(Disclosure: I've owned my 1BR unit since 2021, and have no plans on selling. I am currently serving on the HOA board.) If you're looking to buy or rent, Bridgewater is an excellent place to consider. The amenities are great, the secure courtyard is beautiful, and the residential parking is the best in the area. I also love the city of Emeryville. I don't own a car and can do almost anything within walking distance. We have multiple excellent grocery stores, cafes, restaurants, bars, and a full movie theater within a 30 minute walk. We have bus stops right across the street for the always free Emery-Go-Round, the transbay bus into SF, and almost anywhere else in the Bay Area via a BART transfer. The city is also always improving our bike lanes if you like to get around that way. If you have a dog, you'll meet lots of other friendly ones and their humans here regularly. You can soak in the hot tub, swim, or workout in our full gym. I've made friends with dozens of my neighbors in the few years I've been here, and I'm fairly introverted. There are certainly downsides. Living with lots of neighbors who all have different priorities, hours, and habits is always a challenge. But if you enjoy city life like I do and don't mind sharing hallways with neighbors then it's quite enjoyable. We had a recent issue with our main lobby elevator caused by an ex-contractor that put it out of commission for about a year. We did our best to get it fixed as quickly as possible, but ran into delays from insurance approvals, materials sourcing, and state inspection schedules. I'm happy to say it's working again and its repairs won't cost residents a dime. We also had a big emergency project due to faulty siding that cost owners a substantial amount a few years ago. Many complained about that, but it would've cost us much more if we didn't make those repairs and let the catastrophic water damage continue to worsen. I don't know of anyplace where these things don't happen from time to time, but I'm glad I live someplace where the owners take action to fix things before they become much bigger problems. We also have the same crime problems every other apartment complex has in the Bay Area, but we keep regular contact with city officials to keep police patrols watching our streets and our security is well-suited for managing things on the property itself. I may be biased (it's a review site after all), but I love it here and hope I never need to move. read more

Bridgewater - Apartments Near Me - Emeryville, California

I lived in Building 4 (the one facing the railroad) for a year, and unfortunately, it was the most stressful living experience I've had. The biggest issue is the constant noise. The trains run extremely close to the building, and the horns go off almost every night -it regularly woke us up. On top of that, there is frequent noise from the parking lot of the opposite building. It's not unusual for someone to blast music at 5 a.m. or for a car alarm to go off for hours overnight. There is also a persistent marijuana smell under the windows, which often drifts into the apartment. Many residents in Building 4 have one or even two dogs. Barking is common -either through the walls or from balconies where dogs are left alone. Some larger dogs have behaved aggressively near the building entrance, which can feel unsafe. Maintenance is another issue. Things break often, and repairs can take months to be resolved. There is no 24-hour security, and enforcing quiet hours feels nearly impossible. Complaints about repeated nighttime disturbances did not lead to any real solution. During this year, I had a baby, and the constant lack of sleep made the situation especially difficult. Even when there was a chance to rest, it was often disrupted by noise. Overall, I did not feel that this community prioritizes peaceful living or respect for neighbors. I would not recommend this complex to anyone looking for a quiet environment, especially families with young children. read more

Lovely facility, pool, and people. Garage is convenient, place is secure as reasonable though there are occasional incidents with tailgating. Biggest dealbreaker -- the elevator in the lobby has been out for a year now, and the ones in my building are feeling increasingly sketchy over time. I'm not sure if its a bad choice of elevator contractor or bad hardware, but the lack of ADA accessibility is problematic and has dissuaded me from trying to step from rental to ownership here. read more

The HOA dues rose continuously year over year during the 4 years that I owned an apartment here even after the pandemic closed down all the amenities in the complex that I would've thought those fees would be paying to maintain. On top of that, a special assessment was issued for $20,000-35,000 depending on the size of your unit that all homeowners had to pay out of pocket. Mail boxes were broken into consistently for over a year and elevators constantly broke down. The HOA office is unreachable almost all the time and even after getting in touch with them, verbal agreements to send forms or follow-up on issues are ignored unless you refuse to get off the phone with them until the task is done. Had a terrible experience with this HOA and the only silver lining is that now I know to do my research more extensively in the future read more

