The Bowen

When we moved in, Marissa told us there was another move happening in the morning so we had to wait until the afternoon. When I got there and talked to the concierge, they said there wasn’t any more in the morning and that Marissa was taking a half day. So just right off the bat, a level of dishonesty. Quote from the email: “however, our elevator is already reserved for other moves in the morning.” This was a Tuesday. Monday was a holiday. Then there was the fact that several of the charging spots were broken. She was very ambiguous about who was responsible for it, even after I reached out to charge point myself to confirm it was just the building management waiting to decide when to fix it. She told me not to talk to chargepoint again. I really enjoy all the concierge personnel at the Bowen, especially Paul. The app that can be used instead of the fob doesn’t work half the time. I asked for a refund. One time I got stuck in the elevator for 10 minutes with my toddler. The building has very poor airflow. None of the windows open in our unit. I didn’t realize this until after we moved in. I frequently measure CO2 levels above 2000 which is quite bad. The AC units have an air intake system setup but I believe they are configured to only open below a specific humidity level that the area around here never hits so basically no external air comes into the unit. On top of that, I recently asked for have the air filter replaced, was told it was, but it definitely was not. After the second request, it did eventually get replaced once I called their bluff. They give you these bracelets to use at the pool but they never enforce having them. I think it’s more or less a scheme to see who forgets about them and then charges for them when you lose them. The lease agreement says “no smoking or vaping” but I see people vaping all the time by the pool. I don’t mind so much but I don’t like it around my young son. They have some sort of agreement with AT&T and try to sell you on it when you join but it’s more expensive than Astound, which they won’t automatically offer you, but guess what? that’s what they pay for in their office. Google fiber is available in our area but the building refused to enable it. Reading online says it’s not much more effort to add a different provider if the building already has the infra for fiber, which it does but maybe an agreement with AT&T prevents it. They recently added a vending machine to the second floor lounge area but everything is WAY over priced. 10 dollars for a bag of chips!? And I didn’t see any prices labeled before purchasing. It’s more or less a scam. Edit: I was wrong. It’s a charge hold but the chips end up being $3.50 The mail room situation is a mess. I often have packages that go missing. They force you to pay a fee for the mail box locker but half the time the packages are just in the mail room anyway. It seems pointless and needlessly more confusing than it should be. The events they put on from time to time are nice and I like the other people in the building. The fixtures are all relatively nice and new. Edit: One time my wife lost an AirPod down the elevator staff and they helped her get it back. +1 star for that Edit: the wifi in the lobby / common area never seems to work. -1 star Edit2: after we moved out early and paid something like a 10k early move out bill, they still did not issue us our security deposit and charged us 2.5k for “cabinetry” without ever providing context on what the issue was.

We lived at The Bowen for 9 months, and unfortunately our experience was extremely disappointing. At first glance, the building looks modern, upscale, and beautifully designed. But once you move in, you quickly realize much of it is just a façade. The finishes and appliances look new, but the actual quality is low. For example, our washer and dryer looked great visually, but the dryer had a persistent lint issue and never properly dried clothes. Lint would accumulate everywhere. We attempted multiple repairs, but it was never fixed. Our unit had no window and no balcony, and air circulation was a serious issue. We purchased an air quality monitor, and the CO₂ levels were frequently off the charts high due to poor ventilation. When we raised concerns, management initially assured us the building had an air filtration system. Later, we discovered that the humidity threshold had been set so high that the system almost never activated. This was not disclosed upfront. It felt misleading and cut-cornered rather than transparent. Water pressure in the unit was weak. Elevators frequently had at least one out of service. The key fobs (which cost us $100) were required for building entry, elevator access, and unit access, yet they failed to work 30% of the time. Despite repeated reports, this was never resolved. Management is friendly during tours. After you sign the lease, the tone changes. Requests are met with additional fees or dismissiveness. It feels like more energy is spent responding to negative online reviews than addressing resident concerns. Move-out experience feels like a scam. We stayed only 9 months, kept the apartment in excellent condition, and hired professional cleaners when moving out. Despite that, we received a $3,200 charge. No documentation or photos were provided. Based on other reviews, this seems common. If you move here, assume you will not see your full deposit back and budget an additional month of rent upon move out. There are many apartments in Austin — I would strongly recommend exploring other options.

The Bowen is as good as it gets when it comes to apartment living. If you want to live in the Domain, this place is the clear choice. Amazing staff, property is always well maintained. Never had an issue 2 years living here.

Katelyn (sp?) is an absolute wonderful person to have as your concierge! I had 3 deliveries at the same time to her shift. She verified the location and unit number via my app prior to giving me access to the building, it was after dark and I hadn't begun using the callbox for my customers. Gave me proper instructions of where to deliver to and all three customers were happy. I would recommend here by her due diligence alone! If you want to give her something on top of your annual Christmas bonus you might give, she is a fan of pumpkin pie 😉

I absolutely loved this apartment building! From the moment I walked in, I was blown away by how luxurious everything felt — especially the lobby, which was clean, modern, and had a really welcoming vibe. What truly made the experience stand out, though, was the staff. Every person I interacted with was incredible friendly, welcoming, and helpful. It’s clear they go out of their way to create a positive environment. The location is also a huge plus — it’s perfect for me and my dog, since there are so many parks nearby. It’s hard to beat that kind of convenience! Highly recommend this place if you’re looking for upscale living with amazing walkability! Thankful for the tour from Maddison as well! She has been amazing throughout the process!