In March, 2013, a complete change of management staffing occurred at J Street Apartments. Old comments are here for historical reference.
Basically same apartment/class style of Cranbrook and Ivy Towne. Okay to live in for your first year on your own, but you WILL want to upgrade unless you get a good unit or absolutely love it.
2005-07-22 17:30:26 A good, mid-range priced complex. Great management, great maintenance. For the price, you get a comfortable place to live with good bus access, nice neighbors, and a great atmosphere. Really good programs to retain residents (including signing bonuses when you renew your lease). They seem really dedicated to keeping residents happy. —AmandaCaudle
The above comment was allegedly left by an employee of J Street Apartments.
2007-06-05 11:43:58 I've lived here for a year and the drawbacks are very minor. The space for the money is very good. So if money is an issue this is a great place to live. The grounds are nice and they seem dedicated to fixing the problems that may arise. —AnthonySoto
2007-12-08 20:50:41 The maintenance staff is AWFUL. My screen was broken so they replaced it, but it is too small, so they shoved twigs under it to make it fit. The problem with that is that the window latches dont work. I locked my keys in my car the other day and my roommate wasn't home. So I took off the screen and opened the window and unlocked the door. it took me about 5 seconds. That is how easy it is to break into my apt. I've complained about this. The result: They replaced the screen. With one that is too small. And they shoved twigs under it. you have got to be kidding me. The towel rack in my bathroom is falling off the wall. I went to my friend's apt.. same thing. Reason: The dipshits apparently dont know what a "stud" is in a wall. the towel rack has fallen off their wall 3 times and each time they replace it about 2 inches above where the old ones were and leave a big hole in the wall. so now the towel rack in their apartment is about 6 feet off the ground but its finally in the stud! oh yes, they screwed it in tight. But now it has a 45 degree tilt to it. You ever try putting a towel on a towel rack with a 45 degree tilt? yeah i didnt think so. because there is no one else on this planet so shitty that they would screw in a towel rack at a 45 degree tilt. Going back to my apartment for a second; my door broke once. I couldn't get out of the apartment. Easy fix. I just used my window as a door. I went outside and the maintenance guy was working on the apartment upstairs, so I just asked him to fix my door. His solution: take off the doorknob and removed part of it. Problem: the doorknob came off. had to get the other maintenance guy to fix it.
The overall atmosphere inside the apartment is beautiful. Some people think shotty repair job that leave gaping holes in the walls are ugly, but I think it adds character. Some people might complain that when people walk up the stairs it shakes your entire apartment, and that freight trains go by every couple of hours making it feel like you are reliving the 1989 earthquake, but I consider it a free back massage! sure your dog my pee himself. But you don't have to clean it up! Just leave it for the next guy and make him pay for it out of his deposit; because they aren't going to replace the carpets. —TrippKATZ
2008-01-10 13:07:40 Er - I'm not an employee. I just really like it here. —AmandaCaudle
2008-02-13 09:44:24 I have lived at J Street for almost 2 years. I really like it for the price. It would be nice to have things like a patio, dishwasher and washer and dryer but for a young couple who are saving to buy a house this is not a bad deal. As far as repairs go, they do a pretty good job of responding quickly. If you don't think the repairs were sufficient you should let them know. The maintenance guys are friendly and will listen if you're nice to them. That being said, yes, they do a shoddy job of painting the walls, the carpet is cheap, and the doors really could be replaced but you do get what you pay for... —Likakana
2008-03-29 19:56:21 I've lived here for a year and am about to renew. It's a great place for the price, and management is always very very nice. No, they're not always on the ball about responding to messages, but overall they've been very good to me. To some extent, you get what you pay for —poorly insulated windows, no dishwasher, wall units for A/C, etc. But overall, I'm quite satisfied with this place. I love the floor plan and the flexibility the apartment managers offer. they've been exceptionally friendly & accommodating. I've rented for the past 12 years and have had some shitty landlords, and so far they've been decent. TrippKatz, If you can't fix your own towel rack, then perhaps you shouldn't be living on your own. Fixtures such as those aren't typically guaranteed in rental units. Even closet rods are technically extras. What you're renting are the walls, carpets, major appliances, doors & windows. I added hooks for my hand towels, but I'll have to fill the holes when I move out.
Cost for 1bedroom goes up to 855 next year, probably because they're painting the exteriors, replacing some roofs & replacing front doors.
