Review for 1200 Lakeshore Apartments

I have an apartment in 1200 Lakeshore as of this writing - have for 2 yrs (only because of proximity to work and contract, believe me!). You want facts...no BS? HERE ARE THE GOOD PARTS: views from higher apartments only, particularly on Lake Merritt side of the building, locked parking garage (one space/pay for an extra), guard, close to middle of town, market and Laney College, apartments (all things considered) are spacious with closet space. That's the upside.

NOW FOR THE DOWNSIDE: It is unfortunately an old building, despite its somewhat modern appearance (they should include in their packet of information the phrase "...and you get to listen to construction as much as you want, because the building is always being worked on." At least that's the way it's been for my entire two years, and according to Management there will be no letup for the foreseeable future). It gets quite noisy with the pounding, very dusty and dirty (more so than normal, which is dusty enough!), especially when work is being done after hours, way too early in the morning or on weekends! The windows are old, so they let in much more of the aforementioned, plus soot and pollution, and quite a bit of traffic, train and people noise, all drawn by connecting commuter and pedestrian arteries 'round the Lake immediately in front of 1200. There are no screens - despite what some might say, you do get ravenous mosquitoes off the lake in summer and let's not forget the tiny biting flies! Truth is, the place needs a complete rehab, but there are limits to how much you should tax residents - while you're paying your high rent, they're renovating all around you...constantly. It should also be known that this is still, in part, a Rent Stabilized Bldg, so there are in essence 2 rent scales here: very low for the old timers, and very high for whomever unsuspectingly walks into this web.

Management also does little to enforce their lease or completely respect Oakland's ordinances for things like smoky barbecues and noise. (Ahhh, nothing like the smoke of a charcoal barbecue filling your apartment, and sometimes with the lighter fluid and all...no lie.) There is also something else that should attract your concern over all of the construction: There is asbestos in the ceiling, walls and other places... It's mentioned in the lease, so it is really there. Needless to say, you will not be alerted to these things prior to signing the lease, so you had better demand the time to read it through - Management at both levels could care less. Do your research first - check out the back side of the building, that's the side that faces Fruitvale and International Boulevard with its continuous flow of lovelies. At the rate people come and go in this place, I'd say it's either the low-end quality of the building or the high cost of rental that sets the inequity bar so high.

General concensus as of this sitting (6/26/2007): Management is quite shoddy at both building and supervisory level - here, you get lots and lots of BS...they actually don't think you can see them coming. Professionalism has been thrown right out the window, and the operative word is lie. Laundry room machines always dirty and gooey, at least one elevator has grafiti scratched into its wood walls, carpets on hall floors and in elevators can get pretty filthy and stained with pet poo - and stay that way for a while (gets to smelling very cheesy), guards can be surly, workers are perpetually a funky lot and not beyond abusing their right to work while toying with residents, appliances are an embarassment, as can be counters and cupboards. Forget the bathrooms, unless you adore painted tiles that will eventually peel and equally love small and un-inspiring bathrooms. Cable has been spotty and forget wireless...there are so many in the building it's better to brave hard-wire. Apartments can get really hot in summer - almost unbearably so. There's no air conditioning, and believe me you need it at times in this place. The list goes on, but I think you've got the idea.

*UPDATE: As fate would have it, four renters were discussing 1200 in the elevator today, 7/11/2007. All of them were relatively new to the building and already disgusted with the place. (Thought whoever is reading this blurb would like to know how obviously low grade 1200 is to others renting here as well.) The aforementioned renters were mixed in age - students, and one in his 40's, I'd guess. Aside from mentioning their respective floors, 20th, 15th (I don't remember the other), they also ragged on "value for money," filth, stench in garbage rooms, located on their respective floors, dirty garages and several of the things I mentioned in my earlier critique. To be fair, they also mentioned that their hall carpets had been shampooed and the funky smell had been reduced. (Hate to tell 'em, but the funk will definitely be back!) One thing they also spoke of, which I didn't mention above, but have experienced as well was the problem two of them were having with noisy neighbors... Think the commenting question went something like: "Where's Management come in?" They had apparently called but hadn't achieved satisfaction yet. Then they launched into a tirade over the lack of quality fixtures and appliances, etc.