JP A

Review of Northpark Apartments

The community is fairly nice (I like the central p...

The community is fairly nice (I like the central park) and was lucky to get a renovated apartment (at the Pines) - the non-renovated apartments are not worth it and are really substandard given the price you pay. Parking isn't an issue if you are a resident, though guests will have an issue though. Also my place supported AT&T fiber Internet. You get 1 star for that.
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Okay, now for the negatives, the really really bad stuff. Hopefully, It'll get the attention of the owners/corporation. 4 stars removed.
Main issues:
1) Lack of professionalism
2) Lack of communication
3) Cutting corners
4) Safety and Noise
5) Fees

Would have to say that there are corners cut in terms of maintenance, construction, and the dreaded issue with trash - particularly with their parking structures and the various parts of the community. If you are looking for a quiet community, I would pass as it's pretty noisy, esp. given the size (there are thousands of units in the entire complex) and the amount of kids around. Also the walls and ceilings are paper thin, which allows for noise to propagate. Safety is not good.

The staff, residency services, and communication is just terrible. It's impossible / difficult to get in contact with them (and the parent company - Irvine Company). Maintenance is slow (had issues with the AC and lighting). It took 5 days to fix. When it's related to new business (making $), they are responsive (the leasing agent). After numerous calls and they finally pick up (they won't follow up if you leave them a voicemail) you are likely to get a rude response. There's no feeling of importance or priority for the current residents.

The next issue is safety. There have been quite a reports about car break-in, in a secured garage which is disturbing. Definitely don't leave your valuables, but I think security could be improved. Another issue of safety are the main roads and drive ways. People speed through and there are plenty of blind spots. I've seen 2 people get hit by cars and of course many close calls. It might be a good idea to have speed bumps. The street is also quite narrow and lots of people tend to park wherever via hazards lights on, thus partially blocking the road.

Following safety, it's quite a noisy complex. I thought being in a corner unit would be quite, but you can hear the neighbors, esp. the screaming kids around you and running around. Again, the walls and ceilings are thin and not very well insulated from noise.

Lastly, I recently moved out and the cleaning fees are stupidly high, even if the apartment is in excellent condition as they do a flat-rate fee rather than variable. There was a fee for carpet cleaning, even though my unit doesn't have carpet. The deposit is $600 and the final move out fees end up being about the same. You will not get your deposit back - other reviews say the same.

Pictures below are of my actual apartment unit that was renovated at The Pines Unit. It's nice, but definitely not worth the market price and the other hassles. Again, non-renovated units are not that nice.

I would say please avoid this place, it's overpriced (15-20% higher than market for "luxury apartments") and don't give them your business. The non-Irvine apartments treat you much better and with better value. This is not the right way to run a business when residents come last.