3520 Garrott St

This apartment is part of a small 10 unit building that looks like a motel - it is NOT part of a large complex, which means it does not have the amenities that come with that. There is no gym, pool, or gated parking garage, so consider how important these are to you. The building has designated parking that is mostly uncovered but has several covered carport spots. Parking is unassigned and there is enough for all tenants (I have had to park on the street once or twice, street parking is free w/ no restrictions all around the apartment).

Rent includes trash and water. You will need to set up and pay for internet and electricity, and there is no gas bill.

The area feels very safe and I have never had a problem living here in terms of safety (for me and my car). It is located in a beautiful neighborhood that is one of the few (relatively) walkable areas in Houston. There are coffee shops, bars, and restaurants w/in walking distance. I also enjoy taking walks around the area - there are a lot of beautiful historic homes and huge, old trees. This is what I would consider the "amenities" that the apartment has to offer.

Some of the apartments in this building are updated with newer kitchen appliances and in-unit washer/dryer, but some are not. All apartments have the same floor plan which has been very spacious and comfortable for a single person (with a cat). In my experience, management is responsive and I haven't had any issues with maintenance requests - sometimes they go above and beyond what I would expect from an apartment management company.

I don't know any of my neighbors super well but there is a nice sense of community here. The building as a whole feels lived-in and tenants seem to care about the building and treat it accordingly.

As of this review, there is no pet rent but there is an additional pet deposit. If you have a large or active dog, keep in mind that the walls/floors are relatively thin.

Negatives: As stated above, noise control is not great. I can often hear my downstairs neighbor sneeze (??) and sometimes can hear him yelling at the TV when he watches sports (I think). I have to be mindful of how I walk around my apartment as well. If one of my neighbors has a conversation right next to my wall, plays loud music, or sings loudly, I can sometimes hear it, but I cannot make out words or hear details. It's easy to get used to and is not disruptive, but if sound privacy is a top priority for you this may not be the best place.

Because of the "motel" style of the building, the main window in the unit (all others are small frosted windows) looks right out onto the walkway to get to the apartment doors, so there will be (few) people walking by your window. I choose to open my blinds anyways, but most tenants keep them shut. If you open them there is a decent amount of natural light, but the awning outside keeps direct sunlight away. This isn't ideal, but it also makes it much easier and cheaper to control the temperature inside the unit. This is why I included "no sunlight" in my review - there is sunlight but at the expense of a little privacy.

Heating and cooling are done through a single window AC unit installed in the bedroom. It can be noisy, but easy to get used to and effectively controls the temperature.