AVA Pacific Beach

I wanted to update my review. I have been here a year now. since being here things havent been horrible. I dropped 2 stars because since being here i have had issues with people parking in front of cars in the parking structure, when i was almost late for work because i couldnt get out i complained. I was told to just have the car towed. figured security should be doing something about that. not sure if its related but the next day someone broke the windshield on my motorcycle. and then it was stolen a few weeks later. No cameras in the parking garage so they told me they couldnt do anything about it. At first i said the walls are kinda thin… but i feel like thats an understatement… i can hear EVERYTHING going on around me. Those are the negatives.
I still love the updated gym and the amenities all around are great. I do yoga here twice a week. And any maintenance issues i have ever had (2) were handled immediately. Staff is super nice, and it stays clean.

AVA has come a long way in a couple of years. Let’s start with the good. Best common areas and outdoor space at any rental community in PB. There are something like 600 – 800 residents — peak weekend days in the summer — 75ppl out by the pool. Any day during the week, less than 10. No one really gets out of bed before 12noon — so if you like serious chill time, just wake up earlier than 10.
High quality gym. Trainers are welcome. Pet friendly. Seriously dog friendly, and lots of people who just love dogs. Parking with every unit.
If you like being social, this is a good place for that. People of all ages, and everyone seems to be pretty pleasant.
Staff members — actually get to know you and you them. Chris in the main/​leasing office is great about helping figure out any problems, and he’ll help you carry your packages to your unit when you buy too much stuff online at once. The front office people work hard to do a good job.
Travis is a superstar maintenance guy. He can fix anything and is easy to get along with. All the maintenance folks are professional and friendly.
The units are all updated. But beware, they are not new construction. So if you want tiled backsplashes and granite counter tops, look elsewhere. The units are stylish, but the carpet quality is low!
If you like a friendly staff and community near the bay and the beach with great outdoor common areas — then AVA is worth a solid look.
Prices are what they are. 12month leases get you the best deal.

We have lived at the AVA for a year now and have nothing but good things to say.
The Leasing crew: They are ALWAYS helpful and happy to do so. I never feel like Im inconveniencing anyone by asking questions. Special shout out to Mar who is the friendliest leasing agent I’ve ever met. The first day we met her when she gave us the tour, it was seriously like having a friend show us the place.
Maintenance: These guys are awesome! They respond quickly, and again with a positive attitude. They are always well put together and answer any questions we have. Top notch team!
The Amenities: You really could not ask for more! Really. Pool, hot tub, incredible gym, sand volley ball court, PET SPA, tennis courts, basketball courts… and so on! You get your money’s worth and then some!
Apartment: Clean and refreshed with the remodel. We had nothing break and no issues there. Its a great space!
As with any community, neighbors are a hit and a miss but I feel the leasing office does a great job to address this if need be. But personal neighbor experience varies and should not be counted against the complex.
Yes you’re in PB so some do like to be out late or stay up late, but that comes with the territory.
This is a great complex and I would highly recommend it to friends and anyone reading this review alike.

Worst complex ever. My car got broken into twice, staff walks around with a smile but all they care about is money. I’ve had my apartment flood twice now, with no help from the staff.
They’re never helpful when you need them, and everything is a mess here. I’m absolutely appalled at the way they’ve treated me. Who would want to rent from a complex that doesn’t give a shit about you or anyone spending ridiculous amounts of money to live here.
WISH THERE WAS A 0 STAR RATING.

Absolutely love living at Avalon. The complex itself is beautiful and amenities are top notch; pool, hot tub, volleyball court, tennis courts, pet spa, etc. The units themselves are also great; new appliances, new carpet and floors. I think what has really made avalon a place to call home is the customer service and staff. Literally no matter what issue we have had over the last 10 months whether it be air conditioning issues, closet doors, fruit flies or even as simple as a light bulb they have rectified the issue in the same day or next day. Did I mention for no charge and with a smile on their faces!!! They are amazing!
Don’t be fooled by the tainted reviews left by other residents. Avalon is fantastic. However, I will say avalon is not for everyone! Yes… there are lots of foreigners who live here who seem to have flexible schedules perfect for partying. Yes… many people have short term leases where people are in and out. However, that does not have anything to do with Avalon. They do not condone disrepectful neighbors and if an issue does arise they help eradicate it immediately with the security company they hire for monitoring excessive noise and to help with the general security of the complex.
Having lived at many other locations in pacific beach including Bay Pointe Apartments (right across the street) we could not be more happy live at Avalon. You will not find a better location, amenities, value, customer service. Thanks Avalon!

