Panomar Apartments

We lived in sixth floor unit from the 2014 remodel for 1 year.
Pros: Insane view, effectively unlimited uncovered parking, proximity to Posey Tube, small deposit, nice roof top area, Tim the maintenance man.
Cons: Elevators that break amazingly frequently, package theft, 20% year-​on-​year rent increase, lackadaisical problem resolution by management teams (plural – they shift over time), weak plumbing, noisy antiquated heating system, cheap finish.
Let me address those cons in some detail:
Elevators that break amazingly frequently: There are two elevators in the building. When the building was stripped down and refurbished, the elevators were only cosmetically refurbished. The central elevator would break *on average* once a month. The secondary elevator nominally used as a moving lift, located to the south, would break within a day of the primary lift breaking… we gather this was from the sudden increase in usage. Repair times varied from 1 to 5 days. At one point someone was trapped in the elevator and the fire department showed up and broke through the doors to free the occupant. The physical damage is visible to this day on the 6^th floor.
Package theft: Initially when we moved in, delivery companies were allowed to leave packages with reception and they were stored in secured rooms and observed by cameras. At some point the management told the shipping firms to place the packages outside the door of the recipient – this was about the time that the office was staffed part time. Our and our neighbor’s anecdotal observations were that that was when package theft became common. What was most aggravating about this was the «oh, sorry, are you sure you shipped it to the correct address» response from the management company.
While we were only there a year (on a 12 month lease), we saw many other tenants with shorter leases hit with proportionally high increases. We predicted what was coming and when searching for a new flat well beforehand, but many of our fellow tenants where taken by surprise. «That’s the market rate» is the reported answer. Fair enough, but it’s not an attitude for long term, loyal tenants. Be warned.
Lackadaisical problem resolution by management teams: We can’t enumerate the number of minor things that went wrong, from day one, that were reported to the management team and dealt with like a stoned 16-​year-​old waitress. «Oh, yeah, we’ll sort that out ASAP». Two days later «Oh, I thought so-​and-​so knew about that?» Dog. Homework. Spare. Me.
That point eludes to the shifting companies and people that have been managing the building. There were a few staff changes in that one short year. Probably related.
Weak plumbing: Bring your plunger. The day we moved out I flushed two semi-​wadded up connected paper towel sheets down the toilet… and it backed up. Very typical. Try to flush a fairly solid yet normal poo down the loo? Blockage. This is not normal.
Noisy antiquated heating system: Heat is from these metal boxes on the wall with a small fan. It gurgles when not in use. Setting the heat level is … somewhat mysterious. There have been problems in the past and space heaters were issued to tenants. They are kind of ugly too.
Cheap finish: This is one of our biggest gripes. The photos look great, but one you are living in the flat one starts to see the rough edges, the scrapes, the fake wood, etc. My prediction is most flats will start to look dated and worn in just a few years.

We move from The Grand (Biggest mistake ever) to Panomar on Oct. 8, 2014.
The Good:
–Stainless steel appliances.
–Plenty of parking
The bad:
–You can hear your neighbors.
–You can hear the trash chute and elevator door slamming.
–Work order took forever.
–No heat (Had to buy small heater)
–Not luxury at all (You want luxury, rent at The Grand)
–Far from bart.
–Hallway and stairwell were always dirty.
–Freight elevator was always down.
–Apartment is not worth the amount they’re charging.
–No 12 month lease option.
–THEY RAISE THE RENT 17% (WHICH EQUALS $ 450 A MONTH) ONCE OUR LEASE WAS UP.