That said, all of Davis is WAY overpriced for rental units. —JessicaRabbit
2008-04-12 12:01:06 I've had a good experience here so far. It's as low-end apartment complex, so to some extent you get what you pay for (for DAVIS anyway— the price would be high end almost anywhere else in the country). The walls & windows are thin. There's no central heat, air, dishwasher, W/D not in unit, etc. I really like the floor plan, though (for 1 bedrooms). I looked at a lot of floor plans in Davis before moving in, and this one had the most storage space for a one-bedroom, was the most open, and was also one of the cheapest when I moved in (was 815/month. Now is 855).
Management doesn't usually answer the voice messages, but if you get them in person, they do get things done promptly. My place was clean when I moved in, and any problems I"ve reported (in person) have been corrected in a timely manner. The management has been friendly & professional, but their hours are inconvenient (9-4 monday through friday), and they often leave for lunch or leave early.
My mail was stolen from my mailbox once. That sucked, but the company paid to replace the item. When the repalcement item was delivered, Tari held it in her office until I could come get it. That was nice, but unfortunatley it was delivered on Friday, so I didn't get it until Monday morning.
The grounds are typically clean, and even though they allow pets, I never see "evidence" in the grass. The laundry rooms aren't super clean, but I do appreciate the front-load washers (nicer on clothes). Usually there are one or two dryers that don't work, but the others aren't usually full.
All in all, I really like living here, but not everyone has had such a good experience. I've left balanced reviews on apartmentratings.com, and some disgruntled residents accused them of being posted by the management. Perhaps they treat the older (30's) residents differently than the college students, or perhaps I've just been lucky with the location of my apartment, because I don't have the mold, rodent, roach or flooding problems that one reviewer complained about. If I did, I'd be out of here in a second.
I do think they should rent the apartments that are located next to the train tracks at lower rates than the rest of the complex. I'm 1 building over and can hear the trains, but they aren't loud & don't bother me at all, but I'm sure those who have apartments next to the train tracks feel like the train is moving through their bedrooms.
They do let you choose your unit when you move in, so just make sure you are clear that you want a unit that is close to J street and not near the trains, and you should be ok. —Phoebus
2008-04-12 12:06:42 PS —I meant that the company that SENT the package replaced it, not J street. —Phoebus
2008-10-27 13:57:14 I love my apartment. I absolutely adore it. I'm actually close to the train tracks but since they hardly run and not at night, it doesn't bother me. I love my room and although its the smaller room in the 2 bedroom its so nice. You have to be picky when you move in and choose the area you like most (closer to the parking lot, big grassy area, ect.) Also, when I moved in there were lots of things I thought were old and rundown so I asked the manager to change them ans she agreed. Just ask people and they'll do it. Overall, its nice, not too far from campus and very cute! —Rubyshoes
- I feel like you're my next door neighbor. My staircase was a bit wobbly and the wood was a little run down, but that never bothered me. Then, September rolls around, my old neighbors move out, and suddenly everything is getting fixed. My stairs not wobbling. The wood on the stairs (not the steps) were replaced. I found out there's a light that's been broken for over a year(since before I moved in) that magically started working. Then again, these repairs have led to incessant barking due to my dog's/downstair neighbor's dog's curiosity. It's ok though, I enjoy seeing my door at night _ —JennPham
2008-11-07 16:34:29 My husband and I lived here for five years from 2002 - 2007 and had good and bad experiences. Good: right on bus line, rent is cheap, (we were broke so that's why we stayed so long - cheap rent!) It's not too far from downtown, dealing with the maintenance staff directly we got all of our work orders completed on time.Our apartment had no problems with insects. Bad: the apartment is older style - no dishwasher, wall unit AC, lone heater in the living room, laundry frequently had no working washers/dryers, the walls, floor, doors are thin and we could hear the neighbors doors slam morning and night. It was noisy (trash removal, train, early morning lawn work). I had to wash the bathroom walls and ceiling with bleach every few months because of the pervasive black mold that would accumulate otherwise. The office staff is frequently not in the office during business hours and I never saw them on weekends, which is why I think they had a recurring problem with vandalism of the pool, soda machine, laundry facilities and "recreation" room during our residence. They had to lock the workout room on weekends because of vandalism. For a time, cars were broken into weekly. It seemed like they did not screen tenants carefully during our residence. We saw two of our neighbors handcuffed and escorted out of the complex by police; I was at home in the day when another neighbor was shot in his apartment by "friends" he claimed tried to rob him (he wasn't seriously injured) and another neighbor was evicted for non-payment of rent. Needless to say, it wasn't fun living near this neighbor during the eviction process.Parking was frequently a problem and we often could not find a spot in the parking lot. —Shari
2008-11-17 11:41:31 I like this place a lot. I used to live at University Court Apartments and there is a huge difference. I agree that the office staff seems to be gone all the time. I've had to hunt the manager down way too many times. I feel that this property could be a beautiful luxury residence if the owners actually ivested in maintaining it. —treebee
2009-03-17 21:58:32 This apartment complex is pretty terrible for Davis. 2 out of the 8 dryers work (this has been weeks now). Dog droppings are often found in the grass. The train is alright given that it comes only at night most of the time. The interior seems like they haven't remodeled in many many YEARS...other apartments in Davis remodel often enough so it is probably better as a student to share a room in another complex rather than going through crappy management, terrible maintenance (they do respond quickly but often micky mouse repairs rather than actually fixing the real issue...them I don't exactly blame because the apartment itself is terribly built in the first place). I would recommend living somewhere else because they had just raised the rent on my unit and I don't see any significant changes in management or anything else having to do with that extra money (everyone's unit rent has been raised so its interesting where that money goes). For a two person bedroom, the larger room is way more expensive than it should be considering I am paying 600+ for a room without my own bathroom. I also used to have cockroaches...I discovered them the first day I moved in.
