I want to give a huge shoutout to Dominic on the maintenance team. This review is specifically for…read morehim and the great work he does, not the complex itself. I had an electrical issue in my unit and Dominic responded quickly, handled everything professionally, and fixed it right the first time. He was friendly, efficient, and genuinely went above and beyond to make sure everything was taken care of. It's rare to deal with someone who takes that much pride in their work. Dominic is the kind of maintenance tech that makes a real difference for residents. Highly recommend reaching out to him if you ever need anything. You're in good hands!

Bad service people. The front desk Jerome is a pathetic ass lol. He often witness visitors from…read moreinside and never opens the door. He did all that on purpose while resolving nothing regarding the apartment. And this apartment company still withhold my deposit after a whole month I moved out. And they seem to be really comfortable with it. So, avoid this place as you can.

I have been a tenant of Charles and Cindy since May of 2007 and I have never had such a positive…read morerenting experience. When I first went to rent the apartments I was a student at the University of Illinois and I moved out here due to graduate school at Cal. Cindy and Chuck were the only people who were friendly enough to do all of the renting and showing of the apartments by email and phone. If things would have been different my moving experience would have been much less fantastic. Additionally, they let me ship all of my things to their home before I moved to California -- this saved me so much trouble. Even beyond my initial experience, Cindy and Chuck have constantly proved to be amazing both as landlords and people. They are constantly working on the apartment and surrounding yard and garden to make the place look immaculate. They are friendly, honest and genuine -- hard to find in people, let alone in landlords. The apartments themselves are furnished and well taken care of. ANECDOTE ALERT! In the past, they have made me cookies and pie and dropped them off freshly baked. In fact, one evening, I got a call from Cindy saying she just baked a peach pie for me and she wanted to drop it off while still warm. Much to my chagrin, I was unable to return to my apartment that evening. So, what did she do? She said, "no big deal, we'll bake you another pie tomorrow because we want you to have it hot". Awesome! Needless to say, that pie was eaten in one sitting. Beyond the food, and hard work ethic, I genuinely love living in my apartment and it feels like Cindy and Chuck genuinely care for their tenants and their well being. Sometimes I think about the fact that someday I will move from this apartment and it saddens me a bit -- I know that as far as landlords go, this is absolutely as good as it gets, everything else will pale in comparison.

Hands-down the nicest owners/landlords in the world. Chuck and Cindy have not only been great as…read morelandlords but they have also become friends. On many occasions we have received fresh cookies, pies, cakes, and anything else Cindy has made a bunch of. I will review the different aspects of the Channing-Milvia Apartments experience. Apartment itself: The apartments are around 600sq. ft. This may seem small but we, my wife and I and soon to arrive daughter, have found it to be the perfect size. The kitchen is large enough for anyone who cooks a few days a week to every night. While they aren't huge they have allowed me to cook quite a bit of food at a time. The living room is large with a desk, bookshelf, futon, and two windows. Apart from the kitchen and bathroom, the apartment has hardwood floors which help to brighten even the 1st floor apartments(we have lived downstairs and upstairs). The bedroom is perfect for a couple, two roommates or a single person. There is a nice closet and a walk in storage room with shelves. The bathroom is small but it really is big enough. Outdoor scene: The backyard is fantastic! Not only is there a grass area capable of holding 15-30 people for a BBQ, but there is a large garden that residents are allowed to use to grow food. There is a peach tree in the garden and a lemon tree along the driveway, each of which produce an abundance of fruit in season. There is a large charcoal grill and a smaller charcoal grill, which residents are free to use at their leisure. Furnishings: Wow, these apartments come with everything you could need. I love to cook, always have(my dad owns a restaurant) and these apartments are supplied with more than enough stuff to prepare holiday feasts. The linens are great and the rest of the furnishings are in great shape. We have just about everything we could need/want here. What if a problem arises? Chuck and Cindy are skilled handy-people. They can fix anything from a leaky faucet to problems with your stove, light fixtures or plumbing. If you report a problem, any problem, they are extremely quick to fix it. We could not wish for better landlords or friends, we will be sad to move in May. We HIGHLY recommend renting here, you will not regret it!