I lived at Panomar for 8 months after first moving to the Bay Area. I’ll just list out minuses and pluses here, but ultimately the rent increase and lack of proximity to a BART station necessitated a move for me.
— Carmel Partners is raising rents here by 15% (and they are already quite a lot – this could be considered a luxury building). It’s certainly explainable as being brought up to market rates, but the lack of a 12 month leasing option is a bit nuts. The leasing office staff can’t do anything for you here; as it was explained to me at the time, the company didn’t want all leases expiring at once due to being a new building.
— At the end of 2014 and early 2015 there were a lot of issues with the building heaters, to the point where the leasing office was offering a $ 25 credit if you bought your own space heater. It can get surprisingly cold next to the water. I do think the community managers at the time (Odis and Kate) were doing everything they could, but for whatever reason this took forever to get fixed and for the heaters to stop making banging noises at all times of the day.
— Broken elevators. This happened 2 – 3 times over the course of 8 months, and if you live on the top floor, good luck to you. The 3^rd elevator in the building still was not operational by the time I left in August.
— Surprisingly, there’s a fair bit of noise in the building if you leave your bedroom windows open. Neighbors slamming doors will rattle your apartment.
— No BART station nearby — you have to take a bus to Lake Merritt to get on the train into SF, so if you work in the city this probably isn’t the best location for you unless you really want to brave that 2 hour drive over the Bay Bridge in the morning. The city of Alameda runs the shuttle, so it’s free, but it stops running after 6:30PM every night. If you leave work late, get your Über app ready to come back from Oakland to your house.
— As others stated, no assigned parking, but plenty of parking was always available including for guests.
— In a 2 bedroom apartment, the bedrooms are tiny. Be warned that the long hallway in the common area counts toward your 1100 sq. foot count. That’s not exactly usable space.
+ This is certainly a nice building, with tremendous views of the Oakland Estuary, Oakland hills and if your balcony is positioned correctly you can see the Bay Bridge.
+ All stainless steel appliances and the kitchen was exceptional. W/​D in-​unit. Can’t beat that.
+ To their credit, the leasing office staff was always responsive and helpful when they were able to take action. Odis and Kate have both moved on to other opportunities, but Kelly appears to be the new lead and she’s on the ball. There’s another gentleman working in the office as well, but I didn’t get his name.
If the parent company can get it together this could really be an exceptional building, but with Bay Area rents skyrocketing over the last few years you can probably do better if you give yourself more time to look.

Was shown one two-​bedroom apartment (the bedrooms are small) that was midway between elevators that was nice for quiet, came back with a deposit and placed into another two-​bedroom next to the elevator and the trash chute making it a noisy place. Both my wife and I remembered the shown unit being farther away. Elevators unreliable, the building not secure, dog piss stains at the front entrance, and the exorbitant rent hike (17%) after the initial seven-​month lease expires all contribute to an ill feeling about the place. Packages delivered are not thief-​proof as ANYBODY can enter the building and walk down the halls looking for packages left outside apartment doors or near the mailboxes. The first building onsite manager, Odis, did a great job helping people but, of course, he’s now working at a different location. I’d be wary about the rah-​rah reviews here as they smell of being generated by Carmel public relations.

