Overall sentiment is mixed, with a strong divide between appreciation for affordability, community, and some aspects of the physical building, and serious concerns about management practices, safety, pests, and maintenance. Many reviewers emphasize that Smith Tower Apartments provides essential, below-market housing—often HUD-subsidized—that makes it possible for fixed-income and long-term residents to live affordably. Several residents describe staff and administration as friendly, caring, and family-like, and note a supportive resident community, enjoyable common amenities (library, video library, puzzles), and convenient public transit access. Some units are described as well-curated, comfortable, and even gorgeous, and multiple reviewers highlight low rent, great views, and a secure building as major positives.
However, a cluster of troubling reports concerns management behavior and resident safety. Reviews allege illegal background checks on visitors, searches of rooms without permission, and even evictions of sick residents while hospitalized. Relatedly, there are claims of unresponsive or dishonest management and at least one report that no staff checked on a resident for a week. These allegations suggest potential violations of resident rights and serious failures in pastoral care and oversight; they are among the most significant negative themes in the reviews and contrast sharply with other comments praising staff friendliness.
Environmental and maintenance issues are another prominent theme. Multiple reviewers report pest infestations, including cockroaches and bed bugs, and others find the cleanliness acceptable—indicating variable conditions across units or inconsistent pest-control measures. Heating and air-conditioning management is an ongoing complaint: reviewers reported AC being turned off in winter and heat being turned off in summer, lack of dual heat/cooling systems, and generally inconsistent climate control. The apartments are frequently described as very small (examples around 350 square feet), which some residents consider well-used and comfortable while others feel cramped. Opinions about the building's appearance are split: some call it beautiful and gorgeous, while others say it needs updating and even describe it as an eyesore on the skyline.
Practical constraints appear repeatedly: limited parking, absence of a nearby grocery, no rent drop slot and no weekend rent collection, and concerns about laundry pricing. These logistic issues affect convenience for residents and potential visitors. Social dynamics are mixed as well—many reviews praise the people who live there and the camaraderie, but others mention rampant gossip, interpersonal tension, and the presence of problematic or "strange" individuals, leading some residents to say they would prefer to live elsewhere despite the affordability.
In sum, Smith Tower Apartments stands out as an affordable, transit-accessible option with a tight-knit, appreciative resident base and useful on-site amenities. At the same time, multiple reviews raise serious red flags about management practices, resident welfare, pest control, climate control, and maintenance consistency. Prospective residents or advocates should weigh the clear financial and community benefits against the reported risks around management responsiveness, resident rights, and building upkeep. The pattern in the reviews suggests a facility that can provide valuable, low-cost housing and community for many residents but that also has persistent operational and oversight issues that affect safety, comfort, and trust for others.