Honestly not sure why the ratings here are so low. I think it’s mainly that people only leave reviews when they have a negative experience, so though I rarely give reviews, I felt it’s only fair to leave a good one since my experience has been nothing short of excellent!
First off, the apartment is very well laid out. I’m in a one bedroom and the small square footage scared me a bit, but living here for a month now it feels spacious because of the large mirrors and excellent layout. Very modern feel, not fancy but everything is clean and works well. The chalk board wall is a nice touch. Also I NEVER hear people in other apartments. I have a corner unit close to the school and during the day hear the most joyful sounds of kids playing outside. So pleasant!
The amenities, as others have said, can’t be beat. The gym, pool, and hot tub are incredible. I looked at easily 10 – 12 complexes and most were more expensive for much less amenities. This complex is a great value and perfect for people with dogs. The nearby school has a huge field that my dogs LOVE. Overall a great place to live!

I would give this place 5 stars based on the staff. The maintenance and leasing office staff is amazing. Always so nice and so friendly and on top of stuff. Maintenance gets taken care of same day. The people in the leasing office are all so nice and helpful. They all go out of their way to help you.
The construction and some of the noise gets annoying but other than that all is well!

Lived here for nearly 2 years, which seems like a long time given the rating I am giving, but hey, it’s hard to find apartments in the area that accept large and/​or multiple dogs, so that is one good thing about this complex. The other would be great, new amenities including pool, gym, and tennis/​basketball courts. Unfortunately, the upsides end there and the downsides are like a vast ocean. I will list some here, but please don’t consider this list exhaustive.
CONSTRUCTION — If you insist on living here, I strongly advise you wait until all the renovations are complete. They often give little notice of when they enter your apartment, which can be a big problem (again, the dog thing) and it is almost guaranteed that work will take long they promise, possibly by weeks. There is also a good chance things like nails and screws will be left behind, strewn about in the hallways, so watch your step.
NOISE/​PARTIES — I don’t mind a fair amount of partying, but is excessive here. The pool area is nigh-​unusable on weekends if you just want to relax as there is constant loud music and drinking. Sometimes people have REALLY loud music going which just makes you wonder. Strangest of all, people have a tendency to just YELL for no apparent reason, and this is pretty frequent. At no point in my partying career did I ever feel the urge to just scream, nor do I really remember anyone else doing so, so I’m basically bamboozled here. First floor patios are often strewn with empty bottles and cigarette butts which really dumps on the appearance of the community (I’m sure other higher floors are just as bad, but unseen).
SECURITY — The gates did not work for the vast majority of the past year and even as they were repaired by the time I left, they were propped open so often that using the key fob was more an annoyance than a reliable security feature. More importantly though, the security services are inept. I know management has hired multiple companies but none have ever shown more than minimal competence. Once, the fire alarm went off at about 1 AM on a weekday and all the residents of my building evacuated to the street. It wasn’t until 20 minutes later that a frazzled-​looking security guard showed up to ask «if anyone knows what that noise is.» Seriously. When told it was the fire alarm he did not initially believe it. All told it took over an hour before I was able to return to my apartment.
IRRESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS — Downside of allowing dogs, given the overall environment here is that you must watch your step at every turn for dog poop and unleashed dogs, a consistent problem despite management’s half-​hearted attempts to address. They don’t really verify your pets so a number of dogs here are actually restricted breeds. I typically think it’s the owner, not the breed, that makes a bad dog, but in this case that’s no saving grace.
MANAGEMENT (both LOCAL and CORPORATE) — Here’s all you need to know about LOCAL management that you haven’t already gleaned from the rest of this review — they opened a new lounge /​«chill space», explicity allowed alcohol, left it unsupervised (though they did have cameras) and open 24-​hours, and then were genuinely SURPRISED when it turned into a raging party spot for all of PB with attendant property damage. They are way too caught up in making the complex and themselves seem «cool» instead of focusing on things that matter. The one exception is Denise, who is excellent. Oh and I’m pretty sure they don’t actually run a background check or credit check on new residents, given the speed with which our application was approved.
CORPORATE is even worse, billing and other policies are not clear and arbitrarily enforced. Good luck getting an answer that treats you like a human, you will most likely get a robotic, corporate response. For example, after a problem with my bank account, I had to pay by check for six months. I had to ask corporate to restore my online payment, unfortunately, when I asked it had been just shy of six months. Since I had the audacity to ASK THEM TO DO SOMETHING, they would not restore my online payments when the six months was up, instead they said I would have to wait ANOTHER SIX MONTHS in order to even ASK them again. This was only resolved by a series of very, very, very sternly-​worded emails.
If you love the area, find another place to rent. This place is not worth the headaches.

