Avalon Berkeley

UPDATED REVIEW
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12 months later, I’m updating my review. Let me first start by saying the staff has been very good to us for the most part. Dave is a saint and Holly has been very open and honest with most of my tenure at Avalon Berkeley.
Safety:
That being said, there have been a few things that have occurred over the past year. First, our apartment was broken into along with another apartment downstairs. The burglars took $ 10k worth of stuff. The building thinks the burglars snuck into the garage downstairs (where there is no entry camera and the doors stay open forever) and used the garage staircase (which also has no cameras) to get to the apartment. Luckily, the burglars were walked into downstairs and dropped (and damaged) almost all of our stuff. Hesitantly, the building called an overnight security guard downstairs for the night (there is normally no security in the building at all). Our door was temporarily fixed the next day with an added handle lock with the promise that the entire door would be replaced (the door replacement never happened). We decided to wait out the end of the lease to see if the building would make everything right (the other apartment tenants that were burglarized moved out immediately since they had a small child and actually walked in on the burglars with their child). Other apartments had been burglarized previously… even an attempt on our floor a few months prior. Additionally, cars had been vandalized in our garage in 2015. The build has a very real and persistent security problem… given it’s location next to the freeway, the train tracks (more on this later), and the slow turn of the neighborhood. We no longer felt safe nor felt that the building wanted to take adequate steps to increase the safety of it’s tenants.
Rent + Rent Increases:
A few weeks after the burglary, we received a notice on the door with a massive rent increase, as the lease was nearing expiration. That was the nail in the coffin. Eventually, they lowered the rent offering a bit (but not enough), but the damage had been done. Turnover for the apartments is nonstop. 3 of my direct neighbors moved out for varying reasons, with the main being the massive rent increase. There’s a moving truck outside every weekend. Tells you something. Depending on the apartment, you have some nice views, but I’ve lived in nicer & safer places with more amenities for way less
Train Noise:
In my previous review, we thought we had gotten used to the train noise. That ended QUICKLY! No matter where you’re at in this building, you’ll hear and feel trains every 20 – 40 minutes 24 hours a day. Additionally, you’ll hear the dings of crossing guard nonstop as well. This building is NEXT to the tracks… NOT NEAR the tracks. The trains range from Amtrak commuter trains to freight and must BLAST their horns multiple times each time they approach the building. There’s actually an article written about the neighborhood’s history of trying to silence the trains (won’t happen for a few years at least). I’m an extremely hard sleeper and didn’t realize I wasn’t sleeping a full night until I moved to a quieter location. You won’t realize how bad this affects you until you sleep somewhere else for the night. As someone else mentioned below, you’ll also have to close your windows and pause movies/​songs/​shows as the trains pass. The commuter train length lasts just a minute or so, while the longer freight trains can last for 5 – 10 minutes.
Appliance Repairs:
I’d had persistent issues with the noise from my refrigerator. Most of the year, the building came in to try and fix then eventually replace the fridge. Towards the end of my lease, the issue popped up again and for whatever reason (staff turnover/​expectations that I wouldn’t re-​sign the lease/​etc), the repair request was ignored for 2 months.
Final Thoughts:
I really thought that this was going to be a place I’d live for a while. This ended up turning into a complete nightmare. This place didn’t turn out to be safe, nor did I get used to the sound of the train. I really felt it my duty to update this review after all of what occurred so that potential renters have all the information. I certainly would have chosen a different place if someone had written a comprehensive review/​update on this building. But hey, don’t take my word for it, everything is also mentioned in many of the reviewers below. As soon as the lease was up, we were GONE! We paid the building $ 185 for a cleanup fee and just moved out to a safer and quieter neighborhood. We’ll miss the people, but good luck.
Pros:
+Views
+Quick access to 4^th street, Oakland, Downtown Berkeley, and San Francisco (outside of rush hours)
Cons:
–Safety (Home break-​ins, car break-​ins, no on-​sight security, minimal security cameras)
–Nonstop 24 train horns, noise, and rumble
–Rent prices (they don’t match the amenities offered)
–Limited Amenities
–Massive rent increases
–They will assume you won’t re-​lease

The quality and amenities are obviously as good as it gets, but I want to stay here forever because of the AMAZING staff. «Amazing» doesn’t do them justice. They provide a community, always beyond friendly and willing to help. Dave, James, Holly, Ryan, whoever else I may be forgetting?! Some of the best people I know. I feel like I can’t even put it into words!!! BEST. Also, I love the train. It’s comforting and not that loud or disruptive, and I live close to that side. …not to mention the location is right by fourth street and you can see the bay and the city from the complex!

Just moved in to the Avalon Berkeley and the staff’s been great. Holly and Ryan have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome.

