I have really enjoyed my first 6 months living at Puerta. I live in a studio floor plan, and even though it's small, it's plenty of space for just me! I love having the opportunity to live without roommates in an "on-campus" community. I'm around people all day long, so being able to come home to a quiet apartment is really awesome. These are a few of the top reasons I would recommend Puerta: -Furnished apartments! I know I wasn't in a position to buy a bed, couch, table, fridge, etc., so being able to already have all the essentials included was a huge plus. -Laundry rooms with $50 laundry card. I just need to go downstairs to do my laundry for free, and I haven't even gone through $15 of my laundry card after living here for 6 months! -Free access to pools and gyms. Even though Puerta doesn't have the amenities on-site, we can go just up the road to Camino or Norte and use their facilities. -Programs with FREE food. This might be my favorite part. It seems like there's always something going on where they are giving away free stuff. If you're looking for affordable, furnished apartments with great amenities and walking distance to campus, Puerta is the perfect fit. read more

I moved here from VDC mainly because of its location. The apartments at VDC are roomier and slightly cheaper, but I enjoy living here just as much. The only thing I would change about PDS is the parking situation. The parking structure is a 10 minute walk from my room and most of the time I have to park on the fourth/fifth floor. read more

* Very Expensive * Very Small Room Size * Noisy - You can't study or sleep - It's very noisy * Study rooms are packed * Printers are present but during exams they don't work * Randomly assign room-mates and don't allot room-mates based on preference * Staff not cooperative * Parking is very far from residence read more

DO NOT LIVE HERE! This apartment community charged me for June and July without me knowing when I signed a lease to begin in August. It wasn't until I received an email on July 16th, telling me this is my "SECOND NOTICE" that I will be charged a late fee for unpaid rent. Hah! I've never been late on any bill in my life and I think I would have known if I had rent due for the apartment I was living in. I am full on living at another apartment complex; does THIS PLACE actually think I signed a lease concurrent with the one I'm already in at my place and that I'm going to pay rent for two months that I do not live in or have the keys to???! HERE"S THE IMPORTANT PART: I notified this office on July 11th that I wish to cancel my lease because I will not be attending UCI. The stupid girl I spoke to said all I can do at this point is send an email stating my desire to cancel the lease agreement. Then come, Monday, July 16th, I learned that they need some "form from UCI" that states I will no longer be attending UCI. I spoke with UCI and they don't know what form THIS PLACE is referring to; everything is done online. Well, this office WILL NOT cancel my lease until I give them 'this form.' Haha. Can you believe this? I am telling them that I contacted UCI and they do not have a form to provide me with because there is not form! However, Puerta will not cancel my lease until they receive this form. I am at this point with a balance of a few thousand dollars at Puerta for months of rent of which I do not owe and unable to cancel my lease because they're waiting for a precious form that merely states I will not be attending UCI. My family is discussing legal action right now. This place is disgusting to treat students like this. read more

Puerta del Sol housing complex is quite unique to say the least. Having lived here now for a couple months, I feel that I have a general feeling of how everything works. While I do agree with the posts before me about there being no Jacuzzi, gym or Pool, I feel other aspects of this community make up for it. Within walking distance is Camino del Sol, Vista del Campo and Vista del Campo Norte - each with a pool, jacuzzi and good size gym. Aside from this, even closer is the ARC - one of the biggest gyms I have been to. Along with this, each of the Puerta buildings have plenty of study rooms or Multipurpose Rooms. Also, there is a resource room with 2 computers free to use and a printer free for printing. However, each of the communities provide all of this; this is not what makes Puerta del Sol unique. My personally favorite thing about the housing community is the Puerta del Sol Staff and Community Programs. The fact that there is someone who is able to answer my call for any problems 24 hours a day 7 days a week is awesome. No matter the level of importance, someone always answers. It makes me feel safe to know that not only are we located right down the street from UCI PD, but there is also always at least 1 CA and 1 Professional staff on call each and every night. Any noise complaints, roommate issues, or really anything that needs assistance can and will be handled immediately. I feel like at least once a week, sometimes once every other week, there is always a fun (free) program giving out food, advice, information, or just different prizes. It is nice to have a good community program to be able to meet new people and at the least get free food. Overall, I would say that I am pleased with Puerta del Sol. Having differently priced units for sharing, or singles, I feel that the opportunity to live here is quite reasonable and provides a lot of utilities and overall community for the price you pay. I would suggest taking a look into Puerta del Sol for UCI housing. read more