One of the worst places I have ever lived. Yes, the amenities are beautiful… but it’s not worth it. Here are just a few of the many reasons why:
1. Super intrusive and inconvenient renovations. Just when you think they are over, a new round begins. They invade your home and can only give you an 8 hour window of when they will do so– good luck if you have any pets! Construction is almost always late or delayed somehow. The elevator in our building didn’t work for over a month.
2. Pet restrictions are misplaced and unenforced. I hate the breed restrictions, but I have seen many restricted breeds anyway because when you move in they don’t ask for any breed verification… not even immunization records. Last year we received an email saying there was an outbreak of parvo. Management’s only advice was to keep pets updated on shots. I took my dogs to the vet and they said the complex should be taking serious measures like bleaching the walkways. Yeah right, not this complex!
3. Parking is a pain. Even if you have an assigned spot, it’s most likely farther away from your apartment than anywhere on the street, which fills up ridiculously fast.
4. Noisy! Rules aren’t enforced.
5. Most of the other residents are young, disrespect the property, and party every single day of the week. No one picks up their dog’s poop, dogs are always running around off leash, people play beer pong in the hot tub (sticky, foamy hot tub water– yum), and there’s always trash everywhere. Thankfully the maintenance team is really great and puts up with it.
6. No one seems to know what’s going on. Once in the middle of the night the fire alarm went off. I dragged my boyfriend and our dogs outside along with the other residents in our building. The security person on duty came over to us and asked us if we knew where it was coming from… it ended up being a false alarm, most likely having been pulled by some idiot.
7. The complex has a serious termite problem during the summer.
Stay away. There are many other better, cheaper places to live in PB.

Easily the worst apartment complex I have ever leased from.
Money hungry. They will hit you with numerous hidden fees inexplicably. I have had to go to the office several times to show that I have made payments in full, while the staff seems to be clueless. Once put on the spot, they remove the charges because they’re at a loss for words, but I think they are just trying to take the residents for granted and collect as much as they can. Doesn’t seem like the staff truly knows what’s going on.
Overpriced. You’re better off going on craigslist. 1500+ a month for noise, poor customer care, and apathy? Don’t let them lure you in with their «chill lounge» and amenities. This place is bent on appearing aesthetic and fun, but once you sign that piece of paper you really find out what this place is about.
If you want to party, don’t care about your quality of life, and have a ton of cash to blow, then yeah this place is for you. They clearly don’t do a thorough background check. Nothing but kids that want to do drugs and drink until 4 AM. Not a good place for young professionals or families. They just want to see your wallet.
If you’re interested in good living, tolerant residents, and a helpful staff — look elsewhere. Worst living experience I have ever had. ⁰⁄₁₀. I hope someone realizes how horrible this place is, purchases the land, and builds something worth while. What a waste of space.

Been here for a couple months and not impressed at all. To start with the one good thing about this place: there is no question the complex is nice and the amenities are as well.
But unfortunately there is a lot more that goes into living in a place then keeping a nice appearance.
The biggest problem with AVA is it’s painfully transparent all they care about is money and have no regard for the residents.
AVA just one of many large complexes run by the same company. This means arbitrary policies and regulations pushed out across all complexes regardless of how they effect the individual communities.
It’s also important to note that staff and management are friendly to your face but have no problem going behind your back to do shady things.
Case and point: A staff member was walking by my unit and made what she said was a ‘suggestion’ on something I ‘should’ change about my patio. Well I liked my patio just the way it is and what do you know? This ‘suggestion’ was later followed with a note giving me 24 hours to follow it.
There are plenty of other reviews that list other things wrong with this place so I won’t continue with more but understand that this place is not what it appears. I recommend going to bay point across the street or leasing from somewhere on craigslist and avoid this place like the plague!