I waited to write this until after we sold our unit because I didn't want to jinx anything. This is our first and last time dealing with an HOA and I highly recommend that you stay away. We had bought a 1 bedroom condo in 2014 and while it was a good experience to learn from being first-time homeowners, I am so relieved I don't live here anymore. First of all- the HOA fee kept on climbing every year- ($365 in 2014, $475 in 2020) with services and amenities getting worse and worse. The management is flat out rude and not customer service oriented AT ALL. If I am paying $475 which contributes your salary as well as your staff- I expect you to be a little more approachable and nicer to me. Even with covid-19, the HOA fees are likely to increase even though the pool & gym are closed. The elevators were often broken and things are very slow to be fixed or cleaned. The latest thing that I noticed is the main door to the visitor entrance was broken for over 3 weeks. There are quite a few renters in the complex and they treat their units like apartments, throwing their crap filled diapers in the garbage room, putting shells and hair into the kitchen sink, you name it. There are also a ton of neighbors that let their dogs walk around the complex without a leash and poop everywhere- and also nothing is done about that. The actual units were built with really crappy materials & appliances. I see that now as I am temporarily living in an apartment and can see the difference with high-quality paint at my current place. If you bought a unit in 2014 or earlier, you will notice that the paint chips very easily. The tipping point that made us want to get out of here is that there are shared pipes between the units. So, no matter how careful you are to not put junk down your sink, your neighbor can put whatever they want and it will plug up the line for up to 3-4 units. On two separate occasions, my weekend plans were spoiled (I missed my best friend's bachelorette party, and my other friend's BBQ) because the sink was overflowing a muddy brown sludge. This was all due to my neighbor washing her hair in the sink. HOA did nothing about this and it will most likely happen again. But worse- they had ZERO empathy or sense of customer service during this really stressful situation. A little humanity would have gone a long way. We also had continual problems with our neighbor making extremely loud noise- made multiple complaints, nothing was done about it. The only saving grace is the maintenance guy Jorge- he was super helpful and always went out of his way to help us. Also, it is right near the J Transbay busline which which takes you to and from San Francisco. read more

Now that the old management with Joycelyn, Amanda and LaDonna are gone, I love Bridgewater again with the new management! It's like back in the old days with Todd and Elise where Bridgewater was lovely! Loving my Bridgewater community again now! New management is helpful and friendly! read more

Bridgewater is decent place and is a good place for both owners and renter. 3 levels of security which is good. undergoing some siding repair. Big benefit single story no stairs. renovated gun and clubhous. lived there for 3 years. Quite Inside courtyard units are best. nice pool. read more

The HOA staff, particularly Ladonna, are terribly rude and lazy. I'm genuinely dumbfounded by how terrible she treats residents, and how abrasive she is in every single interaction I've seen or experienced first hand. read more

The worst service here. I moved in 2018. In 2019, someone reported me smoking, ok fine, I caught someone which is next me smoking in their patio. And sent it to them, they are crazy and racists just bc I am Chinese. I am glad I am finally moving out from this property. The crazy Hoa office, package is missing, they don't know where they put it. Every time tried to ask them , they just said you have to contact the ups. But ups said it's arrived, and after 10 minutes, they find it. Don't live here. The Management of this building sucks! Thanks read more

Rented here for exactly one year and then left as soon as possible once the contract was up. The owner who rented their place seems to have lied about owning it, which was not really a big deal. But then the bath tub cracked and the company who fixed it confirmed the landlord was the owner. Then, the owner misinformed me about being able to install a washer/dryer. During the visit to the apartment when I first saw the place, he waved his hand at the hook ups for a washer and dryer and said, "And this is where you'd put your washer and dryer if you wanted one." When I purchased a washer/dryer, he changed his mind and refused permission for me to install one. I understand HOAs can have rules about the kind of washers and dryers you're allowed to install, but I was livid that he denied ever saying I could install my own washer and dryer. That seems dishonest to tell a tenant they can do one thing before they sign a 1 year contract, and then to change your mind on a whim. The tenants here are a mixed bag. While there were plenty of nice and friendly tenants, there were also many odd ones. During my first week, I was playing with my tiny puppy in the communal lawn area at night when I looked up to see a male with his back against a building entrance door, holding it open and with his arms crossed. He was staring right at us very aggressively, frowning. Spooked, I quickly picked up my puppy and dashed home! This felt like an odd and hostile way to be welcomed into the community. Every time I walked by that building for the next year, I kept my eyes peeled for this stranger who was shooting eye daggers at me and my puppy. During my first few months, a large dog nearly attacked my puppy! When I was exiting my building, another woman was right behind leaving with her large dog too. I tried to let them walk ahead when her dog growled at my dog, but when the walk continued, her dog must have felt we shouldn't be walking on the same trail as them, so they ran back about 30 feet because she was using a retractable leash, put their face in my dog's face again, and growled louder this time. This person shouldn't have been using a retractable leash for a seemingly aggressive or insecure dog in my opinion. It puts other humans and dogs at risk for harm. It didn't stop there. I was in shock at this aggression and asked her to keep her dog closer to her. She took great offense and stalked me. She cornered me, when I was trying to allow them to pass, and told me her dog isn't aggressive. It also didn't stop there. I had the misfortune of seeing her a second time a few months later in the dog relief area, but we did not speak or come to close to one another. She went back into our building with her dog, and several minutes later, her partner who she lives with came out AGAIN with the same dog. He pretended to make a friendly introduction, but began accusing me of calling his partner aggressive, amongst other things. His partner never told him she stalked or cornered me, and he wouldn't listen. He began shouting at the top of his lungs when I walked away. That was when I learned they lived right next to me because I could hear him shouting for the next 2 hours in his apartment. I heard him say he was going to sleep that night with his machete. I stopped going out in my front yard for the remainder of the contract -- approximately 9 months. I also didn't allow my puppy to, which was sad for them. You'd think it stopped there. It didn't. I was working on the wash cycle for my laundry in the laundry room, which is right next to their apartment, when he walked by with his dog and shook his head at me. After that, I didn't feel comfortable leaving my clothes in there unattended. I brought a chair and my laptop up and it was a good thing I did. I saw him entering the laundry room and stop when he saw my laptop charger snaked across the floor. He couldn't see me, but I saw his arm and got up to see him walking around the hallway corner and into his apartment. To this day, I'm assuming he was going to tamper with my laundry. I tried to buy my own washer/dryer, but you know how that turned out. I took my laundry to a wash and fold for the rest of the contract -- approximately 6 months. Thankfully I never saw either of them again, except for once when his partner glared at me when I was entering the complex. I never walked my dog inside the complex after the man was shouting earlier. That was also unfortunate because the seemingly dog friendly atmosphere was a big motivator for living there. Trust the other reviewers here when they express confusion over how Ladonna is still working there. She is there every single day, and comes across as incredibly mean spirited. The rest of management is not really any better. I'm glad I'm out of there. read more

