I typically find out about the departures during happy hour.
My building is modeled after a hotel, so we have breakfast and happy hour in the lobby. It’s one of the reasons why it can feel like Melrose Place at times and also why it is so easy to stay on top of what’s going on.
There’s mass exodus from my building.
A new departure gets announced every time I go to happy hour.
iLume Happy Hour in Dallas
Most of the neighbors that I met over the past few months are moving out, as a whole new set of people trickles in. Massive moving trucks constantly block of the parking garage and furniture clutters the elevator lobbies.
There is a glut of new “luxury” buildings in Oak Lawn. The buildings are largely indistinguishable from each other so dramatic move-in specials are now the norm.
With “no deposit move-in” offers to rent discounts, people are moving into apartments that they can’t afford once the special ends – hence the high turnover rate. Even when people afford the “market rate” of their apartments, there is always a shiny new building offering cheaper rent.
The result of this is a highly transient population in most of the buildings in the area.
Why do I care?
The building feels incredibly insecure now.
Having no facial recognition of my neighbors means that I can’t tell who is a resident, guest, or random off the street.
People are constantly sneaking behind my car to get into the garage, propping open doors, and I’m no longer surprised when I see the cops in front of the building on the weekends.
Police at iLume Park in Dallas.
Although this building is not nearly as scary as my old apartment in Minneapolis, I’m not sure things are going well.
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