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    Avalon La Jolla Colony

    3.5 (78 reviews)
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    Email to staff about the time they entered my apartment when I wasn't home without notifying me for non-emergency reasons.
    Jarret B.

    Constant construction and noise. Maintenance crew always needs to enter my apartment when I'm not home. Was promised by staff that this place would be quiet but they failed to mention that for the next 6 months I would have to tolerate massive construction all around me. Can't hold staff accountable for this because leasing personnel that were around all have quit. I moved into my fully renovated apartment with new paint, new carpet & floors, all new appliances, brand kitchen in January 2016. Since moving in the maintenance crew has needed to enter my apartment almost every month since January for reasons like; check serial number of refrigerator, check shower heads to make sure they are the right ones, to check washer/dryer to make sure they are the right ones. I've come home several times to construction that prevented me from entering my home. Debris from construction is often on the walkways or on stairs. Often I receive notification about these things with less than 24 hours notice and one particular time they entered my apartment for an "annual inspection" just 2 months after moving in without any notification which is totally illegal. I only knew that someone entered my apartment because when I came home the staff opened all of my window blinds, left lights on, and forgot to close my patio door. No peace, no privacy, and constant violations of my renters rights.

    Outside my window
    Sam L.

    We have lived at Avalon for a year and a half now, and while things have been rocky at times it is an overall okay place to live. Pros: Location is great! Next to a gorgeous park, and close to a shopping center with Vons. Pool area is nice, and not really ever crowded. Great for BBQ's in the summer. All of the staff are incredibly nice, and if they can't fix a problem for you its usually because its out of their control. Maintenance responds quickly. Gym has all new equipment, and is never in use. Cons: The landscaper is on site everyday M-F from 8am-5pm, and walks around with his gas blower running for hours each day, always starting right at 9am, even on holidays! You will never sleep in with this guy around. The laundry room is small, only 6 W/D, and residents will leave their clothes in them for days so you can't always use them when you need to. The W/D themselves are old, and smell so gross, hate that we have to wash our clothes in them. The will do a pretty steep increase on rent for your renewal, and it already is not a very cost friendly place to start. All in all, I really have only enjoyed living here because of the location to everything else I use. The apartments are just really old, and you pay way too much for them.

    Stella and I
    Gina V.

    We absolutely love living at Avalon! It's like a resort! Very doggie friendly! Even has a doggie spa!

    Swimming pool area near the office
    Parvez D.

    I have lived at Avalon (previously Archstone) La Jolla Colony for the last eight months. I see many negative reviews and quite fairly, each experience is unique. It has also changed management a couple of years ago, so the reviews from before then would probably not apply now. Pros: 1. Office and Maintenance Staff: As with the other reviewers, I would give them 5/5 stars. Nadia, Abigail, Kara, Ashley - Office Staff - and Arturo, Hector, Esau - Maintenance staff - are very friendly. They are also excellent to work with. I have had just one minor maintenance question, and Hector was over in less than half an hour after I raised the request. They give off a feeling that they really enjoy what they do and that rubs off on the quality of their work. 2. Move-in: I had been on a lookout for a 1BR apartment for over 3 weeks, when a colleague suggested this place. I set up an appointment (and re-scheduled it due to timing conflicts - very quickly acknowledged and accepted) with the office. Nadia was the consultant I worked with and she was very knowledgeable and professional. After finalizing the lease, she went ahead set up the SDGE and rental insurance for me. I was also given a quick tour around the complex and its amenities. On the day of the actual move-in, Abigail and Hector gave me a quick walk around the complex, and went over the apartment features. 3. Location: Very close to UTC. Adjacent to two parks (one a dedicated dog park, and another a huge park). A 5 minute walk through the park and you are at a shopping complex, which has Vons, Starbucks, a pizzeria, UPS store, etc. Bus stop is also within a 5 minute walk. 5 minutes from the I-5 and the I-805. Ralphs, BestBuy, Trader Joes in another complex five minutes drive away 4. Apartment: The apartment itself is very nice. Lots of sunlight, cross-ventilation and minimum noise from outside (though sometimes, noise does seep through the ceiling from the floor upstairs). Includes electric heaters with thermostats in each room, but no air-conditioning. 5. Package pickup: Since I am not home most days, it is great to have someone in the office receive packages for me. They send out email notices (and reminders) to me to pick the packages up from the office or make other arrangements. At the office, I am always and immediately greeted by a smiling friendly face. 6. Regular Maintenance: The maintenance group regularly checks up on the apartment (they do issue a 2 day notice of entry). 7. Complex: The apartment complex itself is very well maintained. Dogs are allowed here, but there is no dog-poop or any other garbage for that matter lying around. The swimming pool, its surrounding lounge area, the small spa pool and the small workout room are kept clean. There are a couple of barbeque grills for common use. There is free WiFi in and around the office area. There is also a conference area which can be reserved. 8. Parking: Huge covered and gated parking area apart from the spots available next to the buildings. I have always found parking spots. Best of all, both options (uncovered/covered) are included in the rent. Guest parking passes are free and instantly approved. 9. Regular meet-n-greets: The staff regularly arranges for and provides lunch-barbecues, breakfast-bagels, etc. Cons: 1. No washer/dryer in my apartment, but this is not a deal-killer. The common laundry room has enough machines and I have never had to wait for one. 2. No air-conditioning in the apartment. 3. The covered garbage bins sometimes overflow (I assume someone just moved out and thrashed a lot of their stuff). But, the next day, maintenance got a power washer and cleaned up the area. To everyone who has read negative reviews about this place, I would recommend visiting the on-site office during office hours and see for themselves.

