In summary: Neighbors are really excellent. Management is hit & miss. Units have quirks that may or may not be something you can live with. Working from home is OK if you have a unit that isn't a greenhouse, but you won't want to invite most clientele over to your space. The neighborhood has issues with illegal dumping and drug users. The trains are comically loud and will definitely be noticed by people on the other end of your phone convos. Great for pet owners, if you don't have a unit that gets unhealthily hot (like most facing 47th). I lived here for a few years until the pandemic brought big changes to all our lives. I wanted to make sure to review because I recall seeing so many red flags when I first looked at this place -- a URL on email addresses "fdcollins" with no website to match, a company named "Proper Management" that had little to no online presence... I had to do a ton of research to assure myself it wasn't a scam. It is not a scam, everything was fine. Francis D Collins is the property owner and Proper Management is the company created to manage properties owned by Collins, I believe. Svend, the offsite manager that sent our bills and answered the office phone, was excellent -- always replied to our emails quickly and was attentive. Resolved issues quickly & efficiently. Jay, the onsite manager (but not a resident), was not that great, but he wasn't the worst. He would fix things, but not necessarily quickly. We were having such a big problem with the sun in our unit, we bought materials that we could install ourselves but needed permission to do it...Jay didn't give permission and did eventually install it, but he took our materials and did not use them all nor did he return them, so we just lost money on that. (He promised to return the unused stuff, he just never did). Jay also did kind of lame things to blight the street in front of the property like tear out the plants and just leave piles of dirt instead. That was especially disappointing because when we moved in Jay and Nolan said that they were working to improve the greenery and had just planted trees. I thought the flower gardens near our unit was their work, but it turns out it was various neighbors that were later told to rip them out, but the management did not do anything with them afterwards...just let them grow weeds and attract garbage. At least the gardens kept some of the street crazy away. He also left an old car parked out front, taking up parking space close to the units so that we had to walk farther to get in, which was occasionally uncomfortable. It attracted criminals and was eventually stolen. I'd say that the exterior attractiveness of the property went markedly down while we were living there, as a direct result of their decisions, and because of that, more street wanderers would come around. Originally I thought I might have clients over, but it became too embarrassing & uncomfortable for guests. The units at Dutchboy are all unique. Ours had its pros and cons. The totally open layout was a dream, as was having the tall ceilings. The water and power were always reliable. The bathroom was surprisingly small. I (5'7" 150lbs) often showered standing sideways (facing the curtain or wall), because the shower was so narrow. The sink was so close to the toilet that my knees were under it when sitting and I could rest my chin on the sink. But the worst by far was that there was only one small ground-level window that opened, but two large clerestory windows that face the sun all summer long baking in the heat. With no vents, the heat would get trapped and it was 90 degrees in our unit until 10pm. It's too dangerous to leave your door open and walk away, but even sitting next to the door with it open for hours, it couldn't circulate very well because the unit was 50' deep and the window was 2 feet from the door. When wildfire season strikes, it's really unlivable. We had to move out partially because of this. The unit wasn't that clean when we moved in, even after we asked and they agreed to do the floors...for example the bedroom area had beams that were coated in dust. They cleaned the carpet, but not the concrete. I did a thorough cleaning myself before moving in and found a thick layer of dog hair in the broiler drawer under the oven. There was some trouble with drug users camping and cooking on 47th...fires, explosions, pests/rats, endless garbage, hit & runs, crazy behavior on the street, fights, etc. To their credit, the management worked really hard to stop the whole thing, as did a lot of the tenants, and eventually it did mostly go away before we moved out. Best thing was the neighbors. They all had a great attitude and liked to help each other out. The neighbors aesthetic touches on the outside of the units were what make the place really special. Large metal sculptures, potted plants, unique patio furniture, adorable pets...all really take the edge off the stress of city life. read more

When we considered moving here, I could not find much about these lofts online; this has prompted me to post, as there are several units recently rehabed and available for rent. Neighbors: These really get 5 stars. In this repect, this is a great place to live. Several of the residents/artist have been here for a long time. Neighborhood: This is no doubt the industrial section of East Oakland. In this location we see very few problems. Because 47th is a dead end here, we do have a couple of homeless on the tracks and we have trash dumping and occasional prostitution. This is becoming much less as this place becomes more habitated on the 47th St. side. A few of us on this side have made it a sport to chase these people off and consequently it is a much less desirable place for these activities. In speaking with the long time residents they also say that there has been next to no crime within the warehouse property. I think the most recent, a few months, ago was a car break-in. Management: They get negative stars. In over 20 years of renting and/or owning, these are the worse people I have ever dealt with. Francis D. Collins owns this property and I have not been able to get a call back from him to see if he is truly complicit in the deplorable attitude of the Proper Management staff. Some long time residents confirm that if you have a problem here, like something that needs repair, they will pretty much tell you to go f*ck yourself or just ignore the request. We have had a serious problem in our place, one that legally has to be fixed and the Proper Management staff, very unsavvy in landlord/teneat law, has told us the above. It has taken calling in the city to have this repair done. (Note: We made our request 4 times) If you are looking into these places know that the rents are all over the board. What we pay around 2K for, our neighbors, in the same size space whom have lived here for only a couple months longer, pay 1600. We were able to negotiate down from the original per month price they were asking. Less the management, it is a very cool place to live with great warehouse space. I have to assume and hope that with all the work going on here that Francis and Proper Management will figure out that you have to be accountable and repectful to your tenants, not just collect the rent. read more

