I had a good experience living at Hearst Commons, in fact I stayed there for almost 4 years. The place is a quality find, and was far better than the other apartments I had looked at in Berkeley. The price was terrific as well.
My neighbors in Hearst Commons were mostly graduate students and were very quiet and friendly.
The kitchen is particularly nice with top-notch appliances, and the lovely deck outside was fun to lounge in on a beautiful day. I loved the super high ceiling and sun roof (which you could open if it ever got too hot). The heater/AC was a great touch. There's a laundromat literally just around the corner with plenty of washers and driers almost always available.
The maintenance man, Jesus, always was friendly and did great work. He was prompt to fix any issues that came up.
It's in a great location, right next to the highway and University and in a beautiful neighborhood full of lovely houses with a variety of flowers. It's just a 10 minute walk to BART as well. And it's not far from the posh 4th street shopping area.