I've been very happy with my time at Franklin House, and I highly recommend it. I chose to live there firstly because of its close proximity to my office (2 blocks away), but also because it was the best value among the nearby apartments that I considered. So much so, in fact, that I spent a month in extended-stay hotels waiting for my unit to free up so that I could move in.
The location is fantastic. 2 blocks from Lake Ave offices, shops and restaurants, 2 blocks from LA Fitness, 1 block from Trader Joe's, 3 blocks from Target. The neighborhood is quiet and safe.
The Franklin House tenants are mostly young professionals and JPL/Caltech researchers. The community is small, yet culturally diverse and international. It's easy to get to know your neighbors if you want to.
The 1/1 apartments are relatively small but efficiently laid out. There is surprisingly ample storage space in the numerous built-in drawers and cabinets-- some of the 1/1s even have pre-installed desks and bookcases. The built-in carpentry was ideal for me, as I had moved to Pasadena with minimal furniture. The bathroom fixtures are attractive and fairly new. The kitchen is small and lacks a dishwasher, but this was fine as I'm a single professional. All the appliances are electric.
The building is clean, attractive and well-maintained. The courtyard features outdoor umbrella tables and a handy gas grill that I've used for social gatherings and day-to-day cooking. There's also a small pool and a heated jacuzzi.
One unusual feature about the building is its 1950s electric heating system, which consists of resistive heating coils distributed throughout the ceiling (think of a radiator built into the ceiling, without the water). This design forbids overhead light fixtures, which is easily remedied by a floor lamp. The system makes no noise but is inefficient and can lead to high electric bills. I kept my heat off except for a few weeks in winter; my monthly electric bills generally ranged $20-$30, with a high of $85 for January.
The parking garage is covered and secured by gates, and the assigned spaces are very generous-- I've been able to fit two compact cars end-to-end in my parking spot. There is also a bicycle rack within the gates of the garage, but it is exposed to the elements, so I preferred to keep my bike inside my apartment.
Perhaps the best part about living at Franklin House is the staff.
The property manager, Evan, is professional yet also personable and friendly, and she knows everyone by name. I needed to break my lease early for family reasons, but the penalty was reasonable (pay rent until new tenant is found), and Evan found a new tenant quickly. She made every effort to limit the penalty that I had to pay.
The maintenance manager, Andy, is competent, courteous and efficient. The only maintenance incident was a backed-up kitchen drain pipe that flooded the kitchen/dining area of my first floor apartment. I called the emergency maintenance line Sunday morning and a plumber had fixed the issue by Sunday evening. Evan helped me clean up my floors Monday morning, and Andy cleaned and restored my kitchen drawers.
Finally, I received a detailed exit survey from Anchor Pacifica (the management company) asking me to rate my stay. This is a first for me, and I've lived in a half-dozen professionally-managed multi-family communities in Texas and Massachusetts. It's just additional evidence that the owners and management care about their tenants.
Altogether, this is the best community I've lived in so far.
Pros:
* great location (quiet neighborhood but within walking distance of S Lake business district)
* professional, friendly and honest staff
* efficient 1/1 floor plan with ample built-in storage space
* clean, well-maintained building
* courtyard with gas grill
* gated, covered garage with assigned parking spaces
* gated entrance
* small, diverse community
* heated jacuzzi
* availability of AT&T U-verse
Cons:
* small kitchen with electric range
* no sheltered area for bicycle storage
* too few external storage lockers read more