I've been looking at different properties lately. As a resident at Bridgewater for the past 3 years, I had to give this place some love for the great management and security employees. Whenever I had any issues, an email to Elise or Todd got an immediate reply and they'd take some sort of action (like weather stripping to reduce water intrusion) to help with the issue. The only downsides: 1) A few select neighbors don't clean up after their pets. Worst is when they pee in the elevators and don't clean up. There's also a dog run littered with poop and a lawn for humans (pets specifically are not allowed) that's also littered with poop. 2) Walls (and maybe ceilings) are kinda thin. I see some posts about the trains, but that doesn't bother me since we've got triple paned glass. You can hear it, but I barely notice it anymore. Keep up the good work management! read more

I do not understand why this place is rated so lowly. This place is super affordable, awesome amenities (pool, jacuzzi, free onsite gym, pool table, ping pong table, clubhouse, bbq pits), and is CLEAN. I'm leasing and I have to say, I don't see why there are so many negative reviews about leasing, as I've enjoyed the cleanliness of the rooms, carpet, and the kitchen. The complex even has free parking, with additional street parking always available. The only negative experience I've had with this complex does not involve the property itself, but the property manager. She rudely called me while I was at work, and then proceeded (in the most disrespectful and disgusting manner possible) to accuse me and my roommates to be future troublemakers and liars, just because we were all under the age of 30. WHAT? We had just moved in and had no noise complaints, but yet she was calling me accusing me of wrongdoing. Unbelievable. However, everyone else who works here is super nice and friendly (props to Mharla, she helped us sign the lease and gave us a tour. super friendly and flexible service!). As I came from Berkeley housing, this place is a huge upgrade for us (no mold, cheaper rent). However, it can get pretty quiet in comparison, which is not necessarily a bad thing (just so you know!) read more

Amenities are second to none and great apartment floor plans. Love their luxurious and recently renovated spa with jacuzzi and pool [heated in the summer only )= ] Their clubhouser is spectacular, it features a ping pong table as well as pool table, 3 TVs, kitchen, dining and living room area with boardgames. CONS: Please fix call box by north entrance on 65th street.. It has been out of order for months and a huge inconvenience for us residents! Elevators inspection has also expired and BW can be reported for this. read more

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BEWARE! The sales and management at Bridgewater is extremely unprofessional, disorganized and rude! The sales manager, Jeff, actually just called us ridiculous after politely declining to purchase the unit we rented here. This is after he completely messed up our option of first right of refusal of the unit we had rented. Just further confirms our decision not to purchase here. If you choose to purchase at Bridgewater, please do not waive your right for an inspection and make sure your inspector closely checks the tub and showers. We lived in our unit for 2 years and had multiple complaints about some questionable black material oozing through our grout in our tub/shower. These units are being upgraded cheaply and we were told that the showers/tubs were not being replaced despite this known issue, so please be careful and do your due diligence during your inspection contingency time period! read more

