Living here was so bizarre. One on hand my landlord was great, the property is beautiful even if maintenance could have been better. On the other people are just comically racist. I had one person blatantly, repeatedly, call me by the name of a famous black person they felt I looked like even after telling them to call me by name. They never could so I simply ignored them. Then, an Asian woman and white man older couple tried to insist I didn't live in my apartment and looked absolutely terrified. After clearing that up, the Asian woman saw me a second time later going to my car and watched me from the corner as if to try and verify I wasn't doing something suspicious. I greeted her so she knew I knew what she was doing and then she tried to act embarrassed. Within 3 months of living here I started to take the stairs to get home because I had to many racist encounters in the elevator. Specifically, several of my Asian neighbors would literally close the elevator or see me coming through glass doors and then turn around and take the stairs instead. Other times they'd smile at my white husband and blatantly ignore me (white residents would do this often). We both started ignoring these people as a result because it had become so blatant. I'd never interacted with these people, they just always treated me differently. At times I would take a walk or sit on the benches to rest and some residents would stare or look worried like I was a vagrant. It got so uncomfortable I just stopped going outside. When we finally moved out a year later as planned our upstairs neighbors who we had never met said things like "oh yeah everyone moves out from under us every year, I have a niece, sorry we were LOUD," and it was so weird and hostile. Eventually the neighbor confirmed they assumed we were moving because they were noisy and we later learned they had an ongoing feud with our landlord that we knew absolutely nothing about. I will say the oldest residents local to Oakland, both white and asian, were kind and normal toward us. Which makes sense, they probably don't see black people as homeless criminals first and foremost. A lot of these behaviors are typical of the Bay Area and I'm so glad I'm out but unless you're used to this kind of culture I would not recommend living here. read more

My cousin and his partner live here. It is always quiet and peaceful. I've used the pool is also quite refreshing and wonderful. It feels very safe here as he has to come in through a gated system. read more

Pool and hot tub are nice... would be even nicer if they switched to ozone/bromine or used even just less chlorine! Also there is constant beeping in the sauna... makes it real hard to relax... and the giant crack above the door... makes it real hard to get it proper hot. read more

Parkwoods Condominiums - Condominiums Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

This review is from a renter's point of view. I've loved living here in a 1BR/1BA unit. In over a year, we haven't had any major issues that required any work or outside help. We haven't had any plumbing problems; water pressure has been great. We will definitely miss living here when we move! Pros: - In-unit washer/dryer! Yessssss! - Modest gym w/2 treadmills, 2 stationary bikes, 2 ellipticals, a stair machine, weight benches, etc. - Heated pool Apr-Oct. There's a hot tub too. - Right off of Hwy 24 - super convenient to just hop on the freeway - Transbay bus to San Francisco stops literally right at the complex - Most (but not all) reserved parking spots are in a covered garage - 2 grassy patches exclusively for dogs to do their business - Dispensers with free poop bags for your pup - Usually there's plenty of free guest parking available, but most of it is concentrated near the entrance - which means a short uphill hike for your guests if you live in the back of the complex Cons: - 1BR comes with only 1 reserved parking spot - it's hard to get additional parking - Occasional vehicle break-ins at night, even though there's an overnight security guard - Can sometimes hear neighbors talking loudly, but it's not too intrusive - Outdoor rain drainage pipes are really tall, leading to obnoxious dripping sounds if your window is near one of these pipes. I wear earplugs to sleep when it rains. - Bedroom windowsill consistently re-grows mold even after we clean it - No charcoal BBQ grills allowed (must be gas only) - No stores/restaurants/businesses within walking distance read more

We lived here for a couple of years (renting), and we loved our landlord. We were also very pleased with our specific unit-it was a 2bd/2ba and served us very well. The amenities were nice, and I def used the workout room so that was great. We also met some amazing people in our time here. The reason for two stars is the security. There were so many car break-ins and car thefts during our time here. We didn't know of any home invasions but the lack of security in the garage area was very unsettling. This went on the entire time we lived there, so have to assume it wasn't a priority of the management here. All-in-all, a fine experience, but def want to shed light on the security issues. read more

