Venue at Dinkytown

This year at the venue has been overall way more frustrating than it had any right to be. The stairwell in the back as...

This year at the venue has been overall way more frustrating than it had any right to be. The stairwell in the back as well as the main hallway are always filthy by the end of the weekend and once there was a vomit puddle in the main area for over three days. I have only seen one matinence worker there and it seems like he has his work cut out for him. I have had three different months where the venue has accused me of not paying rent on time when I have paid. Not only this but the office is almost never open an hour after their scheduled "start." Multiple days of the week I attempted to rectify my rent problem before classes, the office was still closed and locked. All they can tell me is sorry, but it keeps happening... I have just been thouroughly disappointed with my time here. Lease with extreme caution.

I have not had a positive experience at the Venue at Dinkytown. I have lived here since august 2017, and plan on moving out...

I have not had a positive experience at the Venue at Dinkytown. I have lived here since august 2017, and plan on moving out as soon as my lease is up. I am a first year medical student at the U. My dishwasher has been out for 2 months (its monthly utilities price is pre-factored into the rent, which I am told I cannot get a refund for) and despite the maintenance crew visiting my apartment several times (usually a week after I put in the request) it is still not working. The building is pretty unhygienic/unclean - the back stairwell always has some vomit and or trash on the carpet (gets cleaned maybe once every few months), and I once found blood smears on the wall outside my apartment. The back stairwell railings are frequently broken off, and the ends have nails sticking out. I also have a long-distance boyfriend of four years, he stayed with me for 1 month time when he had time off from work. I told the office this would be happening when I moved in and was very upfront about the situation. I received an "unauthorized guest notice" within that month demanding that he move out immediately. The back stairwell has different homeless men sleeping there on a regular basis, but instead of addressing pertinent issues the staff decided to send an intimidating notice to me regarding my relationship in an attempt to get more money out of me. Also doesn't sit well that my boyfriend happens to be a large black man, I doubt they would've said anything if was an un-assumming looking white dude since there are always throngs of them coming in the building for parties on the weekends and they don't seem to be treated with the same "unauthorized guest" mentality. The front office does not have it's priorities straight - instead of having the occasional "grilled cheese" night in the lobby lounge , they should focus on addressing the very real and pertinent problems safety issues with the building. The rent is too high for the quality of the building - maybe a fun place if you're an undergrad who doesn't care about safety/hygiene, but overall would not recommend.

Charging both of my kids $100 more per month next year than their current published rates. My kids were on top of things and...

Charging both of my kids $100 more per month next year than their current published rates. My kids were on top of things and signed early. They then lowered their pricing for new residents, but not for my kids.

First I'll talk about the good, then the bad, then the worst. Last 3 paragraphs are where I put what you need to know...