I've been renting at Bridgewater for the past 3 years. Thought I'd share the pros and cons of living at Bridgewater for anyone whos looking to rent in Emeryville. Pros: 1) Easy commute to SF - Bridgewater is located conveniently next to the freeway, commuters usually take casual carpool or AC transit to SF. Casual carpool/AC transit takes about 22 - 35 minutes in the morning to get to the city. Since carpool pickup and bus stops are just downstairs of Bridgewater, I'd say this only adds an additional or 2 minutes to my commute. 2) Free shuttle service to Bart - Emeryville has its own free shuttle service (called Emery go-round) that takes you to Macarthur station (each way takes about 25 minutes). 3) Gated community and a 24/7 front desk. You never have to worry about unattended package left at your front door. IDs are required for package pickups. 4) Location - close to SF, Berkeley, and Oakland 5) Washer and dryer in unit. Cons: 1) Train noise. I'm sure most of the reviews here mentioned about it. I think most of the units have double pane windows. You sort of get used to it. 2) This apartment was built in 1988. Elevators are a bit outdated but HOA is working on replacing them. 3) Only the corner units get 2 parking spots. That being said, I'd definitely recommend this place for people who either found a job in SF/Oakland and are looking at Emeryville because of the ridiculously high rent in SF. read more

The HOA and security staff here are a nightmare. There are a few staff (I can count two only) who are nice and customer service oriented but the rest are rude, condescending, and make simple tasks difficult. I brought a technician to set up internet and the way one staff member in particular treated him was just awful and flat out abusive. I apologized to the technician and assured him that the staff are rude to everyone. Everything is more difficult with the HOA too. Eg, two examples: moving in or out is a hassle that requires navigating red tape and the package concierge won't accept packages over 50 lbs (I have a job, and can't be on standby to pick up packages--isn't that the point of a package concierge?). read more

Great value for the area. I bought in August 2015, and I'm impressed with the common area - great gym, friendly people at front desk plus security, clean pool and hot tub, and I have a parking space in a secured garage. The HOA may be a little unorganized - they never told us any of the rules upon move-in, but promptly started taking our money. The dues are comparable to everything else in the area (and cheaper than lots of others I've seen). I feel like you get a lot of value for the HOA dues. Some parts of the building are old (interior of units have all been remodeled) so the garage gate always seems to be out of service or something else. Another reviewer complained that all the packages go through the front desk and claimed they have a 15 minute walk to get there. It's a 5-minute walk tops, and I personally am glad a secure area holds my package rather than letting it sit out in the open. However, the hallways smell like air-freshened trash. I've gotten used to that though. At least the smell doesn't seep into my unit. My unit faces the courtyard, so it's not loud other than the trains. I sleep with a giant air purifier on for white noise. I hardly ever hear the neighbors or people above me. I honestly questioned whether anyone lived in the other units for quite some time because I just never heard them! Also, the location is great. Close to shopping, close to Public Market, close to casual carpool or buses into SF. I've been really happy to have this as my first property. read more

This complex used to be mostly rental, and the management was pretty horrible before. But it was converted to all condos few years ago, and the HOA drastically improved. I am currently an owner at this complex and it's actually not bad at all. Yes HOA is a little strict, they wrote me an email about putting a floormat in front of my door, but I guess if everyone puts a floormat out, the hallway will look pretty messy, so I understand. The pool, hot tub, gym, and clubhouse are all clean and well maintained. The garage doors broke a few times but HOA took care of that. The elevators are getting old, but HOA scheduled to get all of them upgrade in the next month. read more

I've lived here since November and this review is for the HOA, not the people who actually work for Bridgewater. (They are great! especially the front desk girl and security guard!) If I could, I would give them NO stars. The HOA here is horrible. We've gotten 3 noise complaints since living here. One was reasonable (9pm at night getting ready to go out) I understand that one and never did that again. They let us know that Emeryville has certain "quiet hours" of which we abided by after that. But the Last two that I received were mid day. One ON A WEEKEND and one during the week around 11am. I actually received an email, phone call AND letter on my door all for the same noise complaint. It was 12pm on a SATURDAY while I was cleaning my condo. Elise from HOA called me to let me know all of the neighbors surrounding me were complaining. Are you kidding me? I have a speaker about 6 inches long playing music from my phone DURING THE DAY AND ON A WEEKEND. Obviously NOT during Emeryville's "quiet hours". This being said, we also have an upstairs neighbor who stays up all night running marathons above us (or at least thats what it sounds like) They thump all hours of the night. Has actually woken me up out of my sleep at 2am two nights ago. I've called HOA twice now abiout this incident. Seems like nothing can be done but my music playing at 12pm on a weekend gets a phone call, email, and letter? Somethings not right here. Sidenote: With all of these noise complaints going on, I think its safe to say the walls (and floors) are super thin. I CANNOT wait until our lease is up! read more