We lived at Parkwoods for four years. It's isolated high-density living, rents are sky-high and you should have an idea of what you're getting before you sign a lease (or, god forbid, a mortgage). tl;dr: *Update 12/2016: I hear from a current resident that the water to the whole community has been repeatedly turned off for maintenance over the past month or so. *Since these buildings are not subject to rent control, your landlord can raise the rent as much as they want once your lease has expired. Mine raised it by 16%, so I left. *The elevators break down regularly. *Renters are treated as second-class citizens. *There are a lot of dogs, but nowhere to let your dog off leash. *You must have a car. *Extremely limited parking. *Third floor units with lofts get incredibly hot because in most units the loft windows don't open. *Awful rush-hour traffic because there is only one road in and out. *Very limited storage space. It's dog-friendly. Lots of dogs, friendly dog owners, and poop bag dispensers. BUT no place to let your dog run (not if you want to play by the rules, anyway). There were memorable arguments on NextDoor about where dogs are allowed to run free (nowhere, according to HOA rules). It has lots of renters BUT there is a real bias against renters in the community. This was probably the most unpleasant aspect of living there. Comments on NextDoor from condo owners made it clear that many Parkwoods owners consider renters to be a lower life form rather than actual members of the "Parkwoods community". Several residents asked me whether I was a renter or an owner the minute they met me. More than once, after being asked if I was an owner or a renter, the questioner would tell me that they were An Original Owner. Meaning that they've lived there since 1998. You know, like they came over on the Mayflower. It's secluded from the hustle and bustle of city life, BUT you can't walk anywhere from there. The transbay commuter E bus is almost useless for people wanting to get to Berkeley or Oakland. It's close to the highway BUT there's only one road in and out. No back road shortcuts. So if you're on the way home you're at the mercy of everyone taking Tunnel Road/Hwy 13 trying to get to the Caldecott Tunnel. At the wrong time of day this means adding 15-30 minutes onto your commute from, say, the Elmwood which is 2 miles away. It has designated parking BUT if you put anything other than your car in or around your parking space be prepared to be reported to the HOA by your neighbors and threatened with hundreds of dollars in fines. It has a walk-in closet in the master bedroom BUT that's about all the storage space there was in my unit. The kitchens are tiny, and some of the cupboards are triangular which makes them even less efficient. I stored much of my cookware and dinnerware in my bedroom closet, in my dining room, and under my bed, even with a large sideboard in the living room. It has guest parking. BUT 90% of it is near the entrance. So if you live anywhere but at the bottom of the hill, prepare guests for a quarter-mile hike straight uphill. Don't park in the reserved spaces, even by accident or for a few minutes. They tow and it costs hundreds of dollars to retrieve your car. It has elevators. BUT each building only has one elevator and they break down frequently, sometimes for weeks at a time. So if you have any kind of mobility issue, you are out of luck. In fact when they replaced the elevator in my building management recommended that people with disabilities "relocate" for a few weeks. It has 3rd-floor units with "soaring ceilings" and there are the rare units with lofts. BUT the loft space is unusable anytime the temperature rises above 60 degrees. The windows up there are sealed shut! Yup, the highest point in every building includes windows that don't open. It's impossible to get a cross-breeze going up there and the loft is practically unusable from May to November. Some owners have replaced the windows with ones that open, a huge improvement. It has smoke alarms, which is good because the entire complex burned to cinders in the Oakland Fire of 1991. BUT on the third floor those smoke alarms are 20 feet off the floor and unless you happen to own a 20-foot ladder you will listen to to the incessant chirping of a smoke alarm with a battery dying every year with no hope of stopping it until you find someone with a 20-foot ladder. There's no maintenance crew onsite to swap out the battery, and no room in your unit to store that $300 ladder that you'll use once a year. Your landlord may or may not be in the mood to help you. Mine told me that it was my responsibility to figure out how to get up there. I didn't even mention the issues with plumbing, electrical, leaky roofs and windows, the high HOA dues and the semi-annual assessments...the high-falutin' lucky owners at Parkwoods can worry about those things :) read more

