Palo Alto Plaza Apartments

I’ve had a great experience here. The property is maintained very well and repairs (if needed) are addressed quickly. The office staff are also quick to respond emails. I’ve had no issues whatsoever with noise. Extra parking is always available. The location is great. So easy to get to anything you need.
I recommend it!

We have live here for one year. It is a safe apartment. It owns a nice swimming pool.

I live at that place for almost four years and I can say that FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS there’s a constant remodelling and reconstruction. It’s absolutely impossible to sleep, rest or work from home during business hours. It’s like living on a construction site and again, I repeat. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. When I shared my complains with the manager, he said that this will not stop anytime soon. I appreciate the honesty. I’m just wondering — how families with babies are living there? I’m not leaving, because it’s close to my office and because I live there for four years, the rent (for me) is a bit below the market, but again — is not nearly enough to compensate the demolition noise. If I had to find a place now, I would never choose Palo Alto Plaza and I would never recommend it to a friend or colleague, unless they are 100% hearing impaired …
P. S. Any review here, about this place, that «forgets» to mention the noise, is most certainly written by somebody who was paid to write it. It’s Monday morning and the workers are demolishing something in the hallway as I’m writing this …
P.P.S: @Angélique: I understand that there is no alternative. In this case, I believe, an appropriate compensation is in order. I requested such compensation a couple of months ago, when I had to renew the contract. More specifically, I requested a lower monthly rental payment. Of course, I was refused that. And before you say, that the rent offered to me was lower than the market price, I will respond — no, I don’t think that this monthly payments are good enough for years of living in a 500 square feet room at a construction site. Like I mentioned above, the reason for the lower rent is that I live here for the last 4 years and I believe I would’ve been offered similar numbers anywhere, which is the standard practice for a long-​term tenant.
P.P.P.S: «…We hope that once the work is complete …» WHEN ANGELIQUE, WHEN ???
P.P.P.P.S. Check the ratings distribution here:
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1* 2* 3* 4* 5*
Everybody who has basic statistics knowledge would tell you that there’s something wrong with this picture. If all the reviews are honest and unbiased there should be something called «normal» distribution. That means — there’s a value which most of the ratings gravitate around and graphics should resemble a bell (or half a bell if that value is near the minimum or maximum possible rate). In this case it looks like a turned upside-​down bell.
Well … I’m not gonna do the thinking instead of you … Decide for yourself …

Palo Alto Plaza is a fairly nice place to live with a few cons.
I’ve lived at Palo Alto Plaza for over a year now (started my lease in May 2014) in a junior 1-​bedroom (basically, a studio with a sliding plastic wall to separate the bedroom and the living room) on the second floor. This review will be for one of the older, non-​renovated units.
Pros:
— Staff is nice and professional. Ben and Bryan have been nothing but helpful in my year and a half here and are always willing to answer whatever questions I may have about anything. They’re friendly and definitely keep the residents in the loop about any goings-​on around the complex.
— Maintenance is very responsive. I’ve had a few plumbing issues while I’ve been here, but filing a maintenance ticket is as easy as going on to the website and clicking a few buttons. All of my issues have been resolved within one or two days.
— Location! This is probably my favorite thing about Palo Alto Plaza. There’s a million and one lovely restaurants/​grocery shops/​everything within walking distance of the complex. It is located near the huge, fairly new San Antonio Shopping Center along with a couple other smaller shopping centers on the other side of El Camino Real. I’ve always felt safe walking in the area, even when just making a quick trip to the ²⁴⁄₇ Safeway/​CVS in the dead of night.
— Amenities are good: fitness room, putting course, pool, hot tub, grills, newly renovated common areas with complimentary WiFi. The courtyard on the inside of the complex really is a rather lovely place. I like just sitting there and reading sometimes on quieter, chillier days.
— I know that there’s some reviews here talking about cars getting keyed in the parking lot, but I’ve never had any such issue in my time here. I had one minor incident where a neighbor was accidentally parking in my parking spot, but Bryan fixed it within a day when I brought it up.
— The carpet is nice and feels good.
Cons:
— Lack of A/​C was a huge issue over this last summer, though keeping the windows open helped. I hear that the newly renovated units are having A/​C installed though (and A/​C is always available on the top floor).
— Noise. Walls can be thin, and I’ve heard a neighbor or two on the phone before – nothing that’s seriously interfered with my sleep or anything though. Try getting a unit that faces Fayette if you can – the inside of the complex might have you listening to screaming children at the pool during the day, and the other side of the complex (facing El Camino/​Del Medio) gets a good bit of noise from the nearby car wash.
Overall, I’ve had a nice experience with Palo Alto Plaza over these past couple of years and would recommend it to any prospective tenants.