The customer service I experienced this morning was horrible. Ladonna at the front desk was extremely rude and condescending. It was my first time visiting these units and immediately off the bat she had an attitude with me. If it's your first time visiting these condos, it can be very confusing to find the right condo number. For a living, I take pictures of houses so that they can be sold and put on the market. It makes things more difficult when I meet someone who is incapable of giving instructions on how to get to my destination. Aside from that, the places are very beautiful and the courtyard is absolutely gorgeous. Hopefully the next person that visits the front desk catches Ladonna on a better day. read more

This review is for the apartments and not the condo portions...Given its close proximity to restaurants, grocery stores, etc., the pros hardly merit credit to the cons I've experienced living here. Firstly, the garage and parking system is absolutely the most inconvenient I have ever experienced. Parking on the second floor (reserved for residents) has a ridiculous stall # system that allows 1 car per household. Not only is this a setback for families living in the complex that have two cars (which requires the second car to park on the 1st floor), the parking stall assignments are scattered all across the garage, making it redundantly difficult for someone parked near apartment unit 1 walk all the way across the garage to where he/she lives in unit 4. For those that park on the 1st floor. There is no elevator access to the apartments from the 1st floor garage. You have to enter and exit by walking outside the garage, around the building, through the second floor garage. Someone parked in my stall number once and they were supposed to be towed. They just got a ticket warning and their car stayed overnight while I had to park somewhere else. Meaning I could have parked in a different assigned spot any given day and jacked someone of their parking for the day as well. Management and security is also faulty to no bounds. For 10 out of the 12 months I lived there, I had to call security on some increasingly annoying upstairs neighbors who were exchange students at nearby UC Berkeley. Their incessant stomping (or what seemed like it), went on to 2-3 AM in the morning 5 days of the week. The walls and ceiling are cardboard thin and you can hear everything that goes on. Their bathtub running at these same early hours kept me up as the piping was connected to my bedroom wall. Security and management did nothing about quieting down the absurd amount of stomping, running, laughing, and running water during early hours for the whole year. By contract, they were supposed to have their lease revoked for disturbing peace. Personally, after one offense myself for having loud music, the cops got called and personally came to Bridgewater and knocked on my door. When the whole year I complained about neighbors upstairs....Even though these were my upstairs neighbors, this could very well happen to anyone living in the lower units. Kitchen amenities are pretty standard low quality. Drawers are held cheaply together by staples and I managed to accidentally pull a drawer cover off...stove fan is useless as it circulates back into the apartment (no vents leading outside) and the sensitive smoke detectors are placed right in the kitchen going off everytime we cooked anything over medium power. The mailroom is operated by the same incompetent, lazy employees who are the same people as "security". I ordered often at Bridgewater, and their system of picking up packages is horrible. They mark everything on a log per shipment. I come back from work expecting my package to be in by 6. The package arrived at 2 PM according to amazon. I wasn't allowed to pick my package up until 9 PM when they were done logging everybody's shipment in the mailroom. I walk in and I see two employees chatting, laughing, taking their sweet ass time "logging" packages. I should've been able to walk in and pick up my package the moment it arrived. Their system of picking up orders is absurd and inconvenient. Better security and competent employees would render this system unncessessary. Do yourself a favor and avoid paying the ripoff lease rate here and avoid the incompetent and ignorant management here. Don't be fooled by subtle appearances and aesthetics. Ridiculous rent amount for emeryville/oakland area, inconvenient parking, snarky management and incompetent, lazy, security should be enough for you to steer clear. read more

This is a place that is not faring well in the present down market. It is a mix of privately owned condos and rentals. Although there is no shortage of housing options in the immediate area, the staff took 10 days to process an application ... apparently because of indecisiveness on the part of an owner. With that kind of response, coupled with the fact the spas, pool and other amenities are not in functioning order, one can surmise that this place is getting crunched financially. I would recommend persons to avoid this address in favor of a complex a little more put together (Archstone or Avenue 64). read more

I've been a home owner here for 4 years and have been very happy. The entire complex under new owners & management is undergoing major renovations and upgrades that are improving the overall quality of life here. I recommend talking to homeowners instead of renters if you are considering buying! Great location, walking distance to everything, near Bridge, freeways, etc. read more

