Great first week at Capitola Gardens. Shane (Leasing Office) and Steve (Maintenance) addressed every question and need promptly and effectively. Even better, they did so with friendliness and humor. My place is immaculate and attractive. I made a good choice! read more

Well after a few complications of getting our carpet replaced our Maintenance team Frankie and Steve both went above and beyond with taking last of our furniture out and placing in the recroom so it wouldn't get wet!thanks guys read more

the maintenance guys are fantastic! they are extremely competent and helpful. they address tenant issues promptly as well. you can have absolute confidence in their abilities! read more

This review is exclusive to the MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT of Capitola Gardens. Frankie is stellar, I've had the pleasure of him being our maintenance guy for awhile now and he is ALWAYS: incredibly fast to respond to service requests, professional, humorous, and as a benefit he actually knows how to fix shit. He's fast when working, fast to respond to calls, always follows up to make sure the problem remains fixed, and he's always open to practical solutions to problems I only recently met one of the new guys Steve but as long as he learns from Frankie, Capitola Gardens maintenance will be in good shape. Steve was nice, professional, and amiable -- thank you both Steve and Frankie! Yelp is weird and isn't letting me move my cursor but there's also both very mindful of availability and privacy and always offer multiple timeslots for them to come by to investigate a problem, at a time that works best for the tenant. TL;DR the maintenance at capitola Gardens is great and just to chime in since I saw some other reviews: sure the walls might be thinner than they need to, but the quality of the apartments themselves is generally pretty high and, like I said, the maintenance is good so if you have problems/improvements, they'll fix it Shane is certainly less...involved? than Christos was - we miss you Christos but I don't think it rises to any level of mal intent. The property itself is well maintained, beautiful, private, and quiet. Especially over the last 6 months (posted March 2023), the laundry facilities have had some issues of ~60% availability and the prices inexplicably went up as well some time recently. The fact that they try to RENT the community room is, in my opinion, disrespectful and a little ridiculous because I don't imagine anyone actually reserves it and it feels like a waste of space, but whatever. They also started charging $5/month for parking spots which is also ridiculous given it costs almost $3k to live here it's just like...really? You gotta nickle-and-dime us like that eh All in all, great place to live if you can afford it. Maintenance shreds - go Frankie go read more

My pup and I have called Capitola Gardens home since October 2022. We absolutely LOVE it here. It is peaceful and quiet and super dog friendly. I love the park-like nature with all of the giant redwoods...and my hummingbird friends that visit every day make me so happy. Shane (the property manager) is very friendly and accommodating and Frankie (the maintenance manager) has been super quick to respond to any minor issues I've had, always with a friendly smile and hello. The location is amazing as well. Just a short walk to the Village and the bluffs. Capitola Gardens is a great place to live. :) read more

Apartments are old and the walls are super thin so you hear everything and everything hears you. Gardeners come almost every morning at 8 am if it's not construction workers; If you like sleeping don't live here. Appliances break all the time. Not worth it for the ridiculous amount of money you pay to live here. Washers and dryers also work half the time and take your money when they don't. The only good thing about this apartment complex is the location, but everything else makes this place impossible for me to like. read more

My feelings on Capitola Gardens is a Premium Place to Live. No Crime, of the Road from noisy roads. They just installed double pane windows and all the apartments. What a difference! There's an Abundance of Redwoodon on the property. We have a huge Sprawling Green lawn read more

See all

I am a relatively new resident. I did a great deal of research before deciding on Capitola Gardens as my home. I love it here...it doesnt feel like an apartment, more like a private bungalow. The beautiful redwood trees outside my front door, the squirels running across the lawn and the the birds chirping...Heavenly. The onsite staff is so friendly, helpful and professional. Kudos to Christos Nikopoulos, the Community Manager. He has been great from the first time we spoke to each other. He is around all the time checking on all aspects of the property and concerns of the residents. The comments from my visitors are always it is so quiet here and the grounds are so pretty. That is before they see the inside...which is so nice. Neighbors are friendly and I feel safe here, what else can I say.. Thank you so much Christos, Sally H. Capitola CA read more

Highly recommend this complex if you are looking for a clean and quiet place to live in Capitola. My husband and I chose to live here with our young baby for multiple reasons. While we were shopping for a place to live most Property Managements didn't even return our call or the complex's weren't as clean as advertised. Chris in the office has always been very professional and helpful. We instantly felt comfortable doing business with him. Any questions or concerns we had with the application process he handled in a prompt and friendly manner. Mike the maintenance guy is awesome as well. Any fixes in the apartment he has handled right away. There is never a delay and it's nice when you feel comfortable with them in your home. All the staff are professional and friendly to a fault. It's nice to call this place home and watch my boy grow up in such a nice neighborhood. read more

new manager is a NIGHTMARE!We all miss Cristos he was so much more involved with the property and would actually engage with tenants

