I've lived here for two years and I have very mix feelings about this place. Location: it's convenient because it's near the freeway and supermarkets are less than 10 minutes away. However, it's next to a creek that gives off a very very bad odor. Interior/apartment structure: the apartment itself is nice, clean, and modern. However, most of the installations are very poorly installed. Our cabinet's door fell off and we realized that very small nails were used to hold up a very heavy door. Additionally, we were charged $4 to have our lightbulb switch. Now, $4 is really not a big deal. But I didn't like the idea that we were charged when we tried to change the lightbulb ourselves, but the fan that is installed in the apartment is ridiculously hard to take apart to get the lightbulb fixed. Parking: One space per unit. Parking in the front is very very limited. All spaces are taken up by 5-6 pm. Low-key safer to park across the street or past the creek. Safety: First year of living here, both my roommate and my car got broken into. Luckily, no windows were shattered. They completely went through my car unfortunately. My roommate's car registration got stolen. Second year, a white Mercedes that parked next to mine got broken into(shattered window). A couple of months later, my car got broken into(shattered window) while I parked in the garage; it was all for a pair of baby's shoes for my nephew. In my 2 years of living here, I've seen more shattered windows than I have seen in my 4 years living in downtown SJ. Unfortunately, we let Vita know countless of times but she still will not put up surveillance camera. We even talked about it with the maintenance guy, and he let us know we weren't the first people to ask for surveillance camera, and it has been years and it'll continue to be years before anything happens. Rent is fairly cheap for how good the place is. But water-bill was steep, even though no one really uses the pool. The sprinklers were automatically set to turn on 3 times EVERY NIGHT. Luckily, San Jose passed a law that requires landlords to include water bill in our rent so that saved us a lot of money. From that point on, the sprinklers stopped going off at night. I really did enjoy the apartment at first, but after seeing SO many cars got broken into, it is really not worth it to stay and being violated. read more

Willow Glen Apartments - Apartments Near Me - San Jose, California

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It's sad that Vita retired already, but she deserved it! New manager is not good. Kept harassing me to show my unit prior to moving out after I told them that I will stay until 11/15/2021 (and paid) which is more than 30 day notice when I gave her the letter and boxes are everywhere because obviously I'm moving out. So, I told her to stop harassing me about the unit and she said that it wasn't her intention. Really? Sending numerous emails and voicemails? I think not! I'm glad that I'm moving out of this place. I have been renting here for 10+ years (3 years prior and almost 10 years now) and the quality of manager-tenant relationship was great until now! I have been told that we were the best tenants several times and to get this treatment isn't a good sign. Sad!!!! Good luck to those who are staying behind. read more

I lived here for 2 years in a one bedroom and only moved because there were never any openings for a 2 bedroom and I needed more space. Apartment - The layout of the inside has a very large living room (that I really enjoyed) and a good amount of counter space in the kitchen. The bathroom area also has a large counter for the sink and the bedroom is normal sized. The offset is the toilet and bathtub area is small. The balcony is pretty decent. Normal amount of storage space but no walk in closet. My apartment wasn't recently renovated except for the laminate counter tops so the cabinets and drawers were a bit aged but the fridge, dishwasher, and bathroom were in good condition. Obviously this might differ depending on the apartments. There is a through-the-wall AC/heater unit. Amenities - The laundry room installed new washers and dryers recently so those are great. There is a well maintained pool. The gym is basic: has a treadmill, elliptical, bike machine, and a home gym machine but no free weights, bench press, or squat rack (which are all pretty rare in any apartment gyms for the price). There is gated parking garage with 1 guaranteed reserved spot. If you are concerned about your car, the chance of break-ins are extremely low and your car is unaffected by the weather conditions. There is a guest parking lot in the front that fills up really quickly past 5-6 pm that you can use for any extra cars. My only complaint is the elevator is annoying at times. It works and is safe but sometimes it takes over 10 seconds for it to open even though its already arrived at your floor. Safety - In my opinion, the layout of the complex makes it among the safest from home burglary, car-break ins, and package thefts. I've never had to worry about any crime and there are many families here which is a telling sign. Management - Vita, the onsite manager, is courteous and friendly. She and Mike are always quick to respond to any issues. Location - The complex is a stones throw from downtown Willow Glen, Pruneyard Shopping Center in Campbell, and the 280 Freeway entrances. There are also several gas stations a few blocks away and many decent restaurants for a quick bite on Meridian. The apartment grounds itself is incredibly beautiful and serene. It is embedded right beside the Los Gatos Creek so it is nice to walk around and enjoy the scenery. Noise - I lived right next to a family with child and I never heard a single peep through my wall. I occasionally was able to hear some footsteps from above my apartment but that is the most I've heard. My guess is the walls are very thick here with a lot of insulation. Mind you, I lived in the back apartments so I was never able to hear the cars on the street of Meridian but I'm not sure if you were to live in the front apartments. The quiet hours are from 10pm to 8am so you can't run your dishwasher, do laundry, or use the trash chute during those hours Neighbors - All my neighbors were very nice respectful people, like I said this is a place for families. Overall my experience here was extremely positive and I regret nothing about living here. In my opinion for the price, you won't find a better option in this area. read more

