Trinity Commons At Erwin

I'm not sure why there are so many poor reviews. The management staff is full of the friendliest, most helpful people. There are very...

I'm not sure why there are so many poor reviews. The management staff is full of the friendliest, most helpful people. There are very few fire alarms and none while I was asleep. There are no leaking problems. The location is also unbeatable. If there is ever an issue (lightbulb out, AC broken) they fix it almost immediately. It's almost a joke how safe I feel in my room. Some of the other poor reviews are outdated and false - I couldn't be happier with my experience at TC.

I never write reviews, and in fact I believe this is my first google review. I am writing this so that you know those...

I never write reviews, and in fact I believe this is my first google review. I am writing this so that you know those 1 star reviews are inaccurate. I have lived at Trinity Commons starting August 2014 and I couldn't be happier. Let me address some of the "problems" raised by others. 1) Personal Safety: I honestly could not imagine there being a more safe apartment complex than Trinity Commons in Durham. The way the apartment is structured, it's simply not possible to get mugged inside the building. Those who claim to have been mugged clearly have not seen the inside of the complex. Not only are there two gates separating the apartments from the outside, they have private security officers patrolling at all time. I know this because as a law student I come home late (after 1 AM) and every time I enter the complex I pretty much have to pass by an armed, but friendly, security officer. Also, the parking lot is gated, meaning you won't get stuff stolen from your car. This was my main reason for wanting to live here at first because I had issues with this living at a different apartment complex with an open parking space. 2) Rude and incompetent management: Who are these rude and incompetent management you speak of? Is this your first apartment? The people in the office are pretty chill and they have treats for your dogs. Seriously, what more do you expect? Maybe it's because I am from New York, but these guys are professional and handled all my inquiries and complaints promptly and with smiles. 3) Leaking problems: I have not had this problem. I live on the top floor, and my friends (other law students and med students) haven't had this problem either. 4) Fire alarm: This actually was my only concern before moving in. A friend of mine who lived here from 2013 to 2014 (she still lives here) told me there were fire alarms every other week. The first month I was here there was 1 fire alarm. Since then maybe once every 3 months. You really can't blame the management for the fire alarms going off because some law students burnt their turkey on Thanksgiving. Would you rather not have fire alarm go off in case of a fire? Anyhow, fire alarm has not been an issue for a while, and there hasn't been one in the last 4 months (maybe longer). 5) Overpriced: Well, you get what you pay for. It's not like they are forcing you to sign the lease. There is an outdoor pool, an indoor pool, great gym, gated parking, thick walls between neighbors, cheap utilities (excluding electricity), excellent security, barista morning coffee service now and then, friendly and responsive maintenance crew, great management, and is right next to the med school and the law school. Again you get what you pay for, and I am pretty happy with what I am getting. 6) Towing within the parking lot: Again, it is a closed parking lot, so unauthorized cars will be removed from the lot. I prefer this over not having a parking space for myself. There are plenty of parking spaces available around the area for visitors. 7) Bathroom sink: I do hate this design. Finally, having lived at different places around Durham, I believe Trinity Commons is pretty much the best apartment complex in all of Durham.

You can't put a price on great service, and in this area Trinity Commons over-delivers (thank god!). Michael and staff are tremendously friendly and...

You can't put a price on great service, and in this area Trinity Commons over-delivers (thank god!). Michael and staff are tremendously friendly and easy to deal with -- and quick to resolve problems -- which is something that I can't say about many building management offices. The amenities are really nice for Durham, and it's a good location. We highly recommend Trinity Commons and would still be living there if we didn't have to relocate for work.

TL;DR Version: Best Apartment in Durham, Live Here! I've lived at Trinity Commons for a little over two years now, and I have kept...

