When my husband and I were looking at apartments in SoCal, we saw reviews like this. We actually chose not to live in an apartment community because of a review. I think it is my duty to write a proper review of Park Lebrea, in hopes of saving you the trouble of dealing with this place.
The grounds of Park Lebrea are beautiful. If you want to take a walk, then you're going to get your money's worth. If, however, you want to invite people over to your apartment, perhaps you should consider living someone
else.
Less than a week after we moved in, the paint on our doors started peeling. The apartment has ten doors/ doorways in total. Because of the poor managment of their grounds crew, no one supervises that painters. They don't do any prep work for painting glossy paint--and just paint more glossy paint over old. This results in peeling. Two weeks after putting in a work order, I had to call and read the riot act to the Manager. I needed to explain that I have a small child who can get sick if the paint is not taken care of. Since then, we've had two crews come in and slap two new coats over paint over the same peeling bits. We still have peeling paint.
Because PLB is in the process of 'ungrading' there are still quite a few residents who are paying far less for their rent than new tenants. Because of this, you end up with a welfare mother living to one side of you, and an 80 year old guy who watches porn all night long at the highest volume on his TV (How can I suggest he turn up his hearing aid and down his TV).
There are very few apartments in PLB that have Airconditioning. This wouldn't be so bad as it's often breezy here. However, from what I understand, when old tenants move out (old being the people who have been here YEARS AND YEARS), the managements takes them out, stores them in their office, then charges you $300 for them. I am currently in the middle of fighting to get screens as my apartment is constantly crawling with bugs that just fly in. I also fear for the safety of my child--with no window guards at all.
On top of the lovely lack of maintanance, the level of 'sense of community' is further lowered by the endless number of apartments rented out to local universities. I have nothing against college kids, I've been one myself. But, I understood that living in an apartment and living in a dorm differe greatly. We have parties going on at all hours of the night. Patrol does nothing. We were told when we leased that there were no apartments in our building rented out as dorms. Yet, when I called them on this, the leasing agent AND his boss acted like I had made it all up. This is infuriating to say that least.
I could go on and on about the things that had disappointed us here in PLB. We have to pay for two parking spots, for fear our new cars will be smashed or vandilized. We are having to pay $300 for screens to keep our home clean of bugs. If we want to use the lovely pool they were sure to show us during our tour of the grounds, we'll have to shell out $800 a year.
All in all, the grounds are pretty, and if you want to get nickled and dimed at every turn, or like the look of 17 layers of paint on every surface or your apartment, please, feel free to pay $1700+ a month. Otherwise, look somewhere else. Please.