The Clark Apartments Austin Review: Clarksville Walkability, Train Tracks, and What $2,138/Month Actually Gets You

Every time I pull data for the Clarksville submarket, The Clark shows up. The 4.3 Google rating across 225 reviews looks strong. The Clarksville address is one of the most walkable in Austin. Built in 2018. Gas appliances. Quartz counters. Rooftop lounge with skyline views. I’ve tracked this property through CWS’s pricing shifts for years and walked through the building multiple times. As a licensed Texas REALTOR (TX #679806) who works with renters across this market daily, I can tell you The Clark delivers on location better than almost any mid-rise in the city.

But here’s what those listing sites won’t tell you: 11 Google reviewers flag the train noise behind the building. Late 2024 brought break-ins, shattered mail room glass, and entry doors that wouldn’t lock. They tore up the pool from late 2024 through at least May 2026, with jackhammering seven days a week. One resident was shown a carpeted unit with windows that open during his tour, then got assigned a unit with no carpet and sealed windows because it faced the train tracks.

The 4.3 rating averages out a building where half the reviews say “best apartment I’ve ever lived in” and the other half describe break-ins, construction chaos, and a management team that didn’t move fast enough.

Quick Facts: The Clark at a Glance

That $350 application fee jumps off the page. Most Austin apartments charge $50-75. CWS rolls more into their app fee than most management companies, but the bottom line is if you apply and get denied, you’re out $350 per person. That gap between the 4.3 on Google and the 4.7 on ApartmentRatings? Google has more honest negative reviews. One reviewer even flagged that CWS ran a sweepstakes encouraging residents to post reviews.

Best For / Skip If

The Clark Makes Sense If…

You want to walk everywhere and skip the car most days. This is the real reason people sign here. Fresh Plus Grocery, Josephine House, Clark’s Oyster Bar, and Caffe Medici are all under a 5-minute walk. Whole Foods (the flagship at 525 N Lamar) and Trader Joe’s are about 7-8 minutes on foot. Life Time is a few blocks east on 5th Street. Lady Bird Lake trail is 7 minutes on foot. I hear this from clients all the time: people cancel their gym memberships after moving in because the building’s fitness center is solid and Life Time is so close. If walkability is your top priority and you want the Clarksville neighborhood over a downtown high-rise, The Clark is on a very short list.

You want a mid-rise community, not a 30-story tower. At 6 floors and 226 units, The Clark feels more like a neighborhood building than a massive complex. People here know their neighbors by name. There are monthly events (book club, running club, mixers) and a core group of about 20 residents who regularly hang out. If you’ve lived in a 300+ unit high-rise and hated it, this is a different experience.

You have a larger dog. No weight limit on pets. That’s hard to find at $2,100+ rents. You’ll pay $400 deposit plus $30/month per pet (up to 2), but if you have a Lab, Husky, or any breed over 75 pounds, your options in walkable Clarksville shrink to a handful of buildings. Breed restrictions do apply: Chow Chow, Doberman, German Shepherd, Pit Bull, American Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, American Staffordshire Terrier, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, and mixes.

You’re relocating to Austin and need a landing spot that works with corporate housing. I’ve seen people start here on a corporate lease and then sign their own once they’re settled. CWS is a large management company that corporate housing coordinators know.

Skip The Clark If…

You’re a light sleeper. 11 of 225 Google reviewers mention train noise by name. The building backs up to an active rail line. Some residents say ear plugs solve it. Others say it’s a dealbreaker. If you sign here, request a unit facing away from the tracks. CWS does include a 30-day out clause if the train noise is too much, and multiple reviewers on different sites confirm it’s real.

Your budget is under $2,000/month for a 1-bedroom. Market rate 1-bedrooms start at $2,138 for 595 square feet. Even with the one month free special, net effective runs $1,962. The building does offer income restricted units starting at $1,670 (studio) and $1,702 (1-bedroom), but those have eligibility requirements.

You have screening concerns and can’t afford to risk $350. CWS doesn’t publish a credit minimum. If your credit is below 600 or you have a broken lease or eviction on your record, spending $350 to find out if this Class A property will approve you is a gamble. Properties with more flexible screening do exist in Austin, and I break those down in the second chance apartments guide. That’s where I can help before you apply.

You can’t handle construction disruptions. The pool demolition and rebuild from late 2024 through mid-2026 was the low point of this building’s history. Before signing, ask the leasing team where that project stands and whether any other major work is planned.

Wondering if The Clark fits your situation?