I’ve lived at Panomar since the day the building opened after a major renovation of a 50’s era building. My one-​star rating is mostly out of frustration for the insane ($ 1200/​month) rate increase for month-​to-​month and a $ 500/​month rate increase (that’s about 20%) for signing an 11 month lease. The glowing reviews of others who have lived here notwithstanding, I think anyone living here now would probably agree that there have been some pretty significant problems with this building. What follows is as objective as I can get myself to be at the moment:
The GOOD:
–The views are nice, and I live on the 8^th floor where they are especially great
–Quiet neighborhood, convenient to lots of groceries, places to walk along the water, etc.
–Free, ample parking
–Newly renovated with good appliances
–Rooftop deck which is quite nice
–There is little if any noise between the floors – good insulation
–Good workout room
–Overall good neighbors
–The grounds are (mostly) clean
–They allow dogs, and most people seem to have pets
–Odis the manager is quite responsive and tries to do his best to mitigate the worst of the annoyances of living here.
The BAD:
–The elevators SUCK. They are small, and there are only two of them that have been upgraded. There is a third which has not been upgraded and has been permanently shut down since about the second month after I moved in. The two that have been upgraded have gone down more times than I can count and last week for several days there were no elevators at all. I and my 15 year old arthritic dog had to take the stairs. Not fun. We get emails all the time from Odis telling us that he is trying to get the elevator repair company to come quickly – they don’t.
–This is NOT a secure building. I know I am going to get attacked for publicizing this but the management has had ample time to fix the issue and frankly, I’m pissed off. After 7 months management still has done nothing to secure the freight elevator door at the ground floor level with a key. Anyone can just walk in from the outside and take the elevator up to any floor they want (if it’s working!) Also, most of the time both of the main doors into the lobby are standing wide open (they don’t close properly all the time). Really? $ 1000 more a month?
–The boiler. For weeks during the winter, and also more recently for a few days there was no heat in the building. The building uses steam radiators that have been upgraded with automatic fans which in theory is nice but it can get very cold on the water at night. To make up for it, Odis did buy space heaters for everyone in the building. Still annoying. Another annoying aspect about the radiators is the noise. As I am typing the pipes are clanging right now. Numerous emails have come from Odis about what he thinks the problem is, how he is getting new people on it, etc. I think he just has his hands tied.
Overall I probably wouldn’t mind spending $ 3,750 for a 700 SF one bedroom apartment with a nice view in Alameda if it were absolutely perfect. It’s not. My main gripe is with Carmel being greedy about the way they treat their existing tenants and the exorbitant rent increases they have put forth, all in a building that continues to have serious issues. I felt people deserved to know.

I love my apartment and the community is great! I lived in this building prior to the renovation and the improvements are phenomenal! I would definitely recommend Panomar!

The building and view a are gorgeous. However, as to be expected with a massive remodel, there have been many issues with the building as a result. These things could have quickly become intolerable if not for the efforts of Odis. Odis is really the heart of this community. He continually goes above and beyond to make sure the residents needs are met and that everyone is happy. Things may not always get resolved quickly, but Odis’ efforts are undeniable. I truly hope he has the full support of the property owners because he is an asset that must be retained.

As a family obsessed with water sports, we were excited to find a home at Panomar. The proximity to the marina makes it a sailors dream location. The roof top terrace boasts an incredible view with plush furniture that invites one to sit back and relax with a glass of wine whilst the sun sets over the horizon Beyond the view and the location, this is a very nice building to live in. The walls are thick and the appliances are lovely! Indeed, I will miss the kitchen most of all as they spared no expense creating a culinary work space that makes cooking and entertaining a pleasure.
What really makes this building a joy are the staff that accompany it. We were impressed on how helpful and friendly the team are. Indeed, the building manager, Odis, hired movers to expedite our move in process. He has also taken upon himself to resolve any issues personally. Tim, the maintenance man, was a wonderful addition to the building and was always quick to complete a request with a smile. Even after hours, both Tim and Odis, have gone the extra mile to answer our calls and resolve any issues that may have arisen. That alone has made us feel as though we are living in a caring community which is not what one might expect when you rent from a corporation. Moving out was a breeze with a simple walk through and a detailed condition report where Odis clearly marked how much of our deposit we could expect in the next three weeks.
If I were to say anything to improve, it would be to perhaps to link up with the local yacht club to give resident access to their pool. Otherwise if you choose to live here you can be assured of a clean environment where your neighbours are respectful and kind.

Best place to live in the Bay Area! Alameda is great and the community is amazing. Nice and polite people, pet friendly, great lounge with snacks and computers.