I have lived here for over a year now and will be moving in the next month. When we first moved in we were very happy with our neighbors. There was a very large turn over in residents and many new units open up around September. Although everyone is very friendly, I really need more quiet than this place can afford. Expect loud music and the constant smell of pot in the buildings and on the property. Proper Management is the worst problem with this property though. They distribute harsh individual flyers and post nasty signs to try to alleviate problems, but that is about it. For example, there was a note distributed regarding the use of the dumpsters. We would be changed more for dumping our "construction supplies" in the dumpster. There are two problems with this: 1) it is their crew(s) that dump much of the construction supply and 2) there are regularly cars and trucks pulling into the property and dumping their garbage. Although promised upon move in and told that bids had been obtained, there is NO security gate and anyone can come and go. We also had our car broken into on the property and our radio stolen. Our heater has been broken 4 times. Recently our front door hinge broke and our bathroom light switch burned out. The best remedy is to go to the local repair guys when you can find them as Proper rarely returns calls. The one thing we knew moving in was the neighborhood wasn't great. Although that really wasn't a huge problem during our time at Dutchboy. If you are looking for a place to rent, I would recommend you move on. read more

My boyfriend and I have lived here 4 months now and I can't say enough how much I love this place. We had some minor work items that had to be dealt with and the management company is so responsive and someone is there to fix it that day. We feel very lucky to have found such a beautiful live/work space with creative and kind neighbors. Michelle the onsite Manager is doing an amazing job with this place. read more

I moved in blindly over a year ago. I love it here. And honestly the past year has seen a dramatic shift in the types of people who live here. When I first moved in, the property reeked of marijuana from the growers who inhabited a majority of the units. But quite steadily and quickly, they were removed from the property and replaced with quality people and neighbors. Just like the units, no two neighbors are truly alike, and the talent that comes out of this place is insane. Developmentally speaking, since I moved in there have been numerous upgrades and repairs. They are quick to respond to maintenance requests as well. They have installed numerous doggie-bag dispensers throughout the property and have even installed a dog park for the furry residents. The PM Michelle has totally shifted the entire vibe of the property, continuously seeking and letting to people who make a good fit and have overall great attitudes. While there is a homeless community that lives nearby and frequents the bins to collect cans and other recyclables, they are friendly and easy to talk to. I have never had a bad or frightening experience with them whatsoever. I lucked out when I rented this place. I wont be leaving anytime soon. read more

I'm going to go ahead and have to agree with the above stated review. I lived at the Dutch Boy Paint Studios for a little over a year, after having lusted after residence here since I was a young'un. And sure the space is great, you generally get a decent amount of space and some good looking sunlight, but you're certainly bound to pay as much or perhaps a TINY BIT less than other live/work's or loft style joints. the difference is of course, you get consistently SHAT upon by the dweebs running things for the elusive Francis D. Collins at Proper Management. apart from hardly getting the response you deserve for the money you pay when voicing a complaint, there's an incessant construction ambiance, there's the case of the peeping construction workers who may or may not sneak a peek into your space while "fixing things on the roof"... and..... ...Not only that, but the prick the folks over at Proper Management will never put you in contact with, Francis D. Collins, is a pretty heavy contributor to the Republican Party out here, and that can be pretty hard to square with yourself, when you're alone, freezing in a spot you pay $1900/month for before they hurl another $600 at you for arbitrary utilities. Yea Francis & Proper Management are hella shady. I get the feeling most of us here justify being utterly duped by convinvcing ourselves that the spaces are unique. but the truth is we've been f&*%ing hoodwinked... They do amazing things with utility billing too. making sure you're never %100 sure of what you're paying them for. And you'll never see a PG&E or water bill to justify the dollar amounts either....nope! so don't even ask. my advice:seek other places to live/work or work/live. the office manager at the proper management is an attorney at law. that oughta be a clue. also there's little no people of color that live in the spaces. in East Oakland? come on... read more