If you read the post by ‘Susan F.’ below, please take her word for everything she says. This is the noisiest place I have ever lived and that’s due entirely to the never-​ending construction. A property manager told me that they have a new policy of demolishing and remodeling the apartments every time someone vacates and moves from a unit. So basically you just have to pray to God/​Allah/​Yaweh that your neighbors don’t move. If they do, bust out those earplugs (not that they stand a chance of working). And oh my god are they loud. Like Susan said, you hear smashing, hammering, sawing, yelling, drilling, as if they’re right in your own room. This goes on from 830am-​5pm during the week and even on Saturdays! I got so little sleep in the 8 months I lived there that it’s undoubtedly affected my health. I’ve had to book hotel rooms on multiple occasions just to catch up on some sleep. I wish this were an exaggeration but its not. To pay $ 2000+ for rent and not be able to simply sit in your apartment during the day seems downright criminal. I would literally vibrate on my couch as I sat there.
I’m sure I’ll get some stock response from ‘Angelique S.’ of Palo Alto Plaza saying she regrets that this was my experience and that they are doing everything they can to curtail the noise yada yada. But I just don’t think that is the case. The construction workers that worked on the apartment next door to me slammed the door every single time they walked in or out of the room, rattling the entire hallway. Literally. Every. Single. Time. It’s like they were making a game of it. And they blast salsa music on their little radios and sing along. Pretty sure those are ‘unnecessary actions or sounds,’ Angelique S. (this is kind of an aside, but there’s one guy working for the construction company (Avery Construction) that I’m pretty sure is a homeless guy they hired off the street. I once caught him peeing in the bushes on the property. I mean WHAT IS THIS PLACE). I guess this is a good lesson in the pitfalls of capitalism. Greed gone too far with no sympathy for anyone’s well being. I know it sounds petty but I can’t wait for the tech bubble to pop again. The housing market will stall, prices will plummet, and meanwhile this place has spent millions on renovations. I’ve spent so much money to live here and have been so shockingly miserable that I hope some karmic retribution is headed their way.
I think the worst part is how much money they are making here. I paid $ 2000/​month for rent for a tiny studio, but the renovated places are going for $ 2300+. Everyone around me (including myself) has scattered and moved out, breaking our leases. Lease breaking requires a payment of 1.5X your rent. So they make bank on all of us desperately trying to escape this god-​forsaken nightmare, then get to up the price for the schmucks that they trick into moving in. Help break the cycle! Don’t move in if you’re thinking about it! I know what you’re thinking. «oh it can’t be that bad. I don’t mind some noise. and the grounds look really niiice. it’s such a good location.» DON’T YOU FALL FOR IT.
Bottom line. Stay away! (If that wasn’t already clear). If I can save just one poor soul from signing a lease here then I will be happy. Some good will have come from this.
I feel you, Susan F., I feel you. I, too, wish I had known.
(P.S. The property manager, Bryan, was a good guy. This in no way reflects his performance).

I have been living here for 6 months. Starting from May there is endless remodeling noise around buildings: drilling, hammering, heavy steps on top of your head (I’m living on top floor!)… You name it. This is not an apartment. This is a super market! And do not forget the ongoing work at the perimeter of the community.
Elevator is very old and tiny. This maybe because the whole building is old. Hallway and corridor is smelly and hot due to lack of air flow and mix of remodeling material.
Bright side includes friendly staff and neighbors, location is great.

