Dobson Mills

Only good things to say — from the apartment (light, airy, spacious, high ceilings, hardwood floors, walk-​in closet) to the staff (quick and friendly) to the grounds (a pool!) to the location (easy transportation, quality — even if not quantity — of restaurants) to the extra bonuses (never have heard my neighbors, dog friendly, free parking)
I’ll risk rent skyrocketing as people find this gem — Dobson Mills has earned my 5-​star recommendation :)

This place is a horrible place to live. It looks okay on the outside. But management and maintenance are horrible. Thy are very slow to fix any maintenance issues including air conditioning and dealing with them is extremely frustrating. In addition you can hear everything through the walls. This place looks nice but it’s cheaply built. I do not recommend living here at all.

My husband and I have lived here for 3 years and will hopefully be moving out this spring if the housing market will allow. The major complaint I have about living here is the management. My building has had over 10 break-​ins within 2 months and I was told that we could not break lease, even if our safety feels compromised. We were told by management that the best way to deal with these break-​ins is with renters insurance. This is obviously an inside job, and there seems to be absolutely no concern for resident safety or well-​being. This is upsetting because the rent is not cheap and you spend almost a half hour trying to get through the front gate when a visitor is signing in. It seriously causes a traffic jam on Ridge Ave. up the Roosevelt Boulevard. All they need to do is install a camera to capture visitor license plates and this would NO LONGER BE AN ISSUE! Just invest the money in your residents!
Finally, I had a sketchy man banging on my door in the middle of the day a few weeks back and ask for some random person. He was going door to door. This was during the exact timeframe when all of the prior break-​ins have occurred. I work from home and was very scared so I called the front office and there was no answer. I called the front gate and they told me to call the office, and again there was no answer. I called the emergency maintenance number and left a voicemail and FINALLY someone showed up at my apartment and asked why I didn’t report the incident to the front office. They are so unconcerned with their residents that they could not be bothered to take my calls regarding a very serious matter. Weeks later I have still not heard from anyone in the front office to get a report of the incident. DO NOT MOVE HERE! Just live nearby and use the pool during the summer. They won’t know the difference and your safety will not be compromised!

I’ve lived in dobson mills for 4 months now and overall am pleased. For what I do and where I do it, the location is perfect. A quick drive to center city and the surrounding parts of philadelphia, and right off of route 1. The area of east falls is okay, there are only a few bars and restaurants, and save for in riva and falls taproom they are nothing to write home about. Its very close to the train station which is convenient for commuters and for getting to the city.
The parking situation is great with close by covered garages with enough spaces. The hallways are nice with beautiful stone floors and extremely high ceilings.
I have a 2 bedroom/​2 bathroom apartment and generally love it. Its spacious, has high ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, large bathrooms, a nice sized hardwood dining area with a big kitchen. It has many nice perks like curved ceiling adornments, track lighting under the kitchen cabinets, a huge closets. The air is very efficient an is comfortable at 76 degrees IMO and helps save on bills. The carpet is a relatively bland brown, but is well padded. For 830 per person, it really is a great deal.
Now for the issues. The most annoying thing about this place is the entrance. Their is only one entrance for guests and tenants, so getting in when there a bunch of guests is a long process. The door man has to call the tenant, get the okay, come out, take down the licence plate number, make up a tag that allows them to park and directs them where to park. This process takes several minutes, which when you are waiting to go home after a long day of work, is extremely frustrating. Sometimes the line becomes so long it gets backed up onto ridge ave. I realize safety is an issue, but there has to be a better way, maybe just give the tenant a call and then let them in? Another annoyance is with receiving packages. They are only open during normal business hours, which I work around, and they hold your packages in a room that can only be access during these hours. Maybe have a room thats accessible ²⁴⁄₇ and have your key give you access?
Overall I really do enjoy living here. If you choose to live in east falls, this is a great option. The pros outweigh the cons for sure.

First off, I don’t disagree there have been problems. In the past, I did write a review on
which stated some of these problems. However, management did read the review and try to make amends. The mainteance issue use to be bad and was late and untimely but last time I needed them, I did get them within timely manner. Second, in the years I have lived there, the two biggest irritants of mine are the following: if you get a package, you have to go get it in the office and if someone send it you a package without telling you, you have no way of knowing. I don’t mind the gated community, but I wish there was a way I could get in when they are checking in vistors. And yet, I knew these irritants before I moved in. Finally, like most apartment buidlings, walls are thin, so you will hear people’s conversations and they will hear you as well. I’ve been hearing people complain about the utlity bills, but I never have anything outrageous. There were a lot of new buildings built shortly after I moved in. I wonder if it is the new building that have the utility bill problems. So, you might want to ask for the old buildings before you moved in.
Yet despite it all, I continue to live here and have done so. So, giving anything less than 4 stars would be dishonest on my part. The reason I continue to live here are the following: very pet friendly (and I have a cat that is welcome, whereas many residents with dogs feel welcome), a gym I can go to without paying membership, a swimming pool, a garage where I can park my car in and always find space to park, finally the room is spacious enough for me and my cat to live and all for a rent that is affordable. There may not be enough for some, but its enough for me.

I have lived here for over a year now, and have loved it. The rent is a little high, but you truly get what you pay for. My apartment is spacious and awesome, the 24 maintenance is great and prompt, it’s secure, I’m right by an R6 stop, and I have covered parking. And a pool. And a gym. And beautiful grounds. And nice staff. People complain about their utility bills, I haven’t had any outrageous ones, personally. But, I live alone and don’t use tons. I pay the same as I’ve paid in much smaller apartments, and I feel like my place is pretty well-​insulated. There is a big difference between living in the old buildings and and the new ones. I live in one of the old ones, and my exterior wall is three feet of concrete. I was cozy all winter, and paying less than $ 100/​month on all of my utilities (gas, water, electricity, trash collection). I have been 100% happy here, and will live here as long as I’m in Philly. No one paid me to write this, I just felt like I had to say something, since so many people report a negative experience here.

The grounds look great on picture but living here is a different story. The walls are VERY poorly insulated; I can hear the conversations of my neighbors next door and those below me. Our electricity bill has been as high as $ 350 (we never turned the heat higher than 73 even on the coldest days, 65 during the day). Neighbors have reported bills as high as $ 650 for units larger than two bedrooms. This has been attributed to the poor insulation which allows the heat to escape. Personally, I believe it is the outside billing company (Nationwide Energy Partners) charges ridulously high amounts for distribution and generation. This company installs meters for each unit and electronically reads them from Columbus, OH but our utilities are provided locally. Their website states that they help recover development costs for real estate developers. Basically, Dobson Mills has found a way to charge you an addition $ 100 – 200 each month for living here.
In addition, the security is poor, the craftsmanship lacks quality and the maintenence department takes weeks to follow up on order requests.