In 2003, I moved into the luxurious new Metropolitan with a business center, clubhouse, exercise room, large swimming pool, spa and outstanding staff: Corey, Antonio, Isaiah, and of course our great manager. There is really no need to have a car because you can walk to great restaurants, Draeger's grocery store, CalTrain and Central Park with tennis courts. SFO is about 10-15 minutes away. read more

Just an awful renting experience, considering the premium price you pay. The amenities like a pool and theater are appealing selling points, but the pool and hot tub were constantly out of service (the hot tub especially). When you want to reserve something like the theater, you have to submit a form, and I tried three different times and never had anyone accept my reservation. When you contact the team through their portal, I rarely got responses. Right up to the move out process where I scheduled a move out inspection twice and never had anyone show up at the confirmed time. That portal was, in general, useless. Unless I had an urgent maintenance problem, no messages I ever sent were responded to. I had water heater issues about halfway through my time there and when the plumber looked at it he called it "ancient". Replacing it dropped my utility bill by about 50 bucks a month, so I was apparently paying for their lack of modern equipment. They refused to add a second recycling dumpster, so it was always completely overflowing. Oh, and they also nickel and dimed me on the way out on my deposit. read more

5/20/2024 I'd like to do a shout out to the maintenance team member Adam. He came to check my oven which was smoking and had a really bad smell. This was on a Saturday. He also checked my window seals for mold which turned out not to be black mold. He took the time to explain everything to me. He was very polite, knowledgeable, and assertive. I would recommend him for any maintenance issue. What a great asset to the team. Thank you Adam, read more

On The Fly Why you should never live at the Metropolitan 1 While we lived on the first floor, the apartment above us was listed on Airbnb, It was occupied by a family with two toddlers and two dogs. The kids jumped up and down on the bare floor (no carpeting) above our bedroom at all hours. The dogs were left on the patio to bark incessently when the renters were away. 2 Strangers would prowl my patio - accessible from 3rd Ave - at all hours. The police had to be called. 3 In addition, I encountered a San Mateo PD SWAT force at a nearby apartment on the way to taking out my garbage one evening. The building is simply not safe. 4 The package room is routinely broken into, packages are left on the floor of the package room and at random locations in the hallways no where near our apartment. 5 Maintenance requests were routinely ignored until the we made multiple phone calls to follow up. 6 The LATCH system which is supposed to automatically provide access to public spaces, garage, package room failed miserably. I was unable to access my paid parking spot in the garage. Needless to say, maintenance requests to get it fixed were ignored. 7 To add insult to injury, our $900 security deposit was not only not refunded but we were billed an extra $313 for them to paint the OUTSIDE of our front door. First, some painting is considered normal wear and tear that is not to come out of a security deposit. Second, how am I responsible for the outside of my front door? All for $6,000/month rents. Look elsewhere. read more

Antonio and Eric from the maintenance team are very helpful and quick problem-solvers. They recently helped me with plumbing issues that came up and replaced the water supply line. read more

Update: After the initial slow maintenance requests, we have had a very good time at the Metropolitan! All requests are now answered pretty quickly, and the actual complex is very nice (as mentioned earlier). I would recommend this complex to anyone moving to the San mateo area! read more

The lady in the leasing office is not helpful and is always making things harder for you or complaining but the gentleman is very understanding read more

Careful will management and make sure you document and take pictures of EVERYTHING!!! My wife and I lived here a little over 2 years starting in 2014. We lived through all the horrible construction that lasted almost a year and was sometimes borderline intrusive. For example, one day they removed our entire living room window and had cables running in and out of our home to power the construction companies equipment. When we moved out, we cleaned everything in our unit except for a mattress we left which we were rightfully charged $150 for removal. However, after moving out we were told by management (Mona Chen) that the carpet was replaced and we were going to be charged. When we asked why, we were told because of stains and pet smell. We found this claim to be rather ridiculous considering the entire time we lived in the unit our living room (carpet) was separated by a doggie fence that led to the dining room and kitchen (tile, not carpet) and our dog was only allowed on the tile. When we asked them for proof of the stains, we were told that they would accommodate by sending us pictures of the "stained" carpet. Several months have passed since we left the Metropolitan. It turns out that instead of trying to find actual proof that the carpet needed replacing, or sending us an email with any information at all, The Metropolitan just decided to send us to collections without any communication. Here is a copy of the last email correspondence we had with Corey which states very clearly: "Please ignore the 30 day to dispute the final account statement note on the letter you received. I will try to get more detail around your final charges and get photos of the carpet condition for you." There were no further attempts at communication with us by The Metropolitan after this email was sent back in March of 2017. Just a letter from a debt collector saying we did not pay. I would advise that if you live in this unit know your rights as a consumer and make sure you document EVERYTHING as much as you possibly can. Make sure you know the life of the carpet that might need to be replaced on your dime. The department of consumer affairs has an article on the "useful life" rule which states that the landlord cannot charge you more than what is left of the life of the carpet. Best of luck and I hope this review helps. read more

