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Safe Crime Free Apartments in Tyler Texas

December 2nd, 2009

When I moved back to Tyler Texas I was looking for a good apartment that wasn’t too expensive but was low on crime. One easy way I found to check on the crime rate at a given apartment was to call the Tyler Police and ask for the 911 call report for an apartment complex. The police have an excel spreadsheet that logs just how many calls were made and of what type for each apartment complex in Tyler. The Establishment had an exceptional record and beyond there low crime rate they have a very good management staff. I have been to some apartments in Tyler where the management seemed very cold and unconcerned. The management at The Establishment makes no apologies for wanting only low key individuals that aren’t of the partying type of personality and I was all for something like this. It is annoying when you have punks next door getting drunk and throwing up on your car every weekend. This was never the case at The Establishment in Tyler Texas.

The manager at The Establishment will check your credit just like all apartments in Tyler will do and they will ask you for some type of deposit. I can’t remember what our deposit was but I think it was around $200. Depending on if your credit is bad or good you may have to pay more than this. The Establishment really caters to older adults and professionals so if you come in there with pink hair and sagging pants you will probably be given a frown. There are plenty of apartments for teenagers looking for a good social scene and who don’t mind walking outside and seeing somebody back from the bar peeing on the sidewalk. The good news is it will be very unlikely to see this type of behavior at The Establishment. To give you an idea on the prices on apartments at The Establishment you will get a slightly higher rental rate then maybe an apartment at The Dove Tree apartment complex but your apartment will be in much better shape and with no bug problems.

The pest control people come into your apartment every few months like clockwork and because of this I never saw even a single cockroach. The rooms are larger than other apartments I visited in Tyler and you will have a pretty big porch or balcony depending on if you are on the first or second floor. The swimming pool at The Establishment is hardly ever used and so it makes for a nice summer getaway for those who enjoy the outdoors during the summer. There is a barbecue grill near the pool if you want to cook a steak and swim.

A big part of the whole apartment experience is a good relationship with the manager. The manager at The Establishment when I lived there was Carol and she was amazing. She is a very polite professional woman and really accommodates you if you are a good paying tenant. I imagine as with any Tyler apartment complex if you fail to pay your rent and party on the weekends you may have some issues with management but for people like me I say good and go ahead and kick out the riffraff. Safety for my children, wife and personal belongings will always come first ahead of watching an entertaining drunken display at 2:00 a.m.

Hollywood Theater: The Tyler Rose

November 11th, 2009

Tyler Rose Theater

Growing up on Tyler’s west side, I remember the excitement that the new 10 Screen Tyler Rose theater opened in the 90’s. It was the first major mega theater complex in the city, topping theaters with 4 to 6 screens. It felt like a grown up Dallas area Cinemaplex. There was an arcade upstairs, neon lights, and stadium style seating.

Ten years later, the Tyler Rose has lost its bloom. Maybe this is due in part to our own growing, unrealistic expectations, or the power of comparison with Theaters in South Tyler, which are far superior. Or maybe it’s just shoddy business practice.

Whatever the reason, the Tyler Rose rarely satisfies customers. If you are looking to go see a movie at this Tyler theater, you can expect the following:

  • Police Officers. Yep, at this movie theater, there’s alot of action, and not just onscreen! Half the people there are loiterers, not paying customers. It can be an unnerving atmosphere. When there aren’t actual fights going on, you can bet there will be lots of teenagers being punks. Put it this way: I would never allow my daughters or my wife to go to this theater by themselves.
  • Poor customer service. The theater workers are not happy to be there, and they are not afraid to prove it to you.
  • A sticky floor. Yes, there were probably kids sitting in that same seat an hour ago, and yes, they spilled their drink and their popcorn. But on the bright side, you can help yourself to a handful, free of charge!
  • A mediocre viewing experience. Don’t expect digital projection. Black splotches will abound.
  • Audio / Visual problems. The sound is often too loud or too quiet. And at worst, the film is not set properly. Once, I thought I was watching an overly-artsy film where the director intentionally kept all the boom microphones in each shot. I thought, “this is infuriating!” Come to find out, the problem was with the projector. The movie staff is supposed to set the film in the projector to cut it off at at a certain aspect ratio. The Tyler Rose staff simply had apparently forgotten to do this. But isn’t that kind of important?
  • Arctic temperatures. Last time my wife and I went to a November movie–the same night with the “boom mic” movie–we could see our breath. It’s a good thing it was a good movie.

On the bright side, a ticket to the Hollywood Rose is only $7.50, fifty cents cheaper than a ticket to Carmike 14. But if a couple of quarters is the issue, you could always go to the Times Square Cinema, which is much nicer and only costs $7.50.

Overall, the managers at the Tyler Rose have run a pretty loose ship, and it shows. That’s why most Tylerites, even those on the west side of the city, now prefer to watch movies at one of the theaters on South Broadway instead. You should, too.