My roommate and I lived here for 9 months, and it was truly a great experience. Vita and Mike are on top of it. They make sure to respond to your questions and requests for repairs ASAP. Having moved around for school and living in many different apartment complexes, I can confidently say that Willow Glen Apartments does a superior job. Vita and Mike are a great team. If I ever move back into the area, I would love to move back into this building again! read more

Same issues as others. Mixed feelings. Cars broken into 4 times in 4 years. Including ones in the carport. Noisy neighbors. Plenty of discussions with Vita about it but they won't do anything about it. I wanted to love this place but honestly, I would look elsewhere. read more

This place is fantastic and I truly feel that I received value for the money I paid to live here. The apartments themselves have a great deal of space and the way that mine was set up allowed either the living room or the bedroom to access the bathroom without disturbing the other. The kitchen (the most important room in the house) had plenty of countertop and cabinet space and a super cute breakfast bar. Of course your view will depend on the side of the building that you're on but from my patio I had a lovely view of downtown. The things that stand out for me are: the building is safe and quiet, the community areas are nice and well-tended to, and the management team is fantastic. The building has the usual access controls (security doors with intercom access and a gate on the parking garage) but more than the physical security of the building the neighborhood is safe. The neighborhood around the apartments is pretty with 50s style cottages and newer luxury homes and is a good place to take a leisurely stroll. The apartment is also a few blocks from Frank Bramhall Park and a mile from downtown Willow Glen. The fitness room has the usual fitness machines you would expect (treadmill, elliptical, exercise bikes, nautilus) and they're always in good repair. They also have a pool area which is always kept nice and clean. There's also a nice grassy area next to the river that is always well tended to. The management team is fantastic. They are responsive to your needs and have been the part of my Willow Glen Apartments living experience that I value the most. I just cannot recommend them and this community enough. read more

I rented this apartment because it's close to work. I've lived here since the February of 2016. The apartment is very nice and my balcony overlooks the beautiful Los Gatos Creek. It is usually very quiet. Vita and Mike take good care of people in a timely manner. The only thing I would like to complain about is that it takes about 2 minutes for the bath water to get hot. read more

Cons: Noise from freeway, Meridian Ave and church at 990 Meridian Ave (church services start at 5:00pm, enjoy loud drums till 10-11pm ) is the big issue in building 998. Management steals. You cannot trust them with key copy. Car break-ins are the norm. Parking lot is eery at evening. Garage door easily opens without any key. Water shut-offs are at least once per month. Second hand smoke is always with you during frequent manager's visits. Look for broken glass on the garage floor near the gates. Units are dark. Musty smell inside the building. Mold. Safety is an issue in the area. Read lease very carefully. Dust from the Meridian. Frequent noisy church events. Pros: No cockroaches, only fleas, mold, lead and second hand smoke. read more

I have lived in this apartment for 3 and 1/2 years. This place is a gem! I have been so happy here. I wish I was taking Vita with me to my new apartment. She is the best landlord I have ever had. I never had any issues but this one time I threw a karaoke party at my house and people complained about the noise . It was totally my fault , my friends cannot sing! Lol if I am ever thinking about living in San Jose again... I will make my way to this apartment building! I had a 2bdr 2bath ... really big apartment. This place is rent controlled. The pool is always empty during the summer ... so take advantage ! Vita, we love you! Thank you for everything! read more

