2400 Chestnut Associates

When touring the building on a quiet Sunday afternoon, it seemed like a perfect place. The truth, however, was quite different.

Despite seeming to be newly renovated, the improvements were facial. Pipes are frequently clogged, water shut off for sections of the building with little to no warning, and fire alarms going off randomly throughout the entire building throughout the night and day. Occasionally, management has blamed this on people leaving the doors to laundry rooms open and steam getting out. Something that residents do because there is absolutely no ventilation in the laundry rooms, so the equipment is frequently covered in condensation.

Also, does that mean there are no fire alarms in the room with dryers, the leading causers of residential fires in the US? Maybe they are not concerned about it because they barely work, with it not being uncommon to run the dryers 2 or more times to actually dry your items.

In the units themselves. There is little to no sound isolation. I can hear when any one on my floor opens their door, does laundry, or even just has a normal volume conversation. To top this off, all of the doors are, according to management, required to forcefully shut under fire code, which results in your halls being an echo chamber of these loud slams day and night. Likewise, there is little to no thermal insulation, which will unfortunately drive up your electric bill.

Fortunately, I was able to save money last December because one of my heaters was not working, and maintenance taking two weeks to respond, and then another third week to actually make the repair despite the "high" urgency request submitted.

Interestingly, during those three weeks, my door was sprayed with WD-40 four times because my neighbor (not me, the actual resident) had complained to management about the squeak it had when I turned the handle. I was never notified by the building about this, but was only informed when I got back to my apartment and found my deadbolt was unlocked and subsequently bought myself a camera for inside my apartment.

Likewise, despite 33 floors, there are only three elevators in the building. These elevators can be slow under the best conditions, but at least one elevator is frequently out of service, which compounds these delays.

Finally, while the location of the building is nice and in a safe area, you are still in a city. Occasionally, this means you might feel unsafe or have an encounter with someone that is homeless. While I think the building's biggest strength is it's security, you can expect to get emails from the building noting potential risks and giving guidance such as "make sure you do NOT hold the door open for any homeless people looking to enter the building" and that "keeping these doors closed and secured is for everyone's safety and security in our building."

I actually really love this apartment complex! It comes with a shuttle service that is included in the price of rent and free 30 coffees per month with a La Colomb coffee machine.

It is a little pricey but very close to hospital and the shuttle service is so amazing on early days rather than needing a car or catching bus. Also walking distance from the hospital and right next to center city so lots of close food options and things to do. I lived here for three years and really enjoyed it - would recommend!

I love the location- walking distance from the law school, but still in Center City at the beginning of Center City. Also, the views are phenomenal- you are paying for the views essentially. Management is nice, but I wish I got more for the price I am paying.

Appreciate the proximity to the hospitals and the free shuttle service, the management staff, and good units

A great place to stay that caters to Penn graduate students. Solid front desk/maintenance. Great location near Rittenhouse and in-between campus and Center City. Free shuttle to the law school that runs every day.

Apartment is great. Very spacious, relatively modern, and have had few issues. The upgraded the gym and common spaces this summer which are all really nice. Only real negative is they will occasionally turn off the water at random hours. It is nice to be halfway between campus and Rittenhouse, but there aren't many food options immediately next to the building. Still, Giant and Trader Joe's are only a 5 minute walk.

The pros are that the front half of the building has an exceptional view of the Schuylkill, right above the river trail, 24-hour concierge service is great with friendly staff, and the renovated gym and study spaces are pretty sweet. Cons are price and dust. Super dusty apartments. Something to do with air circulation lays down a thick layer of dust a day after you clean. Also it’s really loud on the street and with open windows you can hear it all as if you’re down there.

Great place to live

Would recommend!

I've been living at 2400 Chestnut for about 2 years. I work in the city and have to frequently travel, so the proximity to the bus stop and train station is great. There are some issues, though, see below. TLDR is at the bottom:

Pros:
- The location is beautiful and quiet, I get lots of natural sunlight (something very important to me) and it is generally quiet (with exception of occasional loud-er sounds and the train sounds). Beautiful views of the city as well.
- The front desk staff is exceptional and very helpful. They are the heart of the community here. If they quit, I would leave immediately.
- The new renovations are good, though nothing outstanding with exception of the gym.
- I like the security of having a doorman. Additionally, keeps my packages safe. I often come back late so this is always appreciated.
- I like the entrance isn't on Chestnut St and is right off of it.
- I like the proximity to bus stops and to the airport (<12 min drive no traffic). It's easy to get out of the city.
- The apartments are recently renovated and in good condition, though it is evident that it is dated (for example: insulation comes out from the walls, features look older). The under counter lighting is great. All stainless steel appliances. Nice bathroom - but small. Bedroom is bigger than it needs to be but still nice. Lots of open space.
- That being said, the wall sconces are nice and the trims on the ceiling are lovely.

