FRONTDESK Maxwell Lofts Milwaukee Walker's Point

I was trying to become a resident, not reviewing as a current one. At first I was thrilled to find what seemed like a gem of an apartment, so I tried to book a tour online. The calendar and AI Chat Box showed no availability for all of March and April, or beyond. I called instead and had a good conversation with the property manager on duty. He booked me for the next day at 4:45pm, after work, and I got a confirmation plus two reminder emails. I arrived around 4:35 and waited in the lobby. At 4:50, after calling and ringing the doorbell with no answer, we were still outside and confused. I checked my email and there was no cancellation from Maxwell. Someone leaving eventually let us into the lobby, and a person who might have been maintenance came to unlock the leasing office. When we asked about the tour, he said the property manager was out sick and someone would probably email later. That’s understandable, but someone could have let us know before we made the trip. No one from Maxwell followed up by email or phone, and my calls weren’t returned. It felt unprofessional and could have been handled better. I’d signed up for their last two-bedroom, two-bath unit, though it’s actually a two-bedroom with one and a half bathrooms because one bathroom has no shower. A few days later, that last two-bedroom listing was gone. I assume someone finalized a lease and I was ghosted, but I don’t know. Please correct me if I’ve got that wrong.

I liked the location and the building is pretty, but living here was rough because of management. The parking garage was so tiny I couldn’t get my sedan in without scraping it, so I used street parking. My car was broken into six times. For the first six months I could barely get hold of management. I asked to cancel garage parking and heard nothing, so I was charged for nearly a month for a space my car couldn’t fit in. Maintenance requests needed more than three follow-ups. Peter, the new manager, was much better at responding, but seemed to have more work than one person could handle. I think the problem was the people above him. Later I got surface parking, but my car was towed even though I’d paid. Apparently my car details hadn’t been entered in the system. I hadn’t been given a parking pass or told one was required. I only found out when the car was missing, and had to leave work to sort it out with an hour left before the tow yard closed for the weekend. The tow yard had a lot to say about the apartment management. I got back only about 15% of my security deposit, mostly because of wall scuffs and paint chips. The list of problems goes on. I’m giving two stars instead of one because I like the building and area, and I respect Peter for doing what he could with the resources he had.

There still haven’t been any changes or updates, and nobody contacted me after more than a week. I’m adding a photo of another break-in, which happened over a week after my original review, on 8/6/2024. It was right in front of the building and the security vehicle. The car was empty, there was no one inside the vehicle, and no flashing lights. Break-ins happen daily in street parking, and the roads are covered in broken glass. My own windows were smashed, costing me over $500 to repair. Maxwell lofts hasn’t done anything to reduce or stop it. The paid surface lot has a waitlist and costs another $75 a month, but cars get broken into there too. Last week, when I asked about cameras after a car was hit, I was told they don’t point toward that side of the building, so nothing could be done. There’s also an underground garage, though I can’t speak much about it since I don’t use it. Other reviews say it’s hard to get in and out, and I’ve seen plenty of scraped bumpers there. The building apparently has security, but neither I nor other residents have actually seen the guard. Almost 10 cars were broken into overnight one weekend, including some in broad daylight at 8am. Residents on the rooftop and workers at the factory across the street noticed the vandalism, called police, and helped stop it. There was no security around. Afterward, I saw the security truck parked outside overnight. It mostly stayed in place, and after watching it all week, it seemed no one was staffing it, or they were there very rarely. Its flashing lights weren’t even on to deter anyone. Cars kept getting broken into, including ones parked right beside or in front of it. This was still happening around the time I wrote this, on Monday July 22, 2024. I spoke with the security company, and it sounded like Maxwell lofts didn’t want to pay for adequate coverage. They’d rather pay for a drive-by every other day and leave a possibly empty truck outside. I’ve also talked to police several times. They said they’d seen an actual guard maybe twice, and both times he was asleep in the car. These security problems, vandalism, and broken doors have been mentioned in reviews going back almost four years. It makes me wonder if anyone cares about residents’ safety or just wants our money. If you live here, please leave a review on Google and the Better Business Bureau of Wisconsin too. The building manager has been great and helpful, but there’s only so much he can do without support from higher management at the Maxwell corporation.

The place looked like our new home as soon as I saw the photos, and I fell for the clean, nice interior. Everyone I’ve met has been friendly, and the area is cute, close to third ward. During my first month, I haven’t had a bad experience; my floor is peaceful, too. It’s very pet friendly, and my cat settled in well and seems to love the window. Peter was a huge help, from the tour through move-in day. He was informative from the start and answered our questions as soon as he could. We’re very happy with the move and the apartment.