The Marc

I have lived here for 10+ years and I highly recommend it! This is a fantastic place for so many reasons:
1) The Marc Staff (Linda, Wienda, Denise and Rufino) is excellent! They are incredibly helpful and respond immediately to all requests. If you need any repairs, they will be done quickly and efficiently. AND they really care about all the tenants. They have become dear friends and I am so incredibly grateful for all their kindnesses. It truly feels like a neighborhood with friends and family thanks to them!
2) Apartment Building and Apartments — Everything is always kept spotless and beautiful, the views are wonderful, there is an underground garage to keep cars safe from the elements, each floor has its own W/​D, large storage space in the basement, large balconies that can easily hold outdoor furniture, large in-​unit closets, concrete walls (so you don’t hear your neighbors!), a heated pool with a beautiful garden and BBQ area, 9 ½ foot ceilings and floor to ceiling windows in the living room. They even have yoga and pilates classes. And a no smoking on premises rule!
3) Excellent Location — Only 1 ½ blocks from University Ave. Within walking distance of Whole Foods, excellent restaurants and many stores. The Caltrain is also within walking distance (about 10 blocks). Stanford shopping center is only a short drive away.

Living since Aug 2015. LOVING IT!
Plus: Excellent Location, Solid Building Foundation (concrete walls), Spacious Balconies with beautiful views, Very responsive and pleasant office staff, quick maintenance service. Huge storage space available in basement, Ample storage closets in-​unit.
Minus (only a few): Smaller Bathroom plans, No AC in bedrooms (needed for west facing side), W/​D not in-​unit but on every floor.

I lived there for four years.
Thank you Linda, Sherry and Wienda for your help.
I loved the view of Stanford and the mountains.
It was near everything that I needed.
It was walking distance to my mom and brother.
My apartement was great.
The rent was high thats why I moved.
You all are friendly and nice.

My husband and I lived in The Marc for less than a year but we wish we could stay longer. It had a really pleasant and cozy feel, which turned out even more important for us than some more objective factors such as good appliances and finishes. Right before Marc we lived in a brand new and «fancy» building that felt very sterile and unpleasant so moving to Marc made a huge difference. I admit that I struggled with the decision to move in because of the price — we were fairly new to the Bay Area and still used to the Chicago housing market where you can rent high-​quality condos for 2– 3 times less. But hey, this is the reality of the Bay Area, and Marc definitely stands out as one of the few high-​quality places to live. There are not too many solid concrete buildings around where you can’t hear your neighbors. We also really liked the apartment layout and the large balcony — we were able to fit fairly large pieces of furniture because the living room is wide and helps maximize usable space. I cannot think of a better location — a beautiful quiet side street only a couple of blocks away from the lively University Ave. Highly walkable and convenient — no need to get into your car to go to a café, a post office or for a walk in the park. The management team and maintenance were very nice and promptly handled any issues or requests. We customized our wall colors, which made the place even more appealing. When we moved out the amount taken from our deposit was fair and reasonable. All in all The Marc exceeded our expectations and we’d be happy to live there again if we ever move back to the Bay Area.

Echoing many of the earlier reviews – the staff is great and extremely friendly, responsive, professional, and helpful. Thank you Linda, Sherry, and Wienda for everything.
The location is great and the building has all that you need. I loved the floor to ceiling windows, a rare find. And, the apartment layout is smart, so, although a 1 BR is only 675 SF, it feels spacious and works.
The area of vast improvement would be that the place looks outdated and the apartments, renovated or unrenovated, have low end finishes. Rents are already high here so if there was a major overhaul to bring this property up to date, I can only imagine the rents would become astronomical :)

The Marc building has a very good location (1 block from University Ave), a terrific staff and a wonderful Manager, Linda. These are the main advantages. For the downside: the rent is high and the quality of the finishes and appliances is very poor: noisy dishwasher, laminate counter tops, fake plastic tiles in bathrooms, peeling plastic in shower tubs… As a guest, you don’t feel honored to live there, we found it embarrassing to have people over for dinner.

