Manchester State Thomas Apartments in Uptown Dallas – INSIDER REVIEW

LOCATION

The Manchester State Thomas apartments in Uptown Dallas is in the State Thomas area. It is a complex full of primarily townhomes and also some apartments (in the leasing building).  The area of Manchester is a rather large area and there are many residences to choose from, taking up a lot of space. Manchester State Thomas resides on a very expansive several blocks that border the Highway 75 on the east end and the State Thomas area of town on the west end. It is also bordered by HALL Street, which connects directly to McKinney Avenue, as well as the 75/Central Expressway.

The Manchester State Thomas is a part of the quieter STATE THOMAS area. The State Thomas area overall has a neighborhood feel much like the Manchester…more laid back and quiet. It really is great to walk around the neighborhood on a sunny day, and enjoy the people, dog walkers, joggers and going to some of the local shops.

Walking directly around the Manchester State Thomas: Walking around it is obvious to notice that this really doesn’t look like an apartment complex. This is a very pretty area. The streets have mature trees and a lot of charming looking townhomes. Some of the mini blocks look like a little bit like the “Brownstones” area in Boston. There are also a few sidewalk shops and cafes sprinkled around as well (Thomas Avenue, etc.). It feels very relaxed here.

Getting to work: For getting to work, the Manchester State Thomas is very convenient if your work is on Central Expressway or downtown. You can quickly get out on 75/Central, which leads to either downtown in a few minutes or north Dallas in about 20 minutes (think around 75/Central).

Access to the 4 Key Features of Uptown Dallas: There are 4 Key Features of Uptown Dallas that get you access to a better social life and fun. For Uptown, a huge key is being in QUICK walking access to these features. We think quick access means to be in 7 minutes walking or under. Here is how the Manchester State Thomas does in terms of being able to walk to the 4 Key Features of Uptown Dallas?

• Uptown Trolley – Manchester State Thomas IS WALKING DISTANCE to the FREE (that’s right!) Uptown Trolley. That trolley will take you to all 4 key features, along McKinney Avenue. The Manchester State Thomas is within about 7 minutes walking distance to the pickup spot at ALLEN and MCKINNEY AVENUE.
• Night Life in Mid-Section – The “super cluster” section of night clubs along McKinney Avenue is NOT within quick walking distance. This super cluster starts around Boll Street and ends around Holland. But, you could get there in about 10 minutes.
• West Village – The Manchester is in more of the mid section of Uptown. In the NORTH, there is the WEST VILLAGE, with so many shops and restaurants, all in a few blocks. The West Village Dallas is NOT in walking distance. Need to drive to get there, but in just a few minutes.
• Katy Trail –The Katy Trail is NOT in walking distance. Closest point is found by going down Hall Street (bordering the property). Probably about 13 minutes walking.

Walk to Groceries? YES, good news there. The closest grocery store is right next door, at the Walmart Neighborhood store. I don’t typically buy groceries from Walmart, but I do like the Neighborhood Store. It’s smaller, and tends to have better food than a Walmart. So, this is a nice to have, in walking distance. You can also DRIVE to the nearby KROGER with organic, Texas grown produce, in North Uptown. You can also go to Whole Foods on McKinney Ave just a few minutes away.

Overall Location: The location is a in a more laid back area with some local shops in walking distance. It has some limitations for weekend and daytime enjoyment in walking distance (West Village, Night life, etc.) , but nothing that can’t be overcome with a quick drive.

Now, what about the social scene at the Manchester State Thomas?

SOCIAL SCENE

The social scene of the Manchester State Thomas is much more laid back than in my opinion, but in a laid back way. Here is why:

Restaurants and Clubs in QUICK walking distance: There are not a ton of places in walking distance, but the ones that are in walking distance are popular. That would include the Nodding Donkey, State & Allen Pub, etc. Not much else in QUICK walking distance. However, you can get to McKinney Avenue in about 10 minutes and have plenty to do there!

Area attractive: As I mentioned, the neighborhood is beautiful and you will want to get outdoors often if you live here. It is very clean and fun, with many trees and great sidewalks.

DOWNTOWN and AA Center: You can quickly drive to downtown events at the AA center including sports (Mavericks, Stars) and live concerts at the AA Center. You can also visit the Arts district that is just about 4 minutes away.

Building Setup: The Manchester includes many sets of buildings (each “building” has about 16 townhomes). They are very spread out. This is going to make it harder to meet people than in other apartments in Uptown Dallas, because there are few “common” areas (no common mailbox, garage, etc.). You will be able to meet the people in your townhome building, though. Think of about 16 townhomes per building.

Monthly Activities: Many Uptown Dallas apartments have SOME sort of monthly activity to help you meet other residents. The Manchester State Thomas has something similar…one activity per month (typically a happy hour).

Size: The Manchester State Thomas is larger than average for Uptown, with 422 units. However, keep in mind that this is like a neighborhood…people are not cramped into a huge single complex. The size here isn’t a factor…it is much more spread out.

The Amenities: The amenities of Manchester State Thomas are slightly below average for Uptown Dallas. There is a very tiny pool that is hid away in a building. It is not easily noticeable and not easy to get to (locked gates). The gym is an ok size. Amenities aren’t as much of a help here to meet people as other places in Uptown.

To sum it up: The location is laid back and things are spread out. Even though there is much to walk to, you are going to put in some effort to meet people at Manchester, because fewer things are “common” here to give you good opportunities.