The Avalon Berkeley is luxurious. The apartments are modern, spacious, and have an earthy feel. By now you’ve already checked out their site, so you know how spectacular the amenities are, so I won’t dive deeper into that. However, the most important thing worth mentioning is the compassionate, respectful, and down to earth staff. David, Holly, and Ryan are what make the Avalon community feel like home to me. David and Ryan are always quick to the rescue if there is ever a maintenance issue (which is rare).
David finds joy in going above and beyond for the tenants living in this community. He has funny jokes, can cook up a mean batch of spicy chicken wings, and is happy to share his positive energy with all those he encounters.
Ryan happily helped jump start my car when it wouldn’t start.
Holly is a breath of fresh air. Her warmth can be felt throughout the office, and the care she provides is unique to her field of work. Avalon is truly lucky to have such a committed and people focused community leader. I am so grateful to have had the chance to live in a wonderful community.

Don’t do it! it is a great location but they will jack up your rent first chance they have (well over 20% in one year)! They are non-​response to anything you request, but will always tell you yes when you ask (just never will actually do anything you request)! The management could care less about consistently barking dogs, screaming children and a disregard for burglary’s! Yes, they have had several break-​ins and only said, «that’s why we make you have renters insurance.» Basically the management could care less about the residents only what money they can get from you and how to keep you from bugging them! Also, Melissa was good but she is long gone, there is a good reason why they lost a great manager!

This apartment complex is in an amazing location in Berkeley! It is in walking distance to the coast, restaurants, and shopping. The apartments were well designed with high quality finishes and amenities. Most importantly, though, they are super dog friendly, which is so hard to find in the Bay Area, especially for big dogs. I live next door to the maintenance guy, David, who is super helpful and kind! He even helped me move my enormous dresser into my apartment on a Sunday of all days. The only downfall to this place is the loud train that passes by quite frequently.

We don’t live there yet and I say yet because by hook or by crook we want to find a way to get there.
The building is beautifully maintained the people that work there are just as welcoming as could be I love the fact that they are a pet friendly community the views are gorgeous and every apartment is laid out in the best way possible.
Right now the only options that were available for us was a one was way too expensive and the other one was just too small we are willing to pay the extra money for what you get there because it’s certainly worth it we just waiting for the right unit to come along
Anybody sitting on the fence go grab it it’s going to be a great place to live I can tell and hopefully my husband and I will get there soon we are so impressed and just hope the right place will come up for us there because that’s where we want to be. thank you again –everybody at Avalon that helped us

I love this place so much! David our on site maintenance man has helped me countless times, whether it be finding my keys, or bringing me my mail, he’s always there to help. Love the community and other staff as well

Moving halfway across the world is a daunting task, but the Avalon Berkeley staff has helped make our move seamless.
Before we moved, Holly helped us every step of the way from securing an apartment to securing storage to giving us advice about restaurants and BART, etc. She was fantastic.
After arriving, Dave has helped us in every way possible. He noticed we were new and introduced himself immediately and offered help. He is willing to go above and beyond what is expected. He responds immediately to maintenance requests. He even does things that I would not consider to be part of his job description, but he does them willingly and always with a smile.
I have been impressed with the apartments themselves, but what I am most impressed with is the service at Avalon Berkeley. You can have a beautiful apartment, but if the management and maintenance people are difficult to work with, the living experience is miserable. It is the people who make a place lovely, and Avalon Berkeley has great people serving its residents.

We just finished a 7 month residence at Avalon Berkeley. I miss it already. From the spectacular views on the roof, the excellent location to the 4^th street shops and restaurants, to my morning jogs down at the lake, our stay there was a great experience. The train was tough to adjust to for the fist couple of weeks but I actually miss that too. Any issue or question we had was immediately addressed by the staff onsite. Dave the maintenance guy is the best. Literally can help you with anything and does. He is like MacGyver for those who remember the show. He knows everything and always has a smile on his face. Kayla and Melissa are also extremely helpful and always happy. Thank you Avalon for great experience.

There’s a lot to say. First of all, the building is wonderful. It’s a beautiful place to live and play. Coming from San Francisco and New York, this is one of the best locations in the east Bay and the design of the building is current and welcoming.
The staff here is exceptional. They are incredibly responsive and could not be more professional. Melissa takes care of everything and I trust her with any of my needs. David, (I call him Awesome David), was so helpful with my move and it makes me feel much more comfortable knowing he is in the building. They are all fantastic.
I’ve read reviews about the train prior to moving in. Yes, the trains go by regularly, but if you are someone who has any experience living in a city, you know that this becomes white noise in time. I actually love trains so their whistles don’t bother me at all. If you want total silence move to Marin.
Five stars — I love the place.

