It was a nice stay in the Ellipse apartment. The building and neighborhood is safe and in an excellent location in Minneapolis. The apartment was well-equipped and quiet, given the number of residents on each hall of the building. The walls are thick (concrete?) and you never hear a thing from neighbors on either side or above. The bed is a king and extremely comfortable. You will sleep well here.
Lisa was incredibly responsive and quick on the uptake when it came to problem-solving. (There was an issue with the ac early on - normally not a big deal, but it happened during a week of heat warnings in the area - unusually high temps in MPLS the first week in June - just after I’d arrived.) Lisa had building maintenance on it immediately, the ac issue was quickly remedied, and “normal” life, with ac, resumed that very day.
Two potential drawbacks to the place, for some people. First, this is a “dog-friendly” building, so if you’re not a big fan of dogs (they’re everywhere inside - on leashes, of course - in the hallways, in the elevators, etc.) then you may want to reconsider this apartment. Also, the building sits on a very busy street - Excelsior Blvd - the traffic is constant and loud, making time on the outside balcony uncomfortable and not terribly relaxing. That said, if you have the door and window closed (with ac and/or heat on) you don’t hear much of the traffic at all.
Overall, I would recommend a stay in this apartment, especially given it’s central location in MPLS - with easy access to the lakes, which are one of the most pleasant aspects of this city.