Fill out a quick form and I’ll reach out to go over your specifics: income, credit, pets, timeline. I can tell you whether you’re likely to get approved at The Clark before you pay that $350 app fee, and I’ll share any current specials that might not be listed online. You’ll hear from a real person (me), not an automated system.

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Location Deep Dive

What’s Actually Nearby

The Clark sits at 1301 W 5th Street in Clarksville, at the western edge of downtown Austin. Walk Score puts this address in the low 80s, and it’s the reason most people sign here.

Under 5-minute walk: Fresh Plus Grocery, Josephine House, Clark’s Oyster Bar, Caffe Medici, BEPI Park

5 to 10-minute walk: Whole Foods (flagship store, 525 N Lamar), Trader Joe’s, Life Time (907 W 5th), Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trail, West 6th Street bars and restaurants, Shoal Creek Trail, BookPeople

You’ll need to drive: H-E-B (closest full store is on S. Lamar, about 2.5 miles south), Zilker Park main entrance (about 1.5 miles), Target, Austin-Bergstrom Airport (12.5 miles)

For context, most Austin apartments land in the 30-50 Walk Score range. A CapMetro bus stop is right outside the building on 5th Street, and the Downtown MetroRail station is about 1.5 miles east.

The Commute Math

Route notes: MoPac is your quickest option heading north or south, and you can get to it fast from W 5th. Getting into downtown going east is easy, but crossing I-35 to East Austin adds time during rush hour.

Neighborhood Vibe

Clarksville was founded in 1871 as a freedmen’s community, and that history still shapes the area. You’ll see historic cottages next to modern builds, shaded sidewalks, and a quiet that you won’t find three blocks east.

The trade-off? You’re right at the line where quiet Clarksville meets the West 6th Street bar corridor. Weekdays are calm. Friday and Saturday nights after 10 PM get louder depending on which side of the building you’re on. If you want walkability but a different vibe, East Austin and South Austin both have walkable pockets at lower price points. And then there’s the train running behind the building, which the marketing photos can’t exactly warn you about.

Pricing and True Cost

Floor Plans Overview

*Net effective with 1 month free on a 12-month lease

Net Effective Rent: The Real Math

The Clark is offering 1 month free on select floor plans with a 12-month lease. Here’s what that looks like on the most common 1-bedroom (1A at $2,138):

Using the daily multiplier method:

• 12-month lease = 365 days
• 1 month free = 30 days
• Multiplier: (365 – 30) / 365 = 0.9178
• $2,138 × 0.9178 = $1,962/month net effective
• Monthly savings: $176
• Total savings over the lease: $2,138

That’s real money. But here’s the catch: you still have to qualify based on the full $2,138 base rent, not the net effective. That means you need $6,414/month ($76,968/year) to qualify at 3x.

All the Fees

Required (everyone pays these):

Optional:

True Monthly Cost Example

A renter in the 1A floor plan with one dog and unreserved parking:

Move-in costs: $350 application fee + first month’s rent + $400 pet deposit = roughly $2,888 before any security deposit.

Specials change. What’s listed above was accurate as of early July 2026, but offers shift.

Want to know what specials are actually available right now?

I track specials at properties like The Clark regularly. Offers change and new ones pop up. Fill out a quick form and I’ll send you what’s current.

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Screening Criteria

Income Requirements

The Clark uses 3x monthly rent as the income requirement. Here’s what that means at different price points:

Income is based on base rent, not net effective. You can add incomes together if you have a roommate or partner on the lease.

Credit Expectations

CWS doesn’t publish a credit score minimum. Their website says they check the usual: credit, criminal, rental history, income. No specifics. Based on what I see across CWS properties and Class A buildings at this rent level:

• 650+ credit: Smooth approval, standard deposit
• 600-649: Usually approved, may see a higher deposit
• Below 600: Gets much harder. If your credit is in this range, you need to know before you apply whether CWS will work with your situation. That’s a question I can answer before you spend $350.

What Gets You Denied

Here’s what typically triggers automatic denial at a property like The Clark:

• Active property debt to a previous landlord (this is a hard stop at almost every CWS community)
• Eviction judgment within the past 5-7 years
• Not enough income documentation (they need pay stubs or W-2s to verify)
• Certain felony convictions (timeframe depends on offense type, but Class A properties typically look back 7-10 years)
• Incomplete application (every person 18+ must apply and be screened separately)

The Application Process

1. Apply online through CWS’s portal. $350 per applicant. Not refundable.
2. Screening covers credit, criminal background, rental history, employment, and income.
3. Preliminary approval comes via email. You’ll then need photo ID and pay stubs or W-2s to finalize.
4. Lease signing is electronic. CWS sends a “Welcome Home” letter with your move-in checklist.