I have been an owner here for quite awhile and it seems to be going downhill with the quality in the past few years. Taking out all of the trees and the grass was understandable during the drought but the lack of quality for the new landscaping is disappointing. There have been multiple mail thefts in the buildings (UPS and FedEx refuse to take most mail to people's doors), roofs are constantly being updated and the roofers leave a mess everywhere, car breakins, many special assessments, water keeps being turned off in buildings and board meetings are during times most people can't make back from the city. The security gate is broken quite often, the buildings were built in the 90s so if you don't have a tube tv there is a huge placeholder in your living room (I recommend getting it removed), and gym has been under construction and had broken/outdated machines for quite awhile. As far as I know there is no electronic way to pay the HOA - it would be incredibly helpful if there was, its 2017... Overall its a huge complex. Probably more buildings than there should be so managing all the owner vs renter personalities is going to be a struggle. Mostly commuters and older people living here, some single parents as well. Wouldn't recommend it if you make noise since you can hear people above and below you fairly well. read more

Right off from H 24, well maintained swimming pool and gym. onsite washer dryer. Dog-friendly neighborhoods. secluded, serene. The commuter in Transbay to SF financial district within 30 min is hard to beat. The bus starts off from the gate you just hop in and sit down all the way. Rock ridge Bart is 5min drive, Temescal has all the hot dining places including Burmese superstar to Ramen shop with 5 stars. read more

Nice structure - nevertheless, a community is made out of great people and that's not the case with this community- in this community, if you are black, they watched everything you do and your every move. Most of Park wood residents have the entitled behavior, to the point that one of the residents damaged my personal property, just to make me uncomfortable; he do not want to live around black people. Almost every week we get some kind of false claim against us. As a black American, it is stressful living here. As a Blacks American in this community, I cannot do the same as my white neighbors but I pay the same cost of living. They even think their dogs are better than us African Americans living here. Basically, if you are Black, they believed that there's no legal limit to what Park wood white neighbors can do against some of their black neighbors - Believe me, if you're black and live here, when you get outside, theses people get very uncomfortable looking at you out of their windows and making false complaints all the time. THEY DO NOT WANT BLACKS IN THIS COMMUNITY. We will change that by the law of the land. So far, its not what I thought, since I got introduce to this community, all I received is harassment day - to - day, discrimination and lightweight racism. Sometimes I think the management is involved... Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Booker T. Washington, Malcolm X The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended segregation read more

Parkwoods has a great location, decent parking, reasonably good amenities. It's quiet-ish. But watch for that Fourth Bore Project to change that. There are four or five buildings on the property, I think, plus the gym/clubroom building. So it's big enough to support a decent gym, but not so big that you feel like you're in a mini-city. The buildings do appear to have plumbing issues, though. I've seen multiple, multiple problems, including having my bathroom gutted, complete with plastic-lined door and HAZMAT-type outfits for the mold inspector. I think that over the years I talked to three or four plumbers, plus the old building maintenance guy, and at least three of those guys told me that Parkwoods has a lot of plumbing problems. Also, for the 2-bedrooms, much of the parking (maybe all?) is tandem. Meaning that one car is in front of the other. So there's a little car-dance that comes with living here. All in all, I like Parkwoods, and I'd recommend it. 10 min to Walnut Creek, 10 min to Emeryville, 15 min to downtown Berkeley, 2 minutes to hwy 24, 3 minutes to the Caldecott Tunnel. read more

I just moved out of Parkwoods after living there for 3 years. LOVED living here. Very sad to leave, but always felt safe and was a very quiet peaceful home. Still close to everything in Berkeley and Oakland but still just enough secluded to feel like you could get away from the bustle of Bay Area life. read more

Update: The plumbing problems have been mostly cleared up (new boilers for the building I'm in). The water pressure is still poor. The pool is heated starting April 15th. I tried the overly chlorinated spa this weekend and it was broken, but I'm assured was repaired today. The property management guy, Larry, is great! He is highly responsive and does what he can, but I'm guessing that he is limited by the management company since there still are towels hanging over lots of the downspouts rather than getting them fixed or properly covered ... I'd give Larry 5 stars since he's really cool, but the overall condo complex only gets 2 stars due to the frequently non-operational elevator (the stairs are not convenient and they are outside and get slick in the rain). Renting the clubhouse for parties just tripled in price - minus 1 star Guest parking is extremely limited (1 space by the building I'm in and it's always taken so friends have to hoof it up the hill from the pool area). Yay for Larry, bummer for most of the rest of it. I'm hopeful that the summer will make it better since I hope to be using the pool a fair amount and it looks inviting. read more