    Ice Cream social distancing style!

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    Ask the Community - Avalon La Jolla Colony

    Review Highlights - Avalon La Jolla Colony

    Armando, Victor and Arturo is the most amazing bunch of guys and we are so blessed to have them as our guys.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    As always, maintenance was very, very quick to address the issue as well as contact me to advise!read more

    I wanted to state to not be upset with the maintenance department. They follow the guidelines and…read morerules from the front office (HG Fenton). The maintenance staff here are great. It's sad they get a bad rep. I recently moved out. I got a call saying I owe more money. My utility bill was more than double. I was completely moved out August 1. How my bill doubled is beyond me. The staff claimed they took the payment for utilities out of my security deposit and I still have a remaining balance of 56.58 for repairs. My utility accounts should not be paid for from the security deposit. I've been paying my utility accounts on auto debit. Any repairs needed should have come from the security deposit. HG Fenton is horrible! I will never live at another HG Fenton community. The 2 statements the office likes to make here: "This is how we do it here" in reference to their general operations when it's convenient for them. When you request significant repairs: "We don't normally do this but we'll try to make an exception". This is a terrible way to operate. I would be embarrassed if I was the leasing staff here. So many residents complain and are itching to move. So many residents complain of the exhaust problems as well. Do not move here! As bad as it is you can't really blame the leasing staff either. These are all HG Fenton policies. They're just following the rules of head quarters. Conservice the company used for utilities is not answering. I've tried to pay my bill directly through them. Their automated answering service is a hotline for medical devices making the company seem fraudulent. It seems Portofino cancelled my account with Con service as a means to double charge me to keep more of my deposit! They can keep the deposit I won't pay anymore fees.

    West SD Apartments

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    I've had a great experience with West SD Apartments so far. The community is well maintained, the…read morelocation is excellent, and everything from the leasing process to move-in has been smooth and professional. Korey Wermager was especially helpful--she was incredibly responsive, knowledgeable, and made the entire process stress-free. She took the time to answer all my questions, explain options clearly, and made sure everything was handled efficiently. If you're looking for a well-run property with a team that genuinely cares about residents, I'd definitely recommend West SD Apartments.

    Korey gave us a great tour of West SD and made the whole experience really easy and enjoyable. She…read morewas friendly, knowledgeable, and took the time to walk me through everything without making it feel rushed. I had a lot of questions and she answered all of them clearly while also pointing out things I wouldn't have even thought to ask about. What stood out most was how much effort she put into the tour. She went above and beyond to make sure we understood the community, the amenities, and what living there would actually be like. It felt like she genuinely cared about helping me find the right fit rather than just giving a standard sales pitch on why I should live at the West. Overall, Korey was an excellent leasing agent and made a really positive impression with me right from the start. I appreciated how helpful, patient, and welcoming she was throughout the entire tour. Once I did move in, she continued to show outstanding service and continues to make me feel comfortable with any questions I have! So far, I'm a month in and loving living here! Thank you Korey and everyone at West!

    Urbana

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    I really didn't want to write this updated review, but I think it's important to inform others of…read moresome of the issues I experienced before ending my lease earlier this year. Before I get to that, Urbana has had many issues since May 2024 when new managers (not management company) came on site. In September of 2024, the fire alarm went off five times. All of them were a false alarm, except for one, and everyone thought it was a false alarm because we were so used to them. This continued on in the months ahead where they would have to do fire alarm testing, which happened at least 3 times in December. There was also a hot water problem. It went on for more than 24 hours, and technically that's considered inhabitable, but they brought us some food from Becca di Beppo to make up for it?! I didn't have hot water for 3 days!! Thank god I was a member at FIT because I went there to shower, but they didn't even give us a rent discount or anything for that month. The "events" were very lackluster compared to what they used to be like Poker Night where they would bring in different casino tables, or a Zoo/carnival day on the rooftop where they actually brought in exotic animals, but those days are gone and now it's a continuous happy hour at a brewery down the street. Their sister property Vici seems to have a lot more events that are akin to what Urbana used to have. I got $11 back from my deposit. My $500 deposit, and I only got back $11. I never painted anything, never even hung up or mounted anything. Everything was in working order. I asked for a breakdown and they said cleaning and "painting the walls." I asked how that's reflected on me since I never even made any holes or nails in the walls and they never got back to me. Also, they used to have bike racks in between cars. They got rid of those because bikes were getting stolen and offered to put some in storage. Well, new management denied my bike was ever in there and when I showed them the email that it was with a picture of my bike, they said that they're not responsible. So, yeah my bike got stolen out of their storage. I really didn't want to leave this review because I had great times at Urbana, but I feel it's warranted.

