Duchess Of Windsor Apartments

So, rented a studio apartment here for 5 months with one cat. This place is really cute, suited my needs perfectly, but I was dismayed with certain things. I moved in though and it was a little dirty. There weren’t any screens in the windows, the parking that the website said they offer was 9 spaces in the back, tiny spaces, that are given out based on a waiting list, or you can pay $ 30 extra a month to park in the lot across the back alley, if there are any spaces available. Its patrolled by a HUGE guard cat, so beware. There is no washer/​dryer on the 3^rd floor, only 1^st and 2^nd and when they break, they don’t get repaired quickly… 2 months went by with the building using one washer. It can be pretty noisy, anyone talking in their own apartment anywhere near the windows that open to the hallway can be heard on all 3 levels.
All of this was fine by me, I could cope. What got me was that I moved into a place that wasn’t completely clean, and when I moved out I made sure it was spotless. Yet I was charged $ 200 for carpet cleaning when I had cleaned the carpet before I moved out. No explanation of why the carpet needed cleaning.
Oh also, the fire extinguisher boxes located in the hallway? Empty. So don’t rely on them to put out your fire. And the security gates at the back of the building are almost always propped open…
I would move in there again, because it was cute and quaint and suited my needs for the time, but I do feel scammed out of my security deposit. Just don’t steam clean your carpet because they’re going to charge you to do it anyway.

I just moved into the Duchess of Windsor apartments from Novato. I spent a lot of time trying to find a nice place to live in Vallejo, and I found it!
First off, everyone I have talked to so far is EXTREMELY friendly. They are always there to answer any questions I have.
They made moving in a breeze. The whole process was very easy, and they even let me bring in my own credit report so I did not have to pay an application fee!
The apartment itself, has SO much character. It has such a great Victorian feel. My kitchen is a little small, but hey, I make it work. The re-​modeled apartments have a way bigger kitchen.
My living room and bedroom are huge, and the closet is like three times bigger than an average one.
So far, every single neighbor I have met, has been very friendly as well. Everyone is quiet, and a lot of the tenants are students.
The farmers market happens RIGHT OUTSIDE. Literally. You walk outside, and you are there. Same thing with the ferry. I can walk to the ferry and go to the baseball games when they start up again! :)
They allow pets. I have two kitties and they worked with me about them!
Bottom line, I would recommend this place to anyone. Mel and John are great, and have done a great job with this place!

I never had a big problem with the the «Duchess of Windsor» complex. I had a studio with an updated kitchen («granite» counter tops, new sink & stove, older fridge, and if you looked closely there were actually 3 – 4 different types of cabinets used in the kitchen but not noticeable to anyone else). The bedroom was quite large and spacious. Since there’s not much space in the kitchen to eat, I ended eating most meals at a table in the bedroom.
Other units even had updated bathrooms. I did not. The bathroom had an old-​fashioned claw foot bathtub with two shower curtains that encircled you, pedestal sink, and window that opened to an «air shaft.» It has no view, but does a good job of keeping the bathroom dry.
In my unit, the closet was really long — woo hoo! Imagine at least 2 to 2.5 times the length of a normal closet. I was able to flatten & store a whole bunch cardboard boxes of my appliances and things (microwave, dvd, fans, small Christmas tree, etc.) for when I moved out.
Each unit is different and may or may not be updated. So make sure you view or get photos of the exact unit you’re interested in.
I adored the architecture of the building especially the 5-​ish feet high of ledging that surrounds the entire bedroom (it extends approximately 3 inches from the wall). I never put a nail in the walls, because I could rest all my artwork or random decorations on this ledge.
The internet connection was an issue. I would have to call Ruben quite often to ask him to reset the internet.
I opted for the parking lot in the back (there’s only 8 or so spots available). It was nice to know your car was probably safer than on the street but a lot of the residents did not know how to park there. If everyone parks within the painted lines, someone is going to get screwed. But if you park out of the lines and leave some space for the people on the ends, it’s better.
I never had a problem with our neighbors at the time. Everyone was pretty quiet and I rarely saw other residents. Several of them were students who went to school nearby.

I have been living here for about two years. I ended up moving due to a promotion through my job, and I was in desperate need of a safe, nice place to call home. After searching on Craigslist for days, I stumbled upon a post offering a nice sized «one bedroom» apartment for $ 700.
The Duchess Of Windsor Apartments are very cute and original. I believe that the architecture would best be described as «Mission Revival». Mel Gomez and John Howland have done an awesome job keeping this place up. The building has a lot of history behind it. I remember someone telling me that way back in the day, one of the tenants hid dead bodies in his apartment, and that it was haunted! LOL. I live on the third floor facing the street and I have great views of Mare Island the San Pablo Bay from my living room windows.
The maintenance guy (his name is Ruben) also lives in the building and is really nice. He is very responsive whenever something needs to be replaced or looked at in my apartment. The building has security cameras in the hallways… I actually feel safe keeping my front door unlocked if I ever chose to do so. The tenants here are quiet and friendly. When I first moved here back in April of 2010, it seemed a little empty and a lot of the tenants were college kids that would rent out a room for the semester. Lately, it seems like there are more long-​term tenants. Below is a list of the pro’s and con’s of living in The Duchess:
PROS — — -
1. Complimentary Wi-​Fi (I do not get the best signal in my apartment, but it is better than nothing!)
2. Friendly and personable owners
3. Prompt maintenance service
4. AWESOME views of downtown Vallejo and the waterfront from the third floor
5. Most of the apartments are renovated and include hardwood floors and really nice appliances
6. Video entry system… you can have guests «video call» you from outside!
7. It is literally just across the street from the weekly farmers market that is held on Saturday mornings (I can look out my window and see it)
8. Friendly neighbors
9. Back patio areas on all three floors that you can smoke on (and the set up is really cute, too)
10. Management decorates the interior during certain holidays. It seems like they really try to create a comfortable and inviting vibe for the people who rent out their apartments. :) During Pride weekend, I noticed that the American flag that sits on top of the building was changed out to a rainbow flag. :D
11. Every single person who has visited me has mentioned that the building is SOOOO cute and very unique.
CONS — — -
1. On-​street parking. You can pay about $ 30 per month for private parking in the back. Based on what other tenants have told me, the parking spaces are REALLY small and difficult to park in. I have seen them myself… and the set up is awkward. SO… if you park on the street, you run the small risk of having your car getting broken into or vandalized late at night. BUT HEY… it is Vallejo, so that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who lives in this city. Sometimes it is hard to find parking on the street because on some nights Dance Unlimited has events. The sex shop on the opposite side of the building also has frequent visitors that stay for short amounts of time (for the video arcade, I assume… ROFL).
2. There are only TWO washing machines, and TWO dryers.
3. IT CAN BE NOISY AT TIMES. From my experience, the tenants here are pretty quiet. The only things that gets on my nerves is the occasional crackhead outside who likes to yell at his or herself, the people who like to ride their motorcycles down Georgia and set off car alarms because their bike is so loud, and the public safety noise… police, ambulance… and fire truck sirens… :(
Based on the information above, the pros totally outweigh the cons. If you are looking for a nice place to call home in Downtown Vallejo, then make sure you check this place out. I plan on staying here until they tell me to leave! :)