There are definitely better apartments to live at and cheaper at that.
I mean there are some okay things about this complex but they definitely do not outweigh the bad. And definitely I feel like I would have to warn those wanting to rent at this apartment to stay away from here if possible. —hellogoodbye222
2009-04-12 21:57:08 I just signed a renewal lease for this place and am seriously reconsidering trying to get out of it. I was away from home Thursday night, came back on Friday, to discover my neighbor sitting on the steps. She informed me that the toilet that's made strange noises since I moved in had been leaking ever since then, probably longer, and in the middle of the night water had started to drip from the ceiling. From what she said they were extremely ill-prepared to handle what followed. Turns out there was mold in the ceiling. They exposed her apartment to it, not knowing whether or not it was toxic. Then, they entered my apartment and were reportedly in there for three hours. I fully understand that in an emergency they can enter without permission. HOWEVER, upon my return, the lights were on (so they'd been on for most of the night, if not all night), and my bathroom was a MESS. There is still crap on the floor, as I've refused to clean it up. They used my personal washcloth to wipe stuff up around the toilet, as I found it in the garbage can. There was toilet paper all over the floor, and my towel was in the sink. I have no idea what they did with it so that will probably be thrown out along with the washcloth. Now, it was around 1 pm when I got back. There was no note on my door. I waited until 4 o'clock, which is when they usually leave, to see if they'd leave a note or in some manner let me know what had gone on. Nope! They came to talk to my neighbor, so after they were finished I told them that I was very upset at the condition my apartment was left in. The moronic assistant manager just kept saying sorry, that it was an emergency. I kept saying I understood, but I want my freaking apartment cleaned up. She made no mention of having anyone go clean it up. I'm extremely furious and plan on talking to the manager first thing tomorrow. Stay away from this place! It's on the cheaper side, but it's not freaking worth it, it really isn't. —jesterlover16
2009-06-06 22:02:48 I think it is a fairly nice apt FOR THE CHEAP RENT. They changed the carpet when I moved in, nice large bedroom, huge closet. But just a few bad parts are.. I want a dishwasher. We also have some bugs called 'earwigs' but they are slow so we can easily catch them. I just hate the INSTACONNECT!! It is absolutely InstaDISCONNECT. Don't ever have that. And there are some homeless people near the garbage dumpster picking up some recyclable things. The train never bothered me. They are always slow and not loud. Unless you want pretty high-end apt in Davis, this is decent place for students or money-savers. —amovolky
2009-12-03 14:59:49 Started living here this fall, and so far so good. The apartments ARE old, but this is california after all...I guess I'm just used to living in old places. Walk in closet is a plus, especially if you've never had one before (like me) Kitchen opens to the living room which is nice, and the windows are HUGE which makes the apartment bright...but drafty. Also LOVE THE PANTRY, those things are so handy to have in an apartment. I hate the tiny bathroom with no storage space, but it's working out alright with an extra shelf in the bedroom. Also the kitchen sink is shallow, which makes washing pots a nightmare. A NIGHTMARE.
