The Ridge at Barton Creek Apartments

I ABSOLUTELY adore living here. I’ve lived in a one bedroom for the past two years and am upgrading to a two bedroom two bathroom. Yes, the rent is a bit steep, but it is worth every penny. The pool in its self is fantastic. It’s so close to the greenbelt and multiple caves to explore. If you don’t feel like cooking breakfast, there’s the Taco Deli. My favorite when not wanting to drive, is the convenient store located next to Taco Deli. I highly recommend living here.
I see pictures of roaches, but that is NOT an issue. I saw one outside, in the TWO years I’ve lived here, called the office and they sprayed the exterior and interior of my apartment.
The leasing office employees are friendly and always here to help. No complaints from me and I promise you will not regret living here, as long as you are a good tenant, which isn’t difficult.

Well, I have lived here for nearly 9 months and hadn’t experienced too many issues. Sure, you get stuck with Time Warner Cabler and that sucks, and the apartments are extremely, EXTREMELY outdated. I mean there have NOT been renovations for what looks like 20 years, and sure, they paint over the mold in your bathtub and shower, there are popcorn ceilings and popcorn walls, there are no washer and dryers in the apartments, no ceiling fans or light fixtures in either the living room or bedroom, it takes approximately 2 months for a microwave to get fixed, you have to wash your dishes about 4x in the dishwasher before they’re actually clean, but it wasn’t until today when the water went off that I think I have finally had enough with this complex.
And you want to know what the Ridge did about it? NOTHING. They’re at home, enjoying their hot warm, steamy showers, drinking water, cooking their dinners, going to the bathroom. And you know? Maybeeeee the plumber will show up tomorrow… who knows… The Ridge doesn’t care. It was almost 6pm! They had to go home! The water went off this morning and it wasn’t until 5:30pm that the Ridge let their tenants know that NO ONE will be showing up until tomorrow.

Horrible complex. Roaches all over the place and I lived above a pot smoker. Nothing was done about either

Trust me, one star is too generous! I don’t want to speak about one specific issue because there are so many. Management is extremely rude and unprofessional. They are incredibly nice before they get your money; however, once you sign on the dotted line, they’ll hop on their undeservingly high horse and do a complete 180. The apartment was absolutely filthy and moldy. I had to call the office on a weekly basis to complain that something was broken or deficient. On numerous occasions it would take multiple phone calls to get them out and many times the repairs were not done properly. I know this because the exact same issue would arise later. Some examples included the broken AC in July, stove, garbage disposal, and shower that only trickled water. We had to turn off all the electronics in the apartment in order to run the dryer and not have it trip the breaker.
I arrived at the apartment complex from out of state so I was not able to view the apartment in person prior to signing the lease. That was a huge mistake. I also failed to do my due diligence and research prior to signing. Another mistake I will never make again. Each day at that horrible apartment complex was worse than the day before. I chose to break my lease early and get out. I wiped my hands and will never look back.
The only pro is that the apartment complex is close to Zilker Park but so are so many others. If you can put up with a rude and condescending staff, filthy premises, huge cockroaches, a vomit inducing sewage stench, and just an overall horrible living experience just to live near Zilker Park, then The Ridge at Barton Creek is right up your ally.

Thank the lord I’m out of the ridge.

This is the ghetto of Barton Creek.
As I write this, half the washers and dryers are broken in the laundry room. (Laundry room is also not cleaned enough).
Another renter I know here showed me pictures of their unit — visible mold growing in their apartment for months with no action happening from management to remove/​fix/​replace materials covered in mold.
Water is an issue. If you want hot water or any water at all, beware. It’s turned off regularly.
Sometimes they’re nice, but staff are alternately rude and ignorant about issues. One gets the impression that they’d rather not have to get up out of the air conditioned office to actually monitor the grounds, laundry rooms, etc.
For a bit more, you can live in a much nicer apartment. For a bit less, you can also just move a bit farther south.

