Elevated Living
5 sky-high residences with rent to match
—By Yannick Nandury
When I first visited Ann Arbor, I imagined a quaint college town that would embody the stereotypical Midwestern slower-paced lifestyle. A quick walk down South University broke that perception rather quickly. With a new high-rise apartment complex coming to Ann Arbor every other week, it raises the question, “Which ones are actually worth it”?
1. Landmark – “Bougie, boozy, and loud in every way possible” —Anonymous
Do you want to relive the glory days of being a degenerate in Markley? Do you want an apartment that will comfort you with more granite countertops than you asked for? Do you want a relatively overpriced apartment that is ideally located and allows you to maintain some sense of dignity as you walk home with glaring regret either from the frats or the bars? Then Landmark is the ideal apartment for you. Situated on the corner of South University and South Forest (1300 South University), Landmark has it all. Hot tub, gym, a half-working sauna, movie-theatre, multiple study rooms, cornhole (really?), awesome views in every room, and a price tag to match. Landmark rooms range from $1099 – $2099 and have configurations of studios to 6-bedroom apartments. If you’re willing to risk not knowing where you’re going to live for a semester, wait till April. Prices for rooms can fall as low as $800, as Landmark never reaches maximum capacity. Unfortunately, the apartment has some big downsides. The elevators are ridiculously slow, the cable has 5 channels that are HD, security is incredibly annoying as you have to come down to get your guests, and the hidden fees for damages to the apartment that were caused by the apartment being rundown are borderline ridiculous. Landmark is expensive, but could be considered the best value among the luxury offerings.
2. Zaragon West – “Definitely wasn’t the top of the class but was a solid B+/A- student at a competitive public high school” —Anonymous
Let’s get one thing straight, Zaragon West is not as nice as Zaragon. However, Zaragon West is definitely a better value across the board. Zaragon West has a prime location at 401 Thompson Street, which borders East Liberty and is a one minute walk to South State Street. Unlike its big brother, West actually has great views that aren’t overshadowed by other apartment buildings in the area. Prices are very comparable to Landmark, with rooms ranging from $1100 – $2050 with room configurations of studios to 4 bedrooms and prices going down considerably in April. Zaragon West rooms are laden with granite, stainless steel, and hardwood floors giving the rooms a spacious aesthetic. West has fast elevators, is right below NeoPapalis, and doesn’t have paper-thin walls. Outside of the awful cable, West has everything you could need. It doesn’t have the cache of Landmark or 611, but West genuinely deserves consideration when looking at high rises.
3. University Towers – “Bang for your buck is an understatement” —Anonymous
The number one rule in real estate: Location, Location, Location. You’re literally paying half the price as the shmucks across the street are at Landmark. Nestled on the corner of South University and South Forest, University Towers (at 546 South Forest Ave) is such a good value that it makes the Wendy’s 4 for $4 look bad. The amenities are surprisingly good with a small gym, great views in most rooms, study lounges, and an outdoor pool supposedly coming in the next year. In addition, the security team is friendly and there’s a call box that allows you to buzz people directly in. However, by no means is UTowers a luxury apartment. The rooms are cramped, feature mostly outdated appliances, paper thin walls, and slow maintenance. However, the real luxury comes in the form of your rent payment, which will be half of that to the kids in Landmark. This means you can use that extra money to buy stuff that you actually need. The rooms range in price from $650 – $1099 per person (depending on how you split it) and the floorplans vary from studios to 3 bedroom apartments. If you’re on a budget, want a great location, and are willing to sacrifice some niceties, UTowers should be on the top of your list.
4. Six11 – “When money isn’t an object, this is where you live” —Anonymous
If you’ve been on Central Campus at some point in the last two years, you might have noticed a massive brown building slowly ascending into the Ann Arbor skyline. That’s Six11, and as residents—or anyone who’s ever been in the building—can tell you, it’s elite. Seriously, this is the nicest (and newest) luxury apartment in Ann Arbor, and it pulls out all of the stops. Six11 features a penthouse community lounge, a twenty-four-hour gym, rooftop terrace with grills, and decked out individual apartments. Every single apartment comes with a 50 inch TV, and nearly half of the apartments have a walk-in closet. The downsides of Six11 are apparent with only two elevators in the whole building, security being a pain, and an exorbitant price tag to wrap it all up. Prices vary from $1229 – $2059 for a 4-6 bed to a studio. Six11 is like the fancy bottle of wine that you shouldn’t order at a restaurant because it’s overpriced. However after you inevitably buy it, you say it has an “oaky flavor” (even if you can’t tell) to justify your lack of proper personal finance skills. Frankly speaking, if your parents have more money than they know what to do with, there’s no reason to live anywhere else.
5. Foundry – “Isolated chill stoner who secretly was at the top of the class” —Anonymous
Foundry is as nice as Landmark or 611. It has all the same amenities and a high price tag to match ($1250 – $2125). The only problem with Foundry is location. It’s close to class, but far from everything else. When you’re paying this much you should be as centrally located as possible.