I've been living here for almost a year. I can only speak to what it's like living in a studio in the Hi-Rise building, but living at the Parliaments has been a great experience so far. I wouldn't say it's a perfect complex, but my only complaints are minor.
Pros:
-Utilities included in the rent, no parking fees, no amenity fees... it's great not being surprised by costs and paying exactly the price it says online. If you have a pet, there's also the monthly pet rent, which isn't as high as I've
...seen some places.
-Big rooms (even the studio feels huge)
-Giant windows (no balconies on the studios, sadly) that let in a ton of light, at least on our side
-Tons of space, even in our studio
-Fitness center is convenient and does the job. Although it seems small for a complex so large, it's not usually too crowded.
-The pool is large
-Maintenance is responsive and emergencies are dealt with quickly
-Haven't seen a single cockroach and only a few unidentified insects
-I never have an issue parking, even late at night. Usually it takes me less than 30 sec to get from my car to the door of my apartment (I don't need the elevator).
-Safeway is a 30 sec walk from the Hi-Rise
-This summer they provided free lunches for kids and gave out free school supplies
-I almost never hear noise from other apartments. I can sometimes hear running water or a muffled alarm, but in general the building is insulated very well.
Cons:
-We had an invasion of tiny ants near the window this spring. They showed up on a Friday evening, so the apartment couldn't do anything until Monday. They were completely gone by Tuesday, though, and I haven't seen another since. This was the only significant pest issue we've had, and the response was timely.
-Because of the way utilities work here, they aren't able to provide heat and a/c at the same time. The law requires that heat be available for so long into the spring, which can lead to some discomfort on those random spring days when the temperature spikes.
-Although the equipment in the fitness center seems to work as *fitness equipment* all the time there are often issues with the attached tv screens. Even after they get fixed, they go right back to how they were.
-Lack of outdoor areas. There are playgrounds, paths, and plenty of trees, but as someone without a balcony, I'd love if there were some picnic tables or benches or something.
All in all, I'm planning to move only because I'd like to be closer to metro and in a more walkable area.
Cats.