I have lived in apartments in Los Angeles (multiple places in the Valley and on the Westside), in Nashville and now here in Austin. We have been living at The Ridge for a year now. We haven’t really had any issues with management and they’ve been on top of any maintenance issues we’ve submitted. Sure, the buildings are old but I can live with that… it keeps me dry when it rains and the A/​C works when its hot and there’s heat on the rare occasion it’s cold. There are bugs from time to time but we also live near a wooded area. Right when we moved in, we saw a couple cockroaches but I sprinkled a mixture of borax/​powdered sugar behind the fridge and make sure I clean up after we’ve eaten so there aren’t any crumbs/​food debris out. Haven’t seen anything in 6+ months. We go to a gym so we’ve never really used the workout room. It’s nice that they have the option.
But…if you’re super picky, maybe you should look at one of those brand new high rises on Lamar or Rainey!
Here is my assessment…
PROS:
— Super convenient to the Greenbelt, Zilker and downtown. We LOVE the location!
— Easily accessible to the freeways… or whatever they are called here.
— Gas stove… I think items cook/​bake better with gas.
— Barton Springs Food Mart is well stocked and open until midnight!!! And they just added a sandwiches/​coffee/​juice bar. LOVE IT!
— TACO DELI is steps from my front door! We eat there at least once a week. (Had to limit ourselves! HAHA!!)
— We’ve lucked out with great neighbors who we rarely hear!
— The pool is a fun place to hang out and play volleyball. (On the weekends, its not a great place for kids though.)
— Good value for the location.
— Plenty of parking
CONS:
— No washer and dryer in unit. The laundry facilities are centrally located but it is a bit of a walk. More so, its that I’m particular about the cleanliness of the machines. Cat and dog hair gets stuck in the washer or dryers and I come home with it on my clothes. Animal hair is one of the main reasons I don’t have pets! I don’t like it!
— We have extremely hot water (I know this sounds like a good thing) which is dangerous. I am not sure how the water is mixed but our cold water’s pressure is significantly lower than the hot so if anyone is using cold water around us, the water gets REALLY HOT. When you’re in the shower, you have to be ready to jump out of the scalding water’s way! (I know that some buildings battle with not have hot water… so I should be thankful! HA)
— No common area or clubhouse. We like to entertain and would love to have a space where we could have a game night or dinner for a larger group of friends and if we get a little loud, not disrupt our neighbors. It would be a great option for the tenants.
— Pretty hefty rent increases. Our lease is up and our rent will go up ~$ 90 if we re-​sign a year lease, $ 100 if we do a 16 month lease, and month-​to-​month is $ 300 more. I get that they are anticipating the market increases but I think signing a longer lease should mean a little lower rent. (Missing that California rent control!!)
All in all its been a nice place to stay. We are choosing to move out because the «new» rent at The Ridge will get us a ¹⁄₁ in the same area with a washer/​dryer in unit and a common area for tenants to use.

Management here is absolutely horrific. I don’t know if it is the managing company’s fault (Westdale Asset Management) or the staff that is working there.
They all have wonderful smiles which makes it extremely hard to argue with them when the tub is filling up with sewage and they say the maintenance professional is on vacation and will not be able address the problem until the following week (True experience).
For over a month there was sewage emptying from the apartments to the side of the building in what would later be named «The Mighty Poo River.» It reminded me much of the scene in Willy Wonka when they discover the river made entirely of chocolate, only a fat kid never fell in trying to drink it. However, the sewage river did stay true to the original «Charlie and the Chocolate Factory» in the sense that it had a small waterfall, but rather than Augustus Gloop and a psychedelic boat, the only floating objects in the river were feces and prophylactics.
They do the bare minimum when it comes to making the apartment livable. Do not be fooled by the pictures of the pool, although it is a great layout, over half of the sun chairs are completely broken (and remained that way for the entirety of my lease). Water pipes in all buildings seemed to have problems on a weekly basis.
The vinyl floors are so weak that setting a recliner/​dining table/​couch down will warp the floors, so do not expect to see any of your security deposit unless the place is fully carpeted.
I have to thank The Ridge though, because if my apartment was livable I would have stayed in many nights. Because it was such a dump I would only come back to sleep and shower. It forced me to hone my social skills, develop relationships with friends, and have a much more active lifestyle. Thanks Ridge, 5 Stars.

DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY OR TIME. Let me just start with if you don’t mind having the water shut off every other day, rent here. emergency water leaks weekly. Speaking of water check out the dirty pool with broken pool furniture. trashy to say the least. Also it’s more like a public pool, anyone can and does, you don’t even need those 50 $ key fobs they give you if your a resident. The washer and dryers are terrible dirty and always broken, and you need quarters to use, but no change machine. On to the apartment itself. Our air vents were moldy and you could see water marks painted over, and when you used the ac it would leak water all down the wall. Never seems to turn off either. Our carpet was damaged before our move and wasn’t replaced from the previous tenant but yet still got charged because they say it’s pet damage. Also I payed a 300 $ pet deposit apparently non refundable which wasn’t clear in the beginning, and 10 $ a month for pet rent. all just for my pet to live there a total of 420 $ I’ve never lived somewhere that the «deposit» is only for the pet to live there. NO Lights in the living room and a measly light in the kitchen that has one switch for both lights. The same in the bedroom no light but the closet and bathroom light turns on all three. Window seals soooooooooo MOLDY! Looks like the last time it was clean was in the 70s when it was built. matience takes forever and you usually have to put in multiple request. parking is a nightmare. Overall the only thing I did like while living here was the location and to be brutally honest there’s many other options hmmm like right across the street. or around the corner for better quality and better office staff. They were usually nice unless you had a problem, and out jumps the attitude. Worst place I’ve ever lived not to mention noisy weekly leaf blowers and lawn mowers to blow dirt around on your cars and what are they mowing it’s nothing but rocks and dirt!!! and I would love to save someone else from this horrible place. If only I’d read the reviews before renting here I could of had a better living experience for the past year, but you live and learn. I’m so glad I never have to deal with this place ever again. I would give negative stars if possible. No wonder the rating is 2.1 hahahaha

Do you like cold showers?
Well you might want to get used to them if you chose to live here. This apartment uses an old water heating system that doesn’t produce hot water until 10−20mins (depending on season). This was brought to managements attention as an issue more than once.
On a lighter note, the location is great. The pool is fun for the younger crowd. Rent price was a value for a 1br/​b in 2014.

Regarding the lease application process at this complex, applicants beware. Please be sure that you meet their ALL of their rigid application criteria before you put ANY money down. None of this money is refundable in the event that you don’t meet their criteria. According to the statement I received a week after my application was «denied», I paid for a security deposit ($ 150), application fee ($ 60), pool/​gym key ($ 25… this charge is especially bewildering), and administration fee ($ 100) for a total of $ 335.
The reason I was denied was because they wouldn’t accept my liquid assets as proof of income. As a graduate student (like many others, I’m sure), I rely on loan, grant and fellowship-​based aid to supplement my regular monthly income. Regardless of my decade’s worth of flawless rental history, solid credit score, and enough cash to prove I could easily make 3x the rent for the duration of the lease, my proof of liquid assets wasn’t enough because «they don’t know how I’m spending that money». Totally ridiculous protocol, but OK, fine. You’d think I’d at least be able to get a portion of my fees/​deposit money back. Nope. Not a cent.
This whole experience was such a bummer, but I have a happy ending. I went across the street to the Woods at Barton Skyway and was approved immediately. The leasing agent even offered to hold a unit for me for 24 hours so I could «think about it» without charging a deposit or holding fee. I felt no pressure to jump into anything (unlike at The Ridge), and I ended up getting a better deal all around, from price to quality of the complex and unit.
To sum it up, I can’t speak to the quality of living at The Ridge. It might’ve been wonderful, but I’ll never know. If you’re a student (or working professional with «non-​traditional» sources of income), make sure you ask thorough questions about your eligibility at the Ridge before you put any money down. Or, skip the hassle and go to the Woods across the street.