Just wanted to add a note that there is an excellent assistant manager as well now (Naida) who is also very responsive and helpful. I had contacted the property office for some maintenance request and Nadia immediately took care of it. Brian Lovo (the property manager) and Naida are wonderful people to talk to and they genuinely care about the concerns and well being of tenants. This is rare to come across especially these days. Great job Brian and Naida. Keep up the great work.

I would have given these apartments a 4 or 5 for all the amenities and nice staff.
However, I wish that I had been cautioned that living here from 8:30 am to about 5 daily is impossible due to the on-​going remodeling. These are not the noise of painters or someone putting up new towel bars. There is constant demolition of multiple apartments simultaneously. This means drilling in concrete walls, smashing walls and throwing those out the windows, hammering, electric saws buzzing, flooring being laid, cabinets being ripped out. There is yelling between apartments on different floors, lumber being flung out the patio doors, boxes and debris falling on one’s deck, more yelling, joking, dirty tracks up and down the hallways.
I have asked multiple people if there is an end in sight as this has gone on continuously since I moved in April. The response is this will be going on a long time. As current residents leave, their units will be the next to be gutted and remodeled. And the obnoxious level of noise isn’t just the unit next door or one up stairs, the drilling, hammering, sawing and crashing boards sounds travel through the walls. I literally can’t talk to someone on the phone from my apartment during this.
I would NOT have chosen to sign a lease here had I known that I would not be able to be here during the daytime.
If you will be gone during the day, this may not effect you and choosing to live here may be fine.
It strikes me as incredibly thoughtless and perhaps flat out greedy for the owners not to caution a prospective renter about the extent of the renovation noise. (And somewhat ludicrous that they spell out «noise» limitations on the part of the residents, caution about plants on the balconies, etc.
If all the residents were creating this much havoc, we would be evicted in a moment.)
I wish I had known.

My partner and I moved into a junior 1-​bedroom apartment at Palo Alto Plaza in Oct. ’14. In a nutshell, I’m satisfied with our decision and where we live.
Pros:
–Ben and Bryan are great staff. They’re kind, responsive, and professional. The introduction to the place was thorough, and once we had made a decision, it was super-​easy to do the paperwork and move in. No last minute changes, no late swaps, etc. I haven’t felt uncomfortable doing quick ‘drop-​in’ chats about things, which is a huge relief.
–The price for my apartment is good considering what we have: pool, gym equipment, close grocery stores (Trader Joe’s, Safeway, Whole Foods within a mile), and close Caltrain stop (San Antonio Station). For what the other rates are in the area with less to offer, I don’t feel cheated or robbed.
–I haven’t had any noise complaints in the late night. Midday on the weekend, I can sometimes hear ambient movie /​music sounds, but it’s not ear-​shattering, nor do I think it’s unreasonable during casual waking hours.
–Repair /​maintenance requests are taken seriously and handled fairly quickly.
–The gym: When I’ve wanted to use it, it’s never crowded, and I always can get a machine. Any time one has been broken, it gets replaced fairly quickly.
–Laundry is a breeze. No one takes clothes; there are a good number of machines; when one broke, it was quickly fixed, too.
–Landscaping: I didn’t think I’d be one to comment on landscaping, but, honestly, the middle plaza green space is gorgeous.
–Plenty of parking for guests and safe underground parking for my car.
–Location: For young professionals, I think Mt. View’s city services are pretty choice. The library is epic; lots of parks are close-​by and great; bike commuting is safe and simple.
Cons:
–The kitchen counter space leaves a little to be desired, but we opted for the older and cheaper model – I don’t hold that against PAP. I haven’t seen an upgraded unit, but I do see remodeling being done fairly often throughout the week.
–We live in the hallway nearest to the garbage chute, so every now and again, the hallway reeks. It’s short-​lived, but noticeable. Candles take care of the scent well.
All in all, PAP is a good place to live. Things that could make it better are outside of their control; thus, I think we’ve got a great deal here. If they could do something about rising rent costs in the Bay Area, getting a bullet train to stop at the San Antonio Caltrain, and helping foster a vibrant young professional community locally, I’d be ecstatic, but I don’t expect these things from an apartment complex. So, I give it 5-​stars.
UPDATE May 2015: We moved out of PAP to a cheaper shared house nearby. Ben and Bryan were helpful and walked us through the lease-​breaking options. If it wasn’t for the economics, I wouldn’t have minded staying. As for the cons listed above, our unit was immediately upgraded, which probably means nicer kitchen spaces, and they installed a air freshener in the garbage chute areas. Well done, y’all. Thanks for a great space!

