My husband and I found Wavecrest to be lovely, well managed, clean, and secure. The courtyard is a…read morepeaceful oasis and it's nice to come home after a busy day at work to serene greenery, and the apartment unit we had was full of natural sunlight. The neighbors were all friendly and we got to know some of the other families living nearby, and I've on occasion borrowed "a cup of sugar" and traded cookies with the nice people in my section. Maintenance is scheduled to come by once a week, so if you reach out to management things usually get taken care of promptly. I notice that between tenants, empty units would get a fresh coat of paint, new carpet, and new kitchen appliances. For reference, our fridge was brand new and the plastic stickers were still on when we moved in. They seem to really care about keeping the standards well maintained, and we appreciated it! Benefits: Safe with the gate access, well kept courtyards, personal parking allotment, good storage closets, and ideal location next to South Shore and the beach. The people are great, management is prompt, and we got the majority of our security deposit back with reasonable itemization. The price was reasonable with our year long contract and discount. Quirks and Considerations: Our kitchen was quite narrow so it really couldn't fit more than 1-2 people. Quite fine if you're just a couple like us, but can get crowded when hosting or considering kids. The cabinets are high, so we needed a step stool to reach anything above the first shelf. Sometimes there is noise, but it's scheduled and not terrible (EBMUD pumps the pipes weekly in the street out front & there's street sweeping, but I WFH so probably not an issue for others). And the laundry room is shared so we hauled our baskets up and down the stairs, but this is just a reality of apartment-living. Shout out to Andrea Soltero who maintained everything at Wavecrest and made sure our maintenance requests, documentation, and checkout process was smooth!

Great People, Facilities, and Location!…read more My wife and I moved into Wavecrest during the pandemic as a couple, and what we found was more than just an apartment complex--it became a true neighborhood of friends. The sense of community here is remarkable. From casual greetings like "have a great day at work" as we passed neighbors to celebrating personal milestones such as our engagement and marriage, the people at Wavecrest made us feel like we were part of something special. The pool was a fantastic community hub where you'd see everything from kids playing to neighbors working out or even testing 3D-printed fishing flies. The lawn made for a perfect spot to picnic, too! As for management, Andrea and her team have always been fantastic. Maintenance was thorough and proactive--when we found some water damage, they didn't just patch things up but completely removed the drywall to ensure no mold issues. We also had our bathtub resurfaced promptly when it started peeling. Andrea is responsive and makes sure every issue is handled with care and professionalism. Our apartment itself was wonderful--high ceilings perfect for our tall bookshelves, a ground-floor unit with a backyard, and the freedom to personalize our outdoor space. We installed turf and grew some beautiful flowers in the back yard. I also kept my kayak outside and worked from home at the patio table. The location couldn't be better--just a block from the beach, with all the perks of beachside living without the hassle of parking or traffic. While Alameda has seen an increase in crime, we never felt unsafe at Wavecrest. Inside the complex, I never had issues with package theft or security, and neighbors often looked out for each other, even collecting packages when we were away or holding spare keys. When we moved out, the community came together--one neighbor cooked us breakfast, others helped us pack, provided supplies, and someone even lent us a hand truck to move boxes. If you're considering a move to Alameda or looking for a new place on the island, I highly recommend Wavecrest Apartments. The management is top-notch, and the community here is truly something special.

Lived here almost five years! The location is excellent…read more The apartment complex is clean- decent pool, big laundry room, x-large size bedrooms with plenty of closet space. The downsides are the gym (very old but not unusable), zero view from balcony, and kitchens do not have microwaves/dishwashers. As a woman living alone, I would definitely recommend this place. Residents are mostly older folks and theres a few families. Not luxurious but very safe, I was happy and content living here. Katy, the property manager, is nice and very responsive. A maintenance emergency only happened once and Katy had the issue fixed within 48 hours.

I lived here for 4 years before my company relocated. I would have stayed longer if I could…read more I never had an issue the entire time. Any repairs I needed were addressed immediately. The neighbors were pleasant (when I encountered them). The neighborhood is very nice, with plenty of places to go within walking distance. There is private parking, but it's limited to one car per apartment. The parking lot is gated so only people with the fob can get in. Street parking is extremely crowded and difficult to come by, so if you have multiple cars you might have problems. The mailroom is right outside the manager's office, and I've never had any issues with getting packages delivered. Sometimes I've seen the same box sit around for days in the mailroom before its owner collects it. There's a laundry room on site that takes credit cards, and also a laundromat in walking distance. All in all, I strongly recommend this apartment complex.