I want to be clear: I like Bridgewater a lot. It's a great place to live with very friendly and helpful staff. The place is kept very clean and has great amenities. I'm giving it one star in protest of the obnoxiously loud trains at night. This is a problem particularly in this area. I would never purchase a unit here (and will move as soon as my lease is up) for this reason alone. Some units don't face the tracks and it might not be as much of a problem (I don't know, I've never been in another unit). Some people sleep with the windows closed. There are probably over 100 trains per day who all blow their whistles LOUDLY. It's never-ending with different pitches... you don't become adjusted to one. Fix the noise pollution and I'll fix the rating. read more

I have tried to ask the HOA questions about the development and they hang up on me and are soooo freaking rude. I'm a nice person and I call HOAs frequently for work and these people are the worst!! Yikes! I certainly wouldn't want to have to deal with them in a living situation!! Nice condos and location but be warned about the HOA. read more

Terrible HOA and terrible Elise! One of the elevators has been down for more than 2 months. Move-in obviously requires 7 business days reservation ahead of time (yes, you cannot move into your newly bought home freely.) 2-hour window for moving and if you cannot finish in 2 hours obviously Elise would suggest that you take your truck back and reserve another 2-hour move-in window 7 business days later. There is no reservation extension possible. No way to work around. If you can't finish your moving in 2 hours, fuck your truck rentals and labor rentals and schedule your move another day (regardless of how many furnitures you have.) Elise could care less if you have already moved out from your previous apartment and would be homeless for 7 business days with a truck load of your furnitures. So not only that the HOA fails to maintain the community's common areas or make necessary repairs, they will impose the inconvenience on the homeowners and refuse to work anything out. A bad HOA can decrease the value of your home, force you to spend a lot of money, and turn your life upside down. They are awaiting a lawsuit if this kind of service continues. Elise needs to leave. read more

It's a decent place to live. Units are all refurbished and the design is solid. Residents are pretty quiet and seem to care about living there. Things to consider are: (a) the gym is not well maintained (broken machines, poorly working amenities like towel dispensers) and (b) thin walls whereby by you can hear your neighbors....and I mean you can really hear MANY of your neighbors' happenings. To summarize, it's not a bad place to live. read more

I went to college in Berkeley and I never really heard about Emeryville until I graduated. What a gem it is! In 2012, I moved here from my Berkeley student apartment to Bridgewater for easy commute and to raise my standard of living. Commute to SF: I live in this condo and work in SF for almost four years. Causal carpool and Bus line (J and F) are a huge huge huge plus for people who work in SF. (F runs all day and J runs during commute hours only). They use a special carpool lane that avoided most of the morning traffic. Everyday when we were cruising through the special carpool lane and pass the massive traffic jam on the left, it's a special sight to behold. A typical SF commute time is 25-40 minutes door to door. Commute to South Bay: Emeryville Amtrak station is five minutes walk away, an ideal commuting option for people who work in South Bay. BART: Emery-Go-Round (Free Shuttle to BART or around town) Safety: Most people live here are working professionals and young families. It's a very safe place to be. The security team here is pretty responsive and I never had any issues. HOA: HOA here is very accommodating and responsive. My HOA fee hasn't increase for my 4 years. Of course, some $ can be saved here and there but I think Elise did a pretty good job. Unit Layout: All units have a nice walking closet. If you are choosing between a 1B unit or a studio, go for a studio. 1B is only slightly bigger but studio is much open. Fitness center: I like the 24/7 fitness center because sometime I do workout late at night. Pool and jacuzzi: Pool is heated during some months of the year. I wish they are heated all year long. Jacuzzi closes at 10pm at night. I wish they would extend the hours to midnight. Nearby developments: A developer is building a New Seasons grocery market adjacent to the community due to open in 2017. I heard In and Out will also move nearly plaza to replace the current Burger King. :) I lived here for almost four years and I absolutely love Emeryville and the Bridgewater community. I have a large family now so my current unit has become too small. It's sad I have to leave Bridgewater but I will miss it. read more

The Honest Truth: Cheap rent! Tons of parking, great facilities (pool, exercise room, dance room) pets are allowed, staff is really nice and accommodating. Being a Cal graduate, this place is dream and is way better than any apartment in Berkeley. Close to bay street and the public market. The Details: I ended up living here with some friends because they were in need of some roommates. I actually had never seen the place unti the day we moved in. But before moving in, my roommates and I went up to the sign the lease. Apparently there was some complication because they didn't know that we were having 5 roommates. However, they were very accommodating and made us more keys and we were able to fill out the paperwork then and there. After finally getting up to our room, it was really nice. Two rooms with two walk in closets, clean floors, new paint, new oven/stove, and it has a dishwasher. If you know anything about what Berkeley apartments are like, this place is amazing! So far I've had no complaints about this place. It has tons of security and the staff is always helpful. I'm not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing, but the place is REALLY quiet. Its quite a change from the college environment. I haven't been here that long, but so far its great place to live in! read more

