San Pasqual

I agree with Jenny S.
We lived at this complex for two and a half years. We chose it because the location was quiet and within walking distance to a lot of shops. We were originally in a one bedroom then we switched to a two bedroom. The two bedroom was on the corner and it didn’t get too noisy… except the windows are single paned. You can hear car alarms and people talking outside at all hours of the night and day.
At first we were happy, maintenance took care of everything, Kristen was super helpful. Then, a new management company came in, the leasing manager left and a new one came in. Rent increased $ 200 each year. We thought about it and the two bedroom apartments are not worth $ 2300/​month. We paid our rent by check and dropped it to the manger off each month to avoid the $ 50-​$ 100 online payment fee.
The company also has redone the pool in the middle of summer for two years in a row.
Overall, it’s fine but not worth the inconvenience of not being able to use the balcony or one of the garage doors (read: renovations).

I chose this apartment for its proximity to Caltech. For such an expensive place to live it leaves a lot to be desired. For example, they told us they were renovating all the balconies and its already been two months and the first batch of balconies haven’t been finished. In addition those residents have their balconies covered by tarps the entire time not allowing much sunlight to get in. It must be frustrating for them. For us, we simply aren’t allowed to put anything on the balcony which I find inconvenient.
Another thing I was displeased with was that there are many fees in addition to rent that I was not told about before moving in. You can imagine my surprise when I learned that I had to pay an additional $ 40 a month for this. They also employ a third party to do their finances which they charge you for on top of rent which I find simply ridiculous. Why call yourself a management company if you can’t do your own accounting and if you can’t you shouldn’t be charging tenants for it?
The neighborhood is nice (but can San Pasqual claim credit for that? I think not). However, the walls are thin; I can hear my neighbors singing all the time or even just watching TV. In the morning I’m woken up by footsteps of neighbors outside my window as my unit faces inwards towards the courtyard. The walkway gives a hollow echoing sound. And maintenance staff outside my window have regularly woken me up early in the morning. This also makes napping very difficult. I can also hear my neighbors upstairs walking around and in the mornings that they decide they want to exercise my precious few hours of sleep are at big risk
The online payment form also charges an additional $ 50 if you choose to pay by credit card, which in this day and age is just unfathomable. I can go to any grocery store and not get charged those fees.
All in all, I find these apartments acceptable because they’re close to Caltech and I mainly spend my entire day on campus anyways. My biggest complaint is lack of transparency and the staff’s relatively little knowledge about their own system (website, washing machine system etc.) so when anything breaks it takes a while to fix. Probably would not recommend this place because you can find better options nearby for better prices (especially if you’re looking into the one bedroom option).
I do have to say that I really liked Kristen who was the community coordinator who helped us move in and get our paperwork done but it seems like they’ve replaces one of the only consistently good things here too. Now the staff rotates and no one knows the timeline of anything because they’re only here for a short time.

For the location and price, the apartments are wonderful. Sure, they’re not perfect, but they’re all minor issues. Alvaro, the maintenance guy, lives on the premise so our issues are always taken care of right away! Kristen, the property manager, also lives on site and she’s so wonderful and helpful! Additionally, we just love living on this block as it seems that all the buildings around here allow pets. Super friendly neighbors as well!