I lived here for 2 years in 2 different units and think overall, Acappella is a decent choice in…read morePasadena. I'm sad to leave the area, but had to because the rent increase surpassed my budget, and I also had been itching to live somewhere new. My advice overall is to live on the 4th floor here and to have a unit that doesn't face the freeway.
What I liked:
1. Residents are friendly but also keep to themselves.
2. Leasing staff, past and present, are responsive and helpful. Thanks to Skylar, Brendan, Julie, Claudia, Ricky, and Chloe.
3. Convenient parcel room with Luxer One lockers for secure deliveries.
4. Units, although showing age, are clean and comfortable.
5. Spacious walk-in closets compared to that of other nearby complexes.
6. Location, location: within walking distance to Old Town and is close to groceries, restaurants, and City Hall. The complex is also right by the 210 for easy coming and going.
7. Jerry and Erica in maintenance are polite, helpful, and patient.
8. The inner courtyard is peaceful with its string lights and makes for a nice view as the sun goes down and into the night.
What I didn't like/think could improve:
1. Unit front doors are self-shutting and slam full force, causing sudden bangs and shaking walls unless manually held. Most residents do not observe this, which sucks.
2. Elevators break down multiple times a year; major repairs can take months. The larger service elevator always seems like it'll die any minute. I was even trapped in it once for 10 minutes.
3. There was a persistent error-message beeping from the fire alarm panel by leasing during my first year. It was less frequent this year, but the beeping appears to be an unfixable Bay Alarm-specific issue I have heard and seen in other plazas. My current place actually has the same issue.
4. Maintenance became understaffed this year and rotates across Equity properties; many of my tickets went unaddressed my last 5 months here and I had to resubmit to receive service.
5. My SmartRent doorlock battery died within a month of my first move-in and I was locked out on Thanksgiving night; I received zero low-battery notices until it was at 1%, and SmartRent wasn't able to find out why this happened. The battery should've been checked prior to me moving in.
6. The complex doesn't really have amenities. The gym is sub-par, as is the social room. Yearly Equity resident surveys hint that they are trying to add things here/at their properties, so there may be future potential.
7. On Bilt, your final month's rent will not show a prorated amount, but rather, your lease-renew amount, even if you have already given notice to leave; you have to speak with leasing to know your actual payment amount. I found that odd and there was no communication about this when payments switched over to Bilt; leasing said it was a Bilt issue. And if you turn your keys in early, there will be a line item in your SODA statement notating an early-termination amount (but it's not a charge). It seems some system/software tweaks could help alleviate confusion for residents leaving/who have left. You will also be charged for paint and cleaning, no matter the final state of your unit. This seems standard across complexes though, unfortunately.