Metropolitan Apartments - This is the LAST correspondence we received from The Metropolitan 10 months ago. - Apartments Near Me - San Mateo, California

My husband and I lived at Metropolitan Apartments for a little over 3 years and we absolutely loved our time there. The staff is amazing, from the office manager, front desk manager to repairing technicians. Everyone was extremely professional, warm and responsive! They went above and beyond to help us with even the smallest requests. Corey has been there for us since the very beginning. Mona has the magic power to remember everyone's name after hearing it once! The repairing staff was always there for us whenever we had trouble. The facility was well maintained. The water quality in the Swimming pool and hot tub was checked very regularly. The clubhouse had the best memories for me and my friends. The location is also second to none. Super easy to go on and off the highway, walking distance way from all the amazing restaurants in downtown San Mateo. It was heaven!! I strongly recommend this place to anyone! read more

The dining room light covering in our apartment was shattered and the Metropolitan apartments maintenance crew responded fast and efficiently! Shoutout to Miguel who was really helpful in the process :) read more

NOT KID FRIENDLY I moved into this building almost a year ago and at first it was great. Everyone was helpful, plus the pool and proximity to parks and DTSM were great for me and my kids. However in recent months my neighbors have started harassing me and my kids, and that is not ok. The apartments have hardwood floors, so every time my kids so much as walk across the floor, I have to hear about it. Not from my downstairs neighbors, but from management, because my neighbors can't be bothered to be adult and come talk to me. The other day, someone YELLED at my kids because they were saying goodbye to a friend at the elevator banks. It lasted all of 30-60 seconds, but someone decided that was too much and screamed at them that they were trying to sleep. It was 8:30pm. My kids are not especially loud, but they are 5 years old. They're only in my apartment at most 6-8 hours in any given week, and they're never awake during "Quiet Hours". And even though we live in a generally loud area, between Caltrain, 101, and downtown, I am singled out for every single noise. And apparently squeaky wheel gets the grease, so management's approach has been to treat me guilty until proven innocent. If you have kids - STAY AWAY! read more

My experience at Metropolitan felt smooth from beginning to end - with specific thanks to Isaiah Labelle. He was a great tour guide and when we got cold feet about our unit, he got us pictures and answered every question we had. We toured about 8 buildings in the area, and no one else went above and beyond like this for us. Our move in experience also went well, we were greeted by Mona and everything was perfect when we got here. Overall, moving is super stressful, but was straightforward and pleasant here. read more

This review is long overdue! We lived at the Metropolitan Apartments for nearly 3 years (and would have stayed longer had we not moved back to the East Coast). The location is amazing, being within walking distance of downtown San Mateo & right off the highway. If you travel often for work (which we did), you will appreciate the short commute to SFO. Having a movie theater thats within walking distance from the apartments is an added bonus. Truth be told, there were times we went to the movies just to get some popcorn! Why not, when it's so close? When we didn't feel like going out, we would often reserve the movie theater at the Metropolitan. There is a cozy theater onsite where you can watch DVDs in stadium style plush leather seats. The management team even stocks it with candy & popcorn for movie goers to enjoy. If you have fur babies, which we do, this is the community for you. We have a cat & a dog, who loved living at the Metropolitan. How do I know? My dog was best buddies with Corey, the property's Assistant Manager. My pup would go nuts anytime we ran into Corey or passed by the office on our walks (such a disappointment to my dog when the office was closed). It's easy for your pup to make friends with other neighbor's dogs. Speaking of neighbors, we lived on the top floor and never heard any of our neighbors. We faced the pool, so it would get loud during the warmer months, but mostly during the day, when kids were swimming in the pool. There is a strict policy about not swimming after hours, so noise was never an issue at night. Security patrols the building to enforce this. Speaking of security, there were some incidences that occurred while we lived there. We live in a downtown location so some things are just bound to happen. Having the security number readily available came in handy & having access to the online community board was a great resource. My only concern was with the gate entrances. I often found them propped open or not locking. For the safety of the community, the management team organized meetings with the security team to let us voice concerns and to offer useful tips we could do to protect our community. The property team at the Metropolitan is amazing! Each member of the team always made us feel at home, like we were truly neighbors rather than just tenants. They hosted many community events, which was always a nice opportunity to get to know new neighbors. I miss the Metropolitan & I miss the amazing California sunsets. It was a great home for us while we were Californians. read more

