La Jolla International Gardens

Been living here for almost two years. Moving out because my husband and I bought a home.
Pros:
1) at about $ 1500 for a 635 sq ft one-​bedtime, without a balcony or laundry machines, the rent is ridiculously high, but it is still the lowest in the area
2) Location, in the heart of UTC.
3) Friendly, efficient staff
4) Beautiful grounds, very well-​maintained
5) Sewage, water and trash are paid for
6) Easy to break the lease
Cons:
1) Size — the one-​bedroom apartment is so small, and has no sunlight. You basically don’t have private if you open the blinds because everyone walking by can see what you’re doing. I have just had enough with this quality of life, I am looking forward living in our spacious townhouse soon.
2) Students — I am only 25, but have been working full-​time and absolutely cannot tolerate when students are drinking and smoking all sort of things at 3am in the morning as I am trying to sleep so I can get up early in the morning for work. It is so hard to tell a drunk and/​or high student to shut it down so a full-​grown adult with work responsibilities can sleep in peace. (I apologize for all the neighbors I pissed off while I was drunk in college on the weekends). Also I feel very out of place as I don’t want to live with just students, I am sure there are other non-​students living at LJIG, but almost everyone here is a student.
3) Parking — a one-​bedroom only comes with ONE parking spot. When I come home at 10pm, sometimes it takes me 20 – 30 minutes to find a spot.
4) Laundry — waiting for machines to open up is a problem sometimes. People leave their clothes in the washers for hours even an entire day. I just want my own machines, no more sharing. It is disgusting!
5) No AC, typically this is not a problem. But this year has been so hot. I did hear you can pay $ 75 to get AC installed then an extra $ 25 per month.
Overall, I had a good run, saved some money by living here. For the price, I give LJIG four stars. However by no means is the quality of life great by living in a tiny one-​bedroom apartment for a couple. It is time to move on.

I wish I could give them no stars because of how horrible they are. If you have the option not to live there, don’t. They basically took advantage of me and my roommates and stole our money. They replaced the carpet from our entire apt when it was only necessary to remove the carpet in one of the closets because of a bleach stain. I consulted with someone who does carpet work and they said that was unnecessary. The walls are way too thin, the parking spots are too small, and they also don’t bother to verify complaints so if you get a noise complaint they won’t bother asking and they just issue the warning even if you were just walking around the apt.

I am a fan! I was very lucky with my experience living here. We left only because they were upgrading the apartments and our lease was up. I had lived at LJIG for over 10 years. I was lucky enough to get a rare corner one bedroom apartment in the back (facing «Pines of LJ») and lucky enough to know the great staff for many years, especially the on-​site manager (D) and their painter (J). My pros and con list.
Pros:
–Location, location, location is a plus there. La Jolla proper, close to the 5, the 805, the 56, and the 52. Close to UCSD, UTC mall, movie theaters, shops, groceries, bike path, bus stops, safe area, great walking routes and park. Very festive during the year end holidays (the next door Mormon temple has a beautiful display of lights yearly).
–I know people complain about the rent being high, but you are in UTC and for the area, LJIG is the most affordable. Also, having water, sewage, and trash included is a plus. Especially with water nowadays.
–Beautiful exterior garden theme (trees and flowers, very lush)
–One of the longest lap pools in the area
–Great laundry facility (hey, how can you beat doing three loads of laundry in a little over one hour, plus the pricing is unbeatable– if you compare to coin laundromats, you will see how lucky you are)
–Convenient «Cyber Café» (we have had quite a few broken printers at home and that café has come to the rescue many times)
–Someone at the office when you have locked yourself out of your apartment (in a rush, I have done it 5 times in the 10 years there and thank goodness the office was there).
–Nice sized rooms (we are in a much smaller place now so I can appreciate what we had at LJIG)
–Fireplaces (so nice on a cold rainy day/​evening)
–We lucked out with our parking spot so no complaints for the assigned spot
–Maintenance turn around was always quick. Not a complaint there.
–Got our full security deposit back when they said it would come
Cons:
–Second parking spot was tough at times after hours (non-​future resident or non-​assigned).
–Open windows faced east only in our apartment (nice for sunny mornings, but little air flow)
–Yes, sound travels between walls. This is a late 80’s or early 90’s built complex so most wall insulation wasn’t the best. This is typical anywhere you go.
–Smokers need to stay in the designated smoking areas and not in front of people’s apartments.
–Laundry room etiquette is needed for most folks (please please please clean out your dryer lint trap when picking up your dried clothes, it’s pretty gross to clean out other people’s lint).
–I know most are young and in college, but these are not dorms, please keep the noise level down most of the time, especially after 10 pm. Some folks are not just students, but do work full-​time.
Overall my experience there at LJIG was very positive. We left because it was just time for us to do so and because of the upgrades and having to move out anyways so the apartment that you will get will be an upgraded apartment. I will miss the staff (D & J) as they have been the best and thank you for that.