I lived here for 4 years. I appreciated the manager and maintenance people working with me on most issues. The apartment was comfortable. The building needs many updates to make the last rent increase seem close to reasonable: the windows need to be WASHED, the tub was peeling paint after 2 years, the elevator was in need of replacement, not bad repair jobs. Again, the management (Viita & Mike) made the property tolerable. They responded promptly to requests. The security is better now with gate opener replaced (my car was stolen a year ago). read more

My second time around having returned back to Willow Glen Apartments. Being away was the only short sightedness I regret. Thank Go,d I am back home again with my new friends, the same lovely staff who not only missed me but who persevered to see me back with their gracious kindness and hospitality. I am at home here. Because it is beautiful location, a wonderful property, well maintained facilities with a very caring nurturing professional dedicated staff members providing the best services they can provide in every detailed way. The Manager and Maintenance person are truly the very best. They are intelligent, bright, alive and highly respectful to all members living here. I take comfort in returning and know full well I will never depart from this residency ever again. It is home and I am grateful to the owner, the staff and all the residence for making me feel so very welcomed and appreciated while living here in WIllow Glen Apartments at 996 Meridian Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126. What an amazing staff. They are the very best, none can compare to their brilliance and countless professional services they provide. No one can ever replace what this staff has done and continues to daily do for Willow Glen Apartments and all of its residence. Thank you to the Office Manager, Property Maintenance Professional and of course the supporting staff working on behalf of the owner making this one special 5 STAR Residency to live and enjoy as my very special home. The sign entering into the garage says it all, "Welcome Home." I read the sign every time I return home realizing that home is where the heart is, And boy let me assure you, my heart is in love with Willow Glen Apartments and I believe this with all my heart. I invite new members to live here for it is the only way you'll understand the joy I experience being for the 2nd time in residency here. Thank you sincerely Staff Members and Owner and everyone who makes this place a wonderful joyful, beautiful, serene place it is. I am truly grateful in every way to the Manager, and her crew. SHe is par-excellence in every way. To meet and know her (VIta) is a marvelous, professional, spiritual experience that will take your breathe away. She represent "Fullness of Life" as her own first name implies "Vita" Vita your one amazing person as is Michael a fantastic individual dedicated worker. Oh, so am I amazing to count my blessings able to realize the blessing Willow Glen Apartments provides for all of us who live here. I am proud to be among those who has a staff that cares, loves and remains forever concerned to make this a wonderful home that it is, precisely because these individuals are in themselves wonderful. God Bless you all in abundance for being the best staff ever from my point of view. FJLR. read more

I've lived here for 2 years, and I'm quite happy. When I originally came searching for apartments, this was the cheapest- yet also the nicest looking with the most amenities. The staff is great about taking care of problems quickly. Vita definitely cares about the people who live here and the complex in general, and Mike is very competent and quick in all his repairs. The complex itself is nice and quaint. There are only two buildings, so the staff knows everyone by name. The grounds are well taken care of with flowers all around, lush green grass in front, and a little creek (with a nice bike/jog trail!) alongside. The pool is kept up nicely, the rec room has 3 pieces of aerobic equipment, a ping pong table, billiard table, and saunas in each of the bathrooms. My complaints are mostly minor- guest parking fills up at night, so 2-car families might have a few issues- though the situation here is MUCH better that at many other complexes I'd looked at and there is some street parking. The rec room hours are limited from 9 am to 10 pm. It seems like it really should be open later on the weekends. There are some rules for the rec room that seems somewhat unnecessary, (no radios) but I don't think they're strictly enforced. Aside from that my complaints are about my particular unit- some units have beautiful views from their balcony, while ours just looks at the other building. My biggest complaint is that our unit happens to have some bushes outside that I'm extremely allergic to, so I can't really open my windows for fresh air as often as I'd like. Mike trimmed them back which did help, but apparently the owner won't let them take the bushes out completely. If you're allergic to olive trees (common allergy) make sure you're aware of which apartment you'll be moving into and where the olive trees are in relation. read more