Metropolitan Apartments - Apartments Near Me - San Mateo, California

All of the stars here go to the personnel that try to keep the place in order during the hellish banging, disruption of privacy, constant dust and dirt wafting in under our unsealed door from the constant construction. (Lower management and grounds keeping are the only people from turning this place into the absolute worst money trap ever) It is seriously a money trap; a bad investment that you can't get out of without paying a very large lease break even if when they rented you your apartment the company very largely misrepresented the "construction plan". I don't mind spending money on quality and "luxury living", but this is so far from accommodating that I want to vomit because I feel I have been made a fool. Oh dear Budda!, does the metropolitan advertise "Zen" living on this very yelp page? read more

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5k plus apartment buildings and it took 8 months for them to secure US mail after numerous attempts from thieves to literally brake into the mail box wall. This is adjacent to the main elevator lobby where you park your car and enter the building in 338. Now there has been nightly theft to packages, and management is not keen on doing anything but sending recipes. Its awesome to walk to your car and see 10-12 boxes cut open and tossed around the mail area. No solutions, no interim fix. Ive lived in the bay for 5+ years and I can say unequivocally, that this place gives 0 care to securing its buildings. read more

Lived here some time ago. They made up things to keep my deposit. Very shady company.

I've been living in Metropolitan Apartments for two years, and just renewed my lease again. Living here has been perfect. There's never any problems with the maintenance of the place, and everything brought to management's attention is remedied as soon as possible. I've had work orders for maintenance within my apartment which were handled in the very same day as the ticket creation. And the staff is always helpful, kind, and friendly. Corey takes care of anything you may need, and the way the staff put on community events roughly every quarter (or more?) is great to just meet your neighbors and feel like you're all part of a nice community within these two blocks. All this is a perfect review of the apartment complex and it's management, but I should also mention that the location - walking distance to downtown san mateo, and just off the 101 to head either north or south - is a major plus for living here. Sure, rent is expensive, as it is an amenity-rich, luxury apartment complex in the bay area, but it's worth it for what you get: convenience, well-maintained and clean property, perfect location, great amenities, and an awesome management team. read more

I will live here for as long as I am able - it's been two years so far, and I'm about to start my third year's lease. Prices went up a bit more than expected between years 2 and 3, but they were willing to work with us to meet in the middle. Location, amenities, and the management team are all top notch. I feel like I'm part of a family and a community, and I'm genuinely taken care of. Within months of moving in and very little interaction the staff recognized me and knew my name. Unlike many apartment complexes, they care about the people. I'm glad I found the Metropolitan. read more

We lived there for a year and did not renew the lease. Here are the good things: Great location in downtown. Walkability is outstanding. It's very convenient to Hwy 101 and Hwy 92 and yet you hear no noise. The walls are pretty thick and the ceilings high so that helps with noise in general. Maintenance is quick to respond and very competent. The apartments mostly all look the same from what I can tell so maintenance is very efficient. The apartments are pretty spacious with a nice kitchen with a gas stove. There is AC and a good heater. The amenities in the bldg 338 are excellent. Nice big patio. Good street parking and you can get a permit from the city. Here are the negatives: -Office and leasing manager can be hard to get ahold of. -Package thefts from the delivery area are constant with neighbors reporting thefts all the time. Why hasn't this been solved? -Garage door in 337 does not work consistently. Sometimes it gets stuck open, or won't open. -The apartments are very generic looking, gray walls. -If you have an updated apartment the vinyl planking is rock hard. I recommend a carpeted apartment. -Light in the inside the hall is on all night sending in lot of light. I had to find ways to block light out, cardboard over a window, blackout curtains. -We had to call maintenance a lot for little (but annoying) stuff, closet door off the tracks, blind wouldn't open, two kitchen drawers broke, showerhead with very low flow, etc. -They refused to put in a grab bar in the tub/shower so it's slippery and does not seem safe with nothing to hold onto as you enter the shower. Why isn't this a liability issue for them? They said I would need a doctor's note saying I had a disability before they would install one. I didn't want a special ADA bar, just a simple bar like many shower stalls have. -The painters were super sloppy before we moved in with little white spots all over. I scraped a bunch off but just got tired of it. It makes the floor look dirty when it isn't. -Our place got zero direct light on the first floor. Consider a higher floor for light. -Rent is high here, but there is a lot they could do to warrant luxury pricing. How about something simple like soft close hinges in the kitchen, for example. -No overhead lighting in living room or bedroom. -You have to go to the garage to drop off recycling. Food waste and the garbage chute are on each floor, but not recycling. -Dishwasher is super basic and noisy. -They would not let us choose Sonic for internet. They denied them access even though the law says renters have a right to choose which internet provider they want. The law is to prevent exactly this, property owners having control over which internet company renters can use. San Mateo is a great place to live, but there are better options for your money. read more