I have lived in LJIG for 2 years. My 2B2B rent was $ 1650 from 2013-​07 to 2014-​07. and $ 1750 from 2014-​07 to 2015-​07
Pros:
No need to pay for the utilities except electricity (water, trash, sewer are included in the rent).
No need to pay home insurance.
2B2B have 2 separate parkings in the garage. No need to move one car if the other car wants to go out.
Cons:
There are a lot of centipedes (蜈蚣) in my apt, probably because I live on the first floor? I have seen at least 10 centipedesn in 2 years. They are usually on the wall and I have to leave some space between the bed and the wall.
The sunlight is not good if you live on the lower floor.
Not sound proof between neighbors!
The wall between the bedroom and my neighbor apt’s bedroom is too thin! I can hear the quarrel and fighting on the other side. They quarrel at midnight. I asked leasing office, and they said I could call 911…

The best apartment community I ever lived in San Diego .
Pros:
Neat, clean and well maintained
Really nice, honest and sweet leasing office staff
(Never seen such great leasing staff before)
Leasing office with cyber café and printing facility
Reasonable rent
Quick turn around for maintenance
Great location
Walking distance to bus stops, bars, malls what not…
Manager is great. sweet and soft spoken
Water and trash included in rent
Neat and clean well maintained pool and hot tub
Volleyball court and common grilling area, great to host parties .
Onsite security guard during night.
Pool table
Gym is great while you wait for laundry
Cons :
Wish cyber café is open during nights
The door to apartment could be more secured
Parking could be tight at times
Laundry is common, not in unit.

We just wanted to take the time and send a much overdue review of our experience living at La Jolla IG. We’ve lived here for about 2.5 years and we can’t recommend La Jolla IG enough! We are very impressed with the apartments (excellent upgraded units), its close proximity to the UCSD shuttle, cat-​friendly (no pet rent!), and this complex is extremely affordable, with VERY SPACIOUS units compared to the other complexes in the area.
We can’t say enough about the excellent service we’ve received while living here. The manager, Deanna, helps us with anything we need, often going out of her way to accommodate us. She is truly the BEST! The other staff members are also very friendly, helpful and responsive to all requests. The maintenance staff are true professionals as well, always responding promptly to any complaints-​which only included a broken garbage disposal (which was fixed within hours of my complaint)
Overall, very happy with our experience living here and very sad to be moving.

The place is nice enough to look at. But the lease is long, and down right UGLY, and none of it is for your benefit.
For example, they demand the entire two months of rent allowed by law as a deposit, within a week of when you sign the lease [which can be many weeks before you move in]. Then, if for some reason you can’t move in, they KEEP ALL YOUR DEPOSIT, FOR DOING NOTHING!!! More reasonable places only request $ 100-​$ 200 deposit in advance, and the rest of the deposit when you move in.
Another example: it says, «On the move-​in date, you MUST move in!» What the F do you care if I move in a week or two later, as long as I’ve paid!!! On and on like that, for SIX pages.

They get away with this stuff because the place is close to UCSD, and a little cheaper than others in the area [though not cheap, by any means]. Really kids, look for more reasonable terms elsewhere. The only way places like this learn how to be reasonable is when units sit vacant.
Anywhere you rent, read and understand EVERY sentence of the lease. Every term is negotiable; and if they refuse to negotiate, look elsewhere.
For example, there is no law that says a lease term has to be a year. Students need to start demanding that it run for the school year, instead of having to run around trying to sublet all summer.
Remember that the sales people are all smiles on the way in; but at the end, there is usually a mean office manager to enforce every term on the way out [there certainly is here.]
Lasty, remember LVIG: with social media, THE TENANT ALWAYS HAS THE LAST LAUGH.