To say that I love living here is an understatement. When I moved to the Bay Area from LA I was looking for a community in addition to an apartment. When I first looked at the property, I was met by Michelle the property manager and we connected right away. I remember thinking "well, if Michelle is in charge of finding tenants to live here- I am in good hands." I have been here for almost 6 months now. I know my neighbors names. Not only that- we actually have dinner together regularly. We also decide to get coffee together on the weekends, collaborate on projects and regularly exchange items to borrow. The state of mind with my neighbors is that we are all choosing to live in a creative, structured and polite community that doesn't mind lending a hand and communicating. I am not one to be overly social (I keep to myself)- but I just can't help it with the people that live here. Impromptu dinner party outside at an appropriate hour? Happens a lot. Community movie night with projector outside on the wall with a pot luck dinner? That's happened too. Beyond the amazing community are the units themselves. My apartment is my dream space. I have sealed concrete floors, windows for days and finally have a space to let my creative mind live. I work in the city by day as a Project Manager at a tech company and by night have a pottery wheel and paint. The units are conducive to the live/work lifestyle to a tee and you will find lots of people like me or are creatives full time. Other perks- Alameda is a stone's throw away along with a 24hr Fitness gym. The Fruitvale BART station is about a mile up the road (and not as bad as people say) along with the Jack London or Alameda Main Street ferry terminals about a 20min drive away. The 880 is also extremely close so you can hop on the freeway to the city, Berkeley, etc. I've never had an issue with safety as our community looks out for one another and there's also a dog park where the dogs rock. I've had a great experience with the Property Manager (Michelle) along with the overall management office. When I have a request I am given a prompt response with a solution. I hope this makes your choice to consider living here easier! read more

I Have lived in three different units at 4701 San Leandro Street in Oakland, CA. for the past 10 years. The neighbors are top notch. Interesting, artistic, some of them have been there for decades, and are amazing artists. Lots of amazing art has come out of that former lead paint factory since the early '70's when Francis D. Collins bought it. There were some great parties in the past too. The neighborhood is not the greatest, but the problem is that the property management refuses to install a gate, so don't leave anything in your car, like your radio. Proper Management is Francis D. Collin's property management company, and they are slum lords. Over the years they have locked me out, locked me in, dropped cement on my car, over billed me, failed to mail me the rent bill many times, turned off the electricity many times without warning, turned off the gas many times without warning. They refused to fix the roof on more than one occasion, after many requests, I found a ladder and unplugged the drain of the flat roof myself. That stopped the water dripping on my pillow! They ripped my telephone line out on two separate occasions (back when people had land-lines) and I had to trace the line all throughout the building to find where they ripped it down during construction. They installed a new roof on one place, but when they nailed the new roof on top of the old one, they covered our kitchen with paint dust and chips. Then there was the human waste. During the renovation in the early 2000's, Proper Management installed plumbing in a unit above ours. They installed a toilet, and the water supply. The only thing they forgot to install was the drain. Twice we came home from work to find our apartment flooded with human solid waste. Yup, the workers used the toilet, and Proper Management literally pooped on us. Twice. These two poopings were months apart. Not only did the not clean our apartment, it took them months to actually fix the new drain. This was a Dutch Boy Paint Factory, so there still is a fair amount of lead in the walls, floors etc. Lots of the lead, mercury, arsenic has been capped over by new cement floors, paint,etc, and there is the extensive earth removal that Francis D. Collins finally did in the early 2000's. This was done to remove all the the earth around the property from decades of dumping of hazardous chemicals from the production of among other things, lead paint. Dutch Boy Paints had a contract to produce the paint for battleships during WWII. Before that, it was owned by the National Lead Company of California. During the removal, all of the workers wore respirators, and some of them had full body suits, however, the tenants were given nothing. This all came about because children living at 4701 San Leandro Street were suffering from lead poisoning. There now are signs posted that prohibit children. Try a Google Search of "4701 San Leandro Street Lead" and see what you get... this PDF is pretty intereting. It's under this link... COMMUNITY PROFILE: 4701 SAN LEANDRO STREET SITE OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA What else, oh yeah, both my neighbors of unit 42 died of cancer, and every year they add their yearly property tax increase to our rent bill. All in one lump sum! I've never even heard of that... Amazing. read more

Disclaimer! I was asked to put my thoughts out on YELP as the last posts were old. There was no influence on this post, just an ask for an update. I was looking at reviews and I realized that there should be an update to where I live. This place is not a normal place, but oh my goodness - I love this place. When I moved in this was a different place - I can understand a good deal of the reviews. The changes have been vast, but the community has come together quite well. Prices are really good,depending on what unit you have, you could drive your car into your living room (roll up door)! The Property management (working directly on behalf of the owner), get most things rights. They have invested (and it looks like they will continue to invest) in updating the units, improving the out side, and making the place just that much better. Just as I moved in, a new property manager (Michelle) was getting her feet under her and has worked hard to ensure that community runs well and that all the day to day items are address. She has made of world of difference and wears her concern for the community or her sleeve. This is a huge task, but one that she is well suited for. The artist vibe is still here. I'm not one, but I help with design and fabrication. We have Silk Screening, Latex, Rope Art, Robot aided creation, metal work, electrical design and fabrication, wood creations, music, and of course fire art. We are not NIMBY, much lower key, but while keeping the community art. Come by, check out a place... and then find a resident and ask for 5 min and ask what they think. The past is the past and now is different. I give this 4 out of 5 stars, as this place is not perfect - and is not perfect for everyone, but for everyone who has moved in - they would not want to live anywhere else! Bill read more

