Good amenities with square footage higher than that of similar properties. Rent is up by ~20% year-on-year though.

I had a number of pest issues and pest control couldn’t fix it. Homeless men also came to my floor and security couldn’t do much other than to wait for police to come.

Well priced for living with roommates. Seems overpriced if you live here alone. Fire alarm issues were prevalent at the beginning of the year but seem to be under control now. We have a great rooftop + pool.

The Sterling Apartments Review

Very noisy on JFK

Sterling is very conveniently located at around a 25-30 minute walking distance from campus. Also very well connected via public transport, the nearest trolley station is one block away and cuts journey time down to 10-15 minutes.

The building itself has great amenities including an amazing rooftop pool. The amount of square footage you get for the price is fantastic. Highly recommend getting top floor units as ceilings are very high and make the apartment even more spacious.

One issue is that I have to call maintenance relatively frequently for various issues, including leaking sinks and problems with the front door lock. There is sometimes an unpleasant sewage smell coming up from the drains in the bathroom which the building has been unable to resolve.

Nice units and big Wharton contingent. About a block outside of Rittenhouse but very easy to get everywhere.

I share a 3B2B with two other Wharton students and we are very happy with it. The apartment is very spacious and the bedrooms are large enough to fit a desk.

Reasons to love this building
- There are a lot of wonderful Wharton people here; super down to earth, nice, and our group chat is poppin
- Nice gym
- Amazing roof
- Great $ / sqft
- Guaranteed to see a cute dog in the elevator 1x / day

However, there's some cons that would have kept me away if I had known about them. (That said, the pain of moving is > these issues, so I am planning on staying for a second year)
- Street noise is very loud on JFK especially in the warmer months
- Fire alarms go off every few weeks
- Heater only has on/off so temperature management is finnicky.
- Building is not the best with packages (it's managed by a third party which you have to pay about $50 for the year)
- Windows are not well insulated so the noise outside isn't blocked at all

Overall, I have been happy living at the Sterling. The units are definitely the most spacious I have seen in Philly. The building is a little older, but recently renovated and pretty well maintained. There are multiple trash chutes and recycling bins on every floor. We have never had any pest issues. The rooftop is one of the best in Philly with a large pool and lots of lounge furniture. I like that the area around JFK Blvd is generally pretty quiet and is located just one block away from the SEPTA trolley to campus. The package delivery system is very convenient, and we have UPS and FedEx drop boxes in the lobby.

Some downsides are the low ceilings (which are 8 feet tall except the top floor, and even lower in the bathrooms) and the lack of any overhead lighting in the living / dining room and bedrooms. However, there is a lot of natural light. The location is a little far from Rittenhouse and the street noise can be a minor nuisance at night. The building fire alarm goes off more often than I would like. While there are thermostats in each room, the building controls whether there is heat or AC available each season which can be frustrating. While the rooftop is wonderful, there is no large indoor common area.