So, I'd like to start my review by saying I am a complete snob when it comes to everything. With that being said, I like living at Puerta. The parking and the people are what kill it for me. I live in an efficiency apartment, which was a punch in the stomach when I first moved in. It looks exactly like a cut-in-half version of my break room at work. Pathetic. After being here for nearly half a year, I couldn't imagine living in a bigger space. Everything within my apartment is perfect. I put a mattress topper on the provided mattress and my bed is my favorite thing in the whole world. I don't know why everyone says the couch sucks.. I put a few cute pillows on it and hang out on it all the time. So many people come stay over on it with no complaints! The ventilation is miserable! If you cook something, your apartment will smell like it for days, it gets hot in the peak of winter.. Your ceiling fan and/or AC will be your best friend. The bathroom in the apartment is surprisingly huge. There are no drawers, which is awkward for a girl, but there is plenty of space to keep things. I cook often and the one thing that continuously backs up is my sink. The on-site maintenance is so diligent about getting things in working order, within 24 hours of filing a work order it's fixed. There are A LOT of house parties. I like to have a good time, but when it gets to be 4 in the morning and I have work in 3 hours.. I start to get frustrated. I'm an older student here at UCI, so that might have a lot to do with my frustration.. But hearing "Woop woop" and "I can kick your ass, dude!!" directly outside my apartment at 4 am make me want to murder someone. I get it, drinking for the first time is exciting. Don't come knocking on my door mistaking it for the party down the hall. Also, I got blessed with an extremely loud upstairs neighbor. This person has the same size room and me and yet it sounds like they are running elephant marathons up there. They run their vacuum at midnight and throw all their junk around at all hours of the night. I will most definitely be asking for a fourth-floor apartment next quarter for this exact reason. The parking situation is a nightmare. I consider myself a fit person, but having to walk 10 minutes every morning to my car to get to work or to the mall gets old real quick. I invested in a bike, which helps, but I've found myself buying parking passes at the police station right next door more and more. Overall, I love this complex. It's beautifully kept, the laundry facility is fine and the location is hard to beat!! A 15 minute walk to the arts department is hard to complain about. Just be prepared for idiots setting their fire alarms off daily, screaming in the halls at all hours of the night and long, creepy walks to the parking lot. read more

I really really really don't suggest anyone who has a car and use it often to live here. The parking structure is 10 min away if you walk fast, and it's never mentioned on their website. Yes it's free, but who want to spend 20 minutes to just get on or off the car. If you park the visitor space outside, you are highly likely to get a ticket of $68 after parking for 20 minutes. I believe the other campus housing has offered close parking space, but not here in PDS! secondly, the fire alarm, it's just insane. I happened to be woke up by ones at 1a.m and 5a.m in the morning, and none of them are real. There are always some assholes trigger the alarm, at least three times per quarter, even in finals week!! Location. Yes, it's just one stop from the campus, but since it's the closest, usually the bus is full before it gets to this bus stop. Especially In the morning, you still have to get out to the bus stop at least 30min before your class, or all the bus are full and they will not stop by. my apartment is on the first flooring facing the window, and I can clearly hearing people outside talking loud even if I close my window completely, which is so annoying. Printers are usually broken or out of ink. Some good things. The staff are nice, and all my packages have never been lost. The Internet is great. The laundry is like free, since they give you a $50 card year and it's totally enough. But overall, for people who have cars, NO read more

I live in the two bedroom two bathroom double and at first I was afraid that it would be too small, but after 6 months you pretty much get used to it. Everything in the apartment is new and environmentally friendly. The only bad part about this is that the shower head's pressure is not that strong because they put a cap on it. I live in the complex that is directly facing Albertson's so the apartment gets a lot of light. Also, the main campus stop is right below which is really convenient. The downside for living on the side of the complex that is facing the streets is that it can get really loud. You always hear the cars and shuttles drive by. There are a lot of perks for living in PDS. Some include: - Being close enough to campus, so you can walk to class - Albertson's and Starbucks are right across the street - You DON'T have to pay for parking (although you do have to park at the ARC, which isn't bad since it's free) - You get around 100 or so free visitor hours - Free $50 laundry card (laundry here is a lot cheaper than at the other complexes, so the $50 pretty much lasts all year) - Its Furnished (although you do have to buy your own desk) - There are elevators which was very useful when moving in - CA's hold programs where you can get free stuff! Some cons about the apartment include: - The walls are pretty thin so you can pretty much hear everything that goes on in the entire apartment - If you have a lot of clothes, for the double you share a closest, so most likely you will have to leave a lot of stuff at home - The beds are twin XL (after living in VDC with the full size bed, it took me awhile to adjust) - Electricity is not included in the rent (the bill is not that expensive, though, its normally around $5-6 a person) Ultimately, Puerta is a great place because of its convenience and price. I think it is one of the cheapest deals you will find for a place that is close to campus. read more

