The Dakota in The Village

We moved to the Dakota from out of state so we had to do all of the paperwork and initial payments online. It was a difficult process. The managers were helpful and really nice when we’d call them.
The apartment themselves are very nice. I like all of the storage and closet space. The walls don’t seem very thick because we can hear anyone who is out in the hallway pretty clearly. We lived in a 2^nd floor apartment right above the garages and it can be pretty loud, they are always opening and closing. They allow pets and you will see a lot of people with their dogs walking around. They do trash pick up between certain hours almost every night. They charge $ 20 every month for pickup which I think is a little pricey
There are two pools in the Dakota, only one has a hot tub and it only works half the time. You can often find ducks floating around in the pools. They do have a nice gym that we have enjoyed.
There is not very many parking places for people who don’t pay for covered spots or garages. The spaces they do have are very tight squeezes and we were often way too close to the cars next to us.
The Dakota is a gated complex which was a plus for us. The front gates aren’t the easiest to open when you have people come visit. The key code didn’t work for us. They keep the complex very nice with all the grounds crew.
We like being close the the CC and that they have big grass fields and walking/​running trail around the ponds.
Overall we have enjoyed our time here at the Dakota and really like the Village community.

If I could give a zero or negative review I would. I lived in this complex for many years, and there were constant problems after the first year. The management changes every few months, and the quality of the appliances, carpet and other materials is awful. To add insult to injury, when you move out they will charge you for everything, including the carpet (no matter how clean you keep it and even when you get it steam cleaned before leaving). Expect to tack on an additional month’s rent at the end (on top of the deposit) for the «issues» they will find. I was very close with many of my neighbors, and every single one of them had an experience like this when they moved out. Beware of this complex!

Not enough parking. Residents need issued parking stickers. I’ve had to park 15 minutes walk away from my apartment too many times. You also get fined if your trash is not perfectly put outside. And you get harassed at the pool of you bring more than two friends even if you are the only ones at the pool.

Excellent apartment complex! If I were to give out recommendations on where to live I would put this place on the top of my list! It’s a safe, friendly, easy going apartment complex.

I give the Dakota a four for the value. The Village is the one of the best places to live in Dallas for young professionals. Here’s why I give my rating:
PROS:
1. They have curbside trash pick-​up on Mon, Wed, and Fri, so you literally have to just walk your trash and drop it right in the breezeway and they pick it up. But be careful not to drop it out on a Tue or Thu, because I think they actually go through your trash to find out who it belongs to, then they fine you
2. Convenient location — right next to Greenville (walking distance to st. patty’s parade), SMU, Northpark Mall, 7 – 10 min to uptown, and 10 – 12 min to downtown. It costs about $ 15 to get a cab to uptown
3. Village patrol/​security — they have patrol guards everywhere! On foot, in cars, on horses… and wait, even on segways!
4. Pool/​hottub is open 24 hours — this is nice if you want to go to the hot tub after a long night out
5. Gate access — we have key remotes for access, but the office staff will also program a cell phone number into the keypad at the gate so if you don’t have a landline, it works
6. Renter’s insurance is less than $ 10 per month
7. They allow pets
8. Office staff — friendly and eager to help
9. Free carpet cleaning when you renew your lease
10. Gym — gym is nice, and they have free cycling classes for residents
CONS:
1. Walls are thin (difficult when you are trying to study) and wall paint comes off REALLY easily. You can hear anyone talking in the hallway or even outside in the parking lot
2. Parking — difficult to find parking spots during the summer or when there are events in Dallas. My covered parking spot is about $ 30/​month and the garages are about $ 100/​month. If you live on the 2^nd floor above the garage, it is REALLY loud when the garage door is opening. The good thing is that they will sticker or tow anyone parking in your reserved spot if you call them… but then you have to deal with a slashed tire maybe haha
3. Difficult to leave the property in the morning — exit is too close to the street light and you have to wait for people to let you in — I agree with this. Also, the light at Shady Brook and NW Hwy takes about 2 minutes to cycle between red & green. I found the best solution to find my way in is to cut over to the LEFT side of the property entrance, versus the RIGHT side where everyone is trying to get out :)
4. No free breakfast — I heard that at Northbridge, they get free breakfast on the weekends, is that true?!
5. Gym — I wish they had sanitary wipes for the equipment after you use it. right now, there is nothing to clean it off to my knowledge
6. Require you to get Time Warner Cable & Internet — I don’t know if this is still the case, but when I moved in, they told me that this was my only option
7. Recycling — not a very strong recycling program. There aren’t any recycle bins at the pool/​recreation areas, and I wish they picked up recycling with your trash (or maybe gave us a discount on rent… hint hint)
8. A/​C Unit — The A/​C is really loud when it is cooling. Sometimes I have to literally shut it off so I can hear the TV
Overall, I like living at the Dakota, and would recommend it to friends