(Disclosure: I've owned my 1BR unit since 2021, and have no plans on selling. I am currently…read moreserving on the HOA board.) If you're looking to buy or rent, Bridgewater is an excellent place to consider. The amenities are great, the secure courtyard is beautiful, and the residential parking is the best in the area. I also love the city of Emeryville. I don't own a car and can do almost anything within walking distance. We have multiple excellent grocery stores, cafes, restaurants, bars, and a full movie theater within a 30 minute walk. We have bus stops right across the street for the always free Emery-Go-Round, the transbay bus into SF, and almost anywhere else in the Bay Area via a BART transfer. The city is also always improving our bike lanes if you like to get around that way. If you have a dog, you'll meet lots of other friendly ones and their humans here regularly. You can soak in the hot tub, swim, or workout in our full gym. I've made friends with dozens of my neighbors in the few years I've been here, and I'm fairly introverted. There are certainly downsides. Living with lots of neighbors who all have different priorities, hours, and habits is always a challenge. But if you enjoy city life like I do and don't mind sharing hallways with neighbors then it's quite enjoyable. We had a recent issue with our main lobby elevator caused by an ex-contractor that put it out of commission for about a year. We did our best to get it fixed as quickly as possible, but ran into delays from insurance approvals, materials sourcing, and state inspection schedules. I'm happy to say it's working again and its repairs won't cost residents a dime. We also had a big emergency project due to faulty siding that cost owners a substantial amount a few years ago. Many complained about that, but it would've cost us much more if we didn't make those repairs and let the catastrophic water damage continue to worsen. I don't know of anyplace where these things don't happen from time to time, but I'm glad I live someplace where the owners take action to fix things before they become much bigger problems. We also have the same crime problems every other apartment complex has in the Bay Area, but we keep regular contact with city officials to keep police patrols watching our streets and our security is well-suited for managing things on the property itself. I may be biased (it's a review site after all), but I love it here and hope I never need to move.

I lived in Building 4 (the one facing the railroad) for a year, and unfortunately, it was the most…read morestressful living experience I've had. The biggest issue is the constant noise. The trains run extremely close to the building, and the horns go off almost every night -it regularly woke us up. On top of that, there is frequent noise from the parking lot of the opposite building. It's not unusual for someone to blast music at 5 a.m. or for a car alarm to go off for hours overnight. There is also a persistent marijuana smell under the windows, which often drifts into the apartment. Many residents in Building 4 have one or even two dogs. Barking is common -either through the walls or from balconies where dogs are left alone. Some larger dogs have behaved aggressively near the building entrance, which can feel unsafe. Maintenance is another issue. Things break often, and repairs can take months to be resolved. There is no 24-hour security, and enforcing quiet hours feels nearly impossible. Complaints about repeated nighttime disturbances did not lead to any real solution. During this year, I had a baby, and the constant lack of sleep made the situation especially difficult. Even when there was a chance to rest, it was often disrupted by noise. Overall, I did not feel that this community prioritizes peaceful living or respect for neighbors. I would not recommend this complex to anyone looking for a quiet environment, especially families with young children.

When I chose Blake at Berkeley for my new home last week, I knew I would get the best service and a…read moreclean and relaxing environment as I did when I lived in Park 20 in San Mateo, now the Lark. Last year, I moved out of the Bay Area due to a job relocation. When I was preparing to move back this month, I could not find another luxury apartment like the Lark outside San Mateo. I needed a location that would allow me to commute to the cities like Stockton and Vallejo, so living in San Mateo was not a good option. But I knew I couldn't compromise with the type of apartment I needed after living in an old house in the far north of California that only had a mildew smell and out-of-date appliances for nine months. Instead, I decided to put up with longer commutes and go back to live at the Lark in San Mateo. I called Ruby at the Lark, a very efficient, friendly, and organized business manager whom I became friends with while living there last year. As it happens, Ruby recently took over Blake's management in Berkeley. Blake apartments are brand new built-in 2021, on a much smaller scale than the Lark. I don't have the on-site gym, swimming pool, game room, and Ruby. But there are valuable amenities like free Wi-Fi working area, private chat rooms, a beautiful lobby, elevators, a large mailroom with an outgoing mailbox, Amazon hub lockers, a free bicycle storage room, covered parking, a dog washing station, well-organized trash, and recycling service, and a beautiful rooftop garden to enjoy the view of the Bay. I still see Ruby a few times a week, but Peter, her assistant manager, is the main person, always available to take care of the residents with the same courtesy and friendliness. The management office is open Monday through Saturday during regular business hours, and Peter is always available. Most luxury apartment complexes are open only Monday through Friday and some close on Mondays! I have lived in many apartments on the east and west coast, so I have learned that office hours are usually the indicator of what the services of an apartment complex would be like. Also, I called at the right time. I received a promotional deal for my apartment that nobody ever lived in! I had never expected that! I was just happy to be back in the Bay Area and live in a well-managed luxury apartment with a full-size laundry, dishwasher, electric stove, clean water, covered parking, and free fresh coffee. In this building, there are a lot of studious Berkeley University students, families, and professionals like me, all of whom are friendly and quiet neighbors. I can't hear my neighbors through the walls; it is a very peaceful and quiet building. One other thing I missed most while living four hours away from the Bay Area was the social gatherings organized by the Lark management. Blake at Berkeley has the same social gathering to let the neighbors know each other. I am home!