I have been living at the Marc for about 11 months and can’t say enough great things about living here. Linda and her team are professional yet friendly and do a lovely job of running the building .The building is well-​maintained and feels like living at a great boutique hotel — yet my apartment feels homey and safe. The location in Palo Alto can’t be beat, just a block from University Ave. I can’t think of a better place to live in Palo Alto or the peninsula for that matter.

With all the options for places to live in Palo Alto, The Marc is the one place where you truly feel at HOME. The location, the amenities, the convenience … all top notch. And Linda in the leasing office is hands down the most caring manager I’ve ever met, always going the extra mile for her tenants. No need to look anywhere else … The Marc is the best.

BEWARE of any «landlord» named Reverend Wayne Johnson!!! This fraud is claiming he is the landlord for an apartment in this building, trying to cheat would-​be tenants out of 2 months rent (he claims monthly rent here is $ 850). His email:
His phone: 202.370.1892 (somewhere in DC). He will ask that you send him the $ for 2 months rent — then he’ll in turn, mail you the key and contract papers. He must think the world is full of idiots who would believe him. Funny he tries using this «reverend» status for credibility. Thought I’d give the management of this facility a heads-​up…

The Marc is a high-​end, luxury apartment building just off University Avenue in the heart of Palo Alto. It is actively managed by an attentive and responsive staff. It has great amenities — pool, large public spaces, BBQ, exercise room, on-​site yoga classes in their studio, underground parking, private garden and more. The units are laid out well, floor-​to-​ceiling glass, and each has a large, private balcony with great views from the higher floors. Management sponsors social events to foster a sense of community and it makes for a very friendly, welcoming environment. The rents are consistent with the level of amenities and services offered. You get what you pay for. If you’re looking for no-​hassle luxury, this is your place.

When considering a new place to move into and evaluating rent value, the top 10 questions in my mind usually are:
1) Is it a good neighborhood to raise the family in, and come home to at the end of the day?
2) Is it conveniently located vis-​a-​vis work and the kids’ school?
3) Are essential places nearby, such as the market, grocery, pharmacy, hospital, place of worship, dining, entertainment, salon, barber, etc.
4) Is there a strong sense of community among the residents?
5) Is the space well-​planned?
6) Is there a laundry room in the building?
7) Is there adjacent, secure, and well-​ventilated parking?
8) Is there a system in place for utilities such as incoming and outgoing mail, packages to be received while away, convenient trash disposal, recycling policy, etc.
9) How are the building amenities?
10) Is the building management professional in their dealings, and responsive to the tenants’ needs?
Having moved to The Marc Palo Alto, I have to say the answer to all 10 criteria is yes!
1) Serene and safe neighborhood
2) Central location
3) All the essential places just a few blocks away
4) Warm community
5) Well-​planned living space
6) Well-​maintained card-​operated laundry room on each floor
7) Secure and convenient parking
8) Well-​managed utilities — timely mail delivery and collection, the management office receives packages on the tenants’ behalf if they’re away, prompt trash collection nightly, and recycling is implemented
9) Amenities lend a sense of R&R — well-​maintained pool and pretty patio; common area in lobby with lounge area, TV, billiard table, and complimentary coffee; gym; yoga studio; solid loading dock next to big freight elevator for big items during move
10) Awesome building management — the Community Director Linda Nguyen, and Assistant Community Director Sherry Grady, are welcoming and accommodating as they are professional and responsive. Anytime I needed help, ever-​reliable Kriss would always come to the rescue. And Denise keeps the building looking spiffed up and pretty. :-)
The only thing to note — and it isn’t a bad thing really — is that only the living area comes with air-​conditioning, while the bedrooms don’t. Which I suspect, given the great Palo Alto weather, has never been and is not really a necessity anyway. The cool fresh breeze during the evenings lulls me to sleep and I’ve found that I find myself waking up more invigorated compared to when I sleep with air-​conditioning. :-)
For the summer — summer evenings in Palo Alto are cool and breezy so no worries about sleeping comfort. As for the summer afternoons however, as it can get pretty warm, I’ve found that putting one of those portable air-​coolers in the bedroom does the trick.
Other than that, I have only great things to say about The Marc Palo Alto, and along with that, Linda and Sherry, who have made our move hassle-​free, and my stay and my family’s, a joy. Highly recommended!

