Overton Park Apartments

We lived here for 2 years and only recently moved. I am definitely not disparaging Kim’s remarks below because I am sure they are valid but our apartment faced the other side of the building and we had zero problems with noise from the garbage. None. So, it’s not fair to say as a blanket statement that you can’t sleep there.
The apartments are nice. I think they could use some updating in terms of kitchen cabinets and appliances but they are still quite nice. We had a pretty spacious place with relatively low rent (compared with the neighborhood).
Our view was awesome. We had a great view of Mt. Hood, The Rose Garden arena (aka the Moda Center) and the Fremont Bridge. So beautiful and well-​lit at night! The secure balcony allowed us to constantly breathe fresh air even when we were up so high, I loved it. We even napped out there like weirdos on hot nights.
Units all have W/​D in unit and large walk-​in closets. The on-​site manager is very helpful.
Due to mail theft in the lobby (two of my things were stolen), I would say KBC really needs to install cameras. Not only are packages viewable from the street but being a downtown apartment, you have a lot of foot traffic from unsavory people around. They really need to focus on protecting the tenants’ mail.
Other than that, we loved it. We only moved so that we could finally get a dog since they are not allowed there.

We’ve lived here for about two years, but probably would have moved a while ago if rental prospects in PDX weren’t so slim.
Do not sign a lease here if you value your sleep or your security. In particular, do NOT move into an apt in the back of the building. They have a serious garbage pickup issue going on due to the crappy planning of the driveway, and due to the Subway and SBux downstairs.
Residents are forced to share a trash compactor out back– which is completely jammed full every day, and running constantly due to employees shoving bag after bag after bag of trash in there at all hours. If you’re in the back, you’re forced to listen to the door of it bang open (then closed) and the stupid things runs for about 10 seconds PER BAG. Since it’s always overflowing, that means they either bring in one (or two) extra dumpsters to supplement, and/​or there is a mound of garbage bags piled up under your balcony. Combine all this with the stench of Subway bread and it’s nauseating.
Even worse is the actual collection of garbage. Since the compactor is located in a tiny driveway downhill from the street, some poor bastard needs to back his special truck down the driveway and painstakingly back into the compactor at the perfect angle. You will be forced to wake up at 5:45 AM (2 – 3 TIMES A WEEK) and listen to this jerkoff pull an Austin Powers 30-​point turn to try and hit it right. And yes, his truck has blaringly loud back-​up beeps for every single turn! dear god. He then needs to lift the huge thing with his hydraulics in back and take it out to Overton (ps, don’t live on that side either) to be dumped into a bigger truck. Not sure how they get around the city’s biweekly trash collection policy, but two to three times is ridiculous. Do not let them tell you it comes at 9am on Saturdays; it’s a lie. They change the time every few weeks, but it is always several times during the week and it is never later than 7 am.
For the record, this WILL wake you up, even if you have a white noise machine and industrial earplugs. I speak from experience. My fiancée is deaf on one ear and still can’t sleep through it.
Another issue is the Starbucks/​Subway situation, especially if you’re on the 2^nd floor right above them. Not sure which company it is, but they hire people to come in and do maintenance/​construction in the middle of the night! We have had about 10 instances where someone below us suddenly starts DRILLING INTO THE CEILING (our floor) between 10pm and 4am. Not even kidding. It’s incredibly loud and once went from 2am to 3am on a week night! Even the on-​site manager can’t get them to stop– again, they get the priority here.
Last item is KBC’s disregard for resident safety, in favor of saving money. We had several thefts of packages and personal items (such as 2 bikes) over the course of several weeks. The only way someone could achieve either of these things is having the main key to the building, and it was clear there were several entries. Despite concerns, KBC refused to acknowledge this was a possibility (OR to install any safety cameras) and tried to avoid the issues until repeated offenses forced them to change the locks… 4 months later. Definitely creepy for a few weeks there.
All in all, KBC in general has shitty management policies and only care about making top dollar, or catering to the corporations, like Starbucks, that share their properties. This building is one of their newest, but it’s very pricey and not nearly worth the cost.