Clean, safe, and super warm cozy apartment neighborhood. Management really takes care of the…read moreresidents from all parts of the company! Moved here from the Lark (part of the company in San Mateo) and it still feels like home here in Berkeley!

Can't say enough great things about the staff here. It's so rare to find leasing office staff who…read morereally care these days - it's made a huge difference in our experience here! The building is always clean inside and out and it just feels like a safe place to live. Big giant shoutout to Julius who helped us move in VERY quickly when we were in a bind (I'm talking, apply/lease/keys within a day) and Stephanie for being there for us to get some loose ends tied up. Always smiling faces to welcome you in.

Only move here if you like to get your things stolen and if you like living in a dirty building. We…read morehave lived here for 3 years and are so happy to be moving out in the new year. We have had countless packages stolen, a $1200 bike stolen from a locked bike parking room, as well as other items from our parking space without any help from management as to find the culprits. They have cameras in all of these places and refuse to check them. There is zero accountability for lease violations and management will pass off the responsibility to anyone else- security that doesn't do shit or the police who do not care about package theft in a building. They did the bare minimum when we complained about how insanely noisy the upstairs neighbors are and tell us to call security- who isn't even allowed to knock on a door! They refuse to look at footage of things being stolen unless the police request it. The building has really gone downhill as well. No one takes care of common spaces and the poor cleaning lady works so hard to keep the place clean but people are always messing it up. The trash valet is a waste of money and causes the hallways to smell horrible from everyone's trash. We are forced to pay for shitty internet that we don't use and other random expenses that we didn't initially agree to when we leased the apartment. They charge you for packages not being picked up within 3 days- during the holidays when people are out of town. The first year we lived here we liked it but it's just gotten worse and worse. I would never suggest someone lives here. They nickel and dime you. Management tries to act like a friend and they want to help you but they don't. The hallways smell like wet animal, rotting food, and mold. The trash rooms are a mess and there is no accountability for making the mess. Don't live here. They continue to raise the rent in such insane ways for a building that is shit. It sucks because it was nice and there wasn't theft but the past two years it's just gone down hill. I cannot stress enough not to live here. And Avalon properties in general- they are very corporate and don't care about you at all. They just want money. Find a family owned property or small rental company to live in instead.

The Emery is an amazing community! I absolutely love living here. The leasing office staff and…read moreManager Dartise are very welcoming, and always helpful with any questions I may have. Beautiful views, and the amenities are awesome! Shoutout to The Emery Leasing Office Team, Maintenance staff and janitorial team. You all are awesome!

I am absolutely appalled by the experience I had during my self guided tour at The Emery today…read more This community is a complete disaster and frankly a joke considering the price point they are asking for these units. I am coming from Vespr in Oakland and the drop in quality is staggering. This place does not even come close to matching that standard of living. The entire property is dirty and cramped, and the unit entry door frames are all beat up and missing paint which gives a terrible first impression. The elevators are ancient, painfully slow, and way too small with hideous tile that looks like it hasnt been updated in years. I was shocked to see residents actually posting flyers in the elevators soliciting their own businesses like it is a cheap motel and not a luxury apartment complex. The tour process itself was a nightmare. The app is completely useless and I could not even get into the three bedroom apartment on the top floor that I specifically came to see. While wandering around I noticed that packages are just left out and not secured at all which is a massive red flag for anyone paying this kind of rent. To top it all off I was told I could park in the future resident parking for free but when I tried to leave the machine forced me to pay four dollars. I called the office multiple times while I was on the property to get help with the app and the parking but nobody bothered to answer the phone. I want a response from management immediately because this was an insulting waste of my time and a total embarrassment compared to other buildings in the area.

The leasing and management team has been nothing short of phenomenal. They are always professional,…read morequick to respond to emails, and genuinely care, I tour twice and the second time i came back they remember my name and greeted me with a smile.

Would not recommend living here ever if you can help it. No one responds to emails. Leasing agent…read moretold me today that he didnt have time to "babysit" me after not responding to my emails for weeks about why I hadn't received my lease renawal. Pretty rude and condescending considering the source of the issue was a mistake on the application itself, not my error. He lied about sending me requests for more info for the application. Getting sick of this place. Parts of my apartment were absolutely filthy when I moved in, had to clean it myself. Jacuzzi has been shut down for disease risk by the county at least once since I've been here. I'd say the rest of the facilities are just as clean as that jacuzzi. Maitenance left my apartment unlocked for 4 days while I was out of town once. Buildings aren't very secure and don't have many cameras don't believe the positive reviews.

We just moved in on Sunday and Alma was very supportive showing us where all the amenities were…read more She made us feel right at home!

DO NOT live in this apartment!…read more Update 3rd times: Aug 28 2025 After my third attempt to contact the apartment about this case, they are still not processing the issue and have never replied to my emails. Instead, they only towed my car while allowing other cars to continue parking illegally and charging for free.