I had the pleasure of hosting an event for AT&T Uverse at this beautiful property. The residents are so friendly and welcoming, the property is beautiful, best of all.. Chris, the property Manager is amazing! read more

I called to make an appointment to see these apartments on Saturday. Paul answered the phone and asked if I could be there at 11:30. I showed up at 11:30 and knocked on the door to the office to which there was no answer. I called Paul who answered saying he was doing a move in and it would be twenty minutes. He walked out of the office that I had knocked on the door of, so he had just ignored me the first time. I thought that was weird but decided to wait the twenty minutes. He came back out of the office after 35 minutes and said he would be back in a couple of minutes. After 45 minutes I decided to leave. Paul called me about twenty minutes after saying sorry his move in came in late. When I mentioned I waited 45 minutes his response was "yea well you can't put a move in off" so I told him I'm glad he got his move-in and to have a good day. Believe me I understand that you can't put a move-in off but the fact you couldn't even say it was taking longer than you thought and ask if we can reschedule is absurd. I showed up on time and even waited 45 minutes for an appointment I didn't even make the time of. So it's not ok to put off a move-in but it's ok to put off a potential move-in... That makes a whole lot of business sense. Save your time and house hunt at another location. read more

Beautiful apartments! The Manager, Chris is awesome and very attentive:) the grounds are kept very well and definitely adds to the tranquility of the community read more

My fiancé and I have lived here for about a year with our two dogs. The grounds are beautifully maintained, like living in a park. The complex is walking distance from Capitola Beach, so most mornings we walk to have coffee on the beach. Our apartment is older, but has been well maintained. Upon moving in new appliances were installed and the counters were re-surfaced. Chris (the manager) is extremely friendly and always willing to help with anything that comes up. Mike, the maintenance guy, has also been amazing, coming over on a moments notice for anything we've needed, even for silly things like me not knowing how to start the heater! Our neighbors are also very nice and have made us feel welcome in the community. This is hands down the best place we've ever lived and we couldn't be more happy renting here. read more

As a neighbor living across the street from Capitola Gardens on 46th Ave, I really appreciate what Chris the manager has done to change & create a safer community that is also a more vibrant, diverse, friendly, quiet, community in Capitola Gardens. Chris takes creating a quality community to heart and in doing so has created a great neighbor of this apartment community for our Capitola Heights neighborhood. It is so nice to have a hands on manager that cares about his property, residents and neighbors. The property is now a joy to live next to! Thanks Chris! read more

This is a fantastic and very quite place. My family have been here for the last 15+ years and things especially got better after the new Manager Chris. He has been doing an awesome of job bringing great tenants/neighbors. I really like his style of management. read more

This place is per se very nice. The apartments are nested in a small park, which is a paradise for doggies, and in general for the eyes. There are only two major problems: 1st: the manager is "a piece of work", just to use an euphemism. He is a total negative person, unable to say a kind word to anybody, human, animal, or vegetal. With his obsessive compulsive way of micromanaging anything, and with his personalizing work style, he switch from one insult to the next without consciousness. No tact, no manners, a rude attitude it's his way of handling issues. 2nd: there is absolutely no soundproofing insulation between the units. I left the place because my civilized neighbor owned 30 electrical guitars, and she used to play them in tandem with her partner until 12:00 a.m., with the manager's blessing. With a respectable manager and with civilized inhabitants, this place could be very nice. Right now it's a no. read more

Love this place! So quiet! Maintained meticulously! Friendly neighbors! Great management! Pet friendly and blocks from the beach and village! read more

Tiffany was a sweetheart and kept the place humane. She's gone. This is a corporate hell hole. If you don't expect your deposit back and want to pay outrageous prices then yes enjoy your small dog around some trees and shitty landscaping. read more

Very tranquil "resort-like" setting, cordial neighbors, attentive staff -- I'm glad I landed here. Thank you Christos and Mike! read more

Chris has done a great job of making us feel welcome and to call this place home. The grounds are very well taken care of, and I have not had any issues since I moved in here. One time I did lock myself out of the bedroom and I was in a hurry to go to my wedding. Chris saw me freaking out and asked what was wrong. He quickly found the proper little flat key to open the bedroom door and we were good to go. All in all, this is a good place to live and I would definitely recommend it. read more