TL;DR Version: Best Apartment in Durham, Live Here! I've lived at Trinity Commons for a little over two years now, and I have kept tabs on the new developments in the area. Thus, I feel that I am qualified to leave a review about the experience. My review applies to the time period of late 2013 to mid 2015 and may reference new personnel compared to older reviews. Building Quality: During my two years at TC, I have never heard my neighbors through the walls or the ceiling. I have lived in two different units during those two years, so while my sample size is admittedly small, I do believe that the construction of the building was done quite well. I do like the real wood (or real bamboo depending on the unit) flooring and the higher quality carpeting used in the rooms. The high ceilings in combination with the floor to ceiling windows give the units a light and airy feel, and I would recommend getting a unit with these great windows if possible. The apartment keys are nifty programmable plastic keys that do not scratch your possessions and are easy to use compared to some of the finicky conventional locks used in most apartments. The appliances look nice and work as intended, nothing really special here. The parking structure is well lit and clean; while not fully enclosed, the parking structure does provide ample shelter from the elements if you park toward the inside of the structure. Safety: I have never had a problem with safety at TC. All the outer doors require a key to open, the stairwell doorways do not open from the outside, and the parking structure has a full gate on both sides. I believe the passive security is as good as it gets without invading the tenant's privacy. At night, there is a security patrolman stationed in the main lobby who can be seen doing rounds of the building. As an added security measure, there is a Dunkin Doughnuts right across the street and it is common to see police officers enjoying doughnuts and coffee. Management: The management is one of my favorite things about this apartment. Everyone is friendly and willing to go out of their way to help you, and service requests have never taken more than a day to complete. I am admittedly a bit difficult to please when it comes to customer service, but I have nothing but positive things to say about the people who work at TC; I would like to give a special shout out to the property manager Michael who has helped me with my numerous requests and inquiries. Michael, you are a textbook example of good customer service. Amenities: The community has pretty much everything you would need in terms of amenities. I won't bore everyone with the details, but all the other common areas were always clean and well maintained, and when something in the gym broke, it was always repaired quickly. Walkability: I would like to preface this assessment with the fact that I hate walking anywhere. There are quite a few restaurants within walking distance of TC; I would hesitate to call any of them top-notch, but I doubt anyone came to Durham for the food. Some of the restaurants a quite good and will serve you well in a pinch. There is a Suntrust bank within walking distance. Most of Duke's west campus is walkable from TC. Duke medical center is also walkable from TC. There is a Kroger that is in an arguable walking distance; I would never attempt it myself. There are two gas station convenience stores nearby for your emergency needs. Common Complaints: I personally did not have any complaints about TC, so I would like to give my opinion about some complaints I saw in other reviews. - Noisy Undergrads: During my two years at TC, I did see a good number of younger faces, but they were all polite and I have never seen or heard them stumble around drunk and/or high. - Fire Alarms: During my two years at TC, I remember six fire alarms. Of these six alarms, two were false alarms; judging by some of these old reviews, the management seems to be working to reduce the number of false alarms. Conclusion: I would wholeheartedly recommend living at Trinity Commons.

I am quite surprised that this poorly managed apartment complex still get its operating permits. It is by far the most horrible place to...

I am quite surprised that this poorly managed apartment complex still get its operating permits. It is by far the most horrible place to live - people are often getting hit by careless drivers in the parking garage, rude incompetent "management office", overpriced booths they call apartments - in Durham. Do yourself a favor - stay away at all costs. Here is a sample of problems my friends and I (yes, we all did the mistake and moved in here because of the close proximity to Duke) encountered: 1) Personal safety - they sale you that there is security and you are protected? the joke is on you - my friends got mugged three times, once inside the building and twice just outside the complex - during day time. 2) Personal safety 2 - neighbors are driving very fast in the parking garage. Watch out for those NASCAR drivers! you may well be run over... 3) Rude, incompetent "management" - just try to ask the clowns who work there to do their job. On top of it, they are extremely rude (and that is a huge compliment) and completely disrespectful to the point it is embarrassing. 4) Leaking problems in these "new" apartments. 5) Want to sleep peacefully? Forget it. The building's fire alarms go off so often - at totally random times, 3:30 a.m. - that it would drive you crazy. You would actually be surprised when they would not go off 3-4 times a month. Ask anyone who lived here and they would tell you. 6) Violation of personal privacy - the "management" has a key to every apartment and they get in as they see necessary. According to the contract that you sign, they can get in (and they do!) without giving you heads up. 7) Completely overpriced. Where are the authorities that need to close this place immediately?

