I am a little surprised by the negative reviews.
Sesame Tree is nicest place I've ever lived.
Other places I've looked at feel gritty, claustrophobic, trashy, and even dangerous. At Sesame Tree, the grounds are very sunny and spacious, and clean. I will admit that the buildings are not very fancy or glamorous. They are not that new. My impression is that these apartments are priced to accomodate people with both lower, middle and upper incomes. You get a lot of diversity. It's safe. It doesn't feel depressing. I personally really like this place because it has a nice atmosphere.
There are a large number of families living there, some of them from from Central America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle-East. There are many children playing outside and in the pool. Compared to other places I've lived, there is more of a feeling of community. It feels more "real." We know our neighbors. Many children seem to have made friends with our cat.
I am surprised by the comment about the gang-graffiti. I've lived here 2 years. I have never seen it. Generally, you will NOT see tough-looking teenage boys loitering around the place. Tenants are usually older. At one point we did have some young SBCC students living in an apartment having parties late at night, and leaving trash around the entrance way. After two months, the management got very involved and they left. (I'm not sure, but I think the manager called their parents). As for Riki, he is not working there any more (although I personally didn't have a problem with him).
Again, the surrounding community is safe and sparsely populated. The apartment is between a park and a nature preserve (Ellwood coast). It is also located within walking distance of Albertson's, K-mart, Rite-aid, Costco, Home-Depot, and Comp-USA (I know because I see the shopping carts lying around outside the apartments).
By the way: Heating and cooking is gas-powered (which is cheaper than electric). Our gas heater needed to be fixed when we moved in. (This is a minor gripe.) If you have a family, or if you want a quite place to live, I would recommend this place.

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