I moved to Ava or Avalon in July of last year. Living in this awful apartment complex has made this past year miserable for me. I was very impressed by the amenities here at Ava, but the amenities where pretty much worthless because they are overrun by people who don’t even live here
If you are considering living here DONT, if you are within your 30 day guarantee PACK YOUR STUFF AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND RUN FAR AWAY FROM THIS PLACE. I wish I would have, but I had already forked up over $ 2000.00 to move into this place, then had to pay $ 3000 to move out!
–Apartment quality: Its crap. The walls are paper thin. You can hear everything from each of your neighbors apartments. I have had a ongoing issue of a on/​off sewage like foul odor that comes from my bathroom sink.
–The bugs: EWH. My apartment was infested by cockroaches.
–The cockroaches may have had something to do with the HOARDER they have allowed to live down the hallway from me the past year. Yes, they allow someone to live here who goes in and out of the garbage room everyday collecting newspaper, bottles, milk cartons, ect. Garbage is piled from the floor to the ceiling in his apartment.
–Management: Its a joke. Denise is pretty much is the only person here that knows what she was doing. I was lucky enough to work with her most of the time that I lived here. She knowns how to get things done and work with people.
The management does not have an idea of what their priorities should be. It is clear that the incentive is to make $ and nit pick at stupid minute issues, instead of large ones, such as people who walk around the complex with large PITBULLS off leashes, that run, yes RUN AT you when you walk by with your small chihuahua. Once I left a beach towel hanging over my balcony to dry. Wendy came and pounded on my door and told me to take it down. Never mind the guy next to me who has 5 cats in his apartment or the hoarder down the hall. ???
–Tenants: Foreigners come in by the dozens and cram into a 1 – 2 bedroom apartment. It is unimaginable the things I have heard and seen from these people. I usually have to close my windows, turn on the AC/​Heater, and turn on my TV in order to drown out the neighbors noise so I can get some undisturbed sleep.
–Party buses: Many nights of the work week Monday-​Thursday a party bus pulls up across the street on Ingraham and takes college students out to bars and brings them back plastered at 2am and drops them off right in front of the complex. At AVA I was awoken at 2−4AM on consecutive days, for weeks, by drunken SCREAMING people RUNNING through the halls. On many occasions they fight inside and outside of the complex and one night some Irish guys where threatening to SHOOT each other out in my courtyard.
–Drunkenness: They used to advertise as a «luxury apartment rental» but I have witnessed people pissing in the bushes/​shrubbery during the daytime. People drink all day at the pool, regardless of what day of the week it is, and the RUN and SCREAM down the halls.
–Construction: Any time someone is in the hallway or is speaking loudly in their apartment it echoes down the entire hallway. Many times I have been able to my neighbors at the other end of the building. The elevators NEVER work. When they do work I only use a service elevator to get my laundry up/​down because my brother got stuck in there while I was moving in. Nails EVERYWHERE, in the parking lot, in the walkways, what is going on with this?
–Gates: Brand new gates that people jam rocks and bark into to keep open so they have a way to let their friends in, or so they can get back into the complex at night after they come back from the bars. The gates have never consistently worked for more that two weeks over the year I have lived here. WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE KEY FOB’S?
–Fleas: If you have a fur baby you actually care about, be prepared to have them on $ 100 flea medication to fight off the massive flea issue they have in the complex.
–Parvo scare: There was a few dogs at AVA that died from parvo this past year, while my dogs are vaccinated, I went to the office to ask what was being done about this issue, and I was told that their was not much that they could do to keep it out of the community. WTF?
Though I wanted to give this place 0 stars, my one star is for their maintenance crew. They work their butts off to clean up after the disgusting people who live here. There is trash always left everywhere, and the new pool area is always trashed come monday morning. They keep it looking brand new. They need to give those guys a serious raise. I don’t mind paying a lot of my money to people who work hard such as their maintenance crew. Their office crew should take note.
Insert below
Jennifer,
We’re truly sorry to hear of your recent frustrations…
Please call our 1800 to tell this to someone else from our corporate office that does not care about your problems because you already gave us $ 3000 to move out.

I’m giving Avalon 3 stars instead of 5 because something is always broken. Always. Without fail. I am wondering if someone is going around busting water pipes open with an axe or what the deal is, because it seems like one is broken all the time. The apartments are nice, amenities are nice, people in leasing office are nice, but without fail, something is always broken. And when you’re in the middle of a shower and the water shuts off without ANY warning, you don’t care how nice things are!
But, the people in the front office are very accommodating and extremely nice!

The maintenance crew is awesome they are very efficient and exceed residents needs very friendly. If something breaks in your apt and needs fixing they are usually on it that very day if not the very next. I’ve been extremely pleased living at AVA PB been here since September and I’d have to say this is the best place I’ve lived. Lalo Gamboa is the best!