First I'll talk about the good, then the bad, then the worst. Last 3 paragraphs are where I put what you need to know about this apartment building specifically. The on-suite laundry was very nice, though you need to work out with roommates when you will all do laundry. A typical experience. The rent is on a per person basis. If your roommates fail to pay their rent, you do not have any liability. Though rent does not include electricity or gas for heat. I don't believe hot water is made using your gas line. The thermostat is programmable, meaning you can set the temperature to change throughout the day, making the room more comfortable and your utilities more affordable. Plus, you get insulation from adjacent apartments, so your bill is much smaller than if your were renting a house. At least for the first rent, I had a problem with my bank that resulted in my rent check showing up late. I talked to the leasing manager the day the late fee was applied, wrote her a check for my full rent right in her office, and she waived the late fee. I can't say they would do the same if it were anything other than the first month. The building is clean and mostly quiet on the inside, but it can be quite loud coming in from the street. The street lights are quite bright, and the blinds were not sufficient. I was on the 4th floor. The wifi is fast, though I still have security/privacy concerns that were not addressed. I used the UMN VPN during my whole lease, because I trust the U to protect my internet traffic more than I trust the company who wouldn't tell me what security protocol they are using, such that my computer thought I was on an unsecured network. Mail was secure and packages were accepted by the front desk. They would only release your packages if you presented an ID or typed in a pin. The lighting in the apartment was subpar. The living room and kitchen has 3 floodlights centered behind the island. That's great for cooking, but reading in the living room is not feasible. Bring your own lighting to make the light less directional. Be aware that they ask you to buy any burnt out lights on your own dime. There are 3 (unusually expensive) floodlights that are only rated for 1 year of life. You will replace all 3. Just figure out what type they are and buy 3 on amazon with your next purchase. Move-out is a huge struggle. You cannot stay through mid-August, even though you paid for a full month. I had to ask for time off work because it wasn't economical to pay for short-term housing to keep working at my job. Your move out time is 9 am on a Saturday. The furniture is the same that all the buildings that want to brand themselves as 'student luxury' get. For a rent of nearly $2500/month between 4 roommates sharing 2 bedrooms, don't be impressed. (The couches and sink are of particularly poor quality. The cushions slide off by you sitting on them, and they wear unusually fast. Then the sinks are poorly designed and the hoses get tangled up underneath, meaning you can't use it as intended. The nozzle would not remain anywhere except 45 degrees to the right. It made washing dishes a huge pain. But the front office doesn't want to do anything to fix that. Also, the microwave fan doesn't vent outside, just to the top of the microwave. Not effective for removing heat coming off the stove.) The BIGGEST problem is that they do not want to assure you that you will receive a certain floor plan. I was lead to believe that I and my 4 roommates would have 2 rooms of equal size. Come move in day, I uncover that my room, that I am sharing with another guy, is really a single with a bunkbed. In hindsight, I should have consulted University Legal Services to get my rent reduced due to providing a measurable inferior room to my roommates. Without consulting ULS, I thought I didn't have a case because there was nothing in the lease except that they would provide a 2 bed 2 bath apartment. Get it in writing, on the lease, what apartment layout you get, along with all the specifications for the space.

The Venue has been fantastic since I have been living here. I was definitely expecting to have the nice furnishings and "luxury" apartment moving...

The Venue has been fantastic since I have been living here. I was definitely expecting to have the nice furnishings and "luxury" apartment moving into one of the newer apartment buildings built within the last few years. But what stands out the most to me is the service from the employees. The staff in the office are always very approachable and have solved all of my apartment related problems so far. Definitely recommend signing here if you are looking to live in dinky town.

The Venue is an exceptional apartment complex! It has a perfect location, nice amenities, a modern style, and a great atmosphere. The leasing office...

The Venue is an exceptional apartment complex! It has a perfect location, nice amenities, a modern style, and a great atmosphere. The leasing office staff are wonderful as well. Jordan is super friendly and always willing to help! AJ is also great. He's very accommodating to residents' needs! Overall a great place to live.

Living at the Venue was a relatively good experience, all staff were very kind and helpful and the apartments were comfortable. There were a...

Living at the Venue was a relatively good experience, all staff were very kind and helpful and the apartments were comfortable. There were a few things I wasn't particularly happy with though. The first is that our lease ended on August 12th which resulted in not having a place to live for close to 3 weeks before my next lease started (even though a full months rent is charged) and second a lot of the stuff in the apartment was poor quality. We were charged at the end of the lease because the couch wears with typical everyday use. This was observed in every other apartment I visited in the Venue as well. So if you don't mind some inevitable charges towards the end of the year the Venue isn't a bad place to live.

The Venue was a good place to live until move out. They will then decide to charge you for things such as damage to...

The Venue was a good place to live until move out. They will then decide to charge you for things such as damage to your couch from simply sitting on it. If you decide to live here, be wary of possible charges when you move out.

Lived at the Venue 2 years of college and absolutely loved it. The office staff is awesome and very helpful. Something I really liked...