First off let me say that all of the other reviews are really spot on and truthful. The management team at Panomar and in particular the Property Manager named Odis are some of the best I’ve ever dealt with in this industry. Having been in property management myself before, I know what it’s like to be in Odis’s shoes. Watching him and his team go above and beyond when it comes to customer service was a breath of fresh air. Like many we had some challenges with our move, but him and his team overcame almost every obstacle. Odis offered multiple alternative solutions, made him self available, and even took care of some accent walls we requested due to the apartment having some minor imperfections when we arrived.
Carmel did an excellent job with this huge remodel which included everything from completely modernizing all apartments, overhauling the internal structural integrity of the building, new plumbing installed throughout, and they even remodeled two new service elevators (helpful if you’re moving in or out). The views are breathtaking from each apartment (mostly 4^th floor and above) and played major role in us choosing to lease here. Another hot tip is at least for now, the parking is amazing. The building shares an ample parking lot directly in front of the building with a neighborhood HOA and the adjoining Marina/​Yacht Club which is located on the other side of the parking lot. Reserved attached covered parking is also offered for an additional monthly fee.
I hope that our renewal offer will either stay the same, or will at least be at reasonable rate. Barring no major increases we’d like to renew a lease here at this wonderful apartment building. Only con’s are the electrical layout in the apartment is a little disappointing (this is where Carmel did cut some corners) and it would be nice to be able to pay rent with a credit card. Many nearby competitors offer that convenience and it’s nice to rack up points on your cards. They do offer a third party vendor to pay rent through online but you’ll be hit with a $ 25-​$ 30 convenience fee. They should work on that =) All in all a hidden gem in Alameda and if you can afford the full 2b/​2ba+ or 3b/​2ba they great floor plans, but our 2b/​1ba works for our small family.

This place is the best! Odis and Kate are responsive and do a super job at customer service. They held a resident’s breakfast last weekend with champagne (oh yeah!), omelet station, etc, and there were many nice people/​families who live here. Plus, the views are incredible from one’s balcony & the rooftop deck which is nicely put together with views of San Fran & Oakland. Also, the brand new ‘in-​unit’ washer/​dryer is great.
Kate & Odis are the best! (Btw, I’ve recently met them so this review is sincere, and not prompted ;)).
Do yourself a favor and visit Panomar! Hope you like it as much as we do. *just don’t take my favorite parking place *smile**

Three words: Love this place.
My boyfriend and I moved to Panomar last month and are having a wonderful experience. We were supposed to move in September, but construction was delayed and we were moving from Nevada– which created a pretty huge inconvenience. That said, the property managers Odis and Kate were incredibly understanding and accommodating. They paid for us to stay in a nearby hotel until construction was finished and ensured our belongings were stored until move in. They even let us move in a couple days early when we got into a bind with the hotel. Throughout the process they responded to all our questions and issues, resolving each one. Even with the construction delays, they made the process of moving painless.
As far as the apartment itself, it’s beautiful, modern, comfortable, and completely new. The views are great and the property managers continue to be responsive and approachable. Odis and Kate are spectacular and really go out of their way to assure tenants’ needs are being met. We have only lived here a month, but I have nothing but positive things to say so far. I would highly recommend Panomar to anyone.

This review is for Odis James the new property manager.
I lived here in May 2013 when Carmel Partners purchased what was then Marina View Towers. In July 2013, the entire community was evicted so that seismic retrofitting could be performed. When summer 2014 rolled around and retrofitting and renovations had been completed, I was very seriously considering moving back, and even submitted an application, but eventually decided (for personal reasons) not to move.
During this process, Odis went way, way beyond the call to assist me, making himself available during off hours (evenings and weekends) and patiently answering what I’m sure seemed like an endless stream of questions. The circumstances were challenging because construction had not entirely completed, so the renovated units were not yet viewable. Throughout all of this, I felt ZERO pressure from Odis to sign a lease. He seemed to sincerely want me to make a decision that was right for me.
When I finally decided to stay where I am for the time being, Odis made certain that I did not lose my $ 600 deposit (it was literally down to the wire, within an hour or so), and then drove over that evening to hand deliver my application and deposit. I was sufficiently impressed that I decided to write a review solely for him. He’s a great guy — smart, honest and professional with a pleasant and calm demeanor and a great sense of humor. I have no doubt he will be an excellent property manager for Panomar.