Stanford West

Alright, after being here for a few months I can give an accurate review and all in all– it’s a nice place to live.
Pros:
–Easy parking, guests don’t have to worry about passes or towing. I’ve see vehicles in open spots that have never moved since I’ve moved in and although it’s a bit difficult to find parking at night people create their own spots and there seems to be no penalty.
–Close to mass public transit, campus shuttles, CalTrain, Food markets, the mall, and hiking trails.
–Service requests, i.e. clogged drain etc, has an exceptionally fast turn around. I placed a maintenance order at 1:00pm and they arrived at 3:00pm (I did not mark it urgent or anything) which was very impressive.
–The fact that you live mostly with your coworkers makes it feel like a real family oriented neighborhood.
–accessible gym and multiple pools
–corner store for both receiving packages and a quick ½ gallon of milk if necessary.
–washing machine and dishwasher in each apartment
–thick walls
–apartments are pretty spacious, I don’t have that much square footage but it fits my general needs
–a garage comes with each apartment which can be used for storage or a vehicle, or both.
–trash valet, I had no idea about this when I moved in and now I don’t know if I can live without it. I simply love it!
–the trail in the back: one way leads to Menlo Park where you can get to safeway or downtown menlo park in less than 45 mins walking. The other leads up Sand Hill with the option of continuing on a trail that leads to the dish or up the hill further (for bikers this would go through to the mountains past the freeway).
–Safety: very safe environment, security patrol 24/​7, and you have an alarm system in your apartment.
Caveats:
–in the summer children play outside as soon as the sun comes up, they scream, they yell, they hit things, I could only presume this happens in every neighborhood (I live nowhere near the playgrounds or pools).
–each apartments’ washing machine is not quite «apartment friendly» they’re obnoxiously loud and the walls aren’t thin but as long as they keep it between 8 – 10 on weekdays and 10 – 10 on weekends it’s no bother.
–the floors are quite thin, I hear the person above me walking around often (typical for an apartment though).
–some garages have the capability to park a car behind it but doing so eliminates the sidewalk so when walking by (especially in the rain) I have to dip into the mud or jump around. Since its on private property as a whole I don’t believe it’s illegal but it is preventing handicapped individuals from accessing the appropriate walkway (which is illegal city-​street wise).
All in all, I would recommend this place. I’ve adhered to love it and you couldn’t really ask for much more with the spectacular location. Apply today!

I don’t live here, but I sometimes housesit at Stanford West. Safe and quiet area. Each town house has 3 floors (2 bedrooms and a living room), and a garage. I think there are other types of rooms/​houses.
There is a common space for gathering. It is quite nice. Also there is a pool and gym.
If you are rich enough and work for Stanford, this is definitely a great place.

A great place to live. I especially enjoy the beautiful pools.
Four stars instead of five because it is expensive and because the 30 page lease has a number of objectionable clauses, and the manager was rude and not at accommodating to me when I complained about this. The objectionable bits include no items allowed in the garage (only cars), and too much liability for bed bug issues (you can be liable for your neighbors bedbugs, even if you don’t have any yourself).

It’s going on three years now since I’ve been living at Stanford West. Last May my husband and I found a puppy and decided to take him home as our own. Our puppy is a blue nose pit and many apartments don’t allow this breed due to the many negative stereotypes. As a result we were very afraid that Stanford west wouldn’t allow us to keep him in our apartment. My husband and I were very surprised at how welcoming the Stanford West staff was with our new puppy. It is an honest joy when we walk our dog in the apartment community. The gentleman who works at the corner store has come out to give us dog treats on occasions, all of the maintenance men stop to say hello whenever they get the chance, even the nice women in the leasing office have come out to give my rambunctious pup belly rubs. Stanford West is very pet friendly.

Not a nice place to live.
Although they claim to be «dog friendly», really they are only children friendly. This is fine if you happen to have children, but not if you are a hard working faculty member with pets. Especially because the neighborhood housewives have nothing better to than sit at home and make complaints all day, and the highly prejudiced management use this as an excuse to harass you and interrupt you at work.
If you are a Faculty candidate with pets (and choices) that is considering coming to Stanford, and Stanford West Apartments is your only choice for a place to live, I would recommend taking the other job. I assume they would be more accommodating, because its hard to imagine anyone being less accommodating.

We’ve lived here about two years and love it. It’s a friendly, diverse community that’s great for families with children. Maintenance responds super-​fast, and the office staff address concerns and create memorable community events. They recently added some small organic garden plots – a wonderful way to relax, meet others, and involve your kids in gardening. Not only are there beautiful grassy areas, two playgrounds, and two swimming pools with hot tubs, but there’s also a nice green space where you can explore and hang out under a big eucalyptus tree with lots of shade. Plus the courtyards and paths around the apartments are attractive and good for kids. As you walk around, it’s nice to see kids’ drawings in sidewalk chalk. All in all, this is a great, family-​friendly place to live.

