The Shoal

good apartment

If you're looking for a place that is both close to downtown and UTs campus, this is an ideal spot. It is equidistant (15/20 min walk, 5 min bike ride) to both West 6th and UTs campus. It is a perfect location for anyone who does not have a car. I haven't taken the bus from here, but if you wanted to figure that out, it could be done.

In addition to the close proximity to everything, what makes this place great is the management team. They are very present and are almost like doormen + property managers. Truly look out for the community and one of them lives on-site, so they are equally invested in the property and upkeep of everything there. The head maintenance guy also lives on-site and I see them doing touch-ups and preventive work all of the time.

The units here are not large, but it was perfect for what I was looking for. And while everything here is nice, it is not extremely over the top nice that you might find in other buildings in the area. Amenities are good, but not blow you away good, so your rent isn't going to be as high as some other places in the area. However, things are so much more well maintained and cared for here (compared to where my friends live) due to the property management group, so while the appliances might not be as big or as nice as some other buildings, they will actually fix the stuff and take care of it in a timely manner.

Yes, it is pricey to live downtown, but for me, it has been well worth it. Also, this building is in a perfect location where due to zoning there won't be any big construction projects happening in the area taking up sight lines or causing mayhem like downtown seems to constantly be under. It is surrounded by law offices and homes for blacks, so you get the proximity to downtown while feeling like you are in a small community that is very homey at the same time. Quiet and not a lot of noise in the area as well, which is a huge plus.

All in all... would highly recommend!