CAREFUL WITH MANAGEMENT-Specifically Mona At first, everything was great. Lived here for almost a little over 2 years. Upon moving out, we received an unexpected bill for carpet replacement even after we had just gotten the carpet cleaned. Every year, they give you a complimentary carpet cleaning to maintain the carpet which we gladly accepted and the carpet was in great shape. Regardless of the DCA Useful Life Rule, they stated that it needed replacement due to pet smell and pet stain which we found a bit ridiculous and false since the dog was only allowed in the tile part of the apartment and our dog was house trained. We had asked for pictures for proof via email which they said they would send and never did. Months go by and to our surprise, we found that they had sent us to collections. First-I recommend that you don't move here no matter how lovely it seems. Second-If you do decide to move here, please make sure to document EVERYTHING, take pictures prior to moving in and ESPECIALLY moving out (thankfully we did) Third-Keep all communication via email so you have records and make sure to ask for proof of when the carpet was replaced/installed and I would do the same for appliances JUST IN CASE. Good luck. read more

So, I haven't lived here, but I did a solid hour long tour and thought I would post the details. Walking into the place, the lobby is nice but extremely manufactured - new age music, cucumber water, etc... After sitting down with the leasing lady and filling out a "neighbor card" - basically, what features you like, how many people will be living there, etc... We started the tour. The gym was spacious, but the televisions are placed in awkward areas and looked old. Typical few treadmills, few ellipticals, a bike, weight machines, free weights, a yoga mat (ew - who would share a yoga mat??) and a couple stability balls. They gym had showers available with a steam room and lockers available for both men and women. There was a cart outside to put your dry cleaning where it gets pick up on corporate rates and returned a few days later. The conference room/business center was lack-luster with just a large table and chairs, and only 1 computer, printer and fax. There was a movie theater that conveniently had ESPN running and the leasing lady suggested my bf try out the recliner, showed a fridge available for beer, etc... and told him that he could hook up an xbox to the screen. "Imagine playing one of those games here!".... um... yeah, its a nice movie theater but way-to-stereotype lady. He wasnt impressed with that move at all. Going outside they showed an herb garden which really just was a planter that they had 2 or 3 single plants growing, they looked brown and unhealthy. Probably not a good selling point, but whatever. The pool was nice, fairly large and there was a hot tub. There was a grill available at poolside and 2 outdoor showers to rinse off in. From there we went to the club house which looks just like most other nicer apartment complexes club houses do, the kitchen was nice, it was spacious. The leasing lady explained that people come down there during the day to just hang out and they host events for "neighbors" (what they call tenants) and also do cooking classes. She enthusiastically said one upcoming class was "cooking with beer!" - and looked at boyfriend and said "you'd really like that one, i'm sure!" - ugh. Onto the 2 bedroom floor plan which she called the "artistic space" ... I would have appreciated it a lot more if it wasnt decorated to leave some room for the imagination. The 1 bathtub was filled with beach balls, the living room had a chair attached to the wall by hooks... just too much of a gimmick. It had good space though, a huge front porch and the master bathroom had a giant soaking tub with a separate standing shower. The kitchen was a decent size, the washer and drier are in a closet in the kitchen though. Upon leaving this unit, our guide said "I'd like to give you an emotion!"... huh? She took some puzzle pieces that filled a wall mounted trough in the model apartment that had phrases on them and gave them to us. Mine said "I am a smile." ... um. OK. We also saw a 1 bedroom model which was nice. Dining area was large and could EASILY be a second bedroom/office space, whatever. I liked the stainless steel everywhere, it was a nice touch. There is a large garage below the buildings that are gated with assigned parking. 1 spot per apartment, an extra 50/month for more parking. I'm not sure if crime would be an issue, the apartment complex has a great location though. Easily walkable to downtown san mateo - just a few blocks. This complex has something like 17 different floor plans and air conditioning (huge plus because nothing in this area has AC). They are big on helping you pick out units based on lighting throughout the day into the units - it must have been mentioned 50 times. All in All - the location is awesome if you are looking for an easy walkable neighborhood. The apartment complex was nice, on the scale of things but felt sterile. The gimmicks could have been given a rest. It felt really manufactured and forced, especially the model 2 bedroom apartment. The bizzare and extreme decor took away from your ability to really take a look at the value of the apartment. Especially when we kept being directed to go back into rooms to look at the towels, or something that the leasing lady was exceptionally proud of placing there. It felt like we were being shown a kids playroom by the kid who was excited to show you their toys rather than being shown an apartment. We also really didn't appreciate the beer/espn/video game references that were very frequently being directed at my BF. It was expensive, too expensive for what it was. Granted, the steam room and locker room amenities are unique but everything else you will find at any other apartment complex. And honestly, how often are you going to be sitting in a steam room that is in the middle of a public gym bathroom? There really aren't any play areas for children, if you have kids. They do accept pets, though, with no weight restrictions. read more

