Chelten Place Apartments

Pros

• The building's quietness and cleanliness impressed the reviewer, with staff described as pleasant.
• Nikki and Sammy are considered assets to the staff and property.
• The units are described as very clean, and the agents are helpful.
• The apartment is described as very beautiful, luxurious, and clean, with maintenance issues handled almost immediately.
• Maintenance issues are addressed promptly, and the staff is nice.

Cons

• The management company is the worst.
• They tried to move tenants into a smaller, moldy basement unit and charged the same rent.
• The bike was stolen from the front porch after management claimed there were no crimes.
• Neighbors' cigarette smoke leaked into units and management did nothing.
• Maintenance did nothing about a bat in the building.
• Winter heating issues left the apartments freezing and maintenance did not respond promptly.
• A toilet stayed broken for almost two months and no plumber was called.
• Management is dishonest and refused to offer any partial refunds for complaints.
• There was crime in the building, including break-ins.

Review

Across these accounts, the property emerges as a place where promises and reality often diverge in dramatic ways. Some residents paint a picture of chronic mismanagement, safety concerns, and persistent maintenance failures, while others recall moments of quiet cleanliness, responsive staff, and appealing features. Taken together, the narrative reads like a roller coaster of experiences, with the most troubling stories centering on move-in chaos, safety worries, and long-running service gaps.

Move-in day set the tone for many tenants' experiences. A number of residents describe arriving after long relocations only to be told that their apartment wasn't ready, sometimes after hours of travel. In at least one case, the solution proposed was to relocate into a smaller, moldy basement unit while being charged the same rent, a scenario that felt both unjust and unsettling. The same thread of disappointment recurs in other complaints about ongoing maintenance and safety. A bike was stolen from a front porch bike rack, and the management had previously asserted that there were no crimes in the building, a claim neighbors later contradicted by warnings of prior thefts. The smell of cigarette smoke from a nearby neighbor permeated living spaces through the walls, and despite complaints, management did not intervene. The situation grew more surreal when a bat appeared inside the building, and maintenance did nothing to address it. One evening a mentally ill person wandered the hallway attempting to access several doors, a sight that underscored a sense of insecurity for residents. Adding to the sense of risk, stories of gunfire on adjacent streets and a nearby building burning down forced people to seek shelter in the lobby for hours during a winter emergency, painting a daily reality that many felt was dangerously unstable.

These safety and security concerns were compounded by disputes over how to handle basic maintenance and legitimate expectations about refunds or accommodations. One resident chose to terminate the lease early, citing ongoing smoke smell and concerns about asthma, yet received little in the way of relief or partial refunds. Another common thread is a sense of dishonest or unresponsive service: a broken toilet that persisted for nearly two months without satisfactory intervention, and an overall reluctance to call a plumber or address the issue promptly, leaving tenants to navigate unpleasant and unsanitary conditions for an extended period. The tone of these experiences is consistently negative, with statements that the management was "horrible" and that residents should take their money elsewhere.

Amid these tough experiences, a contrasting set of voices offers a more positive take on the property. Some residents report a surprising degree of quiet within the building, stoking the impression that certain parts of the property can be serene and well-kept under the right circumstances. In these favorable accounts, staff members stand out: Nikki and a maintenance person sometimes named Sammy are highlighted as valuable assets to the operation, producing a sense of care and attentiveness that counters some of the more negative anecdotes. The units themselves are described as very clean, and agents are praised for their helpfulness. Overall, these residents feel the property can be welcoming and well-maintained when things are going smoothly, and they emphasize the potential for a pleasant living experience when the press of incident reports fades into the background.

On balance, another layer of nuance appears in the mixed reviews about the building's atmosphere and location. Several residents describe luxurious, aesthetically pleasing units with clean interiors and fast maintenance responses on certain days, complemented by nice staff. Yet the geographic reality of the neighborhood casts a shadow over the overall appeal. The complex sits near Chelten Avenue and Morris Street, with proximity to transit options such as several SEPTA lines, but reviewers caution that the surrounding area vacillates between routine city life and more troubling urban realities. Some describe being in what they call "the Hood" a short distance away, noting encounters with harassment, poverty, and a need for vigilance. This duality - an upscale, well-kept building on one hand and a surrounding neighborhood marked by social and safety concerns on the other - appears repeatedly, leaving potential residents with a sense that the property can be a solid choice in some settings while being a poor fit in others.

The strongest throughline across the longer narrative is the inconsistent quality of management and service. Several entries categorically label management as a poor choice, centering on late responses, inaction in the face of clear safety risks, and a perceived lack of accountability. In contrast, other comments celebrate a responsive, courteous staff and a level of cleanliness and maintenance that can make living there a positive experience - at least until the next winter storm, failed heating, or service blackout reveals the other side of the coin. The occasional brief flourish of positivity - an "Awesome" note or a few glowing praise lines about quiet days and well-kept spaces - stands in stark relief against the more persistent themes of neglect, security concerns, and unresolved repairs.

When the full story is taken together, it reads as a portrait of an apartment community that can offer appealing features and a sense of comfort under the right conditions, while simultaneously bearing a heavy burden of inconsistent management, safety worries, and slow or insufficient maintenance. For some residents, the building delivers cleanliness, helpful staff, and a location with convenient transit, tempered by the realities of a neighborhood with crime, noise, and unpredictable responses from management. For others, the experience is dominated by relocation chaos, ongoing repairs left unresolved for months, fear for personal safety, and a sense that the cost of rent is not matched by the level of service or protection provided. In any case, the story here reflects a facility with clear potential that is often undermined by recurring problems that shape a complex, sometimes frustrating living experience.

Restaurants

• McDonald's (0.6 miles)
• Dalessandro's Steaks (1.3 miles)
• Custard & Cakes Creamery (1.5 miles)
• McDonald's (2.2 miles)
• Pizza Hut (3.1 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (3.3 miles)
• Larry's Steaks (3.6 miles)

Transportation

• Septa Wayne Junction Station (1.3 miles)
• Stenton Station (2.1 miles)
• SEPTA Jenkintown-Wyncote Station (4.9 miles)
• 30th Street Station (5.1 miles)
• SEPTA: MFL/TRL 30th Street Station (5.2 miles)
• Jefferson Station (5.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• Rite Aid (1.3 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.5 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.6 miles)
• Walgreens (1.9 miles)
• Rite Aid (2.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.7 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.7 miles)
• The Landing Kitchen (2 miles)
• Pilgrim Roasters (2.1 miles)
• Panera Bread (2.1 miles)
• Starbucks (2.3 miles)
• Starbucks (2.9 miles)
• Starbucks (3.6 miles)

Physicians

• Simms Hank Md Albert Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia (2 miles)
• Frankford Avenue Health Center (5.2 miles)
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (5.6 miles)
• CHOP Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care - Raymond G. Perelman Campus (5.7 miles)

Hospitals

• Albert Einstein Employee Health Center (2.2 miles)
• Temple University Hospital (2.4 miles)
• St Christopher's Hospital for Children (3.4 miles)
• Chestnut Hill Emergency Room (3.9 miles)
• Episcopal Hospital (3.9 miles)
• Lankenau Medical Center (5.1 miles)
• Aria Health (5.3 miles)

Parks

• Fairmount Park (3.3 miles)
• Palmer Doggie Depot (4.5 miles)
• Palmer Park Farmers Market (4.6 miles)
• Piazza Dog Park (4.9 miles)
• Womrath Park (5 miles)
• Franklin Square (5.4 miles)
• Rittenhouse Square (5.6 miles)