VRV is a part of the Greystar property & was built in 2023 w/ grand opening in June 2023…read more
[Rent]: I looked at 15+ apartments in fall 2024 & ended up signing a 13-month lease for approximately $2,700+ per month for a one-bedroom (741 sq ft) on the 5th floor facing the pool. One bedroom = 3 max occupants & comes w/ appliances like a dishwasher, oven, refrigerator, and microwave. Lease = 12 to 15 months only & must meet 3x rent income requirement.
[Monthly Fees]: Pest Control = $2.00. Trash Service = $25.00 (Sunday night - Thursday night). Utility Billing Administrative Fee = $4.88. Pet fee = $50 & waived w/ ESA (Emotional Support Animals).
[One-time Fee]: Application Fee = $35.00 per applicant. Holding Deposit (refundable) = $500.00 per unit. $500 deposit per dog. Parcel Pending app fee = $20.
*** Amenities ***
[1st floor]: 24-hour two-level fitness center that feels like a mini gym, w/ StairMasters, poolside lounge w/ hanging daybeds, lounge kitchen at the lobby for guests, clubhouse lounge, mail room via Parcel Pending app, dog wash station, & a small onsite outdoor dog run.
[2nd floor]: Sports simulator (golf swing bay & lounge) and a work-from-home office.
[7th floor]: City-view deck.
[Guest Parking]: Residents receive 4 guest parking passes per month via the Reliant Parking app & guest passes are not required between 9 AM - 6 PM.
[Internet]: Frontier or Spectrum.
[Payment]: Blit Rewards w/ autopay.
[Others]: Central AC & in-unit washer-dryer combos (European-style).
*** Pros ***
[Amazing location]: A perfect 'meet me halfway' location - Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Cerritos, Costa Mesa, and Buena Park = all within a 30-minute drive. Rodeo 39 Public Market (a trendy food hall), Planet Fitness, Starbucks, & In-N-Out are all just a block away. Convenient access to Freeway SR-22 & Costco (Business Center) is only 3 blocks away though it closes early at 6 PM. Little Saigon is less than 15 minutes away so great Vietnamese food not too far away. There's also a nearby H-Mart for Asian groceries.
[Friendly management]: Errold & Sabrina from the leasing office are always friendly & helpful. The leasing office is open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM so there is always someone available in person unlike Essex apartments.
[Easy move-in process]: They use an app called Updater which provides step-by-step instructions for the move-in process. This includes setting up internet/TV service, USPS mail forwarding, connecting utilities such as SCE (no need to set up water, gas, or trash as those are billed via Conservice), & securing renter's insurance ($100k coverage = approximately $10.75 to $14.50 per month via Assurance).
[Easy move-out process]: No hiccups. There was a $120 cleaning fee & a $45 painting fee. I received the remaining deposit balance about a month later via email.
[Smart lock]: Even if you accidentally forget your key fob, you can still get back in by entering a code on the smart lock.
[Food]: Few times a month the apartment hosts pop-up kitchen events & residents can scan a QR code to place orders in advance.
*** Cons ***
* Occasionally some outsiders would camp near the apartment complex, but they are usually gone within a week. I typically drive in & out of the apartment so it has never been an issue. These incidents became less & less frequent.
* It is true that the garage entrance on Stanford Ave occasionally doesn't work, but I have learned to enter via Beach Blvd instead & it has not been an issue.
* Expect occasional random noise but I rarely hear anything distracting after midnight. The double-pane windows blocked sound well & living on the 5th floor (the highest floor w/ pool-facing rooms) = no neighbor above my room.
* Some pet owners do not always pick up after their dogs at the outdoor dog run.
* No control over the TV channels in the lobby.
*** Other Observations ***
* No one really uses the pool during the winter season.
* The 60-day move-out notification = only applied to residents who moved in when the apartment first opened to help maintain occupancy rates. Now the apartment is mostly filled, it is a standard 30-day move-out notification.
* Each resident receives one free parking spot, but the assigned spot is always located one floor above the floor they live on. While it is not the most convenient setup for getting in & out, I just view it as a small bonus for getting some extra exercise.
* Make sure the garage sticker is on the driver's side - I initially put it in the center of window only to realize it doesn't work well. Moving it to the driver's side fixed the issue.
* To toss large cardboard boxes, take them to the 1st floor & leave them next to the steel roll-up gates.
[Conclusion]: Is it the perfect apartment? No, but it is all about identifying your non-negotiables. For me, location & friendly management are top priorities. This apartment remains quite popular esp the units facing the pool. I would consider moving back here if I need to live in OC again.