Shady Creek Apartments in Baytown, TX

Pros

• Elsie Marmolejo is an awesome manager who goes above and beyond to help residents.
• Elise is a wonderful manager who helps with everything and makes family members feel confident about moving in.
• The property is well maintained and gives residents a sense of pride in calling it home.
• The layout is designed for mobility-impaired residents, with no stairs and ramps to the sidewalks.
• The staff are punctual, knowledgeable, and friendly, making the application process smooth.
• The community is safe, peaceful, and welcoming for seniors.
• Residents appreciate the friendly staff and convenient location with nearby amenities.

Cons

• The maintenance team won't bother cleaning or inspecting the pool before summer, despite residents paying $1100 a month, so they can't use the pool.
• They allege they were cheated out of an $800 referral fee and that management deliberately excluded them from the referral application.
• The complex is bed bug-infested with no maintenance and no after-hours or weekend calls.
• There is no on-site maintenance; access to the back door and exercise room is blocked; dumpsters are gross; and rent increases aren't disclosed, taking advantage of the elderly.
• They say tenants' rights aren't addressed and after move-out the manager charges another month's rent; deposits are rarely refunded.
• Dominium properties are not for seniors at all.
• The staff are described as rude and gossip-prone, with the office manager not curbing the behavior; lease terms aren't enforced.
• The place is a joke because nothing gets fixed unless reminded repeatedly.
• There are few activities and advertised transportation or on-site manager are not present.
• They would not recommend living there.

Review

Shady Creek Apartments in Baytown is best suited for seniors who prioritize accessibility, safety, and a responsive on-site manager, even when other amenities feel uneven. The layout is clearly designed for mobility-impaired residents: no stairs, ramps to sidewalks, and a compact footprint that supports easy navigation with a walker or wheelchair. Community life is described as peaceful, with some balance of convenient proximity to basic services (a fast-food option across the street and the like) that can reduce daily friction. For families seeking a straightforward, barrier-free home base for a loved one, Shady Creek can feel like a practical fit when the focus is daily ease and predictable on-site assistance.

Those who may want to consider alternatives include anyone who cannot tolerate recurring maintenance gaps, questionable lease practices, or persistent quality concerns. A sizable portion of reviews allege ongoing maintenance delays, unresponsiveness after hours, and units that do not receive timely cleaning or repairs. Reports of bed bug infestations and inconsistent pest control are a recurring theme, raising red flags for residents who require a consistently healthy living environment. Several accounts also flag aggressive or unclear lease terms, repeated rent increases, and disputes over referral fees, suggesting a pattern that erodes trust and predictability.

The strongest positives - and they are meaningful - center on the on-site management and the basic safety of the property. Several residents praise the manager, particularly Elsie Marmolejo, for responsiveness, kindness, and hands-on help during move-in and daily life. The staff's attentiveness translates into a sense of security and reassurance for families watching over dependent loved ones. The property's design and upkeep in the eyes of many residents reinforce pride in one's home, with reports of clean interiors and a well-kept exterior that reinforces a calm, residential feel. When the manager and care-oriented staff are visible and reliable, these advantages can offset some disappointments.

Yet the cons carry real weight and cannot be dismissed. The bed bug issue appears repeatedly in multiple reviews, with residents expressing frustration over insufficient adjacent-unit spraying and a lack of proactive control. Maintenance gaps - delayed oven repairs, infrequent HVAC and pool maintenance, and difficulty getting issues addressed - strike at the core of daily comfort and long-term habitability. There are also consistent complaints about lease provisions and rent increases that feel unanticipated or unfulfilled, along with accusations of misleading practices around referrals and deposits. The combination of pests, maintenance inertia, and opaque financial terms creates an atmosphere where trust erodes quickly.

From a risk-management perspective, this community demands due diligence before committing. Prospective residents should request current pest-control histories, a documented maintenance-response timeline, and a clear, written policy on rent increases and addenda. Tours should include careful inspection of common areas and sample units, with emphasis on the exercise room, back-entry accessibility, and the pool area, given past criticisms regarding maintenance and usability. It is prudent to speak with multiple residents about responsiveness, and to verify that promises made during the application process - such as transportation services or on-site staffing levels - are currently upheld in practice.

The bottom-line recommendation is practical and decisive: Shady Creek can be a workable option for seniors who prize accessibility, safety, and a genuinely helpful manager, but the spectrum of reported issues is too broad to overlook. If choosing this community, enter with a clear expectations framework and a concrete action plan: insist on written commitments for maintenance response times, pest-control schedules, and lease terms; confirm the current status of the pool and exercise room; and verify any advertised transportation services before signing. For families prioritizing reliability, consider nearby properties with stronger track records on maintenance, pest management, and transparent financial practices, and use Shady Creek as a quantified, testable option only after thorough on-site validation.

This part of Baytown, Texas offers a variety of amenities that cater to senior living needs. With several restaurants nearby such as Domino's Pizza and El Toro Mexican Restaurant, seniors can enjoy convenient dining options. Additionally, there are multiple healthcare facilities in close proximity including Kvf Eye Center and Baytown Family Dentistry. For medication needs, there are several pharmacies like Walgreens and Southside Pharmacy 10 within a short distance. In case of emergencies, the San Jacinto Methodist Hospital-Alexander Campus and Kindred Hospital-East Houston are easily accessible. Nearby parks like Jenkins Park provide opportunities for outdoor activities and relaxation. Overall, this area provides a range of services that can support a comfortable and convenient lifestyle for seniors looking to settle down in Baytown.

Restaurants

• Domino's Pizza (0.1 miles)
• Taqueria Y Restaurant El Sol De Mexico (0.9 miles)
• Subway (1.7 miles)
• Whataburger (1.8 miles)
• El Toro Mexican Restaurant (1.8 miles)
• Luby's (2.2 miles)
• Nara Thai Dining - Baytown (2.4 miles)

Physicians

• Kvf Eye Center (0.2 miles)
• Baytown Family Dentistry (1 miles)
• John F Reiter Opticians (1.3 miles)
• Texas State Optical Baytown (1.4 miles)
• Digestive Disorders Associates PA (1.7 miles)
• Allergy & Asthma Associates (1.7 miles)
• Pars Open MRI (2.3 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.4 miles)
• Walgreens (1.5 miles)
• Southside Pharmacy 10 (1.7 miles)
• Walgreens (2.1 miles)
• Target Pharmacy (2.4 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (2.7 miles)
• Walgreens (4.6 miles)

Hospitals

• San Jacinto Methodist Hospital-Alexander Campus (0.4 miles)
• Kindred Hospital-East Houston (0.4 miles)
• Houston Methodist Hospital (2.3 miles)
• Comdet Design (12.6 miles)

Parks

• Jenkins Park (2.4 miles)
• Baytown Nature Center (5.1 miles)
• Mont Belvieu City Park (9.2 miles)
• Gene Green Beltway 8 Park (13.8 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (2.6 miles)
• Starbucks (13.5 miles)
• Sycamore Grounds Coffee House (13.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• First United Methodist Church of La Porte (10.5 miles)
• Memorial Baptist Church SBC of Pasadena (12.8 miles)
• Old River Assembly (13 miles)
• Churches United In Caring (13.1 miles)
• Southern Baptist Convention (13.5 miles)