My family and I have lived here for 2.5 years, much longer than I originally anticipated because of several strong points: the service is amazing and the common areas are meticulously kept. One time my washing machine broke on July 4 and it was fixed within an hour. I’ve never waited more than a day to have anything repaired or addressed. The office staff are all professional, dependable, friendly, and helpful — from the simpler tasks of distributing parking passes to the more complicated issues that arise. The amenities that have been described by previous reviewers — the pools/​jacuzzis, shared bbq areas, playgrounds, garden plots, common room, fitness center, car wash area — are very much appreciated, as are the occasional planned events (annual Halloween party, winter party, summer fair, cooking classes, etc). We call it Pleasantville!

Stanford West sets the high mark for apartment living in Silicon Valley. Others have commented on the beautiful setting, extensive amenities, and convenient location. I would add that the staff are also very helpful and personable. Every «fix it» ticket I’ve ever submitted was resolved quickly and to perfection. If you’re so fortunate as to make it off of the extensive waiting list, do not hesitate to join this wonderful community.

Live in the bay area for 12 years, I will say Stanford West is the best Apartment I have stayed. The management here is very professional and polite. The environment is great. Apartment maintain is wonderful. The complex has fitness center, swimming pools, parks, club house, and even an office with computer and printer for tenants. In addition, this place is extremely family friendly. Over all, a great place to live in bay area!

I’ve lived in a couple other apartments in Palo Alto, both near downtown, tiny and overpriced with none of the amenities that you can get at Stanford West. My last apartment was an old jr. 1 bedroom (more like a studio) with no parking and a kitchen just like Harry Potter’s room (seriously it was tiny and built under the stairs). The person renting there is now paying $ 1800 (sucker!). With the way rent is going in this town, SW’s rates are competitive for its location and what you can get for your money.
First, you need to meet the eligibility requirements. Those that work at Stanford University get priority, then the Stanford hospitals, then others. But once you get an apartment it’s pretty sweet. Living 5 minutes from work is awesome!
I have a 2 bedroom split floor plan. The master has an en-​suite bathroom, walk-​in closet and it’s own heater/​air conditioner unit. The living/​dining area is average size, and works for my small family. My kitchen has been upgraded with granite counters and has a nice sized pantry for storage. My son’s room only has a heater — would be nice if it had air conditioning. His bathroom is separate. The unit comes with a full size washer and dryer. Living on the ground floor allows me to have a nice sized patio with space for a patio set and BBQ. I was lucky enough to get an apartment with an attached garage. Most units have separate garages — but hey that’s better than the majority of apartments in PA!
Another major plus is that pets are allowed. Very few apartments take pets around here. Pet rent is $ 25/​month and there’s a $ 1000 pet deposit. There are tons of paths to walk your dog and even waste bag stations to clean up after it.
Other amenities include: 2 heated pools and spas, a modern fitness room with Stanford wifi, BBQ area, playground, a convenience store, a car wash area, free car vacuum and a Marguerite stop. Too lazy to take your trash to the dumpster? Leave the bin outside your door and valet trash will pick it up at night. I always see security walking around so I feel safe. It does get noisy during the day with landscaping, deliveries, etc.
Check it out, it’s great living here.

Super family friendly community, great maintenance staff, quality units, not as noisy as the other reviews suggest unless you’re home asleep most days, I could see where landscaping or deliveries could be noisy depending on where you are located in the complex. Beautiful to come home to after a busy day. Nicer than Oak Creek or the on-​campus apartments. Difficult to get into unless you are Stanford affiliated, even then it may be hard to get into, but definitely worth an attempt. Many people live here as long term renters because its so pleasant. Families that move away say they miss it!

i wish i lived here. why can’t LA get it together and make a beautiful complex like this?

The place is not managed directly by Stanford University so don’t expect any special effort to make your time at Stanford more pleasant. Unfortunately, the newly installed heaters /​air conditioners don’t really work very well, have no effective thermostat, and are quite loud. They regularly over water, even in drought conditions, so the surrounding green areas are often muddy. They often paint over the inside cupboard laminate so you get white sticky smears when you try to clean them. Otherwise, this place has potential and offers a good community environment for young families.

Unless you know 1 year in advance that you want to live here, and you are a Stanford alumnus/​fellow/​student, you have as much hope of living here as you have of living at the Palace of Versailles. We gave up after they told us we were on page 6 of the waiting list. We ended up finding our place on Craigslist, which, I must say, is way bigger than anything we would have found at Stanford West. So there.

Beautiful tree-​lined complex of 1, 2, & 3-​bed townhomes across the street from Stanford and the shopping mall. There are variations on single/​double level, patio, etc. but apts have lots of natural light and come with a single garage space + extra outdoor parking.
Complex has 2 pool and hot tub areas, one with a clubhouse and BBQ available for residents to reserve. Fitness center is small (10 machines) but convenient, and the complex is backed by a large field and a bike path.
Easy access to 280 and 101, walking distance from Caltrain… overall great apartments with convenient location.