I’ve been a resident here since 2006. That alone should say a lot as to how much I’m enjoying this place. The only potential hiccup is that rent is high but not as much as many other gated communities in the same area. Other than that, I have nothing but positive things to say. Staff is friendly and professional, amenities are great, never had a problem with my neighbors, and the property is very well maintained.

Recent out of state transplant and much to my parents’ chagrin, I canvassed the entire Palo Alto /​Mountain View area in search of my apartment. Hey, if you’re gonna pay $ 2k+ for an apartment, you should be happy with what you’re paying with, right?
40 apartments later, I finally settled on Palo Alto Plaza, largely because it was one of the few places that actually felt safe. The gated entry is a huge plus and unlike other places that have a gated entry, the amount of traffic in and out of the place is fairly limited which makes people who «slip» in to a minimum.
However, I do have a few comments:
The good:
–The two managers on staff, Byron and Ben, are great. Super polite, informative and helpful
–Although a bit dated, PAP is a very nice apartment community that is well maintained. Pool, putting green, etc. are all great. Hallways look a bit from the 80s but still clean and well lit like you’re not about to have an ax murderer jump out like many of the other apartments I viewed in the area
–Most professionals and families. Fairly quiet, in fact most days I hardly ever run into any one.
The ugly:
–Management who really just cares about filling an apartment and getting the next buck in. After multiple snafus in my move-​in process (I was basically promised one apartment and had to go in another that was more expensive because of countless repairs and «unforeseen» circumstances with timing. I felt like there was a bait and switch here and management refused to amend the situation or be accommodating in a situation that was not my doing. I’ve asked management to contact me… still no word.
–thin walls, thin walls, thin walls. I get that the building is old, but I can literally hear my neighbor when he opens the drawers. not shutting, OPENING. with that in mind, you would think people would be more understanding of the fact the walls are thin. Heaven forbid I am on the phone talking, have the TV on and play music (all at a normal level) after 10p. My neighbor will repeatedly bang on my wall like there’s a fire without regard. Not sure why I am paying $ 2k+ to tip toe in my apartment
–horribly out of date gym. Not only does half the equipment not work, but most of it has been replaced since the 80s. At least it has free wifi though.
I am torned because I really like the place and the area is super convenient, but I refuse to have to be a silent prisoner in my apartment with a management team that doesn’t particularly care to start off a lease on the right foot. Perhaps that should have been a red flag. Anyways, will be likely looking for other options once my lease is up.

