Platform Apartments

No complaints with the property itself. Bus 465 takes you straight from the apartment to the steps of the law school. That said, it is a little bit of a hike from where most law students live (in the neighborhood just north of the school. Overall, I'd recommend it.

Very close to school with nice amenities!

Platform is right on the 18 bus line and is a quick 10 minute bus ride to Rowling. It is also along the metro line which takes you into downtown. The pools are great and there are grills and a good amount of space to hang out with friends by the pools. There are currently about 20 MBAs (both 1Y and 2Y) that live in the complex and the rent is fairly reasonable for Austin. The staff isn't always the most helpful but I really haven't had to deal with them much since living here. The only big downside is that the leasing office and therefore the printer and study rooms have limited hours/access.

The apartment itself has very nice appliances, fixtures, and finishes, and the gym, pool, and other amenities are very nice. Unfortunately, the lack of exterior soundproofing (exterior-facing windows, walls, and doors) results in very loud ambient noises (E MLK Blvd and the train line are both incredibly loud throughout the day and night). I slept with ear plugs the entire time I lived here. The apartment staff are also subpar to the point of incompetence. I am not normally one to write negative reviews about petty things, but the office management and customer service is lacking. They do not seem to have any workflow process tracking to keep up with tenant requests/tasks. It took them from June when I submitted until December to process 2 referral bonuses with multiple office visits, emails, and phone call prompts and reminders. I had to restart the process multiple times and redo documents I had already sent, including a W-9 that had my full social security number on it (that they "lost"). Similar interactions happened with other requests I submitted to the office and never heard back from them. The maintenance staff is very good. I wish the office staff would improve their performance.

Love everything about the apartments. Helpful staff, quick maintenance, amazing amenities and perfect location.

Pros

Platform is a beautiful apartment complex.

There are multiple pools and gyms.

There is an amazing services included with the apartment called HelloAlfred. Hello Alfred does shopping for you once a week and runs other little errands like picking up dry cleaning and prescriptions. It is included with rent and they add on a 3.5% service fee for groceries - less than other delivery services. A true life saver in law school.

Also, I believe all the units come with a W/D and dishwasher.

Cons

The office hardly responds to emails. When there is a problem, I usually have to send multiple emails to get it resolved. This can be a little annoying from time to time.

The rent is a little expensive but they did offer a move in special of one free month of rent when I moved in.

Also the amount of space is sort of low for the price. I live in a 1br and have around 600 sq ft. However, there is lot of storage options, and most buildings offer storage units for additional rent.

Also, I live on the first floor and can always here my upstairs neighbor and their dog. I think it is due to thin walls.

Distance

It is about a 35 minute walk, 12 minute bike ride, 7-8 minute drive to campus. There is also a bus stop nearby but I have not used it yet.

Great location and amenities, nice apartment

Platform Apartments are a bit on the pricier side, but worth the price if you can afford it. The location is in East Austin, about 1-1.5 miles from the law school--it's easy to bike or even walk to the law school if you're up for it. If you don't want to bike or the weather is bad, there's a bus stop right at the train stop by one of the resident buildings. The train can take you downtown as well.

The apartments are all fairly new, I'd guess no more than 5-7 years old. New appliances, washer and dryer in unit. There's also a decent sized gym with treadmills, ellipticals, free weights, and a spin room. There are also multiple pools that are great to sit out by. I enjoyed living in East Austin--a little bit away from the craziness of campus, but still close enough to be convenient. Though the apartments themselves aren't close to too many restaurants, most are just a short trip away (Sour Duck, Haymaker). There's also a Houndstooth coffee on the bottom story, and a Bennu coffeehouse open 24-hours close by (where I did a lot of studying).

Bottom line: pricey, but the amenities and location make up for it!

The management team has been very easy to work with. I especially like that it's close to the bus stop which makes it very easy to commute to campus. It's also nice that there are others in the MBA program that live in the complex. The only downside is that it's a bit noisy at times. My apartment faces the train tracks and sometimes the freight train comes through and blares on its horn very late in the night. I also have trouble with sugar ants in my apartment.

The best thing about this apartment is the easy commute. The bus stops right in front of the complex, making it about 15 minutes door to door. The staff is friendly and approachable, and they are very responsive to any type of questions, concerns, or requests that you might have. I like not being in the midst of the traffic downtown, but having easy access to the city if needed. I love living here and plan on staying for another year.