Best apartment i ever lived in! neighbors are friendly, respectful & the building manager as well…read moreas the maintenance guy is always fast to fix a problem, with a smile! Its pretty cheap compared to other places I've rented on the island and much, much cleaner and nicer. Not sure what the previous negative reviews are about but the woman who feeds the stray cat is the sweetest person and plus, if there is rodents (all of alameda) I would love that one cat to be well fed to catch em lol I dont really have any complaints aside from i cant stand how fast people drive down Lincoln Ave lol love this apartment & totally understand why tenants stay for 20+ years! Wish they had a 3 bedroom and seriously would love to rent a 1bd & 2bd side by side just so I can stay forever lol

I lived here in 2020. And it's a terrible place. There's another comment here that says this…read morebuilding is not maintained well and I 100% agree. When I lived here there was an infestation of silverfish in the entire apartment. When I complained to the bldg manager, she told me I brought it in with my groceries. I'm thinking WTF? It's just a dirty place, never cleaned or vacuumed. Spider webs and spiders are on both floors' windows & doors. The other tenants who have been living here for over 10years don't have their apartments in good shape either. The reviewer that says there's a cat bed on top of a car, is right. The bldg manager feeds stray cats and won't clean up after. I would never recommend this place. The only way they're getting people to live there is by monthly rent instead of a lease agreement. That's how I did it. But I'm glad I got out. Gives me jitters thinking about this housing.

First I wanted to thank the hiring mgt team for doing an excellent job hiring the best team ever!…read moreMy wife and I moved here a few years ago, first we met Will who always friendly and professional, he took care of some lighting issues and we were grateful for his service and he always delivers if there's a issue. Lately, Eli has been feeling in. Eli is awsome with dishwasher and sinks, he's always fast courteous and efficient. If I have to move I'm getting their phone numbers. Because we just feel comfortable with them in our home. Ounce my boy scratch the hard wood floor with his metal toy. Eli made it disappear. Can't even see scratch anymore. Thanks again management you have done excellent hiring great staff

Living at Portico has redefined what comfort and luxury mean to me. From day one (18 months ago),…read morethe team has gone above and beyond in every possible way. They are proactive, solution-oriented, and incredibly responsive -- issues are addressed quickly, communication is clear, and you genuinely feel taken care of as a resident. What sets Portico apart is not just the beautiful property, but the people and the sense of community they intentionally create. The events they host -- Sip & Paint nights, Taco Tuesdays, brunch gatherings, and other resident socials -- make it easy to connect and actually feel part of something. It's rare to find an apartment community that invests this much into bringing residents together. A special thank you to Ashley, the Assistant General Manager and Alyssa, the Manager whose leadership and professionalism set the tone for excellence. They are attentive, thoughtful, and always willing to find solutions. Huge shoutout as well to Hanaya and Sal in the leasing office -- they are welcoming, knowledgeable, and consistently accommodating. No matter the question or request, I feel comfortable going to anyone on the team at any time (as long as they're not helping another resident), and I know I'll be met with kindness and a genuine desire to help. The maintenance crew also deserves recognition -- they are efficient, respectful, and take pride in their work. Requests are handled promptly and thoroughly, which makes such a difference in day-to-day living. Portico has set the standard for what a community should be. As long as I'm a resident of Oakland, I will continue signing my lease here again and again. I'm incredibly grateful to call this place home.

I had the opportunity to be a guest at their cooking event held there for the residents. they have…read morea beautiful pool with a kitchen attached. And one of the residents is a professional chef who led a cooking class and taught us how to make dumplings. Choua was an amazing host for the event. I got know some of the staff, Dartise and Margareth, Who are absolutely delightful. it honestly changed my mind about living in Oakland lol this place is so nice and they do such a nice events I'm thinking about moving here myself

Run! don't walk! This place is terrible and severally mismanaged! The elevator never works. The…read moreparking garage door has been broken for month. My packages get stolen from the mailroom. The security guard is nowhere to be found and maintenance personnel are late. Their follow through is non existent. And they charge a premium for this? it's so bad they have to offer ridiculous incentives to get people to move in and then once you are in you will suffer with no relief or any chance of receiving your deposit. Go somewhere else!

Jackson Lake Apartments was the best apartment I've ever lived in!…read more There is so much to love about this spot - It's proximity to 580 & 880, right next to Lake Merritt, a short walk to multiple BART stations, 10 minutes away from anything i needed across Oakland, Emeryville, and Alameda. It's the perfect location! I was fortunate enough to snag a 1bed/1bath with washer/dryer and dishwasher. The unit was huge, updated, and very comfortable. I also had a garage parking spot. Best of all - it's so quiet! I have never lived in a quieter apartment! Sometimes I'd just pause on the couch and not hear a peep. So relaxing! I also want to shout out the team. Frankie was so fun to work with when I first toured in early 2025. She's so on top of her leasing and communicative. Thaddeus was always prompt with any maintenance requests, and was always kind. And Laura was the sweetest property manager I've ever met! Anything I ever needed, she got it taken care of right away. Laura is running an awesome team! Everyone at Jackson Lake is so helpful, kind, and cares about their tenants. Just bought a house which is why I've left. But if that wasn't part of my life plan, I would have stayed with Jackson Lake for years. Thank you for the amazing year and half!!!

I LOVE these apartments. The manager Ms. Holton is friendly and available. The staff is engaging…read moreand friendly. It's quiet and always clean. The amenities are CRAZY: pool (warm and cool), sauna, gym, verandahs, laundry, and a gourmet market...YES all on-site! Aaaaand they are pet friendly. They keep up with maintenance and the neighbors are super friendly. Oh! You are right at Lake Merrit, downtown, freeway, and BART. My name is Monica and I approve this message.