Grounds are beautiful and well maintained. Most units are highly upgraded but here's my issue... 7 working days notice for all move ins and outs or even deliveries, (It used to be 24/HR notice). I have a quite a few units here and what a pain in the butt for tenants! read more

Really nice place! Has a young, open, and bright feel to it. SO MUCH good food around and it's very walkable to everything (being an old cheeseboard fan, I was pleased to discover Arizmendi is so near). BART is nearby, and the free Emery-go-round stops at your door! Awesome place to live. read more

The construction (and poor management of it) drove us out. The rental company, Canyon Pacific Management did not respond to requests or complaints. Construction on the courtyard area was very noisy and lasted through the week and weekends. Exits and entrances were opened/closed without notice. If there were a fire, I don't know how I would've gotten out of the complex safely. Parking was a constant problem. We had 1 assigned spot, but it was double booked with someone else when construction started. We had to track down the HOA manager to get anything done (we were renting so shouldn't we have dealt with the rental manager?) When someone parked in our spot, the convenience desk wouldn't do anything about it and they said to just park elsewhere. But as soon as we parked somewhere else we got a tow notice. For 2 months the hot water heater was broken so our water at it's hottest was lukewarm. It took a month before the management even acknowledged a problem. We had already put in our move out notice by the time they fixed the heater. They only gave us $100 for the water trouble, chump change compared to the $1800/mo rent for our 2 bedroom apt. I had friends live in the archstone apartments across the street with no problems. If you're thinking about this area, try them instead. read more

For a place that advertises themselves as a luxury apartment complex, this IS NOT a luxury apartment complex! The walls in the units are very thin (as mentioned by another reviewer) and it gets very noisy if there are people in the courtyard. The fixtures within the apartment are cheap. There are some amenities here (gym, pool, sauna, rec room) but they're what you would usually find in other complexes, and it seems like they aren't serviced as often as they should be here (i.e. dirty pool, elevator hasn't been serviced for quite awhile). I was walking by the pool and sauna the other day and (to my shock) they were condemned by the city and closed off (the water was very very green!)! Parking is another problem if your household has more than one vehicle - each unit is assigned one parking spot in the upper level garage. There is a second lower level garage but no one is allowed to park there from M-F 9am-5pm except for the employees of the business across the street that rents it and if you do park there even though you live there, you risk getting your vehicle towed.Getting in and out of the building is problematic if you are entering from outside the upper level garage. There seems to be a lack of communication between different owners of different parts of the complex. There is a slow response to problems reported to the management (i.e. fixtures and repairs) and worst of all, there's a MICE problem here! I've been living here for the past year now but I don't think I want to renew my lease when it ends...the rent we pay is a little much for what we're getting. read more

I live in one of the condos and have been living here since May 2011 (1 year already). I love this place. The front desk persons are super nice and friendly. If you ask them, they will open the front door for you. They will hold your package for you and will notify you via email/cell phone. They are super friendly and cheerful. The cleaning/maintenance crew is super-- I always see them cleaning the apartment--no wonder my building is shinny clean. The complex manager is super friendly, professional, and nice too. The residents are great-- professional, friendly, and highly intelligent. Glad we found the place. Love it here :) read more

I went to an open house since its practically across the street from me and I love my neighborhood. This place is very 80's. The carpet was gross, the windows needed to be replaced (seals were broken on most) and the exterior of the building is lacking. Its a lot cheaper than PPP, but I wouldn't buy a place here. read more

The absolute worst rental experience I have ever had. The studios were advertised as having granite counters and new appliances. Because I was coming from SOCAL I was unable to view the unit I would be renting but was assured that it was the same as the photos on the web site. The unit did not have granite. It has wood painted to resemble granite. Nor did it have new appliances. In fact the appliances are 1980s vintage and the compressor in the fridge is so loud it is at times almost impossible to sleep. When I confronted Canyon Pacific regarding the bait and switch, they assured me that renovations were ongoing and that within the next 18 months my unit would be renovated and I would be placed in one already completed. You can guess my surprise when 10 months later I received a certified letter explaining that many residents would soon start receiving notices to vacate and sure enough 2 months later I received one. Conveniently for Canyon Pacific there just aren't any units available, but I can go on the waiting list! No thanks. But hey if you enjoy the sound of AMTRAK and Union Pacific trains laying on their whistles every 2 hours all day, every day, then this is the place for you. read more

horrible service here. A friend was interested in purchasing here, and has been met with terrible customer service and neglect. At this juncture his $5000 deposit with Bridgewater may be taken from him because the people he's been trying to work with won't return his calls, emails, or other attempts to reach out. If you're looking to purchase a unit here I'd be wary people... read more

