can rely on whenever I have questions regarding paperwork or whatever else I wouldn’t know on my own.

Some of the residents here do come across entitled and snotty, but that’s no reflection on the location itself. I’m pretty sure the whole Covid situation has made people go a bit insane, and we should invest more in mental health for the next few years, but luckily the privacy you find here is beyond expectations. For a building of multiple hundreds of residents, if you want to live a pretty quiet life and keep to yourself, that’s very easy to do! Granted, if you want to go interact with these people too, just head down to the pool and get your social fix with Neil or the many other characters you meet here.

Overall, my experience living at Avalon is more than worth what I’m paying. I’m happy to be so close to my childhood home at a place I feel safe, cared for, understood, and valued as a resident.

Thank you to all the staff for making this place feel more like...