The Marc is a wonderful apartment building. It has a very upscale living environment. The apartment rooms are spacious and you can have great views from the balcony. They also have floor to ceiling windows, which is a plus. The amenities are also wonderful. I enjoy the gym and the pool very much.
The managers, Linda and Sherry, are very friendly and warm-​hearted. Whenever there is a problem, they always solve it efficiently. They also respect tenants’ privacy a lot as they never directly rings my door bell when they need to talk to me. I appreciate that very much.
It is a great experience for me to live in the Marc, Palo Alto. If you live in this area and have enough budget for the rent, I highly recommend this apartment. It is just two blocks away from the wonderful University Avenue of Palo Alto, which has a large number of great restaurants and shops. Life will be very convenient and comfortable.

We lived in the Marc for almost 5 months in a furnished apartment while we waited for our furniture to arrive from Europe. The location of the Marc is great, the views we had from the 12 th floor were stunning. We lived on the North east (back) side and the large windows allowed a great view of the bay. We also loved using the quiet heated pool even in winter. The staff is super friendly and always helpfull. The building is clean and well maintained The only negative thing I can think of is that the halls on the living floors are a bit outdated and on the gloomy side. We did enjoy meeting new people near the pool and in the nice garden while having a BBQ.

This is the most beautiful place to live in Palo Alto — walking distance to university (1 block!). High ceilings are wonderful, the apartments are clean and very sunny with floor to ceiling windows and a giant porch. The pool/​bbq/​lobby area makes you feel like you are living in a 5 star hotel when you walk in and lovely to have in the hot summers. The manager is wonderful and if anything breaks or goes wrong they will get it fixed right away. There is a trash service that picks up trash right from your door. Every few months we have wine mixers or other social gatherings for residents — its a great mix of people of all ages/​backgrounds. There is even a bi-​weekly yoga class taught in the yoga studio free to residents.

I have lived in The Marc (it used to be Forest Towers) for 18 years. While the building from the outside is tall and boxy, from the inside looking out the views are spectacular. The apartments themselves are elegant and quiet. The Marc cannot be beaten for downtown Palo Alto living. And just for icing on the cake, the managers, Linda Nguyen and Sherry Grady, are wonderful, helpful, and beautiful.

Great staff, great location, good facility. Was very happy living here for 2 – 3 years. Was pleased with most everything. Heated pool a major plus, decent gym. Manager and staff always helpful and prompt with dealing with issues. Great place to live if you can handle the rent.

The Marc has been the best place I have ever lived! Outstanding location, incredible amenities, and a great place for young professionals. If you have recently moved into the area, this is the place where you will make the most friends. Everyone who lives here is extremely friendly and you’re always seeing people in and out.
The Marc is also incredibly well managed by both Linda and Sherry. They are both extremely professional and anytime there is a problem, they are always there to help you.
Overall, if you can afford the rent, this is the best place in Palo Alto.

I’ve been living here for 1 and half years, and I love it. Linda, the community director is professional, friendly, available and always goes the extra mile to do everything she can to make us comfortable and happy! I’ve also recommended 2 other friends to live here and they’ve all moved in.
My favorite part about living here are the amenities. I often use the pool, which is heated all year round, and they’ve got a great gym and have added yoga classes. Also a favorite — valet trash! Someone comes to our door almost daily to pick up our trash.
This is the best building in Palo Alto, and I’m glad we’ve chosen to live here! The rent is what it is for Palo Alto. This is the best place to live if you want to be close to downtown and have all the amenities you need.

Lived for half a year. Location is great and building is clean.
Also, there isn’t much of tall building in Palo Alto. But, this gives nice view of Palo Alto!