My experience at the Preserve has been amazing thus far. The brand new apartments are spacious, luxurious, and competitively priced. Every unit is brand new and conveniently includes a washer and dryer, and there is a fitness center on the first floor of the building. Well managed, well located and a great place to live!
We have lived at the Preserve as original renters from September 2016. We have the largest square footage 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment being 1637 square feet. Our view on our large balcony faces the woods. Yes, we have tried to compare our apartment to the new constructions and none approach our amenities, totally closed in garage and even the price. Some new apartment complexes you need to drive up and down a steep hill. Our apartment building is level with the streets. Absolutely no new apartments have our 1637 square footage for 2 bedroom 2 bathrooms and most new apartments have from 1000 to maybe 1200 square footage for as much as three bedrooms. The Preserve smallest 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment is 1,300 square feet. Sure there are minor issues that come up but they are all handled by management. The apartment living at the Preserve compares to no other.

Michael Brenner
Dec 22, 2023
I have been here for over 2 years and have been very happy and comfortable. It is convenient and centrally located for all my needs. Having lived and worked in West Caldwell for over 50 years I wanted to stay in the area. I sold my home in West Caldwell in 2021 and moved to the Preserve. I have been very happy with my decision to move here.
The Preserve is a lovely apartment complex with upscale appointments. It has a community feel with the residents knowing each other by name as well as the manager. The community room has a new library area for reading and borrowing books and the room is used for family parties and group gatherings. Inside parking keeps your car clean and safe. The grounds are well landscaped and maintained. Mail and packages are delivered daily. Occasional parties are sponsored by the owners for all the residents. The complex is near shopping, restaurants and services.
I moved into The Preserve in 2021 and have been very happy living here. I have wonderful neighbors and have made some nice friends. The apartment is roomy and has a nice feel to it. One thing that needs to be addressed is we need someone 24/7 on call in case of emergencies. Thank you for asking for opinions - this should be done on a yearly basis.
The Preserve is a lovely building and the tenants make up a friendly and warm community. Great location, too! However, it is promoted as luxury living, but the standards have fallen below that designation.
I have lived here for close to six years and have seen building “managers” come and go. There is no call-number for after-hour emergencies, which is a requirement for any rental unit with more than nine units. There is a maintenance man who works from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon five days a week. There is no one here beyond those hours or on weekends to address issues that arise.
I would love to see management take an active interest in this building and restore it to what it set out to be: a luxury apartment for active 55-and-older tenants. Despite these issues I enjoy living here.

Paulette Banko
Dec 21, 2023
I agree with what other residents have said about the wonderful people who inhabit the Preserve. They are the main reason I enjoy living here.
I also agree that a full-time maintenance person and on-site management are a must if this building can make the claim to being “luxury living.”
One recent example of how the lack of full-time maintenance can quickly become a health issue was the discovery of black mold in the third floor HVAC system that heats and cools the third-floor hallway. The strong smell of bleach throughout the third floor last Thursday, together with the loud sounds of a velo pro air mover and a newly installed Elite UV device in the machine room to help disinfect the air and the HVAC system were all indicators that an attempt was being made to rectify the problem. The same work appears to be happening in the second-floor machine room. But is it being done by professionals or the former handy man and/or the young man with a bucket seen in the hallway earlier in the day last Thursday? Are the mold spores in the vents and ducts that aren’t visible to the naked eye being taken care of or only the black mold that was discovered? Mold spores are a serious health risk. Many residents on the third floor use that hallway to take their daily walks.
The philosophy of Columbia Management Group seems to be “The Preserve is fairly new; therefore, it will take care of itself.” They seem to care more about their storage facility down the street—where you know you can always find someone sitting at the desk from 9-5-- than they do about having actual management on duty and available at their “luxurious, high-end, 55 and older community.” When most tenants arrived after the building first opened, there was a concierge desk in the front lobby. That was quickly removed, evidently to conserve costs, and there is never anyone in the front office. So, it’s no wonder that random people can enter the lobby at will, as happened recently, and then proceed to actually enter a tenant’s apartment after testing the door and finding it unlocked. The tenant happened to be home and, fortunately, she was not hurt, but now she has to fear that she can no longer leave her door unlocked during the day time. Needless to say, this is dangerous and it is unacceptable for the rents being charged in a “luxury” building.

It’s nice to live in a smaller apartment complex rather than those huge mega locations. And the quietness of the preserve as our backyard is a godsend.

Joyce Hodgson Post
Dec 21, 2023