This was our first home after getting married and it fit the bill nicely. It isn't the newest or flashiest complex around but rents and rent increases were reasonable. Management was very responsive and maintenance generally good-- the positive reports I read about Tammy on this site two years ago were accurate, she's very good at following up and manages to know all the tenants (and even their cats) without being remotely "nosy". Chaz has done a terrific job with maintenance, too.
Compared to other units we looked at there were no Mickey Mouse bills for garbage or water or our cat, and the gas appliances were a big plus. The grounds are dated but very well maintained.
There are some problems. Each unit comes with one garage and there ought to be sufficient street parking on Los Coyotes for an additional car per apartment, but street parking is still impacted after 6 PM. Most of the tenants are longer-term residents, often families with kids. However there are some CSULB students and the apartment complexes to the south seem to be mostly students. Many of the overflow cars on the street (and illegally parked in the back alley, occasionally blocking the garages) come from these other complexes and can be a headache. On the brighter side, the local police station literally adjoins one of the laundry rooms and we see the private security firm with some frequency. The parking bandits eventually get ticketed and the situation is tolerable.
Having the police nearby also keeps things relatively quiet. The last time we had a crazy midnight party in our building was a year ago and it ended abruptly when the cops came down 1/2 block to see what was going on. Definitely an improvement over other places I have lived.
The units themselves are a bit old but my wife loved the remodeled kitchen and enormous window spaces in our flat. She didn't love the tired carpet but I think that was luck of the draw.
Again, the units are not the newest but they are well maintained and the location is terrific. You can walk to a Vons grocery store and half a dozen restaurants, including an In-N-Out Burger. We are leaving Patio Gardens to relocate to North Cal and I'm not looking forward to dealing with the usual apathetic managers, diffident maintenance response, water/gas/parking fees and the dreaded Pet Rent that are common with newer places. If you don't need every shiny modern convenience and want good value for your money and a safe place to live, give this one a hard look.

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