I would recommend considering other places to live besides this one. I have lived here for a year and am laying out the pros...

I would recommend considering other places to live besides this one. I have lived here for a year and am laying out the pros and cons as objectively as possible. Pros: 1. Great Location. If you work at Duke Medical or are in graduate school at Duke, you can easily walk. There are a couple of good restaurants that are within walking distance. 2. Nice amenities, including a great pool and gym. *Note: These amenities often break down however, and it takes a long time to fix. 3. Safe, as you need your key to get in the building and through various checkpoints. 4. The maintenance staff is amazing. Very friendly and very attentive - I have never had to wait longer than 24 hours to have a maintenance request filled. Cons: 1. Fire alarms go off all the time - probably over 20 times in the year I have lived here. They are never for a real reason and go off at all hours, from noon to 3am. 2. The management staff is rude and incompetent. Not only do they send multiple emails to your inbox with "reminders," which are really lists of rules that everyone must follow or be fined, they will also send you rude personal emails about everything from noise to having your Valet Waste trashcan outside your door past the 8am deadline. The office also sent a threatening email to the entire complex stating that two chairs had been removed from a common area, and they had who did it on tape. They threatened to call the police by the end of the day if the chairs weren't returned. If they had it on video, why didn't they just reach out to that resident specifically instead of sending a menacing email to the entire community ? 3. Construction - the building wasn't built very well, so you can hear a lot of noise between floors. I often hear people in the hallway and the person above me. Apparently the person below me can hear me too because I have received noise complaints via rude emails from the management office. Overall, if you don't know Durham well, it is a safe and convenient place to live. But it comes with frustrations. This place is too expensive to be hassled by constant threatening emails directed at the entire community and being assessed fines constantly without warning. I am moving somewhere less expensive and more professional.

I recommend you read before you make the decision to live here. I have laid out the Pros/Cons, absent my opinion, in order to...

I recommend you read before you make the decision to live here. I have laid out the Pros/Cons, absent my opinion, in order to be as helpful as possible. I have also provided recommendations below. Pros: Pretty decent gym Nicer than average apartments, in theory Good Maintenance team Cons: Management team is beyond incompetent * Management approaches every issue with an excuse When an issue arises, management does not aid the customer; they duck, cover-their-backside, and bill you. Fire alarms sound in the middle of the night every couple of weeks, requiring everyone to evacuate to the street (this includes your local E.R. doctors who are now without sleep). Amenities are locked after 10pm (except the gym) Amenities break down frequently and the fix often requires a decision outside of the authority of the competent and good-intentioned maintenance crew, which they receive days or weeks later. Management contracted a towing truck to police the parking garage. This is a direct quote from the email residents received: If your permit is on a tinted window, please move it to the front windshield of your vehicleIf you still have not placed your permit on your front windshield, please do so IMMEDIATELY. Your vehicle will be booted or towed at YOUR expense. And yes, a person I know had the car booted because the looter claimed not to have seen the parking decal in his car. Recommendations: *If you decide to interact with the management team, Van is by far the only competent one. She is legitimately helpful to the extent she can be. Avoid Gail at all costs. If you decide to live here, note that sound travels moderately well between floors. If you are easily disturbed, consider living on the highest floor. Note the odd design of the bathroom sink. You will see that it was not designed to actually be used. Some would consider Trinity overpriced relative to the Lofts, a look there is recommended.