The Dutch Boy lofts are a great place to live! First, the live/work space is unique and totally customizable. Love it! Next, our neighbors are fantastic. In addition to being friendly the people who live here are interesting & so very talented. You can get a taste of the diversity & culture represented at the Dutch Boy by reading the other Yelp reviews. Our onsite manager Michelle is quick to respond to any questions or issues and is constantly working to improve our community living space. We have succulents planted all over the property, thanks to Michelle. In addition to planting flowers she occasionally plans events to help keep this community of great people connected to each other. She is building an amazing community of eclectic people. Bravo! Lastly, I have to mention this is a pet friendly community. If you don't like dogs or cats this is not the place for you. Most of the pets on the property are friendly but even if they are not owners are responsible. I know how tough it can be to find a great home that allows animals and this is a great place for pets! read more

This place is the spot if your all about getting screwed over by your landlord, Smokin dope, Loud dubstep, getting high with your friends, 300 pound shoeless hookers propositioning you while your walking your dog, all in all if you cant take the heat dont move to the "dutchboy". This is live work arrangements which means no residential sound ordinance. and its at 47th & San Leandro, which is the worst neighborhood in Oakland. Don't think for a second you're about to move into a quaint quiet artisan community in the heart of the ghetto. If thats to mellow for you check out the vulcan down the street aka "the Thunderdome" read more

We've lived here for almost two years now and love it. The spaces are perfect for anyone who wants to create things and have a good amount of room to work. Michelle, the onsite property manager, has built an amazing community of people who are interesting and do all kinds of cool projects. Having such a good group of people who live on the property makes it feel neighborly and fun, if you don't want to leave, there is always someone to hang out with. read more

Lived here for a year now and I absolutely love it. The neighbors are wonderful people and it is much safer than it looks. However... Proper Management is a proper disaster. They consistently mess up peoples rent. They are truly atrocious and should be forced to go back to school for simple math and business ethics. read more

Lived there three years and loved it... great industrial style units with a modern look to them.

Dutch Boy Studio is an awesome place to live. Its full of creatives and doers of all sorts. I have only lived here six months but my experience has been great thus far. I hear the place used to be a bit sketch however the building manager Michelle has worked hard to get the right people moving in and its made a huge difference in the atmosphere. There are constant improvements and it really feels like a micro community. I would highly recommend Dutch Boy for the maker/creative type. read more

I lived at the Dutch Boy years ago but after reading these reviews I realize that things have only gotten way worse. We use to call them "Improper Management" because it was so bad. We had no heat. We felt ripped off. I think he's a slumlord for sure and when I was there, someone's cat died of lead poisoning. Y'all know that the place is like a Superfund site for its' level of lead toxicity. It was a LEAD FACTORY before being a LEAD PAINT COMPANY. No woman who's considering having a child, or is pregnant, or any little ones or roaming pets should be living there. We did lead testing before we moved and YUP, lead all over. After someone (with the dead cat I think) blew the whistle, there was a meeting with the city and the owner about doing a clean-up. The city let him get away with murder I remember. Did they ever clean anything up? People with kids I remember moved out. Creepy stuff. I'd love to know more what's going on now. When I was there it wasn't all that dangerous with prowlers and all outside but it was hella noisy because of the BART, the San Leandro traffic, the f-uckin train, and then the freeway. I think it's a living hell and not worth a cent. Remember, stress is life killing as well as the bad vibes the management has. read more

I've Lived here for about a year now, the rent is reasonable, the Bills are fluctuate less then 10%, the neighbors are nice (to a fault, at times) and any problems I've had have been fixed within a timely fashion (leak under the outside wall, broken gate. Unlike the other posters I haven't had a problem with the management, although one time they did miss bill my electricity at $2407, instead of the usual $40 (I think they put the entire building on my bill by accident) and they were able to straighten things out with two phone calls, I don't ever try and get in contact with Francis D Collins, but I was told that he just owns the place, and hires another company to give a shit about it, so I shouldn't bother, My space is approx $1 per SqFt, and I'm allowed to add additions and subtractions so long as I don't change anything structurally, all in all it's a good place, not worth the bad rap given to it by other reviewers read more