I lived here 2 years ago for about 6 month. I enjoy the time I stay here and I am writing a fair review.
Pros:
1. rent rate is fair. It has almost the lowest price among the communities available in the area and the rent covers water, garbage, sewer, which is about $ 50 – 80 for 2 people in other communities that charge for that. There is deposit for cats but they don’t have pet rent, which is about $ 60 – 100 for my 2 cats in other communities such as Mirada/​Avana/​Archstone. I sincerely thank them for the pet policy.
2. Spacy apartment. They are BIG.
3. Security. Although there is no locks in the community except for the laundry room/​pools they do have security around ²⁴⁄₇. The security people is responsive so that is why this place is safe.
4. Maintaince team is great. The only thing I have in my 6 month stay is the light in my bathroom and the maintaince fix that on the same day I reported it. Amazing!
5. Deposit refund policy. They asked me for 1 month rent deposit + cat deposit. When I move out, I clean up everything I can do with the apartment and asked for a cleaning service for about $ 120. A few weeks later, I receive a check from LJIG and the refund is the exact amount of $my deposit — $ 120. I am actually surprised! I am very careful with the apartment and the apartment is very clean and no nails/​stains probably that is the reason.
6. close to Bus stops. Very important for UCSD students.
Cons:
1. The community is crowded and the design prevent a lot of units to get any sunshine.
2. wall is thin. I can hear my neighbor making phone calls and he was not shouting. The community is not smoking-​free so if you have a smoker close by you might need to talk to him/​her personally. People are usually reasonable enough to not disturb other people.
3. I specifically not recommend units that are facing La Scala. Some people in La Scala are very rude. They could hold party and talk loudly on patio till 3 am or play violin in the middle of the night. If the same thing happens in LJIG, the security will go and remove the noise. But since La Scala is a different community there is nothing you/​security can do about it. In the summer it is worse because of the heat everybody has to open their windows for air and you can hear all kind of noise from La Scala.
4. Not much guest parking available. Always occupied. Street parking is hard to find.
Overall my experience with LJIG is positive. There are a few dings but I feel that you get what you are paying for. If you are careful with the unit to rent I am sure you can enjoy the stay.

Was here for a BBQ with some friends. Can’t really say much than the facts that this place has a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi. I also notice the gym that was right in front of the swimming pool. There was a BBQ pit near a volleyball court. I would not mind living here if I was a student at UCSD.

When I first moved off-​campus, I considered living in International Gardens (IG) but chose somewhere else. I’m glad I did, even though I ended back at IG anyways. The apartments themselves are not as spacious as others in La Jolla, especially for what you pay. And the kitchen space is insanely small. Guest parking is very limited, except in the summer when all the college students leave San Diego. I hate that everyone has to walk outside to get to the laundry room because during times of terrible weather… doing laundry is a pain.
The worst part is how thin the walls are. I can hear conversations CLEARLY from the next apartment over (and every time they go to the bathroom) and they’re not even talking loudly. I can hear babies crying and couples arguing… it’s kind of amusing. Security is good at quieting people down, but they just start getting loud again. So many complaints are filed BECAUSE the walls are so thin. We even got written up for a noise complaint but the security guard never told us.
Whenever something is broken in our apartment, maintenance usually takes a few days to process their orders, but they always do a great job. We had a crappy sink faucet when we moved in, but it got a fancy upgrade after it broke. On the brighter side, IG is close to two bus stops that go to the UCSD campus, but that convenience is not really worth all the downsides to living here.
EDIT: Oh I forgot that one big «FUCK YOU» is the fact that the elevators randomly stop working. So in the six weeks that I was in crutches with a broken ankle, I couldn’t get to my apartment except via stairs.

Ive had an okay experience with this apt complex. I live in 2 bdrm 2 bath for 1815/​month with one other roommate. So not super expensive for the area but not cheap either. Here are some pros and cons.
Pros:
–Apt complex itself is pretty spacious.
–New fixtures and appliances
–Gas/​water is paid for and electricity isn’t too bad
–Laundry is cheap
–Amenities such as computer room/​gym. But computer rm closes very early and gym is small
Cons:
–Kitchen has no fan, so if you cook something the whole apt will smell
–Ant problem when we moved in
–Bathroom vent doesn’t work very well, so the room gets a lot of moisture after showering. And it’s pretty loud
–Thin walls
–We were told that we could have separate parking spots, but when we were moving in they said it had to be tandem. Spots are also tiny so you have very little wiggle room between cars
Another thing that turned me off was while most of the staff was very friendly, there was a lady that was pretty rude that we had to deal with most of the time.