Never enjoyed a place more in my life. The complex is beautifully landscaped. The neighbors are sweethearts. The manager is the best. Pet friendly. Minutes walk from the beach! I really couldn't have lucked out more. Been here for almost a year now and it only gets better (new lamps, new paint, added dog bag posts, organic garden reinvested in). When I was looking for a place I saw the bad reviews. After digging more closely I saw that they were all related to a previous male manager. I decided to give this place a shot and I am sooo glad I did. Tiffinie is the new manager and she is an angel. The premises are pristine. Maintenance is done quickly. And I don't know what type of unsavory folk supposedly lived here before, but they must have moved out when the old manager left, because all of the neighbors are super respectful. Lots of kids and animals Everyone says hi when they walk by. Everyone picks up after their pet. I found work within walking distance a week after moving in. My boyfriend found work the following week. So there are lots of opportunities here too. The complex is in a truly awesome area. DMV across the street. Waling distance to wharf, a library, several parks, a mall, pharmacies, a movie theater, several grocery stores, restaurants, etc. You truly can't go wrong. read more

See all

Don't mind the old reviews, this property is being managed by a new property manager, Tiffany, she is excellent, professional, trustworthy, and a compassionate human being. This place is beautiful, I have only been here for 6 months and It has been such a peaceful living environment. Every apartment features a private patio which overlooks a park like setting view, it's amazing, you'll see black squirrels hanging out all friendly and don't mind people. You need to see this in person and you'll see how beautiful it is. The main perks for this place is being close to Capitola Village although it wasn't the deal breaker for me, this place is worth it for everything that it offers!!! Must see! read more

I lived here a few years ago and had a terrible experience. Within the first month, my girlfriend and I overheard several horrible disputes between our neighbors. One night it got physical and we had to call the cops to make sure everyone was ok. A few months later, our neighbor on the other side of us moved out and another guy moved in. I went to introduce myself to him one night with a handshake, and he grabbed my hand tightly and pulled me so that we were face to face. He then began to babble asking me what I was doing there; I could smell strong alcohol on his breath. I eventually broke away and went into my apartment, shocked. I mentioned this to the then property manager at the time Tiffany, telling her that I was not comfortable in our apartment anymore and that I wanted to move to another apartment within the community. She declined my request, saying that it would have to be treated as a normal application, meaning I would need to pay for another deposit + first months rent. This whole experience left a terrible taste in my mouth, and I would not recommend this property to anyone. On a positive note, this property does have the option to have Charter instead of Comcast, so that is a plus. read more

Since moving to Capitola Gardens 9 months ago, I have enjoyed meeting and going to dinner and events with pleasant neighbors, had maintenance respond to my requests, and have a good relationship with current management. Chris has been helpful and informative about the 6 acre property and area highlights. I regularly walk 8 blocks to the esplanade to enjoy all the beach has to offer. A favorite pastime is to go to Mr. Toot's coffeehouse above Margueritaville to read, have a latte and a goodie, like the freshly made ollalaberrie pie. When it is heated up and served with a dollap of real whipping cream, it is a sensation! I sometimes volunteer at the Capitola Historical Museum on Capitola Avenue by the railroad tressle and also recommend stopping in for a visit. One of the many interesting facts is how Capitola received its name from the 1859 murder mystery book titled "The Hidden Hand" where Capitola Black was the charming and endearing heroine. Capitola Gardens is a lovely complex of one level 4 unit buildings on 6 acres with redwood trees and grassy areas for renters use and picnics. Five stars from me. I love living here. read more

I am making a correction to my last review. Chris pointed out to me that I had read the proposed rent increase incorrectly. The additional $200/month that was printed on the bill was just an increase of $100 per month plus the $100 I needed to pay monthly for two pets. In addition, rather than charging me for cleaning the bedroom carpet ($60) and then later replacement of the carpet ($187), the cleaning fee had been taken off of the final account statement. It continues to be a beautiful setting, very nice people living there, quiet, safe and well-lit at night. read more

I have recently moved from E coast to W coast to start my new career. Unfortunately, finding a place to live out here was arguably the most frustrating ordeal of my (short) life. When all hope seemed lost, I wondered over to Capitola Gardens to see if they had any open apartments. Low and behold an apartment space had just opened up! I have lived here for over 2 months now. Tiffinie, the landlord, is amazing. I have hit a bunch of road blocks in living a perfect life in Capitola Gardens, but Tiffinie goes above and beyond the line of what a landlord should manage. She personally goes to the source of the problem to solve it. Life is expensive, but with people like Tiffinie, living in paradise is that much simpler. read more

I have had a very different experience here. The property manager has been very responsive and easy to work with and I've enjoyed the time I spent living here. I've heard there were problems in the past, but I don't see any of that currently. It's a friendly place to live in a great location -- you can walk to the beach! My apartment is clean and comfortable and has been well-maintained. The best thing is that they let you have pets here -- that's a huge plus since most apartment complexes in Santa Cruz won't accept pets. Give the place a chance -- it has changed for the better. read more