We moved into the Palo Alto Plaza Apartments seven months ago after weeks of looking for the right fit for our family, and here’s the run-​down of why we love it:
1) great staff
2) fantastic amenities
3) spacious living room and bedrooms (we are in a two-​bedroom)
4) competitive rates
5) well located– award winning school district
The first thing that impressed us was the professional and friendly staff. They have two paid, full-​time managers. Bryan is the head manager, and Ben is the assistant manager, and both have been friendly and responsive.
On the initial tour we were impressed with the peaceful courtyard surrounded by beautiful palm trees and lush greenery. It is quite spacious because the owners bought two separate complexes and decided to combine them into one large courtyard. They didn’t feel two pools were necessary so they converted one pool into a putting green. (We aren’t a golfing family but acquired golf clubs for our kids just so we can play on the putting green and they love it.) Their award-​winning landscaping team keep the place trimmed and clean.
Other courtyard amenities include a hot tub, workout room, and grill with patio tables and chairs. We love hosting BBQ’s because of the great grill and ambiance. You would think that a large complex would have a lot of competition for the grill and pool but we’ve never had a problem. In general, the Palo Alto Plaza is a quiet and peaceful environment… not a lot of people around.
Indoor amenities include a newly renovated lounge that is comfortable, modern, and secure and an internet café with free wifi.
We don’t have one of the newly updated apartments so the kitchen and bathroom are a bit dated, and the carpet isn’t brand new, but those weren’t our top priorities. We wanted a big living room with an open floor plan and that is what we finally found here. It was also the cleanest apartment that we have ever moved into. The kitchen stove top and oven were spotless and the bathroom was sparkling clean.
We have enjoyed the secure, underground parking and the elevator (although tiny) has been invaluable for transporting groceries and children.
As far as price goes, everywhere we looked was painfully expensive since we were relocating from Sacramento, but we felt we were getting a lot more for our money here than anywhere else we checked out in Sunnyvale, Mountain View, or Palo Alto. We will need to update this when we find out if/​how much our rent is raised in a few months though…
Others have mentioned that it is very well located and we completely agree. Shopping is extremely convenient. Sprouts, Trader Joes, Target, and Walmart are all very close by, along with many restaurants and other specialty stores. We love being close to the Milk Pail for unbeatable prices on produce!
This will mostly be helpful for parents but Del Medio Park is just three blocks away. It is small and there isn’t much shade, but it is a very popular gathering place for parents, grandparents and children in the late afternoon/​early evening. Palo Alto Plaza is located in the Los Altos School District, one of the best public school systems in America. This was also a HUGE plus for us in signing here.
You should definitely come check this place out before you sign elsewhere. Great value for a great quality of life!

We have had a very positive experience so far with this apartment complex. The building managers have been very helpful and responsive when we moved in. Our unit was newly renovated as they had promised and we found everything in the unit in perfect condition. The amenities are very well-​maintained (pool, patio areas, lobby) and everyone around seems respectful and considerate. Location is really great as it is very central (in Mountain View, close to Palo Alto and Los Altos) and we have really good restaurants and shops within walking distance in the newly built «Carmel The Village» complex. Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods as well as several other healthy food stores are also literally within walking distance… hard to ask for more for a South Bay location… we love it here so far.

I have been living here 2 years. Every year they increase rent. There is black mold everywhere in the bathroom, on the kitchen floor. I have been trying to remove the mold using various chemicals but it has only temporary effect and I don’t want to breathe chemicals anymore. I value my health. The ladies from the office said that I need to clean my bathroom and wipe walls dry after every time I take shower. Everyone knows how toxic black mold is. Before signing your lease look at the mirrors in the apartment, and if there is black border on it DO NOT RENT THE APARTMENT.

Overall, I’ve had a very pleasant experience living here. The grounds are clean and generally well kept. The interior garden and pool areas are really nice. I was lucky to get a freshly renovated unit when I moved in with new carpet. The parking is partially underground, in a gated garage. I’ve never had any problems with theft or vandalism, except one incident I mention below. The halls are pretty quiet, except for a few kids that run in and out.
The units don’t have AC, except for those on the third floor, which was a problem for me during the summer because mine faced West. The two windows are floor-​to-​ceiling and the blinds are not all that effective at blocking out the heat. The result is that my apartment turned into a greenhouse during the day.
About a year ago, I had some mail stolen from my front door after it was left for two days (I was away). I went to tell the office and spoke with Mary, the property manager. She was completely unhelpful, uninterested, and unsympathetic. I didn’t expect any kind of compensation, but I would have expected some interest in any kind of crime happening within the complex. Nothing. Unfortunately, this is a running theme in all my interactions with Mary.
Right now, I’m in the process of moving out and have to do so in the middle of my lease. I’m again dealing with Mary, and again it’s all been difficult. I’ve had a few email exchanges with her about the process for breaking the lease (there is none, which means you’re stuck with the rent until the lease term ends or they rent the place to a new tenant) and her responses were always curt and generally unhelpful. After a few emails, she stopped responding entirely. I went in yesterday to give my 30 days notice and all she said was «that sucks ’cause it’s a really bad time to be leaving right now». I asked about the process for renting the place to a new tenant, and about whether my unit would be rented first to try to minimize the amount of rent I still had to pay. Everything she said was nonspecific and mostly useless.