I moved into Puerta Del Sol (PDS) a year ago. I cannot say enough kind words about the property, and the management. I relocated from the east coast and the management of PDS was extremely considerate and friendly throughout the move process. It took longer than expected to get here, and I missed the move in time assigned to us. When I called to notify the management, they were like, "No worries; travel safely." I have continued to experience such care and concern from this property's management team. To be honest, if they did not care, they probably would hardly ever test the fire alarm system. Living in aggregate housing, I believe it reflects high marks on a company to be safety minded. Realistically having a small nominal electric bill to pay, access to free laundry rooms, free cable and internet, free parking, being close to Orange County MTA bus lines and to campus, access to a shopping center across the street that includes a full line grocery store (Albertson's) are all REALLY GREAT reasons and amenities to living here. PDS staff put forth a great effort to involve all residents in free events throughout the year, such as cook-outs, coffee hours, ice cream socials, and pizza parties-just show up! Also it is awesome having full access to the grounds. I can entertain guest, barbeque outside or reserve a study room for a group meeting or for cramming for an exam. It is unrealistic to think that you will not need to request Maintenance at one time or the other. The two requests I can recall over the past year were minor, and PDS was responsive in a timely and proficient manner in attending to these. PDS would have gotten a 5 star but for the mail delivery. While it is convenient not to have to go to the post office for mail retrieval, it is concerning that not all staff show due diligence in delivering US mail. read more

Puerta has absolutely no sense of time.... you might be in deep sleep and the loud and I mean LOUD fire alarm will go off and wake you up. It could happen anytime of the day but usually they keep it for the best parts of the day like very early morning or very late at night. It could go off at anytime from 1 AM to 9 AM; nothing is guaranteed. Just know that it will happen at least 3 times (if not more) each quarter. Stay away from this place if you want some peace of mind. It can get a little noisy because of Campus Drive as well. It's the cheapest ACC housing for a reason. Do not make the same mistake I did. Might as well pay a bit more and not worry about things as such. read more

This place is madness. PROS: Its has free parking (about a mile away) , the complex is new and close to campus. Free printing and laundry Cons: 1. The street adobe circle itself is NOISY in the AM. Puerta has many issues with the fire alarm system and it goes off for weeks at a time(no exaggeration at all, you will want to file a complaint). So if you enjoy a LOUD, I MEAN LOUD buzzing alarm rattling your eardrum in the morning for two weeks straight... live here. Its crazy, seriously all jokes aside there is either a LOUD leaf blower blasting noise into your window or a huge garbage truck smashing trash cans outside every morning. You will wake up upset one way or another here. 2. Tiny sofas that wont fit everyone in the apartment which means someone will be banished to their room because there is no room in the living area to relax. If you get comfy with your roommates its okay but the apartment becomes noticeably smaller when you are having issues or not so close with your roommates and need your space. 3.Parking your car a mile away makes you assess if you REALLY need to go out, some call it begin lazy but trust me you will know exactly what i mean if you live here. All in all its not completely unbearable to live here. You will just end up hating the place at the end of your stay. SMH read more

Not sure what happened to my review but to re-iterate, not recommended: incompetent administration, rude CAs, horrible move-in cleaning, paper-thin walls, horrible parking area (all the way to the ARC), can hear neighbors slamming their doors, UNTIMELY fire alarms, unnecessary rules (like you can't switch beds even if both roommates agree), yeah no thank you read more