Pass on this one. Easily the worst management ever. Prometheus is consistently raising the rent by 20% at the end of every lease. After a year and a half our rent is now 30% higher if we go month-to-month or *only* 25% higher if we sign a 12-month lease than when we first moved in. Also, clearly the local management cares little or not at all about truly extending service to the tenants. Metropolitan Apartments is over-priced with poor service and a focus by their parent company, Prometheus, on raising rents to increase overall revenues at the expense of tenants. read more

The Metropolitan is one of the most expensive apartment complexes between San Francisco, and Palo Alto - so I'm not going to be pulling any punches here. Just to give you an idea of the pricing, for a two bedroom place I was paying close to $3k / month. And this was for one of the low end units without a fireplace, and a smaller floor plan. This complex is about a half mile east of downtown San Mateo, so you can walk to a lot of different restaurants and other things, but unfortunately there is nothing closer to the complex except for a 7-11. For the princely sum we were paying, one would expect a significant amount of amenities and top quality construction. Instead we had: - A stove where at any one time, only 1 - 2 burners would work. - An AC vent that dripped water onto the carpet. - A dishwasher where the wheels kept falling or breaking off. - A persistent clicking noise from outside the guest bedroom, that served as a 7 am alarm clock every day. We did call maintenance, and they did the best they could. But at some point, you have to stop filing service requests every day lest you look like a couple of obsessive yuppies. Our apartment was also egged 2 or 3 times. I don't recall running over any children in the parking lot, so I don't know what we did to deserve that. Now there were some positives: - In-unit washer & dryer, this was a major factor in us deciding on this complex. I'm not so young and sprightly that I can be hauling loads of laundry across an apartment complex. :) - No insect problem. - Polite (usually) leasing office and staff. And maintenance was quick to respond to any issues. - 10 minute walk to CalTrain and downtown San Mateo. As the final slap in the face, Metropolitan is quite generous in the amount of money they take out of your deposit. We got $173 back on a $600 deposit - and that was for an apartment in good condition! This was far smaller than the refund I've received elsewhere. If you need to live in the mid-Peninsula (usually couples with someone working in SF, someone in the South Bay), I'd try to rent a house instead of paying the high price here. read more

Pros - 1. Good in-house property management team. They're a very responsive and considerate bunch. 2. Amazing location. 5 mins walk away from downtown San Mateo - restaurants, groceries, caltrain station. Far enough from the station that the noise isn't a big annoyance. 3. The gym and club house are well maintained. Cons - 1. Construction. Starts at 7:30 AM on weekdays and goes on incessantly till 4. It's loud, noisy and jarring. So much so that it's next to impossible to be inside the house during a weekday. This has been going on for about 3 months now and it doesn't look like there's going to be any solace from the unabating dissonance. 2. Rent is exorbitant for the amenities on offer. The noise levels are insane due to the ongoing construction. The management team should make attempts to compensate the residents for the discomfort and inconvenience being caused. read more