Nice, safe community at the edge of the hills and right next to highways 24 and 13, quick drive to downtown, Bay Bridge, Rockridge, Montclair, Walnut Creek, Berkeley and Emeryville. The neighborhood is quiet but that's mainly because there's absolutely nothing around. You can hear yourself think here. You'll have to drive to get to anything pretty much. There's also no view. You'll likely look outside your window at the driveway or at a hill. If commuting via car is the priority for your location, then this place is solid. read more

We have thoroughly enjoyed our time living at the Parkwoods, so much so that we are having a hard time moving on, even with baby #3 on the way. Wonderful management, upkeep and amenities. In the six + years here, it has only gotten better. Pool and gym are always pristine, landscaping is very well managed, and we are looking forward to the new exterior painting project that started last week. My husband picks up the bus just outside the gates. We feel like we couldn't have it better. read more

We've owned here for 3 years. It's awesome. Location is great. Huge closets and management is wonderful to work with. It seems the people who have written negative reviews are the types of people I wouldn't want as my neighbors. If you are considerate of others you'll love it here. If something is broke, it's fixed quickly and they are about to paint the complex. read more

So far so good. I haven't had any real issues with this association so far. Yes, the fees seem to go up every year but isn't that everywhere you go. I really appreciate that the property managements office is on-site and the new color of the complex is great. The general manager is currently Larry Mellberg and he seems to be doing a good job to me. read more

My husband and I rented a one-bedroom in the building 320 between 2011-2012. We lived on the third floor (or fourth floor if you count the parking lot), the rent was decent compared to the neighbor, better quality than most older apartment or in-laws, got a side mountain view, plus the in-unit washer& dryer. So we moved in! Swimming pool&gym: We are not very into swimming, but several times we find it to be too child-friendly. Kind of pity the people living above the swimming pool. The child-friendly events only happen during the weekend and holidays, but it's not too overbearing. However, toward 2012, they had to closed down the pool three times to do "spot cleaning" due to diaper leakage. Used the hot tub twice, but it closed at 10PM when the security shinned the flashlight on your face like a CHEATERS episode. Mood killer- The gym is ample size, i stopped going there cause it's creepy at night when people walk pass by the sliding doors. Yes, I got scared several times. However I am a jumpy person, the security scared me couple times too. She would stand quietly under a tree in the dark! if my dog didn't bark at her, I would probably pee my pant. The Unit: We lived in unit 306, I am not naming names cause we are on yelp, but someone living below us was very noise sensitive. I admit that my husband and I sometimes get excited seeing each other and would jog a little in the apartment. Overall, we are in our 30s, do not have kids, so I presume our noise level is probably in the "moderate" level. I guess this neighbor request COMPLETE SILENCE, cause he bang the celling/floor whenever he was bothered. My husband can walk across the room and hear the banging. We have a 10lb dog, she barks when she is left alone. We got the shock collar, toys, leaving doors open, doors closed just to accommodate the downstair neighbor who left THREE NOTES on our door. Funny thing is we never heard complain from our two next door neighbors. One of the times he left a note on our door stating our dog barks whole morning. Honst truth is my friend came over at 10:30AM, my dog probably barked less than 30sec as all dogs do, and for that, we got our third note. When the third note happened, my husband talked to him for the third time, told him to stop harassing us and please file his complain to the HOA. The complain ceased. Still got the occasional banging. Sorry about the long complain for this particular guy, which is not affecting most of the people. More sorry, he is not a renter, he is a owner. The apartment was built in the late 90s, so most of the appliances and pipelines are more than 10 years old (depend on the home owners of course). There were some minor issues due to the age, such as our door to balcony has a gap below. The washer broke and leaked at least twice. The dish washer broke after we moved out. Dog: I have a pretty good relationship with the other neighbors since we all dog owners. Most dog owners are super friendly and responsible with their pets. There are poopy bags available in the complex, but it ran out a lot of times. You can always find a group of dog owners gather and chat to each other. They even have dog events in the facebook! Overall it's a dog haven, unless your neighbor(s) are jerks. Of course since there are 400+ units, you gonna bump into some crazies. There is this woman in the back unit, she was so angry that her parking space was taken, she blocked the whole entrance with her car. I love the close walk to the hiking trails, the night view near the tunnel. I don't like some neighbors who shouldn't live in high density apartment complex. I don't like the traffic@24. Usually takes my friend extra 30min to get to my place when traffic is bad, and sometimes we got stuck in the Old Tunnel Road when we are just 1/4 mile away from home... I believe for twice a year, the city hires goat-mowing for the back of the apartment. They sound like 10 little girls crying for mommy. Kind of creepy and cool at the same time. If you are a light sleeper and live toward the hills, you might need to wear ear plugs for several days. I think I have mentioned everything- Jerry was nice, but he left in 2012. I forgot the lady's name who took over. She is less buddy-like, but she seems like a get-things-done type of person. I rarely see Garry, but he is a cool guy. About the parking, it can be a headache when you have an extra car(s). You can get a one-month guest pass for every other month from the office. Otherwise there are plenty of parking on the sidewalk...you just probably need to walk for quit awhile. Sum it up, nice place to stay, great place for dogs, beware of the crazies, meditate when you are 1/4 mile and 40 cars away from home. read more

