University Park Apartments

I happened across UPA by chance while I was trawling through craigslist postings in a very stressful search for housing at the start of Fall semester last year, and it was exactly what I was looking for! Compared to other housing options in the area, it is very modern (newly renovated by the owners), has a secure entrance and is located only minutes away from Safeway, CVS, Walgreens, Cheeseboard and Gregoire’s (North), and about a 7 minute walk to BART (South).
I live in a 1BR unit facing Shattuck so I get lots of natural light in the afternoons. It was a little noisy at first, but I am so used to the traffic it doesn’t bother me at all anymore. The unit is bright and spacious; almost big enough to turn the living room into a second bedroom. Sara, the building manager, is great and all maintenance requests are taken care of almost immediately!
The only two reasons why I give it 4 not 5 stars are:
1) It is a little expensive, but not by a lot more than other apartments I looked at while house hunting in the area; and
2) Washer/​dryer units are located on the top floor rather than in the apartment (again, this was the same for most of the other options I looked at in the neighborhood, while some did not even have laundry on site and recommended local laundromats instead).
I have loved living here for the last year and would definitely recommend it to anyone moving to Berkeley!

My girlfriend and I have lived here for seven months now, and we’ll be happy to stay here until we’re done with our PhDs. The building is smack in the middle of the Gourmet Ghetto, so there are more food options than we know what to do with, there are three grocery stores in a ten minute radius, and we’re about an eight minute walk from the western edge of campus.
Compared to the two other apartments we’ve lived in together in Berkeley, University Park Apartments is quiet, clean, well taken care of — and has the bonus of a great manager and amazing maintenance. There’s not a corner of the building that I’ve seen that isn’t clean and tidy, which is a great change from other buildings.

I have been living here for a year and a half now. Since the first day, the building manager and the maintainance people have been super responsive to any ask, question or suggestion. They are just great.
I think the rent is on the higher end, nonetheless it is hard to find apartments in Berkeley, and this building has just the perfect location. My apartment is not new or fancy, but it is very well maintained. It is very spacious with plenty of closets and storage space. I am in an unit that faces Shattuck Ave, so I have a lot of natural light.
Why it is not a 5-​star review?:
(1) the apartment has carpeted floor
(2) not dishwasher or washer/​dryer in the unit (but there is a laundry room in the building, so it is not that bad)
(3) the soundproofing is not that good, which usually is not a problem, but I can annoy my neighbors very easily, as for example having 5+ people over for dinner. So, it is definitely not a place for having a lot of gatherings and social events.
Overall, I would definitely recommend University Park Apartments.

This is a beautiful building in a prime location. I love their new website — it’s got lots of pictures.

I have lived at the University Park Apartments for the last year and I love it! I have lived in Berkeley for five years, so I know how difficult it is to find a nice apartment in a safe neighborhood with a responsive building manager. But, that is exactly what living in the University Park Apartments is like! Many of the units have been remodeled and the building is undergoing major remodeling as well. The building manager, Robin, is awesome — cool, responsible, and super responsive. There is also a cheerful maintenance guy, Duffy, who is at the building every day, so problems are usually fixed within a day or so.
The building is located on Shattuck and Virginia in the Gourmet Ghetto. This is a FABULOUS location with some of the best restaurants in Berkeley and two major grocery stores just a short walk away. Downtown Berkeley and the BART station are also located just a few blocks away. Getting to the Berkeley campus is easy because the 7 bus literally stops in front of the building and it actually runs on time! I have never had to wait more than 5 minutes for the 7 bus to take me to school.
In my opinion, this is the ideal place to live in Berkeley. I’m getting set to graduate and my only regret is that I did not find this place sooner!