Vita has been an exceptional land lady / manager; the apartment performed very well and the only time I had a maintenance issue, it was solved very quickly and professionally. No complaints, quiet building, good neighbors, and very convenient and close to freeway access. read more

I lived in the 996 building for 18 months. The things I liked about the place are numerous: Vita and Mike are truly outstanding and keep the place running like a well oiled machine; Vita has overseen a lot of refurbishing, decorating and gardening improvements and the place looks very good; Mike is a comforting presence and is always around working on whatever needs to be done; problems with our apartment were always promptly remedied; it is secure with gated underground parking and security access to the buildings so you will never find strangers wandering around; the fitness center was recently upgraded and has two large flat panel TV's. I could go on and on. The only downside to the security of the building is that it can feel a little isolated and not welcoming for guests. Parking for guests can also be an issue. The only other thing I'd suggest you consider echoes what the first person said - just be aware of which apartment you choose - ours was too dark because of the wonderful, dense redwood trees just outside the deck. It made a great view but it was a little depressing and I could not grow a thing on the porch due to the dense shade. The upside of the shade issue is that the apartment stayed cool on the hot days and we rarely need to use the air conditioner. Lastly I'd just say that pretty much everyone there is very friendly. I would definitely recommend it. read more

Live here if you like constant noise, mold, hoarders, cigarette smoke (even in the elevator and halls), water that stains pots, pans, shower etc. and has particles in it (I can't drink it), neighbors looking into your apartment if you're unfortunately located, and your car broken into. We moved in with mold in the walls of our bathroom, along with holes. Work was done on the bathroom, but there is still a mold problem. The community manager has said its our fault, claiming we don't leave the door open when bathing. But that isn't the case. The mold was there when we moved in. Its in the drywall. The repair peeled up. Never had an issue with mold anywhere else I've lived. Also, move here if you like neighbors that harass you. Our last neighbor was completely psychotic and likely off his meds and/or on illicit drugs. Wasn't even supposed to live in the building. Came around at night screaming in the parking lot and coming into the building banging on things and screaming at all hours. Also would hang out with strange people in the parking lot from time to time that he brought around... Homeless people live near the creek and go through the garbage regularly. Don't expect things to be kept confidential with the community manager. We complained about smoke in the halls because it happened nearly every day for around a year, and the community manager specifically told the people doing it was us whom complained and why. Unprofessional! Oh, and make sure you like your rent raised. It is 'rent controlled' but they raised our rent and wouldn't take our circumstances into consideration. The equipment in the fitness area needs maintenance as settings on some of the machine don't work correctly last I checked, and the sauna no longer works last time I went to use. Happened to use the pool when the pool maintenance person came around, and they said it wasn't properly chlorinated. Yikes! Our apartment lights flicker, especially when the elevator is in use. Have been told they can't do anything about it. They said the water was the fault of the water company, but the water company disagrees. Our friends live a block down the street and don't have issues with the water. The finishing on our tub lasted maybe 6 months. They took the car wash area out to sell more parking spaces (the initial claim was it was to save water even though it was rarely used. Then I think someone complained, and they said it was for environmental purposes). They tell us to lessen our water usage for dishes and baths, but have lots of green lawn... Grass is nice and all, but not in a drought. The tenant manager Vita is argumentative when bringing up issues with the property and constantly changing her story. Tries to turn it back around on the tenants or flat out denies things typically. When we moved in here she said she always puts the tenants first, but I don't see it that way. She is a good salesperson... The follow through after the buy-in leaves much to be desired. Mike, (the maintenance person) does his best to try and quickly get to repairs, and he is the only saving grace here. The interiors are updated, which is the main reason we moved to the property when we moved to the area. We lived with mold on our windows for a long time, until they put in the dual paned ones recently (then they raised our rent). Again, the landlord claimed the mold on the windows was our fault... Said we needed to keep them open in winter. The issue was condensation. At the time of moving in, the cost of rent was more reasonable, but still on the higher end of our budget. I guess its going around: less for more. Sad. How much money is enough for property owners? Can not wait for the day we can move out of this place!!! read more