But overall I like the spacious feeling, and the closets are great. It's good for a couple to live in. I've only seen one bug, when we moved in, but some bug spray will probably take care of those problems. Eh, you get what you pay for I guess. I like living here so far. —DDalbianco
2010-01-20 09:38:29 Please, Please don't live here. You might be thinking (as I did 6 months ago) that it is such a reasonable price. I encourage you to look at the apartments on the parking lot to the right when you are looking at the leasing office. It is horrid. A lamp has fallen down, there are nails left behind from the construction, the parking lot is so flooded I can't park my honda in there let alone ride my bike through it without getting drenched, there is trash everywhere, and the apartments are painted different colors. The management is NEVER in the office (their hours are from 9-4 which the office manager usually shows up around 945 and leaves around 330 unless something is going on with her homelife that she needs to leave early). The maintenance guy is rude, barely speaks english and is often the only person in the office to talk to, and on multiple occasions refused to give me a package with my name on it because I didn't have a little green slip (I was not given one, but had my ID on me). I would say don't live here, if for nothing else but then to reward all of us who are trying to warn you, and help us feel like our comments matter. If you don't believe me about the apartment at least go look at the comments about their management company: FPI Management, I have tried to contact them about the problems and they are worthless as well.
P.S. I have a dog; I pick up after him. There seems to be a hundred other dog owners who don't. So be prepared to have shit on your shoes as you walk out into the puddles to get to your flooded bicycle. —Chantel
2010-01-20 09:51:32 Oh and I read somewhere that there is a good study atmosphere: FALSE> They have been renovating and have been slamming nails into buildings. We asked them to let us know when they were working on our apartment or ones around our apartment and they never did. When we confronted them, the office told us that they weren't working on OUR apartment. Just the one right below us, like we can't hear the crap, and this was the end of Nov to Dec. And they are still not finished... —Chantel
2010-02-01 20:26:04 chantel, I totally know what noise you're talking about. The lampost looks awful too, lol. I think it fell off in the monsoon or something? Your building is probably the one next to mine, I live by the laundry room in that parking lot that got the LAKE in it. OMG, they need to put a drain in there or something. I got in up to my ankles just trying to get to my car. —DDalbianco
2010-02-03 13:17:14 Oh, there is a drain. When I saw it, I stood in the middle of the parking lot with my mouth gaping. Reason for the flooding: The apartment management was too lazy to have the leaves cleaned out from on top of it. Thankfully, we moved out and don't live there anymore... I wish you good luck. —Chantel
2010-02-15 19:18:32 By the way, if you need during hours work, and Tari isn't in the office, she will give you her cell phone number. Since she is rarely in the office to give you the number, here it is: 916 494 9619 —Chantel
2010-02-23 16:16:28 My husband and I, our two dogs, plus another couple have lived here for 6 months now and hated every min of it! We are breaking our lease and moving out this weekend due to mold in the apt.
The only Pro is that they allow dogs.
Cons: 1 Rent is way too much for what you get.
2 Maintenance is terrible! The guy cannot speak English, and he ruined our bathroom rug with his muddy feet when he attempted to fix our toilet :(
3 MOLD, MOLD, MOLD! In all of the buildings! These Apts are not well ventilated so mold grows quickly. The management just tells you to bleach it. I have spoke to numerous neighbors who have had really bad mold in their apts. My roomate and the neighbor got really sick from the mold and she had to get an inhaler because she could not breathe.
4 Very noisy! the trains go by early in the morning and slam together (either unhooking the cars or putting them together). It sounds like the train could crash through your apt at any second. Also lanscape guys come early in the morning with there leaf blower. And the walls are really thin so we can here our roomates conversations, and the kid up stairs throwing a tantrum. Also I could here the guy upstairs urinating in his bathroom :(
5 The parking lot floods to the point that I could not drive my van through it, small cars will drown!
6 the laundry facility sucks, the washers dont get your clothes clean, they smell really dirty right after you washed them. We have been going to a laundry place in town, because its so bad.
7 NO DISHWASHER! This is a huge problem when you have 4 people in the Apt.
8 The apts are old and have not been remodeled in a while, the carpet was old too, and the apt was pretty dirty when we moved in. The kitchen is very small and the Fridge is really small too.
9 No A/C unit in the small bedroom, so it gets pretty hot in the summer.
10 No insulation and single pane windows, so its really drafty and cold in the winter, and the heat comes in really fast in the summer.
I would advise you not to live here, unless you want to get really sick from the mold! Its not worth it.
2010-02-23 16:31:15 Oh! here is the good stuff. Our minivan was vandalized while parked in the parking lot during the day. Someone carved a large circle in to the middle of our windsheild. In addition, while our car was parked in the parking lot a drunk driver rammed the car parked next to ours and shoved it into our car. So we came out the next morning to find both of our cars smashed together. They never found the punk who did it.
