I have lived at The Severn for 18 months and it has been a great experience so far. The building itself is old, which has a both positives and negatives, but the management does an excellent job of answering requests for service and general issues.
The Building itself was built in the 1890s, and so with that old-school charm (e.g., high ceilings and hardwood flooring) comes some problems common to all older buildings. As with any building of this age, there is no central air, so cooling in the
...summer (which is a necessity) must come from window/portable AC units. But, on the other hand, the heating system (individually controlled wall-panel style heaters) does a great job in the winter.
Some of the other common issues that arise due to age also allow the strengths of the management company to really shine. There is the occasional pest, but if the apartment is kept clean then they are almost non-existent. I have seen a mouse on occasion and have found three dead roaches over the 18 month period. Those pests are unavoidable in a building of this age, but management responds to any requests quickly and they actively monitor and proactively deal with such issues by periodically sending extermination services throughout the building to set traps etc. so that any pests that might be present are dealt with.
The location is excellent (5 minute walk to many restaurants, 20 minute walk to the inner harbour, 5 minute walk to a shuttle stop for Johns Hopkins). The neighbourhood is one of the safest in Baltimore and it is also close to a lot of cultural options (e.g., within 10 minute walk of the Meyerhoff Symphony hall, Peabody library, Enoch-Pratt library, and Walters Art museum).
Lastly, the management company is responsive to maintenance requests and has really tried to foster a sense of community. They manage several other buildings in the neighbourhood and have holiday parties and events among all the buildings where they have food, drinks, and games! These are a great way to see other tenants and get to know other folk who are living in the apartments around you.
I definitely recommend The Severn, or any other building managed by WPM.
Max of 2.