Patterson Tower Apartments

I lived here for the majority of my undergraduate study at the UO and am glad to be the hell out.
Pros:
* One of only a handful of buildings in Eugene that is more than 3 stories high. Pretty views galore, if you’re willing to pay for them (see con #1).
* Locked front entry. Again, something unusual for Eugene, but there is a catch (see con #2).
* THE LOCATION. Probably the best part. It’s right on the border between the campus area and the beginning of downtown. It’s an easy (5 – 10) minute walk to either, and is right on the emx bus line. This was unbeatable for me, as I could get on the bus for a couple stops in one direction to get to class, and a couple in the opposite direction to get to work. It’s pretty close to the river bike path which is also good for transportation and nature-​enjoyment purposes, and it’s only a few blocks down from Max’s, if getting shitfaced drunk and having to stagger only a short distance home is your thing (it was my thing).
* There are studios, 1-​bedrooms and 2-​bedrooms of varying sizes, and rooms with balconies — options! Of course, depending on when you’re looking, your choices may be limited.
Moving on…
Cons:
* Expensive. So, so expensive. Easily in the $ 800-​$ 1200 realm, which is double what you can find elsewhere in the area. Roommates are likely necessary.
* Keeping the doors closed and locked to guard against the malicious intent of strangers is a MUST and you will be reminded of it often. Reminders come in the seasonal residents’ newsletter, scared girls will slam the door in your face, and the manager will sigh loudly if you hold it open for someone who isn’t a resident. Despite this hubbub, I’ve walked in to find grungy-​looking folks passed out on the couch.
* It was built in the 1960s, meaning cracks on the walls, dark old cabinets, things like that — those aren’t a big deal. However, over the time I was there, I had a lot of repairs to call in. For example, my front door gradually came off its hinges and at one point fell down completely. (Yes, I should’ve said something before it happened, but still.) Also, my bathroom sink absolutely refused to drain at some points, random little fixtures would break or come off, and dust attached itself to absolutely EVERYTHING. I was charged in some way for each of these three things, which are apparently not «normal wear and tear,» though I’m not sure why.
* The manager. He was cool when I first moved in, jovial and chatty. That changed. The lease does not permit non-​residents to be in an apartment for more than 14 consecutive days or something like that, which is pretty standard, although I’ve never had it so voraciously enforced anywhere else I’ve lived. If my significant other was over for what the manager thought was too many days, he would let me know. Once I walked by his office and he literally YELLED at me, in front of other residents, to come talk to him about it. Embarrassing for me, unprofessional on his part. Another time he told me my significant other had been over for 14 days straight. This was not true, as we were not even in town for part of that time, but regardless, he would not believe me. On an unrelated but illustrative note: One time someone was snapping their fingers outside the elevator and he yelled «STOP PUSHING THE ELEVATOR BUTTON!!»
So, as you can see, lots of pettiness, lots of berating for «violations» of relatively minor rules. It was like I was still living at home with my mother. I often wondered if he watched the cameras every morning to see who had come in/​out of the building and make notes about it, just to bitch at people later.
Asking for help was not a pleasant experience, either. He does the vast majority of maintenance, so you’ll inevitably have to interact with him at some point, but he will not be happy about it. For instance, when I locked myself out of my apartment (I’m not the brightest bulb) and went to ask him to let me in, he said I was «putting him in a bind.» Putting him in a bind? For something that took an elevator ride and 2 seconds of sticking a key in a slot?
Similarly, he does not mess around with the move-​out fees.
A pro or con depending on your situation:
* I wouldn’t move here expecting to make friends with all the people on your floor, unless you are elderly or an international student (mostly Asians). The early 20s, white students that make up the majority of the UO student population live elsewhere — which I enjoyed (as an antisocial early 20s white student). So, the building is mostly quiet, but sometimes parties will carry on until the wee hours of the morn, and sometimes people like to blast music in the parking lot. Also, in the last year I lived there, cigarette smoke wafted into my apartment every day.
* The area is eh. I went to bed most nights hearing drunk screams of glee (and sometimes fights — fun!) outside. A couple times I had bums try to follow me in through the front. Not the safest or most culturally enriched neighborhood.

If living in the dorms or the popular student complexes isn’t your thing or perhaps if you’re not a student at all, then the Patterson Tower Apartments may be a place worth looking at in terms of location. Its literally on the corner of Patterson and East 11^th, a popular spot in Eugene and probably about a 5 – 10 minute walk from the UO campus. Spacious and a semi-​high rise, I’ve learned that this place is probably well out of a student’s budget, but certainly affordable for a professional already working in the field.
I’ve noticed that during my limited time here that a majority of the residents are senior citizens are employees at Sacred Heart Medical Center (literally 5 minutes away). The one bedroom floor layout is spacious and presents good views of the hippy side of Eugene with a semi-​large parking lot to boot. Rent at the time was just a shade under $ 800 for a two bedroom, which is expensive in my opinion for Eugene standards. It doesn’t help that management was not fun to deal with, hence moving out was not a big deal. Plus the parking situation was incredibly annoying, as there were no designated spaces and a parking security guard that would come by every few minutes to check out the parking situation and issue tickets.
Ultimately, if the rent prices are good, this is a nice place to live where its semi-​quiet and fairly secure. The elevator is quick and the neighbors for the most part keep to themselves. In time this place may only continue to get better or just get older.