The TRAIN HONKS all night. For that alone, don't live here. I recently short-saled my condo there. I'm so much happier being gone. There is ongoing litigation with the developer which means it is nearly impossible to get a bank to loan people money to buy here. There are used cars that cost more than what I sold my condo for. (short-sale remember) If you can't see yourself living somewhere for 10 years, don't buy. You may be stuck there for 10 years. Seriously,,, the train is really, really loud. If the sales people don't tell you about the lawsuit, I would not trust anything else they say. read more

this review is for the apartments, not for the condos to buy. they deserve to be sued for DISCRIMINATION!!! (please read as it a clear case of discrimination) My boys are in their terrible twos and while filling out an application for apartment at Bridgewater, one of them threw a tantrum. We were told by two women to quiet him down or LEAVE! We were absolutely shocked at such poor customer service! They were so nasty I left crying. Since they gave us such an unpleasant feeling we figured they would take our application money and trash our application. So we did not fill one out. Then we returned another day to fill it out in hopes that the two rude ladies were not there. One of them was there and remembered us. She is a tall skinny lady with a British accent (the other was an African American lady). She said as soon as we went into the leasing office that we could fill one out but that they were "GOING TO PUT A BAD MARK ON OUR APPLICATION TO LET THE MANAGERS KNOW THAT THERE WOULD BE A NOISE CONCERN!" She acknowledged that young kids throw tantrums. After being asked if they put that "mark" on every application of those with kids she said no! She was asked, "so you're going to put it on just ours?" she said she is a "licensed professional and as a licensed professional she has to consider the noise level that would come from our apartment." She went to the back office and claimed she was going to call the higher-ups. She came back and said that she they would call us in a week while the apartment was on hold for us. We never got a call back and when we called on day 8 they said they lost our contact info and that they gave the apartment away that day because we didn't call them. Then the lady refused to give us her manager's number! We were clearly discriminated against for having young children and lost an apartment that should have been ours. These two women deserve to be fired. I must note there was ONE younger lady with a tattoo who was the only warm one. So do not consider this place- they showed no respect for us and our family represents the military, the university, and young parents trying to find a great place for our little ones and we were deeply hurt by their lack of compassion. read more

The good: -very convenient location -decent facilities (including pool, hot tub, recently upgraded gym, club room, fitness classes) -for the price, relatively tidy and well kept (compared to most mid-to-late 20th century Berkeley/Oakland apt stock) -pretty decent rent, all things considered The bad: -garage and building entry/exit logistics designed by Satan incarnate -middle courtyard is barely useable as dogs pee/poo everywhere -pool is tiny and poorly heated, so it's not useable for most of the year (hot tub/outdoor showers are great, however) -freight train whistle can be deafening with the window open, and annoying with it closed To illustrate entry/exit woes, let's say your roommate and yourself split a parking spot and it's your turn to park on 65th st. For comparison, here's how you'd get into your front door of your single family home: 1. Open door. At Bridgewater, not so fast, son. Here's how one would officially get into one's apartment on the 4th floor (imagine doing this with two armfuls of groceries): 1. Walk up to 65th street entrance, key-fob to open door. 2. Take elevator from P1 to level one. 3. Exit elevator. 4. Exit elevator foyer room (we're at door #4 now, and remember, groceries...) 5. Walk across courtyard to official building three entrance, and enter passcode to open lock to main building (door 5) 6. Open stairwell door and walk up 3 flights of stairs (stairwell is old and grimy, covered in gum stains) or take excruciatingly slow elevator to 4th floor (6 doors, boy do you regret buying the full gallon of milk) 7. Exit elevator or stairwell 8. Arrive at your door, unlock and enter (eighth door). You can cut a little time off this by going through the garage, but this takes you on a circuitous walk through a really dingy garage and involves another key-fob step. Want an extra fob for your significant other? That'll be $200. Lock yourself out? $150. Need to take the recycles out? Have fun exiting to P1 (smells like piss) via the elevator, then going outside the building to 65th and coming back in (whee another 16 doors with a bulky recycle bin!) It somehow takes ten minutes to go like 25 yards as the crow flies. The garage, I'll add, is filled with dozens of screws, nails and wiring leftover from many construction projects. I have had no fewer than three punctures from in my own garage. Anyway aside from getting in and out of your apartment, most everything is peachy. But remember, you go in and out of your apartment a lot. Have fun! read more