I just wanted to add that there was a sprinkler issue in some buildings and they just updated the elevators in some of the buildngs... They are very good at repairing issues so again 5 stars for the prompt service! A great place to own or rent(there are hardly any to rent these days) .. Guess they are being rented quick and I understand why! read more

In regards to the Parkwoods condominium Complex (Located just to the left of the Caldecott Tunnel as you drive towards Orinda). I would recommend folks not to buy a condominium nor would I even consider even renting a unit there. I have been conducting a number of repairs there and have had the opportunity to observe the place up close and have, in my dozen or so visits, encountered poor building practices, shoddy workmanship, and code violations in every unit that I have walked into. I have found the use of substandard materials and labor shortcuts everywhere, many that are, in my opinion, incredibly dangerous, such as light fixtures with loose and exposed bare wiring that have inadequate or no enclosures (boxes). Another problem: There are clear signs of waterproofing and drainage problems everywhere. This leads to hidden rot and/or mold. I could go on and on about the deficiencies I've found... I warn my friends and clients to be extra careful about purchasing housing that were planned, bid, and built in the early to mid-nineties because of the economic situation in the Bay Area that created these terrible buildings. The problem stems from the recession we had then that resulted with many of the subcontractors underbidding their work. The Parkwoods may look pretty good on the outside, but the seams are already coming apart in my opinion. What's my opinion worth? Thirty years of building repair, restoration, and maintenance and an associates degree in construction management. I study every day and I really care about this subject. I really feel sorry for some of the people who bought in on the joint, but I am compelled to tell people what I think. read more

Great place to live. Friendly neighbors, nice pool and gym, E line picks you up outside for an easy trip into SF. Love the Parkwoods!

I called Parkwoods about an ad they posted for a luxury "immaculate" 1 br unit with small dogs negotiable. When I called I was told that the unit was too small for my partner and I, was only a jr. 1br with a small closet. I mentioned that the ad said it had a "huge walk-in closet"...the woman on the phone said that it only had 1 walk-in closet, I responded that it was ok, we didn't need much. She came back and said that she didn't want a couple, she's had complaints from the people downstairs. I asked her to clarify that the apartment was in fact large, did in fact have closets and that she was just not renting to a couple without ever meeting us...and she hung up on me. I'm guessing you should avoid this place like a plague. With customer service, bias and discrimination like this, I can only imagine how they treat their residents. read more

The best you can get Kathleen Carr, Assistant Manager Collins Management Group for Parkwoods. She really knows her stuff and is the most competent, friendly and gracious staff for all homeowners and renters at this community. Thanks Kathleen read more