Ultra tl;dr - Just move here already. It's awesome.
Semi tl;dr - You will never live in an apartment complex that does as many things as well as The Arbors does, possibly anywhere, but certainly in Davis. Your complex might offer more square footage, but it definitely has worse everything else.
Source: I just moved out of The Arbors after having lived there for 5 years (believe me, I wanted to stay). I don't think I can do this place justice, but I'm certainly going to try.
1. Management/Office: 6/5
Let me start with Karen. Karen is THE best manager you could ever hope to have. She's not employed by some sketchy management company with a dozen or more properties to worry about, but by the owner of the property himself. Furthermore, she lives on site, so she has a vested interest in making sure the property is as good as it can be (and ONLY this property; this is her priority). If she doesn't remember your name and face from the very first day she meets you, I would be stunned. Her ability to make you feel welcome and part of the Arbors community, is unparalleled.
Maintenance requests, (although I had maybe TWO in five years?) were handled the same day or the next day, even on weekends. One of those requests was a broken air conditioner. The very next day, the HVAC contractor was out at the property installing a brand new unit for my apartment. They know how important cooling can be in the summer, and they don't mess around with making sure the units are functional.
One little bonus I want to mention: The office will happily accept packages on your behalf if you're not home. They'll even deliver them to your storage closet, or inside the apartment if you ask them to.
2. Amenities: 5/5
Seven words: TWENTY FOUR HOUR POOL AND HOT TUB. This alone almost sold me on the place before I knew anything else.You need to keep the noise level down at night, of course, but few things are as relaxing as a nice hot tub session in the cool winter months at night.
The pool is great on a hot summer day (or to cool down from the hot tub). The weight room is one of the only apartment complex weight-rooms I've experienced that actually has a full on power rack that allows you to do bench press, squats, deadlifts, etc. Believe me, you're going to love this versus going to the ARC and having to wait in line for the squat rack (with half the people ahead of you not even using it properly).
The clubhouse rules. It has a nice pool table and a ton of comfortable furniture where you'll often find people studying or printing notes, etc. You can even reserve it for parties! Can I say free coffee?
The grounds are super well kept. Everything always looks good, and if it doesn't, you can bug Karen and she'll have someone on top of the problem right away.
3. Apartments: 4.75/5
In my extensive apartment hunting around Davis and surrounding areas, I found that it was very difficult to get an apartment with a specific combination of luxuries. Not a problem here: the Arbors has it all. 2 bath options? Done. Granite counter tops? Done. Gas stoves? Done. Pets allowed? Done. Dishwasher and garbage disposal? Done. Central Heat and Air? Done. Covered Parking? Done.
The one "negative" thing I will say is that I wish they offered 3-4 bedroom apartments, but alas, my understanding is that they do not offer anything in that size.
4. Location: 4.75/5
When I first moved into the Arbors, I read some reviews that talked about the location being "less than ideal" because it's "noisy" or "close to mobile home park", etc. Based on my 5 years living here, I can confirm that none of those complaints are actually legitimate. First, yes, it's near the freeway and train tracks, so you can obviously hear cars or trains on occasion. But it's hardly "noisy". Especially if you're indoors. You won't even notice that stuff (and it's VERY minor already) after a month, unless you're extremely sensitive.
Second, yes, there is some "lower income" housing down the street. However, I never once experienced any problem or felt unsafe (nor did any of my guests). I walked home many times from downtown late at night and never felt threatened. While no place is perfect, the Arbors is close.
As for proximity to downtown and campus, The Arbors is perfect. If you know your way around Davis by bike, you know that you can get through to campus either through downtown or via the Arboretum off Olive Drive. Super simple, super quick. If you're walking, downtown is a 10-15 minute walk, tops. While you're technically not supposed to hop the railroad tracks to 2nd street, (the fence preventing you from doing so ends by Sudwerk), you can do that if you're willing to walk 5 minutes.
Finally, living 5 minutes from In n Out is very dangerous. Especially while drinking. Which you will be, because Dunloe Brewing just opened up 300 meters down the street from The Arbors! And it's delicious.
Just move here already.
I'd write more but I'm of space! read more