We moved in here in July and absolutely love it! The only downside is the train (which my boyfriend actually loves), but they warned us about this when we moved in and we have honestly gotten use to it. It is just background noise now. The apartments are clean and spacious for the size. Its great to have a washer/​dryer in the apartment too! They have a gym and a gorgeous deck with two BBQs, a fire pit and tons of couches.
The staff is the best I have ever experienced! Melissa and Kayla are super nice and always great about answering emails and requests. David, the maintenance guy, is awesome! Super friendly and willing to help you out in any way he can.
I highly recommend this apartment!

We love our new place at Avalon in Berkeley! Management is incredible. The warmest, friendliest, helpful people ;-) — Melissa, Kayla and especially David Murray, the maintenance guy. Anything we needed during our move in (and BEYOND) was provided immediately. It really makes things so much easier when you have folks willing to provide help ASAP or lend a hand with inconveniences. Also, they respond immediately which is really helpful! Love them!

I’ve lived here 9 months now and have been very happy to date. I really like my apartment and the building. The location is great and the trains don’t bother me. I enjoy the rooftop deck with two grills and a cool fire pit.
I especially like the management and maintenance staff here. They have consistently been very friendly, professional and always responsive.

Let me start by saying that in regards to amenities, building and unit design, and quality of the building and management staff is excellent and top-​notch. Kayla and Melissa are very friendly and approachable and will help you in any way they can to ensure your needs are met and the facility in general is well built and has some very scenic views of Berkeley Hills and the San Francisco bay.
HOWEVER — LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!
This Building’s Location SUCKS! I moved here from another state and picked this building because I needed to find something in a pinch and it was brand new when I signed the lease (I was the first person in my Unit and one of the first to move into the building).
I paid a PREMIUM RENT to live in a 5^th floor unit with a good view — which I have to say was nice. The catch is that on the other side of that view is a railroad track and the Amtrak station is right next door. Amtrak and Freight Trains RUN ALL DAY LONG and they are hammering those train horns.
The building does not have Air Conditioning so the units can get very hot in the summer, and if you are a sane person you wouldn’t want to open your window due to the fact that there are trains pummeling by several times each hour. People talk about Urban Living and getting used to it but I will have to say that I am not okay with paying San Francisco Rent prices and have to «get used to» the sound of trains that drown out any other sound around you and slowly chips away at my sanity. The trains are so close that they will shake the building while they come plastering by.
For this reason I am giving the building only 1 star. I would give it 0 (if I could) but I feel that the quality of service from the management and the overall quality of the building warrant at least some gratitude.

My husband and I recently decided to move to Berkeley, after residing in Contra Costa County for 9 years. Major on our priority list of what our new residence needed was space for our beautiful potted garden that we had lovingly tended to throughout those past 9 years. We were first impressed with the superior quality of customer service we received from Avalon’s home office personnel, (located in Virginia). Over the phone Donise, spoke with my husband who conveyed our needs. Donise showed such a level of compassion and understanding of our many needs (especially the need to find a place that would provide ample space for our garden) that after she checked the available units and suggested one, we had to visit Avalon Berkeley and «check it out»! Upon our arrival we were greeted by the Building Management Group who were as knowledgeable about the local areas surrounding the Building as they were about each of the Building’s units and their countless amenities. From each piece of art work that hangs throughout its interior, all of which were purchased from local artists in Berkeley, to the beautiful roof top which provides a panoramic view that one needs to see, in person, to truly believe and appreciate, this Building is «one of a kind» and its superior quality is equaled by the Management/​Maintenance Staff responsible for overseeing its daily operation. They are kind, efficient and competent, qualities you rarely find in residential management teams. We know because my husband and I and our lovely garden are now members of the Avalon Berkeley community. And just when you think it couldn’t get any better for people who have pets, Avalon Berkeley provides a full «doggie parlor’ that puts some «beauty parlors» to shame, and for those who want to keep in shape but don’t want to go far to do so, there is a beautiful onsite fitness center with state of the art exercising equipment. I could go on but I won’t… you’ll have to come see for yourself. Hurry though it is filling up fast.
P. S. The Amtrek trains go by periodically… you can’t have everything!

Just recently moved in here a couple weeks ago and everything has been great. From hosting a welcoming party with a live band and kegs to being on top of maintenance requests the management here really sets this place apart from other places in Berkeley. Management staff and maintenance are also very friendly. In terms of the actual building, it is brand new and very well built out. This place is a good value for Berkeley and in a very convenient and up and coming location. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who wants a no hassle place with easy freeway access. The only downsides of living here are the train which can be a little loud depending on which side of the building you live on. Some units directly face the train tracks and the train can be pretty loud at night, but you can’t really blame avalon for the train and they tell you about this when reviewing units. Other than that the place has been great.