Here’s what working with a locator does for you at a property like this: I can check whether CWS is likely to approve you before you risk that $350 app fee. If The Clark’s screening looks tight for your situation, I know which nearby properties in the downtown Austin and Central Austin submarket have more flexibility. That step alone can save you hundreds in wasted application fees.

Resident Reviews Decoded

I read through every review I could find on this property: 225 on Google, 23 on ApartmentRatings, 51 on Yelp, plus Birdeye, VeryApt, and RentCafe. Here’s what the patterns show.

Review Pattern Analysis

What Residents Consistently Praise

The leasing staff gets praised by name more than at any other CWS property I track. Iman shows up in 15-20+ reviews across Google, Yelp, and ApartmentRatings. On Yelp, “Kay, Ben, and Matthew” are highlighted in 10 reviews. Ben on the maintenance team gets praised even in 1-star reviews. Madison W. gave the property 1 star but wrote: “The maintenance team is the only redeeming quality (Mike and Ben). They are always so kind and responsive.” When your maintenance team gets praised in your worst reviews, that tells you something real.

And the community feel here is something you don’t see at most 200+ unit buildings. There are monthly events, a resident book club and running club, and a core group of about 20 people who regularly hang out together. One reviewer who lived there four years across three different units said he’d “never had one negative experience.”

What Residents Consistently Criticize

The negative reviews tell a story with a clear timeline. Late 2024 was bad. Security failures (broken entry doors, mail room glass shattered, car break-ins), pool demolition with jackhammering seven days a week, and fire alarm issues all hit at the same time. Several residents who’d been there for years left during this period. The negative reviews from that stretch have high upvote counts (9-14 likes each), so it wasn’t just one or two people.

So are those problems fixed? Recent 2026 reviews don’t mention security problems. The pool looks like it’s done. The fire alarms seem resolved. But VeryApt’s management score tells the story: 6.7 out of 10, compared to a 10/10 location score. Residents still see a gap between how good the building is and how well the corporate side runs things.

One more thing listing sites won’t tell you: the most recent ApartmentRatings reviewer (April 2026, a resident for 5 years) says he was charged rent past his lease end date even after giving written notice months ahead. That’s one person’s story, but ask about how they handle move-outs before you sign.

How Management Responds

CWS responds to virtually every Google review. The responses are cookie-cutter, signed by Maggie, Megan, or Emily from CWS Customer Care. Positive reviews get “We are so happy to hear…” Negative reviews describing broken glass and security failures get the exact same boilerplate. That’s corporate review management. It tells you CWS watches their reputation, but not whether specific issues were fixed.

One reviewer also flagged CWS running a sweepstakes encouraging residents to post reviews. That doesn’t mean the positive reviews are fake, but some may be incentivized.

The Uncomfortable Truth

No listing site will write this section. I’m not trying to kill the deal. I just want you to know exactly what you’re signing up for.

That $350 Application Fee Is Real Money at Risk

Most Austin apartments charge $50-75 per person. The Clark charges $350. For a couple, that’s $700 at risk. CWS doesn’t publish their credit minimum or detailed screening criteria, so there’s no easy way to check your odds on your own before applying. If you’re not confident you’ll qualify, that $350 is a gamble. This is the single biggest reason to check your approval odds with someone who knows CWS’s patterns before you apply.

The Train Is Permanent and the Marketing Doesn’t Mention It

Eleven of 225 Google reviewers mention train noise. The property’s own website doesn’t reference it. Neither does Apartments.com or any listing site. The tracks run directly behind the building. If you tour during the day, you might not notice. But residents who sleep with windows open or have bedrooms facing the tracks say it’s a real problem at night. CWS does include a 30-day out clause for this issue, and I’ve seen multiple reviewers on different sites confirm it exists. That clause is good to have, but it also means CWS knows the train is a problem.

The Unit You Tour Might Not Be the Unit You Get

One Google reviewer (5 months ago) says he was shown a 1-bedroom with a carpeted bedroom and windows that opened during his July 2025 tour. When he signed, he got a unit without bedroom carpet and with sealed windows that don’t open because it was so close to the train tracks. His bedroom window had two panes of glass with fruit flies trapped between them. That’s one person’s complaint, not a pattern I can count across reviews. But it’s worth asking on your tour: “Is this the exact unit I’ll be signing for, or a model?”