I lived at AVA when it was called Avalon.
Although they have made many great improvements, the place is still a horrible place to live. The residents are young and disrespect the property, breaking things and littering everywhere.
One time there was dog poop (I hope it was dog poop) smeared across the hallway walls. I think someone was mad at someone else.
When it was time for renovations, they did give us many days notice, however anyway you cut it, its not pleasant to have to move all of your furniture and kitchen supplies (from all of the drawers etc) into the bedroom and to be told you have to leave your house from 8am-​6pm for 5 days straight.
There was always loud drunk yelling outside, since it is located in PB.
The gym is really nice… I really liked that part of it.
Customer service was awesome. Denise was helpful.
I am so happy I am out of here now. You have no idea. I can enjoy peace and quiet and positive energy now :)

I’m writing a review to point out how great the maintenance team is here at Ava. Unfortunately we have experienced on multiple occasions leaks and random issues in our apartment, but the maintenance crew is always on top of our problems immediately. This is a huge plus, considering I have lived in apartments where landlords take WEEKS to recognize/​fix a problem. The maintenance crew here is honestly the best of the best, and they are always smiling, happy, and extremely helpful. If there is one thing I can assure you of, it is that your maintenance problems will be taken care of immediately if you live in this complex. Thank you so much Lalo Gamboa, and the rest of the crew for your hard work, understanding, and for always being there when we needed you. You guys deserve a raise! We will miss you.
In addition, I would like to point out how accommodating the people working in the office at AVA are. Regardless of the circumstances, someone is always willing to help. Denise Evans, especially. When my roommate and I moved to San Diego we were frantically looking for a spot, and Denise made us feel comfortable and helped us feel at home right away. Denise is a phenomenal asset to the AVA community with her friendly attitude, dedication, and genuine care for people walking through the door.

I’ve lived in apartments in Pacific Beach for over 15 years and this is by my least favorite place.
1. No noise rules enforced — Tenants party, yell and scream past 3am.
2. Keys/​Fobs consistently do not work.
3. Typically have to wait 10 – 15 minutes to pick up a package.
4. Trash and droppings on paths, grassy areas and patios.
5. Unprofessional /​Unorganized Staff — At 515pm the night before we were scheduled to move in they left us a voicemail saying our unit wasn’t going to be ready and tell call back before 530pm if we had any questions. lol
There is much better value elsewhere in PB. Good luck!

WOW, I really didn’t think I would have the time to write another post, while I am already up. I must address this. One of my BEST friends parking space was taking by a Taxi Driver sleeping, he claimed payed AVA Apartments to have rights.
I’m sorry this place is completely ridiculous, like its safe hahahhah YA RIGHT.
The AVA Security working on (1−12−15) didn’t do ANYTHING about the situation and I ended up parking on the street.
DONT LIVE HERE.
TAKE A DEEPER LOOK… Horrible customer service, corporate structure that could careless about its tenets. (Problem, after problem, after problem, after problem).
**HORRIBLE customer service… WAY OVER PRICED for what they «provide» you. The corporate culture of this company couldn’t care less about you. All they want is your money.*
–Tony.
Lease is almost up, at least!

Is it possible to give a negative star? I am so fed up with this place. I’ve lived here almost 2 years and have had pretty much the worst living experience of my life. Let’s just say my time here has definitely NOT been «time well spent» as their lame motto reads.
I will say one thing– the maintenance guys are great. They deserve a raise. Also, everyone in the leasing office is nice and helpful but the people they let move in here is just ridiculous. In the summertime basically all of Ireland moves in and signs 3 mo leases and cram about 10 people into 1 unit. They pretty much party it up all day and all night with no respect for their neighbors who live here year round. Me and my boyfriend have complained several times about the noise here and not much gets done about it. Security will come yes, but 1 min later the loud obnoxious partiers are back at it! And even louder.
«Ava» has been under construction for the past year or so and has inconvenienced us in more ways that I can even count or want to type out. I am so relieved that our 30 day notice has been put in and that we are out of here! However, it’s our last month and we’ve had to call security 2 nights in a row on our wonderful extremely loud foreign neighbors across the courtyard from us. Really fun thing to do late at night on a work night.
Do NOT I repeat do NOT live here.

I used to enjoy living here but the management makes living here a nightmare. The apartments are extremely overpriced especially when taking into consideration the hassle caused by ongoing renovations. The renovations are very noisy and management makes no effort to accommodate residents for for the inconveniences.
The gates are always broken or open so I have no idea why the gates should make anyone feel safe. After just one month living here, the jacuzzi has been closed and I have no idea when it will again be available.
They now have a lounge area open that many young residents go to and party/​make tons of noise.
Do yourself a favor and look for a real luxury apartment complex. This place does not cut it!