Venue at the Ballpark

The ION (previously known as The Venue at the Ballpark) is in a perfect location. It is very close to the school of medicine (~10 min walk) and has a beautiful view of regions field. Railroad park is also right behind the building, and many new restaurants and bars are within blocks of the building. The amenities are great, especially the pool area and the spacious gym. However, management and the office staff can be unprofessional and are not quick to act when problems occur. There are issues with cleanliness in the halls because the building is occupied primarily by undergraduate students who can be loud and dirty. The building is very secure, you can only get into the building and parking garage with a key fob. The ground floor elevators also do not work unless you have a key fob, which adds extra security. It is a great spot for someone who lives on their own, however it comes at a price as rent is easily $1,200+ even for a small studio apartment.

very noisy on weekends and at night in the halls and on the street bc of dragracing, management good, maintenance good, units themselves are very good. do not rent furniture here it is very cheap quality and in poor condition

There are a lot of undergraduate students who live here and the management company does not hire clean up for the weekends. Therefore usually by the end of the weekend it’s pretty gross here trash overflowing, Random things in the hallway etc. People aren’t good at cleaning up after their dogs either even inside. However I love the closeness to school and the view that I get. The mail room doesn’t have a specific locked box for deliveries when the office is closed. So people will drop off boxes in the mail room and they often get stolen if they are dropped off on the weekend. I lived here for two years and the elevator has broken three times for pro long periods of time. There’s no convenient staircase to really use that’s centrally located. To be completely transparent for the amount that you pay to live here you don’t get the same quality of living.

Pros: Walking distance to campus + railroad park + local coffee shops, very safe (4 locked doors just to get to my apartment), pool and gym, study spaces with computers, spacious rooms with huge bathrooms

Cons: outside of my apartment isn’t always clean (hallways, etc.), lots of undergrads (and all that entails)

Great place to live with pets and a lot of medical students live here, but I am maxing out my loans to afford this space. As a woman I feel safe and as a student I feel most at peace living alone, but it's expensive and their roommate matching process is hellacious. They also harass you very early on to renew your lease and often threaten to "sell your space." Very unprofessional and experience is unit dependent. Kissing ass is just about the only way to get your way with the management.

I have thoroughly enjoyed living at the Venue so far. I think it is a great option for medical students, as it is one of the less expensive options within walking distance of UAB. It’s about a 10 minute walk from here to Volker, which has made having a parking pass unnecessary. The office staff are very nice and always willing to help with anything you need. My apartment is actually bigger than others in more expensive complexes downtown.

Perhaps the only major concern students have when considering signing a lease at the Venue is that they advertise their leases as only beginning and the end of August. Since classes start in July, some students did not want a late move-in. However, the leasing office worked with me and found a tenant interesting in subleasing, so I was able to move in on June 1st. Other students found that the office would work with them to move in early, although they don’t advertise this when you sign your lease.

Overall, given the fantastic location of the Venue - overlooking Regions field, a 2 minute walk away from Railroad Park, and a 10 minute walk away from Volker - I definitely think it’s the best bang for its buck. They have some great amenities, including a great gym for residents and some really nice community spaces. Other than the possible inconvenience of working towards securing an early move-in date, I think the Venue is a fantastic option for medical students!

Price obviously a bit higher than some, but great experience overall. Building is new and nice; staff friendly and always helpful. Do not be terribly concerned if you see bad reviews online. The only cons I could point out would be the risk of a noisy neighbor given that many undergraduate students live here.