Puerta del Sol was a last-minute decision for me since it was finally finished last year but I needed to find a place way before then. Boy how glad I am for choosing this place! Everything was practically new and spotless when I first moved in. I honestly thought I was the first one to be living in the apartment I was assigned in. One thing I was worried about though was the size of the room. The rooms were meant to be for a single person in each (About the size of a single room in VDC) but since it was a 2bed/2bath double room plan, the rooms were split to cut the cost and to be shared by two people. However, it really isn't all that bad and after a few months I got used to it. My only advice is that you get 3 friends to live with you which would make everything a lot easier. Puerta del Sol has been great so far that I already renewed my lease for next year. I got tired of having to find and move between different apartments every year. There are a couple of good things about Puerta del Sol that I extremely like after living there for about 6 months now. One of them of course would be the convenience. Albertsons and a small local plaza are literally like a 5 minute walk from my apartment. This is very convenient for times when you suddenly find yourself out of food and need a quick trip for groceries. Puerta del Sol is also located fairly close to campus which was one of my main criteria for when I was choosing a place to live. Over the last two years, I lived in Mesa Court, Campus Village, and Vista del Campo. If I had to give a list of preferences, I would choose CV, PDS, VDC, and Mesa Court. Campus Village beats Puerta del Sol only because it is slightly cheaper and closer to campus. For transportation you can either take the UCI shuttle or walk/bike to campus. Personally I bike to campus and find it even faster than the shuttle. Usually takes me about 10 minutes to get to campus versus 15-20 minutes when I was living at VDC. Now for some perks. At PDS you get free 50$ worth of laundry which should be well over a year's worth depending on how often you need to wash your clothes. You also get free parking which is in a parking structure near the ARC and takes about 10-15 minutes to get there walking. Some people find this as a big con and usually is their only reason to avoid PDS. Although it is a little annoying at times when I needed to get my car, I don't really have a big issue with it. Unless you need to drive every day to class or something, I wouldn't think of it as a big deal. You also get free printing at the study rooms which is awesome for people who need to print out lots of lecture slides for classes. There are also usually some sorts of events planned at PDS for residents to partake in and to just have fun. There are even some that give free stuff away just for showing up! The last one I went to got me some much needed cleaning supplies. To summarize everything above; I found PDS to be really enjoyable so far and would recommend it to people. It is walking distance to both Alberstons and school campus. You get free parking, laundry, and printing. The apartment is fully furnished and everything is relatively new and clean. The cost was one of the better cheaper options during my time when I was looking for a place. 499$ (excluding electricity) versus campus village 469$ (non-furnished) however PDS is furnished and has free parking. PDS might not be for everyone though. For people who need to get to their car every day or enjoy much bigger rooms, they might need to find another place. Like with every other places you are considering, you should first come check it out before deciding. I do highly recommend it though if you want a place that is close to campus and one of the cheaper options offered at UCI that is newer. read more

If you are a graduate student, do not live here. This place is overpriced, the parking is horrible (which is a huge understatement), and there is nowhere to park bikes. As a graduate student who is trying to be green, this place has no parking for bikes. I have a bike in the hallway of my small apartment just to make sure it does not get stolen (which my bike was when I parked it in the limited racks outside, even though I had a U-lock). Parking is horrendous. The parking structure is a 10 minute walk away, so always figure that into your commute time, plus the time it takes to get out of the structure (as a side note, that garage is filthy - my car gets a layer of dust on it EVERY time I park there). Further, there is VERY limited parking in front of Puerta, and it is only 20 minutes. Keep in mind that parking services will ticket you if you leaver your car just barely over 20 minutes. I arrived back and had groceries in the car. By the time I had fussed with getting my bags up to my apartment and my groceries, I barely had time to put them away. I got a ticket anyways and my car was not there very long. In short, there are way better places to live. I have never lived anywhere so horrid, and I have moved quite a bit. If you have any other options for places to live, I highly suggest you take them over Puerta. The only good thing about living here is that it is right across the street from Albertsons. But keep in mind, you will have to carry your bags home with you (so don't buy milk and juice or other heavy things) because it is not worth getting your car and then having to bring it back after. And one last thing: the fire alarms go off way more than any place I have ever lived. This is a problem when it is 3am and you live on the fourth floor and have to climb down the stairs, wait in the parking lot for 20 minutes and then hike back up the stairs to get home. It is especially horrible when you have to get up at 6am for work. read more

