Parkway Plaza Student Apartments

Reviews

• AS

  Aurora Smith

  1 day ago
  5.0
  I don't technically live at Parkway Plaza, but I basically do because my best friend lives here and her apartment is our absolute go-to hangout spot! I remember she was a little nervous to sign a lease at first because of some older reviews, but the price range was unmatched and the proximity to campus was awesome especially with the bus pass. She took the leap, and we are both so glad she did.The apartment itself is amazing! She has beautiful flooring, and the whole place feels incredibly cozy and welcoming. It is the perfect setup for hosting. I've lived nearby all my life and you can easily tell that the new management has completely turned this place around and they are always on top of everything. To my and her experience, the office staff is incredibly prompt, welcoming, and friendly. Natalie and Crista in particular were so kind and helpful whenever we have questions. The location is phenomenal for campus, downtown and quick store runs, and the neighborhood vibe is super peaceful with zero neighbor issues. I love my sleepovers here and I would absolutely live here and I recommend it tremendously!
• ER

  Eric Reitz

  1 day ago
  1.0
  tl;dr? This place should be one of your absolute last resorts. Funny enough, this is a review that I had forgotten to make with all that I was going through at the time. This spring I started getting unsolicited emails from Parkway Plaza after 2-3 years (previously unsubscribed from all emails), so thanks for the reminder! I was moving back to State College at the age of 28 to start working full-time at Penn State. I settled on Parkway Plaza as they seemed to have decent units for decent price. Unfortunately I did not check the one-star reviews beforehand. Set up a tour, liked what I saw well enough, and signed my lease on Dec 20th with a start date of the 24th. I didn't hear back on the next steps and followed up on the 23rd, then again on the 27th. Turns out they were out of office for the holiday. Paid rent/security deposit, showed up on the 29th with my first carload of belongings excited to move in. Coming into the office, I find that they're down to a skeleton crew of one part-time employee for the new year. They go to get my key and such, but there isn't a prepared set like usual. I sit around for an hour or so while the employee (not their fault) calls a supervisor. Eventually we get my key, I open the door and my heart drops, the unit is clearly still occupied. Fortunately whoever lived there seemed to be out for the holiday, likely never even knew that some random man was given a key to their place. Apparently management were incompetent enough with some "new system" that they mistook a unit that would be available much later, as the occupant didn't renew, as immediately available. At this point we have one of the head honchos on the phone to essentially tell me "whoops!" and that I'm screwed. What they could offer me was a single bedroom in a shared unit, despite having already paid for and signed a solo lease for a one bedroom apartment. I'm a 28 year old guy working full-time with a LOT of reasons for needing a solo apartment. Moving in with random college dudes for an indefinite amount of time was simply not an option. That's beside the fact that this company is so incapable of their single intended purpose that they have to give incentives to mislead tenants into leaving a soulless positive review, burying the many genuine negative reviews by tenants suffering from their chronic negligence. Instead? I moved all my stuff into a storage unit and spent two weeks homeless while I desperately scrambled to find a new place. Anything to not give money to easily one of the worst rental businesses in the area. It was immediately clear after reading the negative reviews that I dodged a bullet by not living here. Frankly, it's only a matter of time until y'all exploit someone with money to burn and get sued for any of the varied negligence displayed over the years. Unfortunately, this place by design pulls in people who cannot afford better options. Closing thoughts for prospective tenants? Try for mom and pop type rentals, especially in the surrounding areas of State College proper. It takes some searching, but keep trying, just watch out for scams if you're checking somewhere like Craigslist. If you must rent with Faceless Housing Conglomerate ™️, consider every option other than Parkway Plaza, read various reviews while noting which reviews are liked by several people, and for the love of god please make them show you your unit before signing the lease (also, read the lease, the entire thing). Don't trust any of these companies any more than you have to, don't give them the benefit of the doubt. No matter how friendly their representatives may be, and there surely is the occasional gem, the company's interests are largely in squeezing as much money as possible out of inexperienced tenants who don't know how to or can't afford to push back. Closing thoughts for Parkway Plaza? None, don't bother with a generic corporate response either. I hope you go bankrupt and your properties end up with someone even vaguely decent. Same goes for Cardinal Group, a national leader in poorly managed apartment complexes.
• PM

  Payton Moore

  2 days ago
  4.0
  I’ve really enjoyed living here and would definitely recommend it, especially for students or anyone looking for a quiet place to live. The community is peaceful, I’ve always felt safe, and it’s a great place to live on your own. The location is also a huge plus, it’s close to the campus bus stop and within walking distance of town, which makes getting around very convenient. The management team has always been kind, responsive, and willing to work with residents whenever questions or concerns come up. They have been super interactive with all of their residents and do the most to make it an active community. While maintenance can occasionally take a little longer than expected, they have always come out to complete any requests I’ve submitted and have always been kind and never made me feel uncomfortable. The apartments are older, but many units have been updated, and the property is generally kept clean and well maintained. The only downside that is hard to get passed is the older smell in some of the hallways. Walls are not very thick but I never once encountered a serious problem. Overall, I’ve had a very positive experience living here, and I think it offers a comfortable, safe, and convenient place to call home.
• MH

  MJ Harbron

  6 days ago
  3.0
  I have lived in this apartment for nearly a year and have generally had a positive experience. The staff is friendly, maintenance responses have been timely, and it is clear that there is an ongoing effort to improve the property. That said, the temperature in my apartment during the summer has become a serious concern. While I understand that certain aspects of heating and cooling may be beyond direct control, it is not reasonable for the apartment to remain around 80°F even with the air conditioning running. At this point, I have had to use multiple fans in each room just to make the space minimally comfortable. Although this was an issue last year, it has become significantly worse during the current heatwave. I would also appreciate clarification on whether window air conditioning units are permitted, as the existing system is not adequately cooling the apartment. Given that air conditioning is advertised as an included amenity, I would appreciate prompt attention to this matter.
• RG

  Ruijie Guan

  Jun 30, 2026
  5.0
  I’ve lived at Parkway Plaza for quite a while, and honestly, most of my experiences with the office staff have not been great. Many times I walked in with questions and left with more questions than answers. It often felt like nobody really knew what was going on, and the usual response was something along the lines of “you’ll probably need to talk to the manager.” The problem is that actually talking to the manager felt nearly impossible. After all the times I’ve visited the office, seeing the manager felt like trying to get an appointment with a specialist doctor—you keep hearing they can help, but actually reaching them is another story. That’s why I was genuinely surprised when I met Gianna. She was patient, knowledgeable, and took the time to explain everything clearly. My situation was complicated, but instead of giving vague answers or passing me to someone else, she sat down with me, went through everything step by step, and even wrote things down to make sure nothing was missed. What stood out most was that she actually tried to solve the problem herself. Not once did she tell me to come back later, find the manager, or ask someone else. She simply listened, explained everything, and helped. Honestly, after living here all this time, it’s funny that I’m only discovering right before moving out that the office actually has someone who can provide real answers without hiding behind “you need to talk to the manager.”

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