The walls are extremely THIN, way thinner than other apartment complexes around such as Costa Verde, Nobel Court. The thinner-​than-​others wall makes it difficult for college students to even have a light conversation about homework at night. THE NEIGHBOR WILL MOST LIKELY KNOCK ON YOUR WALL OBNOXIOUSLY TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN’T STUDY IN PEACE.
Sure that the rooms are pretty big in size, but I have found another apartment near UCSD that has similar sized rooms AND comparable pricing, with better facilities and more friendly staffs.
Oh, and if your neighbor files a complaint on you and there happens to be earplugs «left at her door», the manager at IG will automatically assume that it is you although you don’t have time or energy to even find her door during finals week. THEY ARE RUDE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS. If anything happens, the blame is all on you buddy.
******If you’re looking for a cheap place that is filled with ANTS, neighbors who complain consecutively, ridiculously thin walls, and rude office staffs, HAVE FUN LIVING HERE.

This place is a solid place to live.
It is slightly cheaper than a lot of other apartments in the area and is fairly sized. However, the prices, like all other apartments, increase after first year.
The staff is helpful although sometimes a bit distant, but it doesn’t matter IMHO since they do their job. The maintenance staff is pretty good at getting to fixing stuff. Often had stuff repaired the day of the request.
The grounds and facilities themselves are well kept and nice.
Only other slight problems is the area itself which has its share of petty thefts (roommates bike was stolen) and UTC in general.

This is a great place to live, and the price for a one bedroom is the best in UTC that I found. And I shopped around for 4 months! They also pay for sewage, water, garbage and recycling. My one bedroom place is 652 sq ft with a walk in closet. They also have great amenities like a heated pool, hot tub, gym, on site laundry (right next to gym so you can work out while you wait), a pool table, business center with free printing and coffee. The maintenance staff will come and fix anything within 24hrs.

La Jolla International Gardens is made to seem worse than it actually is. For the price, it offers some of the largest bedrooms in the La Jolla area. I live in a model B, Babilonia, with 2, soon to be 3, other friends for a total of $ 1610 between the 4 of us. The rooms are large enough to double for sure, and IG offers quite large walk-​in closets. The living room is quite spacious, and the kitchen functions well. As for everything else, there’s the pros and the cons of the place.
Pros:
Cheap and spacious!
Convenient location — short walk to either the Nobel or Arriba shuttle
Fast maintenance crew! (They usually take care of the problem the day you report it, if it’s in their ability to do so)
Free printing (20 pages /​day — print your lecture notes!)
Free drinks at the leasing office
Cons:
Not really any visitor parking spots. The parking lot tends to be full in the evenings.
Leasing office /​internet café closes pretty early
It’s the third Arriba stop, so you compete with a lot of other apartment complexes for a seat on that bus
The appliances are on the older side
Fairly few windows, and the rooms can be quite dark
Thin walls (not as thin as ERC’s though)
Overall, I find it a cheap and decent place for college students. Would definitely recommend it to anybody looking for cheap housing in La Jolla!

We lived in LJIG for several years, in multiple units, as students and post-​graduation.
The first unit I lived in was on the bottom floor, above the parking garage, tucked back in the southeast corner. It was model B, the Babilonia. Although I loved IG as a complex when I lived in this unit, I was not a huge fan of the unit itself. It was cold because it was above the parking garage, it was a little difficult to move into because we had to go up stairs that curved around, the bedrooms surround the living room so it was hard for my roommate to sleep when I stayed up late watching tv, and there wasn’t a ton of natural sunlight, even though our windows faced south. The kitchen was also pretty small… as a college student who wasn’t home that often, it was fine, but ideally this should be a two person apt max.
In contrast, I LOVED the second unit I lived it. It was on the top floor with windows facing north and south, model C, Versailles. It was super spacious, good air circulation, plenty of light, never too hot or cold, quiet, with elevator nearby to make moving in and out easy. The kitchen was bigger with much more cabinet space, and I loved how the kitchen had an ‘open’ wall to the dining room and front window. We never had a space issue even with four people living there for two years.
Overall, I think IG is the perfect place for any young person looking to live convenient to UCSD or the UTC area. Pretty cheap, but still nicely maintained. Maintenance issues in units are also resolved very quickly, and the free use of gas BBQs, pool, gym, pool table and business center for residents is very nice!
The Vons shopping center nearby is also nice, with it’s array of quick eats and various services. There is also a great park only a few hundred meters away with a jogging trail and exercise structures!
I would say the only downside is the staff… although the manager is reasonable and friendly, several of the other women I’ve encountered in the leasing office over the past few years have been rather rude.
I just moved out of LJIG to relocate closer my workplace, but we loved it there were all very sad to leave!