I've been living in this complex for just over a year and a half in a 2 bedroom 2 bath loft apartment with my husband and sister. The location to downtown and caltrain is excellent as are the pool and other amenities. We got two parking spots which was awesome and our pets were welcome. Luke and Darcy in the office are great, but other people can be hit or miss. The rent are pricey, but they've sky rocketed in the last year. We were month to month the last couple of months and you may as well be renting a house as others have pointed out. Also, the water pressure is terrible. We tried to replace one of the shower heads with a hand held wand and the water just dribbled out, so you need to have those high efficiency heads whether you want them or not. Now, here are the reasons this place gets two stars: 1) We wanted AT&T Uverse installed rather than Comcast when we first moved in. To make a long and very obnoxious story short, Prometheus has an exclusive contract with Comcast and refused to allow a Uverse hook up. They went so far as to CUT THE PHONE LINES so that DSL could not be installed. 2) The quality of the building is terrible. Every time it rained, water pooled on the window sills and eventually there was mold all over the panes. The countertops aren't even. The appliances are barely functional. Whenever they decided to power wash the building we ended up with water/leaves all over our foyer (came in under the door) and a fungus-filled puddle inside the double paned window facing outside (on the 4th floor!). They are currently in a law suit with their builder and sent people into our apartment to TAKE PICTURES under the pretense of doing fire inspections. The only reason we knew about it was the off chance that my husband was working from home that day. When he asked them if this was for the lawsuit the guys all looked at each other guiltily and got quiet real fast. Talk about sketchy. 3) We are moving out currently and spent hours scrubbing and cleaning. During the walk through this afternoon, the maintenance guy told us we have to pay them to clean the carpet (which was already old and dirty when we moved in and listed as such on the initial inspection sheet), pay for the walls to be painted, and pay for a cleaning crew to come in because "if they find one thing dirty they have them clean the entire apartment," thus leaving us with less than half of our security deposit. Every other place I've ever lived we had no problem getting our deposit back. If you're moving, don't even bother to clean as you'll end up paying anyway. I hope this helps some people make their decision about living here. If the location and amenities are worth it for you, that's great. Just keep in mind that half your deposit is lost for ever no matter what you do. read more

In a moment of panic after searching for a place in the city that would accept us with our 2 fur balls this past summer (a task made even more challenging because we were living in Arizona at the time) we rented a place here. It looked nice. Pets were allowed. Oh how I wish we had kept looking... Overpriced. Small. Generic. That's stating the obvious about this brand new cookie cutter "luxury" rental. After living here for 3 months I can add to this description. How about the random floor plan that totally wastes space. Or that unidentifiable rumbling noise I hear every day. Or the fact that our parking spot is in a different part of the parking garage than our mailbox. Or the fact that the rental office is completely unsympathetic with us on this issue and will not give us a different spot. Or the fact that the big giant tv in movie theater room has been broken for the past month and the rental office has no idea when it will be fixed... I could go on with this rant. Oh yeah, and they want to RAISE THE RENT on top of everything. We hate living here. We can't wait to move. Thank god we only signed a 6 month lease. read more

Where to begin...well, for starters, we didn't believe the bad reviews either. The difference is that when we moved to the San Mateo area, the rental options were truly limited. Two years later, however, there are so many options, many of which are brand new - so don't waste your time here. I could have dealt with the minor things (dirty around the property, semi-sketchy neighborhood, rude neighbors, etc.), but when our apartment became infested with mold and they still wanted to charge us $6,000 to move out, I almost lost my mind! I developed allergies in this apartment - after 30 years of living allergy free - complete with allergic reactions and multiple trips to doctors and allergists. Oh, and they are doing construction on the porches, which weren't properly built in the first place (warning, warning, warning). The construction has been taking 3-4 months per section AND they have the audacity to raise the rent while you have scaffolding over your windows and people banging outside your door for 3 months. What a joke! The maintenance guys are awesome - feel bad with what they have to deal with (one star). Corey has always been great to work with (the other star). Aside from that, the Met is poorly managed, has terrible customer service, and is an unnecessary headache. There are much easier places to live - trust me. I lived in apartments in NYC for 8 years and never dealt with anything remotely close to this. Oh, and now they've decided to charge us only $1,300 for the two weeks that we didn't live there and they cleaned to prepare for the next tenant - that makes sense (insert sarcasm). One last thing to add salt to the wound. All those pictures of the beautiful new common room don't matter when you're living with mold and insane construction (with no compensation or understanding). They had no hesitation spending $4000 on chairs, but have the audacity to charge the rent they do for the poor quality of service offered. read more

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Don't live here yet but my partner and I stopped by on a whim during the middle of the week in the afternoon to check out the neighborhood and stumbled upon this complex. Its 2blocks away from downtown and caltrain which is really convenient. Corey gave us a tour and made us feel very welcomed and sparked joy for our future move. It beats the San Francisco environment by a long shot so needless to say we are looking forward to calling this place home in the fall. Thank you for the tour Corey and for answering all of our questions! read more

So I've been here a while now. Overall, I don't have many complaints, but there are a few things that people should consider before moving in here. 1. The price 2. The location 3. Why they didn't think ahead before putting on new top soil into all their planter stations inside the community and then used a leaf blower to clean up the walkway... right into my open windows and all over my dining area. I got to spend two hours cleaning my sills, my floor, my rug, my dining table, and my microsuede dining chairs. Thanks, guys! It wasn't even just a little, it was a blanket of dirt covering four feet into my apartment. Why didn't they think of what would happen when they used a leaf blower into an open window? I don't know. It's been two weeks and I'm still finding DIRT in my stuff. I work on this dining table, and I know a lot of people in this complex do the same. Imagine going into work with a presentation or a document with dirt between all the pages? Or even worse, EATING with dirt everywhere. Update: Since posting, I've received an apology from management. read more