The cons:
- The price. Holy moly -- it is way too expensive to live here. I truly believe (and have looked) that you can find a better value apartment with nicer features/amenities (and in-unit washer dryer) that is closer to the heart of Center City for far cheaper (~1800/mo). For context, I pay ~$2400. I appreciate that they haven't raised the rent, but it is too much to live here, especially living alone. When you pay such a high rent here, you're really only paying for the natural light and location (even the sqft can be beat by other apartment companies). The amenities can be beat as well, by far.
- Lack of quality amenity space. The building tried to solve for this with the new renovations, but it needs improvement. We have a great building with direct sunlight - it's a shame that there's no roof amenities. The new amenity space is good, but the building said that we are unable to reserve it for events (the primary reason I would use it). It is much more tailored to group study environments. Additionally, the TV and couch seem to be more decorative than functional. Overall, not feeling like I get my money's worth here
- Lack of insulation. This building is old - it was constructed in the 70s. I think due to that, there are some structural / insulation issues, because in the winter, it is freezing. There is somehow always a draft coming in and it drives your electricity bill way up just to even keep it warm enough at 70 degrees (which is low for the winter). Maintenance has said there's nothing they can do. I know other apartments in the city do not have this issue - and not such a high electric bill. Which brings me to my next point....
- The electricity bill is crazy high. I have had to turn off my AC during the day just to save money here. It literally makes the difference between a $40 bill vs. a $140 bill - no joke. I have invested in a space heater and fan just to stay warm and cool and not lose out on a hundred dollars. Other buildings have around ~$35/mo for electric.
- The hot water is limited - this is due to building age. For some reason, every unit has a 32 gallon tank. This severely limits the amount of hot water you can get. For context, there's only enough hot water for me to take a 12 minute shower. Some days, I have to "ration" the hot water so that I don't suddenly get cold shower water just because I used hot tap water... for the price I'm paying... it is pretty ridiculous.
- The management: The management at this building is interesting.

Management is extremely friendly and helpful, have had no issues with the apartment, and the location along the river and the shuttle are great. Would highly recommend!

Price are acceptable

I've really liked living at 2400. It's a little closer to school in a quieter area than some of the other Rittenhouse buildings. The apartments have all been recently remodeled and they've added some great amenities to the building (like a new gym and shuttle service to University City)! Would definitely recommend, especially given the lower price tag. Only downside is most units don't have in unit laundry.

2400 Chestnut is the best apartment complex I've lived in. I've been living here for over 2 years and have absolutely no complaints. From the get-go, the community is superb - every doorman is happy to have a conversation, the residents are courteous, and the management is extremely responsive to residents.

As a matter of fact, the management is so proactive that they upgraded the gym, lobby, and rooms! It seems that our rent goes back into providing new and improved amenities (They even provide free printing, coffee, and a shuttle service to Penn - VERY handy when it's raining or you're just not feeling the walk). Additionally, every time I put in a maintenance request, they fix the problem within 1-2 days! For example, my AC unit started making a weird noise and I submitted a request over the weekend. Within 2 days, they upgraded my AC unit without hesitation. They even hire folks to clean the windows from the outside every year. As someone in the healthcare field and works long hours, it is a blessing to not have to worry about apartment issues after a long day of work, as the management and owner truly care about the residents and make it a point to be proactive about maintaining the building.

One of my concerns moving to Philadelphia was safety and crime - I have always felt safe in the area and feel very secure in my room. The area is in a very safe part of Philly, and having tons of neighbors adds to the security! The neighbors are also very conscientious - never had any problems with loud neighbors (or maybe the walls are thick).

The community laundry was an initial concern of mine when I moved in, but out of the 2 years of living here, there have only been 2-3 times where my floor's washer/dryer were full. Luckily you can always take the elevator to another floor (the hallways are not long at all, so it's only a couple of extra steps).

If you're living by yourself, the rent is a bit high, but compared to other apartment buildings with similar prices, you get much more square footage per dollar, which comes along with tons of closet space. Obviously, living with roommates will drastically decrease your rent. The amenities are also well worth it - the free shuttle, coffee, printing, lounge space, and upgraded gym make this a great building to live in.

A GREAT place to live. More expensive than a bare-bones apartment if you're looking for a single BUT WORTH EVERY PENNY. There are no hidden fees or surcharges, and so many small things make this apartment so convenient. Besides, the great location of the train station and the river walk, the apartment is beautiful, the management is responsive, and the apartment looks brand new. Highly recommend it (plus getting a two-bedroom is very affordable.