    Absolutely the Worst Living Experience I've Had in 7+ Years…read more I moved into Urbana over seven years ago after calling to ask if the building allowed smoking. The leasing agent said, "Yeah, it's a smoking building. Come on over. You want to check out an apartment? Want a beer?" -- at 11 a.m. That should've been the first red flag. But hey, it's San Diego. People party. And at Urbana, that's what most residents seem to do: drink heavily, act entitled, and leave trash everywhere. Things went from bad to worse. During the pandemic, management showed no concern for resident safety. I had to escalate to upper management just to get hand sanitizer stations installed and basic mask guidelines posted. I was physically attacked in the elevator during COVID -- management's response? Indifference. It gets darker. During the pandemic, there were meth-addicted sex workers living in the building under a stolen identity. It took management forever to do anything about it -- even after repeated complaints. There was also visible gang activity on the sixth floor, because apparently Urbana doesn't really vet who rents there. I was attacked in the lobby by a gang member trying to force his way in, and still, they dragged their feet in taking any meaningful action. More recently, a friend of mine died in his unit from alcohol poisoning. What doesn't help is the 24-hour self-serve beer keg on the rooftop -- yes, really. No ID checks, no oversight. If my kid lived here and got in an accident after drinking at home, I'd be furious. It feels negligent, if not outright illegal. The building is now "autonomous," which means: no front desk, no supervision, and zero accountability. The current property manager, Isaac Stermer, is one of the most inept people I've ever dealt with. He cannot communicate, he delays action until you pester him multiple times, and he clearly doesn't care. When a neighbor left open bags of dog feces in the hallway, it took me three complaints and photo evidence to get a response. There are no security cameras in the elevators. The cameras in the lobby don't even face the front desk. They want to spend money on turning an old office into a "community lounge" instead of improving safety. Priorities are completely backward. Worst of all, when someone dies in the building, they say nothing. No notice, no compassion, no acknowledgment. They'll tell you "we're family," but in reality, they only care about one thing: profit. If you're still thinking of moving here, lock your doors. And don't be surprised if the party never stops, the trash piles up, and management turns a blind eye -- every time.

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    My wife and I lived here for 3 yrs before a new job was too far for daily commute, otherwise we'd…read morebe here longer! If you're wanting peace of mind, reliable staff, security, community, and comfort, I highly recommend Del Oro on Broadway Apartments. Alba has been with us from the start, she's always on top of communication answering all of our questions and concerns. Pete and Ruben are the friendliest grounds keepers and always will help with anything. These apartments are very well maintained, professionally cleaned and sanitized before move in and move out. It's very modern and roomy. Should anything need immediate maintenance they have onsite maintenance there 24/7. That also means if someone trips an alarm or something by accident you won't hear it for hours. Its a very nice gated community with surveillance cameras everywhere and on site patrol at night. The heating and a/c are top notch as well as all the other appliances. We rarely ran into issues but if we did it was fixed super fast. The staff have special events every so often for children as well as free pizza or raffles to win things like full thanksgiving meals, etc. Parking is great theres plenty for cars needing charging stations or cover. The amazon package hub and mail are very secure, easy to use. We had two dogs and it was easy to get them to the designated dog pen. Its all kept very clean! There are so many amazing places nearby to eat and the bay is just up the street! If you're nervous to apply like we were because we had a lot going on at the time that sounded complicated to explain, just try! The staff are very understanding and will try to help you succeed. We are very thankful for the chance we had. There really isn't anything negative to report, we loved this apartment and they were always fair never asking for large increases in rent renewals. They also give plenty of advance notice for fire alarm testing, main hallway carpet cleaning, elevator maintenance, and any in unit quick inspections for yearly fire sprinkler upkeep that is just fast in and out look. Again, I highly recommend living here, it was an easy 3 yrs and we were very comfortable here.

    Best place to live in the area! I've lived at Del Oro for a…read moreyear now and just renewed my lease :) The front office staff and maintenance team are all exceptional people! They are all very friendly, professional, and hardworking; they have also gone out of their way to help me a few times which was so nice! The grounds are always kept clean, it's secure and quiet. There is also roaming security at night which is a bonus. The apartments are beautiful and it's really nice to be able to enjoy a pool, jacuzzi, gym, and clubhouse. I'm so happy to have chosen Del Oro. Highly recommend!

    Avalon La Jolla Colony - apartments - Updated May 2026

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