Cadence at Nocatee Apartments

S Brooks

When I moved in 3 years ago, I felt like I was living in luxury! It was great! Then there was multiple changes with the companies that ran the apartment and it has just been going down hill. It’s extremely frustrating that I’m paying roughly $2,300 for a 2-bed, 2-bath apartment while new residents are paying $1,900 or less for the exact same unit. On top of that, the upkeep of the property has noticeably declined. The flower beds around the complex are poorly maintained, making the place look messy. I tried using the cabana when my family was in town recently and was surprised to find it locked. When I looked inside, I noticed a large crack along the floor. There was no prior notice about this community amenity closure, and it took them 2.5 weeks to send an email out to all residents to alert them of this. The pool itself lacks proper shade, of the two umbrellas available, only one is not broken. In Florida, that is simply not enough. The bean bags for corn hole are worn out, the grills need a thorough cleaning, and I’m not even sure there are any ping pong balls or paddles available anymore. The coffee maker in the front office now has restricted hours, it’s only available when the office is open. This means residents can no longer grab a coffee after an early morning workout or before heading to work, a convenience that used to be available 24/7. The pool gate is another issue. It was broken for a while this past summer and wouldn’t lock. Now that it’s fixed, it’s so heavy and difficult to open that it feels like an injury waiting to happen. Another major issue is the change in the community atmosphere. Since they have lowered rent prices, the complex no longer has the same luxury feel it did when I moved in three years ago, which has altered the environment significantly. It’s frustrating to be locked into a higher rate while the overall experience has declined. This past year I even had mold form in the ceiling of my spare bathroom. We rarely use that bathroom. We are on the second floor. It did take a couple days to get it fixed, they did cut that part of the ceiling out and put in a dehumidifier, I attached pictures of the mold. It still baffles me how does an apartment that is still very newly built get that type of mold coming through the ceilings. I since have bought my own dehumidifier, so hopefully I will never see mold in my apartment again. A positive is that the office staff and maintenance team are friendly and nice. Community events have also diminished. Food trucks do not count as a real community event. We used to have monthly bingo nights with $20 gift card prizes and live music with drinks by the pool—those are now gone. Yes, there are some events a month, but nothing like they used to have. They did have a nice candle making class recently, but only allowed 10 people to sign up. That’s not many spots for this huge apartment complex. Additionally, trash pickup has been reduced from six days a week to five, yet we’re still expected to pay the same amount for the service. They now have a suggestion box for residents, but I feel it’s not my job to have to submit a suggestion for basic issues that are visible around the property that need kept up with: like the things mentioned above - bean bags, pool house games, grill cleanliness, gate, umbrellas, etc. I don’t like complaining, it is not an extremely horrible place to live, it is just sad and frustrating to see things not be as good of quality as it once was and know that it can be. Especially when you’re still paying top dollar for something that has taken a decline. Overall, the value of living here has significantly decreased. I once felt like I was paying for a luxury experience, but now, with lower rents for new tenants and declining amenities, that feeling is long gone. It’s disappointing to be stuck paying top dollar for something that no longer meets the standards it once had.