First off, the receptionist Jill is fantastic! She gets five stars for her service, cheery demeanor, and professional, always above satisfactory performance. Any negative comments hereafter exclude her. Jill aside, I am not a fan of PDS and would not recommend it. Price: Overpriced! You can pay hundreds less and get an equally nice apartment with more included elsewhere (e.g., VDC Grad is much cheaper and includes very convenient and close free parking AND a washer and dryer in the unit). Quality of furniture: Great. No complaints here Parking: R.I.D.I.C.U.L.O.U.S. Parking is located at the ARC Parking Structure, a good 10 minute walk if you are at the opposite end of PDS. Huge time consumption, not to mention this is a crazy walk in the early morning, late at night, or when the weather is not suitable (e.g., rain). Space: Unless you get a single room or a studio, it is incredibly cramped and thus not student friendly. Especially the double occupancy rooms. The kitchen and bathrooms are nice and spacious enough. Amenities: Horrible printing/computer room- always malfunctioning and often out of service for days on end. No swimming pool or gym here like at the other ACC apartments. You have to go to the other locations or go to the ARC if you want a workout. Location: Great location for school/groceries. Quick walk to campus. Move-in condition: Clean, but definitely could be cleaner. My fridge was very dirty, as was the sink and kitchen. Move-out: Be sure to go over every single inch of your apartment and document it well. They Will more than likely place an unjustified charge (or charges) on your account with little to no explanation. Very unbecoming; questionable professionalism. MISC: The trash rooms are repulsive, unsanitary, and often overfilled. The trash cans get so overfilled that people place their trash on piles on the ground. It is unsightly, smelly, and surely a health hazard. Two stars primarily for PDS' somewhat good location and decent quality of furniture... and for Jill! Docked the other stars for being overpriced, lacking (quality) amenities in a close proximity, parking, questionable professionalism, etc. read more

I live in Puerta Del Sol this year and go to UCI. I have already renewed for another year because i like it so much. The price is amazing and the location couldnt get better. Albertsons is right accross the street, the bus stop is right next to my elevator, campus is a 10 minute walk/ 5 minute board ride away, and the arc is just as close. If you live here you also get free parking and pretty much free laundry. plus you get free visitor parking hours for your guests. the only thing is that you have to park at the arc but its not a pain. the rooms are also a bit smaller than VDC or Norte but if you know your roommate well then you have no problem. I would recommend this place to live to anyone. the staff is also SUPER nice and always help really quick with whatever you need. The one thing that would make this place a "five star" in my opinion would be bigger rooms but lets be realistic. We cant have our cake and eat it too! read more

I would give Puerta del Sol a rating of 0 if I could. Deciding to live here made my life a living hell. I only hope I can help someone else avoid making the same mistake. STAY AWAY!!! And if you must live here for some reason, make sure to get everything in writing!!! I am a student in a graduate program from far out of state. When I was visiting and looking for housing, the office seemed nice and it being on campus was a definite draw. My program started significantly before the undergrads, but Stephanie in the office told me that it shouldn't be a problem to move in early. I was also told that the electricity bill would be covered up to a certain limit. These were all lies. After I signed my lease, I had to contact the office SEVERAL TIMES before even getting a response to my request to move in early, and when I finally got a response, they basically told me tough luck, we don't let anyone move in early. So if they tell you that they'll let you move in early, THEY ARE LYING. DO NOT believe them, and get it in writing if you must. I ended up living in a hotel for the first two weeks of medical school and walking three miles each way to class- I cannot think of a worse welcome to California. And then I had to move in two days before my first exam without the benefit of a car instead of while my parents were still here to help me. Don't expect them to be responsive either, when I called to ask about moving in early after not receiving an email response for over a week, I was told to "just be patient, the office is really busy this time of year" and "maybe try emailing again" instead of someone actually getting an answer for me. Setting up direct debit for my rent was such a nightmare that I ended up going through my bank instead of them, and they were similarly rude, incosiderate, and unapologetic when I expressed my concerns. And oh yeah, the electricity bill isn't covered at all. Not worth the headache!!! Only one of my classmates lives here, and I can see why- no one else has had these problems. I can't wait to move out, and have realized that only an uninformed out-of-state student would make the mistake of living here. I WON'T be making that mistake again, and am warning all of the applicants to my program against living here. Also the Internet is terrible (no wifi) and the parking is extremely far away. read more