The most amazing apartment experience! This place has everything — it’s beautiful with gorgeous trees and landscaping with lights, and a nice pool where everyone likes to hang out, and the place just has a safe, cozy feel to it. There is an incredible green belt down the street with a river… we all walk our dogs there and hang out… it’s like heaven!!! There is also a Taco Deli on the way. so we take blankets and meet up for breakfast on the weekends.
The staff is always friendly … and the maintenance dudes were on top of things… which is so different from any other apartment I have lived in! Ask for Leslie if you are apartment shopping… she was the best!
The convenience was a big plus for me… downtown was 2 exits away, and Barton Creek Mall is minutes away. Grocery stores, restaurants were also all just down my street. I think the best part was the people… this place has a feel like you are in your own little town… everyone is friends… so if you don’t know many people… this is the place for you! Most of the tenants are in their 20s or 30s so hanging out at the huge pool with a crazy waterfall and lazy river is the place to be on the weekends and summer months after work! There is always something to do… yet you still have your privacy and the place is quiet. The cost is very attractive as well for the location. When I was searching, this apartment was about $ 250 cheaper than any others in the area and the size was even a little larger than the others and I loved my balcony! I wish I didn’t have to leave… but if ever back in the Austin area… this will be where I call home!

Lived here for two years and enjoyed it. Staff are top notch and got me out of a sticky situation with having to move into a one month lease with very short notice. I don’t think many other places would have done this for me… Pool is nice and the neighbors near and around building 6 – 7 were extremely friendly — every Sunday in the summer there was a pool/​BBQ going on.
Location for the price is as cheap as it gets and with a convenience store that stocks all the essentials, including booze… what could go wrong? Well, although it could get loud sometimes it really depends on the situation/​location. Walls are a decent enough thickness, in both places I could sleep soundly without an issue 95% of the time. There’ll always be the occasional obnoxious break up fight/​dudes broing out no matter where you live in complexes like this one.
Green belt access is great for taking the scenic route to BotG or Barton Springs. Why not stop and get one of Austin’s best breakfast tacos too, at Taco Deli? Though pricey they’re pretty decent. (Mole Mole Mole)
Overall if you’re looking for a decent place to live I’d go here, why pay another 300 – 400 a month for simply having a newer/​cookie cutter apartment? As a local told me, this place still has the feeling/​charm of old Austin, so it would seem the haters must be from Cali? Y’all can be the judge of that.

I’ve lived here a year and have to say the location, pricing, and pool are really what sell these apartments. Downtown is just minutes away, the bus route is around the corner, and Tacodeli is right there.
They’re older units but not bad.

The Ridge at Barton Creek has no concern for the safety and well being of its residents. Anytime I call to make a maintenance request I am received with negative attitude and treated very poorly. I have been a resident for 4 years because I love the location, however the management, past and current, is terrible. I had a plumbing issue in the kitchen and there was standing water in the sink for 5 days. The smell was unbearable and to top it off the lighting went out so we were unable to cook, wash dishes or use kitchen at all for almost a week.
There seems to only be one person working the office, anytime I go to pay my rent there is a «be right back «sign taped to the door. Why not have a drop box?
I was told the maintenance would be doing inspections on 2 different days so I paid to have my dogs boarded on two separate occasions and they never showed. A few days later we received a notice saying they had rescheduled. When I spoke to management they suggested that I just kennel my dogs every day to avoid complications!!! Unbelievable!
There is rotten wooden stairs all over the property. Called to have ONE step replaced on the third floor when my 65 year old mother almost fell through when a piece chipped off. I was told this was not a maintenance priority and in the mean time I should skip over that step when walking up and down the stairs everyday and to let them know when the stair had totally broken through.