I'm not sure what expectation folks have of rental apartments. Yes, they cost a lot of money, especially for a decent one, yes, the price goes up every time you renew your lease (why do you think people buy?), and yes, the people working there aren't rocket scientists (did you want your rent to go up enough to pay the office staff more than $15/hr?). I've lived in a variety of different apartments in the past 10 years, and this one isn't the best, but it is one of the better. The kitchen is spacious and moderately well appointed, the grounds are well kept, and compared to other San Mateo properties, the floorplans are very spacious. The maintenance staff is very responsive and friendly. And above all else, LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION. There are so many shops and restaurants in walking distance, and it's 5 minutes to the Caltrain station as well. That said, it's not perfect. The appliances are really bottom-of-the-barrel, a chintzy stove and small refrigerator. There have been a few issues where we've had to summon the maintenance guys more than once to get them properly resolved. All in all, though, this place is really very good in the grand scheme of things. In my apartment living experience, I've only had one better apartment, and that one cost $2500 for a studio, back in 2002. read more

So far so good. We are enjoying this place greatly with its convenient location to the train and downtown. The biggest downside is getting packages with no onsite concierge that means you have to be available during office hours. Unfortunately most people work during office hours! That leaves the weekend when they are usually not in the office on a tour somewhere. I think that rent is reasonable compared to other similar places and par for the course at larger apartment complexes. Early days yet but like I said so far so good. read more

I've been happy hear for nearly 2 years. I have lived in many cities, in different countries, and now living here I have been very pleased with the Metropolitan. Modern apartments are few and far between in San Mateo. I prefer modern and feel the apartment layout is great. I share only 1 wall, I have windows on 3 sides of my unit and I get tons of sun. The amenities are unmatched in the San Mateo downtown area. Additionally, there is a great, CLEAN, modern gym! I contest anyone to find a gym as nice as this one in a multiplex in the SM downtown area. I find the kitchen layout to be more than adequate. The full functioning gas stove, which is a bonus in itself, has a REAL vent - so many apartments fake it or don't have it at all. Full size dedicated water heater. Ample storage throughout my unit with a smart usage of space. The wonderful conveniences of downtown are a key component to my choice of living here too, as well as, having Caltrain, freeways, and shopping so close by. I feel safe here and the grounds are kept clean. Maintenance has been prompt and attentive. In fact I caught Luke, the property manager, replacing light bulbs himself one night. He seemed to think nothing of it, and I like that about him and the entire staff in general. The staff are so kind that when my dog passed away, they gave me a beautiful memory plaque with my dog's portrait on it with a lovely poem. I have never had a property management be so generous, thoughtful and kind. Speaking about pets, I had 2 dogs, one an 80 lb Greyhound and a 24 lb Italian Greyhound mix, and the Metropolitan welcomed them both with open arms. They keep dog biscuits and water in the leasing office. Cats are also welcome in the units. It's not easy to find a place that takes 2 dogs, or large dogs for that matter. Property Management is so proud of their pet tenants that pet pictures are posted near the elevators. Plus the Metropolitan has modern lofts on the top floor with spiral staircases, large windows and open floor plans. When I was looking 2 yrs ago, there was nothing like this in the downtown San Mateo area (mostly dodgy 70's/80's era cheap construction apartment is what I saw). Perhaps I have so many places to compare this to, but I feel lucky to be here. I was fortunate enough to find what I was looking for and so I truly appreciate what this place has to offer. read more

Lived here for a few years now. Loved it at the beginning but due to the continual rent increases and constant constructions between the two buildings I am about done. They have been doing constructions outside and around the property 5 days a week from 8-4. Not bad if you are working during the day but I like to work from home from time to time and thus makes it ompossible. Now they are working on our patio and windows. They sometime close off sections of the floor and elevator to re cement the floor. Parking is a joke. I pay for garage parking and you are assigned a spot. People from time to time park in my spot. Recently my spot was taken up by someone and didn't move for 2 weeks. Notified the office and they say the spot wasn't assigned to me and I had a different spot. Been parking there since day one and that was the spot they gave me day one. They tried to get my spot back but they didn't have the contact info for the other car. Finally got my spot back after weeks It's a great place to live with great amenities. Close to down town. But the construction which isn't scheduled to finish til late 2016 and the increase of rent on a yearly basis is enough for me to say stay away read more