Used to live here a few years back, so here’s what I remember.
For a double, this place is CHEAP. I was paying something like $ 1450 total for two master bedrooms. In the UTC area, this is almost unheard of.
Amenities are left to be desired. A gym the size of my bedroom? No thanks. A pool that is either too dirty to swim in or is closed due to construction? Ugh. Improperly maintained volleyball and BBQ area? Meh.
However, I can’t stress enough that it’s cheap to live here. The staff is nicer than those at Costa Verde, and I never got the impression that they were crooks (if you work at Costa or any Garden Communities complex and are reading this review: suck it).
The parking isn’t the greatest as I had tandem parking most of the year, but it’s nice to have two guaranteed spots per apartment. Location is right next to the UCSD Arriba Shuttle and about 3 minutes walking to Vons.
I’d recommend this place if you’re on a budget.

I’ve been here for 1.5 years and it’s really not that bad. I am in a 1 BR apt that is spacious and has high vaulted ceilings that make it seem even bigger. Maintenance has never been an issue for me — my pantry door wheels broke, several of my blinds broke, my water gutter broke in half, and light bulbs have gone out — and they all replaced/​fixed these within a day. It’s mostly UCSD students who live here though I have seen some families and young professionals.
(+) Water, sewage, trash paid for so you only need to worry about gas & electric, cable, and Internet. There is a business center with 6 nice computers, 2 big screen TVs, sofas, free printing/​fax, $ 0.25 coffee, pool table. The pool is nice too and there is a BBQ area and beach volleyball court right next to it– I see it in use every weekend so people must like it! My apartment gets plenty of sunlight. The gym is well maintained, though the treadmills are kind of loud haha. It’s in an AWESOME location and I feel very safe living here. I don’t think the prices here are that bad either.
(-) Parking!!! Teeny, narrow parking spaces and never enough parking. I have one reserved parking space but the space is too small for me to even get into so I end up not using it. The only time there is plenty of parking is during the summer when all the UCSD students are home. Also, there are no elevators which I don’t mind but I know families with babies/​strollers may have an issue with this. There are no washer/​dryers inside the apts so you’ll have to use the laundry facilities which are OK — i’ve never had a problem with the washers but half of the dryers do not work and my clothes have come out still wet. $ 0.75 for washer and $ 0.25 for dryer.
Other than those things I’ve been very happy. I live in a top floor apt so noise has never been an issue for me. My neighbors have all been quiet and friendly. The only reason why I am moving out is because I am looking for a pet-​friendly apartment.

I lived here originally from 6÷03−8÷07 and moved back in March of 2010 when I moved back to San Diego. One thing that I really like about living here is how clean the grounds are. There is a volleyball court, outdoor barbeque, a pool, a jacuzzi, and a decent gym with the same equipment that you see at 24 Hour Fitness. One of two down sides is parking. During the school year, parking is nearly non existent on the street or in the lot for that matter. When I lived here originally, I had two cars but only one space in the garage. If I worked late, I would end up parking a few blocks away on Regents Road. There is on site security and I do see them most nights but what about the night my car got broken into just before I moved out originally? Where was security then? Also, the walls are pretty thin. I can hear my neighbors moving around upstairs, going to the bathroom, taking a shower, and even doing other things that can’t be mentioned here. I would recommend the place for college students but if you are one that likes quiet, there are other places around!

Good price, the grounds are well taken care of. By far the best response for maintenance ever! anytime we’ve needed a repair there it was done (in most cases the faulty thing was simply replaced) the next day. Love that.
The down side is it can be a bit noisy, not a real problem for me… but I think the college kids here (which are the majority) expect to live in a quiet environment. Uh, not really gonna happen in an apt complex where you’re sharing a small courtyard and walls/​floors/​ceilings.
As a young prof (not a student) it’s an alright place for a year or two, but after that…