Marquis at Turtle Creek Apartments – INSIDER REVIEW

LOCATION

The Marquis at Turtle Creek apartments sit just about 3 blocks away from the border of Uptown’s Katy Trail. It is technically not in Uptown Dallas, but right on the border of Uptown Dallas, in the Turtle Creek area (a higher end, quiet area). The Marquis Turtle Creek apartments is not in Uptown Dallas, but only a block or so away (and in walking distance) from the Katy Trail border of Uptown. Because of the great vibe that is similar to Uptown, many residents think that they are in Uptown Dallas…it’s really hard to tell you aren’t in Uptown!

(For trivia buffs, a building that is walking distance from this residence was the exterior set used in the 1980s tv show “Dallas” for JR’s office!)

The area has many beautiful trees and wonderful park and creek areas. Besides the greenery and great land features close by, the Marquis itself has a beautiful almost “bed and breakfast” or small hotel feel. It’s covered with ivy and even with the great location near Uptown Dallas it has an almost secluded look.

The Marquis at Turtle Creek apartments is almost right across the street from its sister property, the Marquis at Cedar Springs. The leasing office of the Marquis at Cedar Springs handles tours and inquiries for both properties.

This location is NOT in quick walking distance of several of the key features of Uptown, such as the West Village Dallas, McKinney Avenue night clubs, the Trolley, etc. But, the Dart bus that goes right by the residence will quickly connect you to Uptown Dallas, and it’s a very short car drive as well. The Katy Trail is in within walking distance and can be seen from the right of the residence.

Also, in general, this is a quieter area. You can quickly get to Uptown Dallas, but also enjoy peace and quiet at night.

SOCIAL SCENE

The feel of the Marquis at Turtle Creek apartments is more intimate and boutique. This is a very well maintained and beautifully landscaped community. The amount of apartments available is one of the smallest in Uptown Dallas. The smaller building feel means you will get to know your neighbors as well once inside.

The area around is also VERY green. Walking up to the Marquis, we noticed several pet owners walking their dogs. I think they do this more for social reasons, because one of the nice perks of the Marquis at Turtle Creek apartments is an interior dog run, making it easy to let your dog out for a quick trip. Around the property are gorgeous landscaped sidewalks with cultured trees.

Like its sister property (Marquis on Cedar Springs) the building design helps you meet your neighbors:

• One mailbox: All residents use a single mailbox area
• One parking garage entrance: There is a single secured parking entrance
• One main interior: There is a single interior courtyard area with pool and chairs to tan

The Marquis at Turtle Creek apartments also makes it easy to meet other residents by having shared residence parties with its sister property almost directly across the street, the Marquis on Cedar Springs.

Who lives here? Professionals that want a more intimate and quiet feel. The type of residents will include recent graduates, but also more experienced professionals.

APARTMENT

On the way to view the apartment, the air conditioned interior hallways were pleasant and well lit. The particular unit we viewed had hardwood floors and a beautiful gas fireplace. The fireplace is a rare feature in Uptown Dallas and well appreciated…though only usable for short few months in Texas.

The kitchen was actually a little small in the floor plan we viewed, but it felt comfortable. The kitchen overlooked the living room. It felt very open and “cozy”, I liked it! The living room connected with the bedroom and a closed den (which could be used easily as a guest room). Overall, the space for each room felt very generous. You will get a good “bang for the buck” with usable space here.

Features found inside were usable but did not stand out. This included basic white appliances, microwave, etc. Basic countertops (a clean Formica) were present throughout the kitchen and bathroom. The bathroom had a very nice stand up shower, also a mark of a higher apartment quality. And, the closet was LLAARRGGE! And, the apartment we saw had a small Juliette balcony.

I didn’t feel “wowed” by the floor plan, but I did feel very comfortable with it, and felt it was very workable. It would fit medium to larger furniture as well, with no tight or weird corners that would take up space.

AMENITIES

The covered parking garage is secured was seems a little smaller than its sister property, but the property itself has much fewer apartments, so this might be the perfect size. And, yes, there were spots for guests to park as well, with no charge…and protected by the electric “fob” key.

The courtyard is cozier as well. I actually found it to be the perfect size to match the smaller building size. It has an attractive pool and a large row of chairs in the shade to enjoy the day. The interior dog run is accessible from this interior courtyard as well.

The workout room was also bigger than expected. I truly thought that I would see perhaps 2 treadmills and that’s about it, but was pleasantly surprised to see a good mix of equipment. There was more space devoted to cardio and a nice enough selection of free weights for basic needs. Note: A hard core weight lifter should probably join the nearby Gold’s gym.

One SUPERB feature: All packages are delivered to your door at 3 pm daily!

These features weren’t included. They were not huge, but I want to note them because for some these might be important:

• There are no storage spaces to rent, like in most Uptown Dallas apartments (but might be able to rent from the sister property across the street)
• There is no guest room to rent
• No washer/dryer is included, connections will have to do
• The building had no extras like ATMs, movie rental, etc.
• No “drive to your floor” parking on your level

SUMMARY

The Marquis at Turtle Creek apartments is a gem overall for those who want a secluded, quiet feel yet want to enjoy the area of Uptown Dallas. The small building and dog friendly feel are very unique for the area. If you consider this, and also consider the excellent amount of square feet for the money, the Marquis at Turtle Creek apartments turns into an excellent overall value.