Moving Out Can Get Ugly

The most recent ApartmentRatings review (April 2026, 2.8 out of 5) comes from a resident of 5 years who says he was charged rent past his lease end date despite written notice months ahead of time. He calls the property manager’s emails dismissive. One person’s story, but at $2,000+ per month, that’s serious. Get every agreement about when your lease ends in writing.

Ready to move forward, or want to look at alternatives?

You’ve now seen the full picture on The Clark: the genuine strengths and the real downsides. If it fits your situation, great. If the train noise, the $350 app fee, or the pricing doesn’t work, I know the Clarksville and West Downtown submarket well enough to point you toward properties that solve for whatever your priority is.

Get Help Now →

Frequently Asked Questions

Does The Clark allow pets?

Yes. Up to 2 pets with no weight limit. $400 deposit plus $30/month per pet. Breed restrictions apply: Chow Chow, Doberman, German Shepherd, Pit Bull, American Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, American Staffordshire Terrier, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, and mixes are not allowed.

What credit score do I need for The Clark?

CWS doesn’t publish a minimum. Based on CWS’s patterns across their portfolio, plan on 600+ for straightforward approval. Below that gets difficult at a Class A building charging $2,100+ for a 1-bedroom. The $350 app fee makes it worth confirming your odds before applying.

Is The Clark noisy because of the train?

It can be. The building backs up to active train tracks, and 11 of 225 Google reviewers mention it by name. Units facing away from the tracks are much quieter. CWS has a 30-day out clause for train noise, which tells you they know it’s a real issue.

What utilities are included at The Clark?

None. Gas, water, and electric are all usage-based. Electric goes through Austin Energy (you set up your own account). The $75/month amenity fee covers valet trash, package room, and amenity spaces, but that’s a mandatory fee, not an included utility.

How much is parking at The Clark?

$50/month for unreserved garage parking. $100/month for a reserved spot. No free parking option. Street parking available for guests.

What are the biggest complaints about The Clark?

Train noise (11 Google mentions), security incidents in late 2024 (break-ins, broken entry doors), pool construction disruption (late 2024 through mid-2026), and slow elevators. The staff and maintenance team get positive reviews even from residents who gave low overall ratings.

Does The Clark have income restricted units?

Yes. Income restricted studio ($1,670) and 1-bedroom ($1,702) units are available at rents below market rate. Contact the leasing office for eligibility details.

When was The Clark built?

2018. Six stories with elevator access. It’s not an old wood frame building, so you won’t hear your upstairs neighbor’s every step. The train noise outside is a different story. The pool area was reconstructed in late 2024 through mid-2026.

The Bottom Line: Is The Clark Worth It?

Here’s where I land on The Clark. The Clarksville location is one of the most walkable in Austin: Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Life Time, and Lady Bird Lake trail all within a 10-minute walk. The team here (Iman, Ben, Colleen, Sami, Que, Kay, Matthew) gets praised by name across 30+ reviews. The building is 2018 construction with gas appliances, quartz counters, and washer/dryer in every unit. No pet weight limit at rents this high is hard to find.

The trade-off: you’re paying $2,138+ for a 1-bedroom in a building on active train tracks that charges $350 to apply and went through a rough period in late 2024 that pushed out residents who’d been there for years.

This property makes sense if:

• Walking to Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Lady Bird Lake trail within 10 minutes matters more than anything else on your list
• You want a 226-unit mid-rise community over a downtown high-rise
• You have a larger dog and need a building with no weight limit
• You can get a unit facing away from the train tracks

This property doesn’t make sense if:

• Your 1-bedroom budget is under $2,000/month after specials
• You’re a light sleeper and can’t guarantee a unit away from the tracks
• You have screening concerns that make a $350 application fee risky
• You’re not in a position to cover $2,800+ in move-in costs

The math works in year one if you lock in the one month free special. Whether the train and the $350 app fee are worth it is up to you. If you want help figuring that out, or you’d rather look at downtown Austin or Central Austin properties without the train, fill out the form and I’ll text you within a few hours.

Need Help?

You’ve got everything you need to make a decision on The Clark. If you want help:

Fill out the form above and I’ll text you to answer questions, check your approval odds, share current specials, and coordinate next steps. You’ll talk to me directly, not an AI phone system. I can save you $350 by telling you whether CWS will approve you before you apply.

Going solo? Just tell them “Ross Quade from Austin Apartment Team” referred you on your tour and application. Text me at 512-360-0852 when you apply so I can make sure everything’s on track.