I just moved out of a 540 sq foot 1 br at The Ridge after buying a condo in another part of town. Overall, I enjoyed my stay there, and here is a quick list of pros and cons:
PROS:
Office and maintenance staff are very responsive.
You can walk to Zilker Park and are less than 10 minutes from downtown.
TacoDeli + food mart right next door (the TD people will learn your name)
Pool is pretty.
Apartment is functional and has some really nice features like a gigantic closet and gas grill.
Residents are pretty friendly, huge complex. I feel like a lot of people in Austin have lived here at one point or another.
Can pay your rent with a Visa credit card = POINTS!
MEH
I would say walls are decent thickness? I could hear my neighbors arguing from the wall we shared but mostly pretty peaceful.
CONS:
For my apartment, at least, I was basically living in a brown box with no windows. This can be a pro or a con — was great for sleeping in! But, carpet was kind of gross, no natural light, and the apartment always seemed warmer than it should. But — totally functional.
When I moved in, I was super excited about living in a 1 BR for less than $ 800 per month. By the time I left, a year and a half later, my rent had gone up about $ 100/​month and signing a new lease seemed too expensive (especially for what I was getting).
Laundromat is kinda gross. Like, there are plenty of machines and everything, it’s just not the best.
So, yeah. Did I ever get the «oh my god I am so thankful to be home» feeling I get at my place now? — No. But was it a great, affordable spot close to downtown and tacos? — Yes!

I feel compelled to share my experience — I flippin love it here. We planned to move into The Ridge for a year and it’s been three. Oh, and we’re planning on a fourth. The location is amazing. You can walk to Zilker area in 20 mins and catch all the great events without having to think of parking. You’re going to be right next to a small food mart in case you encounter one of those last minute forgetful moments plus the best Taco Deli location is RIGHT here. You’ll have access to most spectacular greenbelt entrance in Austin and once again, never have to worry about parking as you can be hiking in less than 2 mins.
It’s super laidback and welcoming as we’ve got an awesome community of folks. To be totally cheezeball, we’ve made some forever friendships here I wouldn’t give up for anything. Freestanding grills, pool with a waterfall and submerged tables, tennis court, sand volleyball court (with a view of downtown), and load of folks with friendly dogs. Really, the dog aspect is what we live for ;)
So, that brings me to everyone’s complaint — it’s a little rundown. Yeah, I agree. However, it makes it feel like you’re on vacation every-​single-​day and reminds you to not sweat the small stuff. Some paint chips, and uneven pavement — meh. The important part is that if you need something fixed, maintenance will get right on it.
Overall, many thumbs up. Great place if you are just moving to Austin or if you want to be able to kick back and relax when you are at home :) Hopefully we can land one of their bigger units soon so we never have to leave!
Thanks for an awesome 3 years! We’re looking forward to more ;)
— Katey F

It’s no surprise that this apartment complex has such low reviews. When my vehicle was towed after being parked there for less than an hour while visiting a friend — at midnight no less — I called the manager on duty the next morning. I told her it feels «shitty» that they gave me no notice that I was in the wrong spot. She got up in arms at my cussing «at her» however when ACL rolls around they put up signs saying «We’ll tow your ass if you park here illegally».
So it’s ok for you guys to curse at people but a guest of your establishment can’t express frustration at being treated like scum?
I love how this place charges outrageous amounts of money for their units because they claim to be «minutes from everything… miles from ordinary». Let’s hope that’s the case since their units are full of mold, with visible water leaks from above units, mold growing on the drywall above showers and on air conditioning vents. They slap a new coat of non matching paint over blems whenever getting ready for a new tenant. There’s dog poop everywhere outside and the units are loud as heck. Every move made by neighbors is heard through the walls with apparently no insulation whatsoever.
Your money will be better spent elsewhere — there are plenty of new units around town. Don’t settle for this dump.