Lived at the Venue 2 years of college and absolutely loved it. The office staff is awesome and very helpful. Something I really liked is that the apartments are furnished with really nice furniture! Highly recommend

I went into Venue to ask a question and Ashley was very helpful in answering all my questions and concerns about the property. I...

I went into Venue to ask a question and Ashley was very helpful in answering all my questions and concerns about the property. I love that the property is furnished and the location is wonderful. I also love that you can get an underground parking space. All the staff that I encountered were very friendly and approachable, I felt very comfortable asking them questions.

I had a wonderful touring experience at the Venue! The building is beautiful, clean, and close to campus. My friends and I knew immediately...

I had a wonderful touring experience at the Venue! The building is beautiful, clean, and close to campus. My friends and I knew immediately that we wanted to make Venue our new home for our sophmore year in college. Thanks Dani for helping us with all of our questions and being super friendly!

I moved here from California, booked online without even a tour, and I am so glad I did! The rental process with Danielle was...

I moved here from California, booked online without even a tour, and I am so glad I did! The rental process with Danielle was so fluid and effortless. Upon move-in the space was clean, modern, well-designed, and had lots of natural light. Anytime I had a maintenance request, Ted and Matthew attended to it right away. They are such rockstars. I loved being so close to campus, wouldn't trade my experience at The Venue for anything!

The Venue is a great place to live with a great location. The rooms are great, the fact it is furnished is amazing, and...

The Venue is a great place to live with a great location. The rooms are great, the fact it is furnished is amazing, and the entire staff is wonderful. Kayla was very approachable and always willing to help no matter what I needed! I would recommend this place to anyone that needs a place to live and wants to be in a prime location to get the full college experience.

Beautiful building, wonderful atmosphere, and a great location. Staff was incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable. Had the pleasure of working with Kayla during my time...

Beautiful building, wonderful atmosphere, and a great location. Staff was incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable. Had the pleasure of working with Kayla during my time there. Nothing but good things to say about this place!

The past year has been a blast living here at the Venue. The staff and maintenance team are always helpful and very nice whenever...

The past year has been a blast living here at the Venue. The staff and maintenance team are always helpful and very nice whenever I need something. Dani in the office is always able to answer my questions and always has a great attitude!

Not only is the building beautiful, but the staff is friendly and knowledgeable! Whenever I call, every person I talk to is helpful and...

Not only is the building beautiful, but the staff is friendly and knowledgeable! Whenever I call, every person I talk to is helpful and kind. Thank you to Danielle who helped me and my roommates through the leasing process! I highly recommend checking this place out if you are looking for housing.

Great place to live and attend the University of Minnesota, the staff is amazing and the amenities provided are an awesome plus! Kayla at...

Great place to live and attend the University of Minnesota, the staff is amazing and the amenities provided are an awesome plus! Kayla at the front desk was nice enough to help me with any problems I had and always had a smile on her face.

The Venue provides great housing near the University of Minnesota with awesome amenities including wireless internet, digital cable, fitness center and game room! The...

The Venue provides great housing near the University of Minnesota with awesome amenities including wireless internet, digital cable, fitness center and game room! The office staff has always been able to assist me with any questions in a timely and professional manner.

The staff at Venue are always willing to help and are very friendly. The building feels very secure and is just a short walk...

The staff at Venue are always willing to help and are very friendly. The building feels very secure and is just a short walk from campus, super convenient! Overall, this is a great place to live and you won't regret signing a lease to live here!

The Venue at Dinkytown offers great amenities, staff, and is just minutes away from campus and campus bus stops. The staff are very helpful...

The Venue at Dinkytown offers great amenities, staff, and is just minutes away from campus and campus bus stops. The staff are very helpful and knowledgeable and are willing to go to extra mile to help residents out. I would recommend living here as a U of M student.

The staff here are super friendly and helpful! Whenever there's an issue, I know that they will help me find the solution. The building...

The staff here are super friendly and helpful! Whenever there's an issue, I know that they will help me find the solution. The building is conveniently located and has good amenities too! I would recommend this apartment.