A small, but solid contingent of Wharton people live here, which means it's a nice place to get away from the chaos. Apartments are very reasonably priced and the on-site maintenance is great. Everyone who works at the Dorchester is very friendly. Since it's a condo building, units differ in their level of renovation and style since changes are at the discretion of the individual unit owner.

I love the safety of having a doorman and mailroom. The building is right on Rittenhouse park as well and has a view of the city with tons of natural sunlight. I think if you live on a lower floor, the rent is less as well. There are a lot of retirees and grad students who live in the building so it's relatively quiet. My only complaint is that the windows are not very well insulated because the building is old, so it's sometimes colder or louder in the apartment than it should be.

The location is great and the staff (doormen, maintenance) is amazing. However, way too many issues. Loud construction, water goes out, fire alarms, no heat for 5 day this winter, broken elevators, etc. Units owned by individual owners, so quality of unit and experience with landlord varies.

The studio apartments are bigger than some of my friends one bedroom apartments in other locations. While the building is not as modern, it has all the amenities that I need (laundry and gym in building, pool that's open during summer season). All utilities are included in the rent, just have to pay additional for internet ($20) and gym membership ($25). When I first moved in during summer 2022 there was a fire alarm issue where it would go off biweekly at odd times without there being a fire but management has resolved that since then. I feel super safe and the doormen are all very chill and nice! There aren't as many Wharton MBA students as other buildings (its a mix of Penn/Temple/Drexel grad students, families and old people) but the location makes it easy to meet up with everyone in the Wharton community.

Unbeatable location on Rittenhouse Square. Very secure with 24/7 front desk clerk, secure package delivery, and key fob access. Older building with decent rooftop pool (extra fee for use) and a mediocre gym (extra monthly fee). Price for my unit was more expensive but included all utilities, has a big outdoor porch, and a fantastic view.

I've lived here for almost one and a half years and have no intention of moving out. So many amenities are included in my rent, the location is phenomenal (right on Rittenhouse Square), and the staff are friendly and accommodating. This is by far the nicest place I've lived in -- it even trumps the home I grew up in!

I had a great experience at the Dorchester. It felt very safe and if I had any maintenance issue, they took care of it within 24 hours. Also, it was a great location -- right on Rittenhouse Square, and pretty close to the Patco (10 min walk) so it was pretty convenient to get to school.

The only downsides were lack of in-unit laundry (in my unit at least) and that you have to pay to use the gym and reserve a time to use it (they were limiting use to 2 residents/hour due to COVID.)

Old but safe

cons: Constant, non stop fire alarms, up to four times a week. The building tries to hide this but ask anyone who has lived there- it’s a nightmare. And they blame all the fire alarms on the residents. The board of this building is all over 80 years old and as such, they refuse to do necessary upgrades, like fixing the fire alarms or improving the gym or even modern things like allowing dogs.
pros: lovely lobby, kind doormen, great location, and rent is cheaper bc of the fire alarms. I’ve lived here for four years solely bc of my cheap rent and good security.

The management of this place is superb. The doormen and front desk workers *always* greet you with a smile. Maintenance is very responsive and effective as well. Each unit is owned by a different person, who then rents it to you, so I imagine the apartments vary, but ours has been recently updated with hardwood flooring and a new master bath.
The apartment itself is super spacious (much larger than I'd get for the same price in other Rittenhouse apartments). The location of our unit isn't the best—fourth floor, right above the trash collection area—and the kitchen is very old and a bit cramped for counter space. We also never get any direct sunlight. But the pros outweigh those cons. Lots of space, recently renovated bathroom, effective heating, in-unit laundry, lots of space! Right on Rittenhouse Square, walking distance to dozens of restaurants (high and low budget ones), twenty-five minutes from the law school. Rittenhouse is the place to be. I don't feel like I'm trapped in the law school bubble quite as much because I live here.