We came to the leasing office on a Sunday morning, full of questions and a fair amount of hope (given how much demand there is for rental options on the Bay Area)... To be received by a lady at the desk that treated us in a condescending way. In spite of the details that appeared on both, the apartment's website and the Craigslist listing, she said there were no 2/2 options that she could show us, but she would be able to share with us the floor plans (something one can see on the website). When confronted with the question: how can one make a choice based on a floor plan alone, she dismissed it with "many people do it". When I asked her why was the info on the web site not consistent with what she was able to show, she said: "I am not in charge of the web site." I left, disappointed and quite upset. Is this what this market has turned into? :( read more

We moved in Nov 2016 after having researched 10 properties in the San Mateo and Foster City area (some Prometheus as well as others). Aside from the basics like a new and modern building, amenities, appliances and, very important, location, we truly appreciate the front desk staff and the maintenance personnel. Issues are handled swiftly and feedback is prompt. Construction happens but is limited and and timely announced. Besides we appreciate a well kept and maintained place ;-) Area's of improvement: software for handling payments and online apps for community building and conversations can be enhanced. Estimation of duration on construction projects (even though minimal) can be better as well. read more

These apartments are a bit overpriced and not well-constructed, but in general are fine. Friendly staff, and convenient location to access Caltrain and some great downtown restaurants. Warning: if you are thinking about moving into 337 S Fremont (the cluster of units to the north) in early 2016 -- don't! There is loud, disruptive construction to replace balconies, stucco, and to remove dry rot. It's been going on for months and has already suffered delays. And more than twice they've had to access our apartment to fix cracks and replace the cheap drywall. If we would have known about it, we wouldn't have signed the lease. We've heard the leasing agent downplay the constructing while taking prospectives on a tour. It really is as bad as it looks. read more

I'm a tenant who is a 10-year veteran of the SF rental market, and I feel that the Metropolitan is a good deal for the money. It's a kid- and pet-friendly complex and well-maintained. Amenities are good (pool, gym, movie theater). I haven't had many dealings with the office staff, but they seemed friendly and helpful. We're satisfied with the size and quality of the apartment, and it's nice that the place is pre-wired. We recently received our lease renewal papers and were surprised by the rent hike (always lived under rent control in SF). So, we searched online to see if other units like ours were being rented for less and found that our new rent is still significantly lower than what's being offered for new renters. We decided to renew our lease. I feel pretty safe in this neighborhood and walk often to downtown San Mateo (B street is a 5-minute walk). And having the Caltrain, century cinema, and several restaurants & cafes nearby is a real plus. I have recommended Metropolitan to a few people and would continue to do so. read more

Went on a Sunday to visit an apartment. Despite what was on the web site, the leasing office was closed. We waited 45 minutes for the leasing agent to stroll by - only to be told that she would only take appointments today and asked that we come back the next day. We walked out and will not come back. Somebody fires that idiot please. read more

I was invited to the party at the Metropolitan Apartments. Great place to celebrate an event! The clubhouse has a high ceiling, fireplace and the kitchen island, lots of space for catering and socialization. Staff was very welcoming and attentive. There were few kids that wanted to run around and crawl, but the area rug was not very clean, the sofa had an animal hair as well. So next time I will definitely bring a play mat. The rest was perfect! My family had lots of fun! read more

We've been living at the Metropolitan for a year and a half. Let's cut through the noise in some of these reviews: 1. Construction: Yes, the buildings were under construction for about a year. The leasing office wasn't transparent about how long this would take (and that we would lose patio access) when we signed our lease either, and we were annoyed that the rent wasn't reduced. 2. Amenities: The building has a pool (with two very large bbq grills, dining areas, and pool chairs), workout facility, and 3 common area rooms for reserve at no charge (one is a movie theater). They also host monthly events and parties. 3. Expense: Rent is premium, but the apartments are nicely sized, furnished with fresh carpet, new appliances (including in-unit W&D), and air conditioning. 4. Maintenance: Apartment maintenance is excellent. Common areas in the 337 building could be cleaner. Pool, gym, and 338 building are well maintained. 5. Agents: Rental agents are really nice and accommodating. I've never had a bad experience or where one of them was rude. 6. Location: If you work or go to school on the Peninsula, this is a great location. It's 3 blocks from the CalTrain, 10 minute drive to the BART in Millbrae, within blocks of downtown San Mateo, and close proximity to the San Mateo Bridge and 101. The sketchy area across the street is a park and a condo building. There is an eyesore of a vacant lot that is fenced next to houses. Bottom Line: It's a good place to live. It loses a star for the construction debacle. read more