Viewpoint: a BRIDGE Housing Community - Berkeley, California

Brooke H.

There are definitely things I would want to know as a new tenant. Dustin and Anna who people mention in other reviews don't work here anymore. Anna was an excellent manager, but now if you want help you have to use an app. Second, if you decide you need to leave, beware of the “Early Termination Charge”. We were informed that breaking our lease even with 30 days warning would cost us $15,000.

There are definitely other reasons I do not recommend Avalon Berkeley:
1. The rent is too high. A number of people have left due to excessive rent increases. The empty units are noticeable. 2. The car lift and/or elevator is broken at least monthly. 3. The constant noise: between the train and construction (which also clogs our tiny street with massive trucks), it is incredibly noisy all the time. 4. The buildings are rundown. Something is always broken. The fitness center is closed because the door lock needs to be replaced. The boiler continues to break leaving tenants WITHOUT HOT WATER for days at a time. And the landlord won't replace it. Carpets, stairs, etc. are dirty with pet stains, etc., appliances and other amenities are shoddy and broken. Someone left a dirty cat litter box in the stairwell for several weeks. In addition, the neighborhood is full of empty storefronts.

Madison J.

This apartment complex offers an incredibly smooth and hassle-free leasing process. The team is responsive and thorough, addressing all questions promptly. Julius, in particular, stands out with his amazing support; his professionalism and attention to detail make the experience seamless. The maintenance staff is also incredibly kind and helpful, always quick to respond to any requests. Overall, I highly recommend this complex for anyone looking for a great place to call home!

Lin Z.

My friends who live here recommended Avalon Berkeley to me, and after visiting her place several times I decided to move here. Now I’ve been living in my new apartment for several months and the experience has been really great. Especially the management team, they are the best, super friendly and very responsive.

My unit is facing the highway and right next to the train track, so the noise can be really loud when the windows are open. But I’m kinda used to it now and it’s acceptable for me, because the view and amount of sunlight are really good. What also make life easier are: amazon lockers, gas stoves, washer/dryer in unit, and access code for front door so it’s easy for getting food deliveries. Plus, nice location. 5 min walk to coffee shops and restaurants on 4th St. 10min walk to Brickyard Cove, a great park by the water for dog walking and jogging. Overall 10/10.

Grace C.

Wonderful staff and convenient location make up for the ongoing construction outside the building (as of Oct. 2022). I particularly appreciate the competitive pricing, square footage, and great views of the bay from my unit and the rooftop. My partner and I have lived here for 2 years and have just renewed our lease for the third. Thank you to Anna, Dustin, and Albert for making this the best rental experience we’ve had in 10 years in and around the East Bay.

Kimberly D.

As long as the windows are closed, the train is not that loud. The bay breeze is nice. Nice little gym that is never crowded. The residents are all very quiet. No pet waste. Kind of pricey unless you get a good rate.

Udaya K. J.

We moved in at the beginning of this year and have had nothing but a great experience so far. Right from the time we walked in to view the apartment, the staff (Julius and Fredric) have been very friendly and heplful, including allowing us to view the place a couple of times because we wanted to make sure it was a good fit for us. The rent is comparable to market rate, but Avalon makes it sweeter with deals based on their pricing models and time of the year (e.g., we got 1.5 months off on a 16-month lease). The amenities (rooftop access, gym, courtyard, Amazon locker, closed parking) are great and we've used every one of them in our 5 months here so far, with only parking requiring an additional fee. The parking lift system works great with only occasional minor hiccups. Access to the Aquatic park which is just a block away (and a few blocks into the park is Dreamland park for our toddler), and proximity to the Berkeley Marina, the highway, and fourth street is a big plus as well. The train noise is a non-issue, even though our apartment is closest to the train tracks (a corridor separates our apartment from the actual external wall facing the tracks, and other units are even more isolated from the sound).

I need to dedicate another paragraph to the maintenance team led by Donnie who are extremely prompt in attending to and fixing issues that arise from time to time. After we moved in, we realized that our central gas heating wasn't working, and they started working on it the very next day. It took them a couple of months to fix it due to vendor and supply chain issues, but they would regularly attempt to address the issue with visits to our apartment and the boiler system, including shutting off water for the whole building with notices given to tenants well in advance. They also supplied us with a couple of space heaters to use in the meantime. When we complained about an issue with our fridge (it wasn't closing properly with just a small push to the door), they promptly replaced it with a brand new one the very next morning. Donnie is extremely attentive to maintenance issues and is super nice and pleasant to talk to. We have never had an experience like this with any of our previous landlords or management agencies in the 10+ rentals we have lived in over the past decades. I can't recommend Avalon Berkeley more highly!

Amaya M.

I came to Avalon Berkeley for a tour with Julius and he was absolutely amazing! He was super helpful, sweet and genuine. He made me feel comfortable living at Avalon knowing there are friendly people like him on staff. Keep being great, Julius! 🙂

Nicholas R.

UPDATE: THEY CAN'T EVEN GET THE GUARDS IN FOR PARKING. Changed to 1-star. Leaving this property when lease is up. Unacceptable across the board.

Time passes, things change - Julius in the office and Donnie on the maintenance team are top-tier, but the continued access control issues and water shutoffs have become too much. This incident is the final straw: the garage access control panel was vandalized and the gate for parking no longer opens from outside. Not Avalon's fault - but their solution is to force the gate open from 10pm to 6am with a guard and a check for residence. Take the kids to school at 7:30am? Figure out what to do with your car for the next 14 hours. Get home from work at 6:00pm? Congratulations, you have to find parking for the next four hours before you can "come home". Be a professional with on-call hours that may work a full day from home, be called in for overnight work, and not make it back to Berkeley until 6:30am the following day? Time to either move your car around various business hour restricted lots all day or risk tows and fines. I cannot recommend this property to anyone and am undecided on renewing my lease due to administrative handling and lack of prorating or compensation for the water shutoffs or prolonged access issues (like our front door being broken for several weeks).