Review History for Ardor

Venezia


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Ardor

Resident 2010 - 2011

6/20/2011

PARKING: There is a parking structure below the building with separate gated entry and exit. In the year that I've lived here the rear/exit gate has been broken maybe once or twice for a few days at a time. Often times, however, one or both gates are just left open for a day or so at a time; sometimes I see a moving truck so I assume it is left open to aid the movers but I don't really know. But it doesn't speak too well for safety. There are a couple doors just inside the garage gate that lead to the lobby/elevator area and although they are locked on the garage side if you pull on them a little they open right up. Convenient for tenants...also convenient for random people who might walk into the open parking gate and right on into the complex. Again, the gate issue doesn't happen often but it does happen. Also, there is NO guest parking. Parking is limited to the streets or garage parking near the Promenade. NOISE: First of all, this apartment building is right across the street from the Big Blue Bus Depot...it's like the Mecca of Big Blue Buses. With that said, you can hear buses coming and going ALL day and a large portion of the evening. And at night, they all come back to this depot and make all kinds of lovely bus sounds. It's a constant wash of sounds: wooshes, beeps, engines starting up/revving up/grinding away...if you like the sound of rolling waves on the ocean maybe you can compare the constant stream of sounds to that...if not, and you LIKE having your windows open in the evenings for the nice beach breeze, the sounds are liable to drive you mad. There was a LOT of construction this year with the building of the new LUXE apartment building across the street but that is done now. I'm often home during the day and I almost never have to worry about hearing dogs barking etc. People here definitely make sure their dogs are well-behaved. GROUNDS: The building is pretty new and has a contemporary feel to it (ie new building = no rent control either). The landscaping in front of the building is always nice and well-kempt. There is a little drain right in front of the lobby doors and there always seems to be a small swarm of gnats hovering in the area...awkward in the main entryway. The lobby is tiled and it is kept clean. Occasionally there is urine from a dog (I hope) on the tile in the lobby or the elevator because their owner has failed to clean it up, for some reason, but it is definitely cleaned up by the next day. Again, that is an OCCASIONAL thing that I have noticed. The hallways were re-carpeted during my year here; the new pattern is a little Circus Circus for me but whatever. They also re-tiled the elevator. There is only ONE elevator; which can be a nuisance during early morning work hours or in the evening when a lot of people are coming home. The maintenance form posted in the elevator is expired...it expired in 2010...it's mid-2011 now...enough said. For a while if someone moved in/out they would hang these pads to cover the elevator walls from getting damaged...and the pads would remain hung for a week...they're ugly and ripped and should be taken down right away. Occasionally the elevator is broken in which case there are two sets of stairs...I live on the 5th floor (top floor) and it's really not that bad of a climb/descent. However, for SOME reason there are no stairs leading to the lobby...if you want to take the stairs down to the lobby you have to take the stairs down to the 1st floor...which exits out onto the street, then you have to re-enter the building through the main doors to get to the lobby (where the mailboxes are etc). It's a small, weird thing...but definitely noticeable. SAFETY: There are a couple security cameras in the main lobby. There are two sets of doors that you either need to be buzzed into or need a key for so that's great! I've never felt like my safety was in danger here or experienced any shady things going on. I already mentioned the parking gate thing so I won't go over that again but that is the reason for their 3-star rating. CONSTRUCTION: Okay, the cabinetry in the kitchen and the bathroom is just...SHODDY. The cabinetry in my apartment doesn't line up properly, even the doors are crooked if you look at the space on the top or bottom of a door it is slanted/diagonal. Some of the cabinet doors don't close easily because they're crooked; you have to manually align the drawer and then shut it...awful. MAINTENANCE: I had a maintenance guy come in and fix the caulking in the bath/shower because it was leaking water all over the bathroom floor. He re-caulked everything...two days after he told us it was dry and ready to use the caulking separated from the metal/porcelain and began falling off. I gave up on that. We asked the maintenance guys for paint so we could cover up some scratches etc in the apartment....I specified the appropriate PAINT for our building....I specified that I did NOT want primer...I specified I wanted the actual PAINT color. He gave it to us...turns out it was primer. We then had random splotches of primer all over the walls in our apartment. One of the lights went out in our kitchen. We requested another. They gave us a lightbulb that was a totally different intensity and hue. So now we have sort of yellow-hued lights and this one, really bright white-hued light in our kitchen. Maintenance is typically slow at responding to requests. STAFF: They often don't return calls or emails. 9 times out of 10 you are better off walking into the leasing office and making your requests (in a kindly manner) in person. Yuki is great and very sweet. She does her best to help. She's obviously overwhelmed though but does what she can with what she is given. OVERALL: No MAJOR problems...just a LOT of smaller aggravating things. Aside from the beach itself and the surrounding community, there are no communal amenities but the rent is very high. In order for us to renew our lease we would have to pay an extra $200 a month. If all you care about is having your apartment, and you are not fussy about all the details then you can really make it work here. It is walking distance to the beach and the Promenade...and Santa Monica is awesome.

    Review 2 out of 2

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