Bill M.
Yelp
"The Mercer" paints a pretty picture, from the swimsuit model that coos enticingly, "Follow me to The Mercer", to the Overlook hotel lobbies, with faux fresh flowers freshening the end of each corridor.
The A/C is indeed nice when it's turned on, but they do not tell you the system is NOT on most of the year. When it isn't, it teasingly mocks you by blowing out hot air.
Quiet? Well, yes, the concrete walls are wonderful at drowning out any noise from the neighbors, and most of the residents are quite nice. But it's definitely not quiet.
You hear the numerous children literally screaming several times a day; closing the windows doesn't help, as the windows aren't soundproofed. In the morning, the chat of the maintenance staff resonates in the echo chamber as they attend the pool. At night, you may be soothed by the sounds of teenagers merrily chatting, singing in the hot tub, or an occasional all-out party with accompanying music.
Each year, the rent went up at a staggering pace, dwarfing the rate of inflation. After a year, the rent went up 8.47%. When our second lease was up, we were kindly offered an additional 16.92% rent increase. Those precipitous rent increases included parking, but not the utility (ISTA) bills of $100 to $200 a month.
You may be reminded of 'Das Boot' by nagging feelings of claustrophobia in your smallish apartment or the parallels with management, but it's really not that bad.
Regarding the "amenities" at "The Mercer": The dog urine-scented freight elevator supports the frequent turnover in residents. When it's in use you have to schlep over to the other elevators once you realize your wait is in vain. Having the paper delivered outside your door is nice, except when it isn't; then you keep opening the door periodically, waiting for its arrival. There's also the 'Miss Mercer' contest, if you'd like to participate.
Parking, or most anything else, costs extra $$. The crammed parking slots challenge your spatial reasoning skills, reminding you of those small metal puzzles you did when you were young. The concrete posts, and occasional scraped car door, remind you that failure is not an option.
The granite counters in each apartment deserve a special call-out. The granite is really more a burden than a luxury. Research the "water test" before moving in, When I asked the leasing agent, after moving in, about the dark water splotches left behind by any wet items, such as water glasses, she said the temporary dark colorations were normal, as granite absorbs water, and not to be concerned about them. I also asked the building maintenance staff, and bought the recommended granite counter protection treatments at True Value. In both cases, neither staff member suggested that the counters might need to be resealed, as recommended by numerous granite care sites when this kind of problem occurs.
Self-clean the oven at your own risk, and remove pets, plants, and children first. I used one fire extinguisher the first time we tried it (fire in the oven), but the maintenance staff said not to worry about it or the large volumes of acrid smoke. Fortunately, I had a fire extinguisher available for the second fire, too. The second fire was on top of the stove, and only had high flames.
Despite the 3.8K lease escape penalty, at some point you may consider leaving. Your relationship with management now changes from resident to supplicant. I was charged with mucho $$$ for a brand new granite countertop in the bathroom when I moved out, due to water stains. Only then did I research granite countertops, and learn about the water test. You may have better luck, and your move out charge may only be about $500: about $200 for cleaning, even if you vacuumed and mopped the floor, and about $300 for your final ISTA bill.
Recovering my security deposit at "The Mercer" was a challenge: At first the manager said that the lease concession (they were offering $500 iPads when I moved in, and the leasing agent, said I could apply it to rent, either monthly or all at once) was applied to my refundable pet deposit, so nothing was due back. I had to find the documents showing that it was clearly called out as a refundable deposit upon move-in. Perhaps your experience will be better; ours had all the joy of a root canal.
Our advice to prospective tenants: Provide written maintenance orders once a year requesting that your granite be resealed. Learn about the water test, and request resealing when that fails. Do not use water near the bathroom sinks. Do not use the self-cleaning feature in the oven. If you don't want noise from the pool area, do not get an apartment overlooking the pool. If you don't want noise from the Starbucks trucks, about 5 AM, don't get an apartment in the front.
If you have family, dogs, and love all the bells and whistles, have an elastic definition of luxury, you may enjoy "The Mercer".
All others: Caveat emptor.