If you have a nice car do not live here, it will get ruined :( —ReneeW
2010-11-04 14:06:31 I LOVED this place. I lived here for two years and I miss it. Tari (manager) is one of the sweetest ladies i'vei met. The maintenance guys are great and just because their English is not great does not mean they don't know what they're doing. FYI most people mistake mold with mildew. Mildew will happen anywhere if you don't ventilate your bathroom properly and you can wipe it off easily. I guarantee you that your car will be broken in to anywhere f you leave your valuables out for the world to see (and a lot of my neighbors did this) J Street has a good location, great price, plenty of parking, and the layout is very homey. This is the one property that returned my deposit back 100% of it and the manager was nice enough to prorate the days I moved out early. —rubygolddavis
2011-02-03 14:15:38 this place is terrible! when you need management they are nowhere to be found. teri is very sweet just somewhat unreliable. i called several times leaving detailed messages asking them to call me back. once i had a gas leak in my apartment from their ancient wall heaters and asked the maintenance guy to come and turn it off until they could get someone out to fix it. i called three times but they never called me back so i ended up having to leave the apartment until i could get PG&E to come over and fix it. also, when their maintenance man came to fix my door he broke an expensive umbrella stand in my apartment but didn't bother to tell me, he just scurried out like an untrustworthy rat. never let them into your apartment when you're not there, they are shady! also, be prepared to clean after they leave because they always leave a huge mess.also, when i moved out i had a professional cleaner come in and take care of the apartment because i was short on time, and let me tell you the place was completely spotless! this however, did not stop them from claiming that they had to hire a maid to clean the apartment as well and charged me close to $100 dollars for that. i wrote the management company asking for proof that the apartment was left dirty and that if they could not provide any to please return my money, i never even received. The walls are so thin you could hear a pin drop. So, if you like you're privacy and don't want to listen to your neighbor who thinks that its okay to blast techno all day or the other neighbor who has sex all day then i don't recommend living here. the laundry facility was also pathetic, the machines always smelled of mildew! and last but not least the train is soooo loud. it will 100% wake you up if you live near the tracks. they tell you when you rent it out that you'll never hear it but that's not true. its so loud it almost sounds as if its derailing and it kinda shakes your house. also, if you live park near the tracks and you're a girl be sure to have mace or something because one night i had a homeless guy try and follow me to my apartment from my car and there's no lighting out there. FREAKY! if you choose to live here i wish you good luck because you're going to need it! but, i whole heartedly recommend you look into other options. —londcalling87
2011-10-11 21:05:01 i just wish i came back the time to make decision again. i wish i could read those comments before i decide to live here. i know that u cant image how terrible it is. managers, patio, parking lot, trash place, laundry room, every thing is suck i dont think i want to swim in that awful swimming pool. every time i go out,just want to close 1 eye. —kylevu
2012-08-20 16:11:44 DO NOT RENT HERE. I wish i knew about davis wiki before signing my lease. The management here is straight up SHADY!. They will show you a brand new model apartment that looks awesome, but once you get your actual apartment it is completely different, run down, and old. EVERY freaking building is infested with cockroaches, i am a clean freak, so living here was like being stuck in hell or prison. IT completely SUCKS to go home after a long day of work/school only to be stressed about the cockroaches that come out everytime you turn off the freaking lights. The showeres here SUCK, the water fluctuates from really hot to really cold no matter how you position the knob. Just like the other users have pointed out, the laundry room SUCKS!!! the dryers do not dry and the washing machines are so old they cant wash a freaking sock. To be honest i wouldn't mind all the run down crap of this facility, it was mainly the millions of cockroaches i had to kill every day that made my life a living hell. DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE PICTURES THE MANAGEMENT POSTS UP ON THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS. DO NOT RENT HERE unless you love roaches, this spot is not even on the cheap or affordable side when compared to other complexes around the area. —JaVee
2012-12-07 21:49:35 Completely not worth it do not live here! It's true that there is mold in the bathrooms, its true that there's poor insulation and it's fricken cold in the winter. I heard my neighbors have sex in full detail above me because everything is so thin. I've gone to the management 3 times about our water heat. Once they fixed our shower knob, then they put "new" pipes in, and the 3rd time they told us that the problem was the boiling system and that there was nothing they could do to fix it. Really? no that is not the case. they are too lazy and cheap to fix it. the price is not worth is at all. you will be robbed. I could get a one bedroom apartment completely furnished for under $800 and here I pay $910 for empty crap. not worth it. So as the days and nights get colder, we have less and less hot water because of the boiling system and everyone trying to use it to its potential. We can't even wash dishes with hot water. I think out of the 4 months I've lived here, I've gotten hot water from that sink 3 times. Ridiculous. Totally moving out next year when the lease is up. I love the train, i like the location and greenery and the random turkey flocks, but the core of the apartment is what makes it incredibly irrational. —ChristinaRaddish
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