I've lived here for three years and I am surprised at the poor reviews. First of all this place is all about the fantastic ocean views. Each apartment has a floor to ceiling window and the view is fantastic. It never gets old.
In the distance are the four Coronado Islands, about eight miles away. Occasionally a ship goes by, but the bigger treat is frequently you'll see dolphins playing. I think I saw a whale once.
I live on the south side. On the North side, a contractor built another condo high rise. It did block part of their view, but they can still see the water. There is a large patio on either side, and I go there every day and gaze at the view and feel the ocean breeze on my face. There is a great ocean view from the weightroom.
Down on the ground floor is a long lap pool. The problem with this is the ocean breezes are normally cold. They should've spent the extra money and heated the pool. But there is a large jacuzzi with, you guessed it, a fabulous ocean view. One complaint is that all of the seats are cement. I like to sit and read, but it gets tiresome on cement. Also you have to bring your own umbrella.
Bringing things you'll need is the order of the day. When we rented our apartment, it was just an empty space. There were a few small carboards and a sink, but we had to buy a stove and a reffrigerator. There is no freight elevator and the sign says not to use the small personal elevators. (There are two of those.) That meant we had to hire two strong men to carry the refrigerator up six flights of steps. In fact they had to carry the two beds, the two couches, every thing. Ouch!
There is also the peculiar Mexican habit of building something nice, but they not allocating any money for repairs. The glass fence between the pool and the cliff broke a year ago. Several other things could use a sprucing up.
Yes the plumbing is substandard. I've had to fix the toilet several times. We also had a major flooding problem. The whole building is settling so the large floor tiles are not entirely flush. There are no closet doors, just a hanging rod and some shelves.
My main complaint is distance the trouble to go through to cross into the United States. It's about a 10 mile drive, with heavy traffic and a number of problematic twists and turns. But if you're a spoiled American like me, you'll be happy to see a number of American stores in the beach neighborhood. There is a small Walmart, and KFC, Carls Jr., Starbucks, Dairy Queen, Little Ceasars, Dominos, Chevron, Subway and IHop. Of Course the best eating are the local independent places and they offer a wide assortment, not just Mexican food. There is Arab, Italian Chinese and many others. For some reason Mexicans are crazy for sushi, (I know) there's a dozen of those in the beach area.
Overall its the view is the thing. If this building were in San Diego, it would cost about $4,000 a month, at least. I'm paying a fourth of that. read more