I saw the other reviewer’s post abt the security deposit and had to post to say I couldn’t agree more. This place is in Mountain View, near WalMart, Chef Chu’s, Whole Foods, etc. Pretty good location, so-​so gym, however be aware — I also scoured the rental contract and there isn’t anything about wear and tear in there. it says that you have to restore it in the condition you found it in when you first moved in. It also says that the carpets were professionally cleaned, walls newly painted, so how the hell can you beat that without hiring your own carpet cleaner!!! Goodbye, 100% of security deposit.

For new renters, pay attention closely to the contract before you sign it.
There’s a «like new» clause that may cause you to lose your security deposit even with normal or less than normal wear and tear.

Just wanted to say that management is excellent at responding to maintenance calls. I let the landlord know about a clogged drain today at 10:30 am. They sent a maintenance guy out before 1 pm, then a plumber when the problem turned out to be more serious. The plumber cleaned up after his work too — and all this on a Sunday.
Whenever I make maintenance requests, management has been quick to respond.

I’ve been living here since Feb07. Living here has been a wonderful experience.
The building is in a great location, close to food, shopping, banks, coffee, etc. It’s nice being able to walk out the door to get just about everything I need.
The building and the grounds are kept clean and trim, and the remodeling they just did on the interior makes the place seem classier. The pools and hot tub are in great shape and are warm because they are on a solar system which can make for a very relaxing evening soak in the beautiful central courtyard. When I’m out there, it feels like I’m at a resort.
The maintenance crew has been great. They have been prompt to fix the two issues I’ve reported.
The last point is that the place is really quiet. I don’t mind it, but some may think its weird how little we see other people in the building.
And its too bad that the last poster wasn’t happy with the managers then. It would be nice to have cameras in the parking garages, so I’d support that, and people should be notified if bad stuff is happening in the building, but I have found the manager’s office to be very helpful and diligent and I think they work hard to keep the place running smoothly.
Overall, I think this is the best place of the last five I’ve lived in since moving back to the Bay Area in 2003. This may be the first year I stay for a second go-​round.
This review has been long overdue, I have been really happy at PA Plaza since I arrived.

I’m changing my review to a one because my car was KEYED AGAIN last night. Needless to say, I’m livid! Management has been unresponsive. I need to move out!
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I live here. My apartment is a «junior» one bedroom (euphemism for a studio) that is under 500 square feet, and it goes for close to $ 1400/​month. It’s pretty funny that the owners call it Palo Alto Plaza when it is a Mountain View address.
Pros:
Gated Community
Excellent maintenance of the complex, always clean everywhere, no trash
Nice small gym open until midnight
2 pools, 1 jacuzzi
Cyd the manager is helpful
Quiet
Cons:
MY CAR WAS deeply KEYED IN MY PARKING SPOT a couple weeks ago (management has been unresponsive about installing cameras or notifying other tenants of the vandalism).
Expensive rent
I face Lozano’s Car Wash, so have to listen to the noise all day, they open at 7am
The assistant manager is not so helpful or friendly
I would give this place a 4-​star. I’ve lived here for almost two years without any major concern, but I’ve been disappointed with their response to my car being keyed in the parking garage.