I currently live in the Ridge. I’ve had two bad run ins with management which I’ll describe below. Before I do I’ll say that I care above all about customer service. I’ll try to keep it short.
I moved in here on a sublease. The water bill is paid out of the rent check each month. The water bill is one month behind the move in date. So the leaser is responsible to pay for the bills they owe. Before I moved in the leaser called the apartment complex and asked if there was any bills she needed to pay before she moved out and they said no. I moved in and asked when I was paying the water bill for my first paycheck when I haven’t used any water yet. They told me it was my responsibility now per the lease. I went round and round with them trying to explain why it wouldn’t make sense for me to pay 9 water bills living here 8 months. They didn’t care. I asked them why they told the other leaser she didn’t have any bills due and they didn’t have a good answer.
We were living here for two months and got a note on our door that said I wasn’t allowed to have the things I had on my back porch. They said the things that needed to be removed was a bar stool, a small bucket, and a gasoline tank. It said that there’s places to put these items that aren’t on the porch. I live on the third story, so how they saw the items in the first place is kind of nuts. The note said if I didn’t move the items I could face being evicted! This was the first notice. ha. I cleaned the stuff on the porch, save the bar stools and haven’t heard anything else yet. I don’t think there’s anything in the lease saying I can’t have my things on the back porch.
The third is I tried to pay my rent and I wasn’t able to login to their website. I called them to tell them I was having trouble and they said that their site is down for technical stuff. I said okay well when it’s back up I’ll pay my rent. They said I needed to bring in a check. I told them one of the reasons I moved into this complex was so I didn’t have to pay by check. It’s 2014. They said the site is one option the offer to pay rent and they said it’s my responsibility to pay the rent on time. Then I asked if it was their responsibility to make sure the website works so I can pay the rent and the building manager said no.
I hope this helps you make a decision about living in this place. I’d like to find an apartment that has customer service like Chick-​fil-​A. I know they don’t have to care because so many people are moving to Austin but geez.
This places pool is nice but our apartment is loud, it makes a weird buzzing noise. I like the layout of the apartment. I’ll be moving someplace that wants my business next time.

I’ve been here for nearly a year now, and overall I still think it’s a good place to live. I have a few more things to add to my review now that I’ve been here for a bit longer.
Parking is awesome. I’ve never had to park more than 40 or so feet from my apartment door. Guest parking is excellent as well. I was a little concerned about ACL, due to the proximity to the greenbelt entrance, but they put up signs that pretty much said «We’ll tow your ass if you park here illegally» for the duration of the festival, and I didn’t notice any more cars than usual. I’m pretty sure I saw someone get towed, so they do mean business.
The office staff are still awesome. They’re always friendly and smiling, and they’ve never lost any of my packages, which is more than I can say about my previous complex.
They just did a massive renovation of the pool, which was pretty awesome to start. Woo!
I have had to call maintenance a number of times for little things — one of my cabinets broke, my garbage disposal has clogged a few times, and my dishwasher stopped working once. With one exception, they’ve always been by within a day or two. That one exception was kind of crappy though — my garbage disposal clogged on a holiday right before a weekend, and it ended up taking four or five days for them to come, since it wasn’t officially classified as an emergency. To me, it was an emergency though. I don’t have a super sensitive sense of smell, but by the third day I was sleeping at my boyfriend’s house because the smell of rotting, molding food was permeating my entire apartment. That’s honestly been the only real issue during my time here, though.
I haven’t really had any of the pest control issues that others have mentioned, but I’ve got a schizo cat that attacks anything that moves, so that’s probably why.
One thing I forgot to mention in my previous review is that when I signed my lease, I also had to sign some sort of addendum stating that I understood that it’s an older complex, and due to repairs, hot water may be unavailable for lengthy periods of time. I was a little taken aback by that, so just a heads up to future renters. My shower does take quite a while (5 – 10 minutes) to get warm whenever I take a shower in the afternoon or evening, but I’ve never had a true outage.
My lease is up for renewal now, and my rent is going up by about 7%. Annoying, but expected.