(Please see our Compare Features section TAB for more details.)

APARTMENT

Style: The townhome apartments were built in 2002. They tend to have a lot of space to work with, but have varying amounts of finish out inside. Some of the townhomes are pretty snazzy (with hardwoods, granite, etc.), while some of them are pretty basic (white appliances, carpet, etc.). The ones that are more basic are lower priced, typically, so it all balances out.

These feel more like a HOME and have more space. They have more space in kitchens, in closets, etc.

Keep in mind that these ARE built in 2002. And, these are townhomes. That means that there might be some occasional repair issues. The good news is that repairs are typically covered by the Manchester…make sure to check and confirm details before leasing.

NOTE: If you are very sure you want a townhome, the Manchester seems to be the place in Uptown that has the most townhome options available, by far. Other places aren’t townhome communities, but may have a townhome here or there (but mostly apartments). The Manchester State Thomas is the only place in Uptown with a continuous and large amount of choices for townhomes. I’ve also noticed their prices are LOWER than renting elsewhere per square foot for a townhome than any other source anywhere else.

Variety of Floor Plans: Most of the floorplans are a townhome style, and have an attached garage. Very nice for Uptown…and very rare! The smallest of this is a 1 bedroom with a tiny study, and a single attached garage. These go very quickly and are harder to catch. Then, they are two bedrooms, and even a FEW very large three bedrooms.

There is also a small building that is connected to the leasing office. This small building has one and two bedroom apartments available in a “mid rise” style (with secured, air conditioned hallways, etc.). IT also includes a parking garage. One of the perks of this location is that you have quick access to the gym.

Features: Here are some of the features that are great at the Manchester State Thomas:

• Good sized kitchens – Wow, typically decent sized and sometimes HUGE kitchens here. If you like to cook and entertain with food, you’ve got it here.
• DIRECTLY attached garages – huge, HUGE for Uptown. This rarely exists, and is sooooo nice. The 2 bedroom townhomes have TWO car attached garages too.
• Patios/Balconies INCLUDED – Many of the townhomes have patios and balconies. But, several of the one bedroom options do NOT.
• Newer appliances – The majority of apartments and the townhomes have newer stainless steel appliances. Some of them are not fully renovated, and still have more basic appliances.
• Granite Countertops – Same as appliances.
• Hardwoods – Many of the floorplans are available with hardwood floors.
• FIREPLACE – This is super rare in Uptown, and nice to have in the winter.
• Nice size Closets – These closets are awesome!

The Manchester State Thomas has some AREAS to IMPROVE:

• Washer/dryer NOT included – Nope, not included! Must rent your washer/dryer…
• Carpet interiors – Several of the floorplans have basic carpet.
• No walk in showers – Most of the floor plans do NOT have walk in showers. These have the more “apartment” style tub/shower combination.
• No Gas – even though these are townhomes, they do not have gas cooking ranges.

Overall, this is a good value for a townhome and it has important features not typically found in Uptown Dallas. However, it is more plain interiors in some cases compared to other Uptown choices.

AMENITIES

The amenities at the Manchester State Thomas are somewhat average, or even slightly below. Please see our REAL VIEW^TM Gallery for photos!

Amenities that are great include:

• Parking Garage Space INCLUDED: The Townhome includes attached garages. The FLATS include a free space in the parking garage.
• GUEST parking INCLUDED: Guests in the FLATS can park in the 4^th floor of the parking garage for free. Guests in the townhomes…they can go inside the gates and park next to the townhome they are visiting. BUT, take note…there are not a lot of spaces. There is also not a lot of space on the streets for guest parking…they fill up quickly.
• Pet Friendly Areas – There aren’t really any “dog runs” because of the wide open spaces available here. But, there are so many places to walk your dog and there is much greenery here. There is also a small Dallas park hidden here as well. This is rare for Uptown.
• Store Nearby – The Walmart Neighborhood store is directly connected to the Manchester State Thomas, on Hall Street.
• On Site Storage Available – there is reasonably priced on site storage available. That is also rarer than not in Uptown.

AMENITY – AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT:

• No Views – There aren’t typically views of Downtown Dallas here, because nothing is more than 3 stories. (Two exceptions – some of the FLATS DO have Downtown views and a few of the townhomes in the south east side of the Manchester area).
• Smaller Pool – The pool is small. Considering the amount of residents here, it is too small, really. They also have it tucked away, not easy to find.
• Smaller Gym – The gym area actually has a decent amount of size. But the amount of equipment here is sparse. I also think they need to upgrade what they have. I would join an outside gym.
• No Frills – There are no fun or “extra” amenities that might be fun for the community. No ATM machine, no Red Box or movie rental, or other nice extras.
• Laundry Room NONE – There is no laundry room on site and the townhomes do not come with a washer/dryer included, only connections.

Overall: Amenities are slightly below average for Uptown Dallas.

SUMMARY

The Manchester State Thomas has a good “neighborhood” style location in the more laid back STATE THOMAS area of Uptown Dallas. It has a few night spots and restaurants to quickly walk to for night life and fun, but you must walk to McKinney Avenue (about 10 minutes walking) to get to most night life. The rent price is also an excellent value. The apartment covers the basic well. The apartment interiors are more basic and the amenities are only average.   You will be in a high traffic area as you leave and enter this area.