We lived at Park Central Apartments for seven years. The apartments were built in the 1940s and do…read morehave their vintage quirks, but our one bedroom unit was well maintained and comfortable for two people. There are storage units, parking spaces, & garages for an additional fee (street parking can be difficult here). There are washers & dryers onsite, and the landscaping is always kept up. The area is very safe, quiet, and close to Webster Street and Washington Park. Indoor cats are allowed. The apartment manager Andrea was always professional, easy to get in contact with, and addressed any problems quickly. We feel lucky that we had such a positive experience with Andrea, as we realize that is not always the case with landlords & renting. We highly recommend Park Central Apartments to renters.

My family of four lived at Park Central for about 9 years and really loved it. The location is…read moreamazing - it's wonderful being so close to Washington park, the beach, farmer's market, Webster Street, and the library. Maya Lin is across the street and my daughter was able to walk to school by herself as a kindergartener. And the proximity to San Francisco is great! Nice commute by bus or ferry. The apartment itself was just beautiful - I loved the thoughtful layout, light-filled rooms, and wooden floors. The storage is surprisingly good for the square footage, and we lucked out and had a dishwasher too. Our family made many happy memories here. We really enjoyed our neighbors. Folks are friendly and thoughtful, and there's a real sense of community. We exchanged phone numbers with many neighbors and helped each other out at various times with watching vacation mail and so on. We left our front door open our last night before we moved and some of our neighbors we've known for years dropped by to say goodbye. That said, if you want to just quietly do your thing, everyone will be respectful of that. I feel like the overall vibe is, "friendly introvert." Finally, the maintenance care was honestly amazing. The grounds are beautiful and always perfectly maintained, and Andrea quickly and helpfully dealt with any needs we had. There is a maintenance team that comes every Friday, so it's easy to get on the list to have anything looked at. We really appreciated the love and care given to keep everything so nice, and felt really grateful - especially since we lived in a well-priced, rent-controlled unit! Overall, if you're looking for a great location, safe, friendly, beautiful, and affordable (relative to the Bay Area) place to live in Alameda, and a small space works for you (~400-800 sq ft), I don't know that you could do any better!

I made an appointment to tour the available units, showed up and waited up to 15 minutes. No one…read moreshowed up. I left a voice message, no one ever called back.

From Jasmin and Steve:…read more Tl;dr best apartment we ever had. We lived at Bel Mark Apartments from July 2017 to March 2022. So, almost 5 years. We lived in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, corner unit that was about 1,100 square feet. We had 1 parking spot reserved in the gated garage. For the entirety of our tenancy, we paid $2,495 per month in rent, $90 for water, and usually around $30 for electricity. In-unit appliances were on the newer side, but not stainless steel, with almost no needs aside from regular maintenance. Laundry is communal and used to be all coin-operated, but they transitioned to a vendor so you can now use an app. The mail area has been upgraded with package and letter theft-proof infrastructure. Bel Mark is close to San Leandro BART and other public transit. It's not too far from both the 880 and 580 freeways if you drive. We were literally walking distance from Downtown San Leandro, where we could go to the Farmer's Market, local restaurants and bars, the main library, beautiful parks, and more besides. There is always some background noise since it's an apartment in a major metro area, but nothing unusual for those used to living in a city. We never experienced any safety or crime issues personally and always felt very safe walking around, even at night. Our neighbors were the best kind for a big apartment building, pleasant and private. There's so much to say about our time in that apartment... I have included some pictures that don't have people in them so you can get an idea of what the place looks like. But it's more than that. Both of my daughters learned to walk on the carpeted and vinyl flooring. We hosted birthdays, holiday dinners, and movie nights in our living room. We survived the beginning of the pandemic there! It was an amazing place for us. Dalia, Thalia, and Loretta were the property managers we worked with during our tenancy and they are/were phenomenal! They were super helpful whenever we had a maintenance request or other issue. We could reach them easily via phone, email, or in-person at the front desk. They would hold packages for us just in case we weren't home. When we had flooding from an upstairs neighbor, they went above and beyond to ensure we were compensated and/or accommodated as needed, whether that was covering some of our electricity bills, providing extra convenience tools, or giving us access to an empty unit for temporary use. They even worked with us on our move-out condition to ensure we maximized our deposit refund. They also had a great personal touch, always asking about our family and sharing updates about theirs with us too. Luis and Ramon, the main groundskeepers, were prompt, thorough, and could fix anything. They repaired faucets, fixtures, cabinets, appliances, and more. They made sure to leave everything looking as neat and clean as the day we moved in. They were able to perform major repairs in just a couple of hours at most. When we needed updates to our lighting units, they even gave us free upgraded bulbs! While I know tenant and landlord relationships are often fraught, tense, and complicated, I can honestly say that we loved our time at Bel Mark. Even during the rare occasions when there were problems, the staff did everything they could to make us feel comfortable and ensure we understood whatever our options were. Maybe we got lucky and, if so, then we hope you do too if you choose to move there yourself! We highly recommend this place if you're looking for housing in the area.