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    THISTLE Apartments

    3.6 (39 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Fitness center closed due to COVID
    M. D.

    I moved in a few months ago and could not be happier!! Like others I was a little troubled by some of the reviews but decided I would schedule a viewing as the price was right. Manager Catherine Trujillo was so patient and professional, so my wife and I decided to apply. Now we have a hard time believing any of the negative reviews were true as we've concluded that these people have either tried to move in, somehow not approved or where to difficult or problem residents. 'Thistle team makes you feel part of a community, I've become close friends with my next door neighbors. Herbert, Thistle's maintenance technician, is really funny, professional and not your average handyman. My garbage disposal was recently broken, that's because my wife decided chicken bones can go down the garbage disposal, & you don't question the wife. She obviously broke it so the next day I sent an email out requesting Maintenance around 10am, Catherifixed by 12pm. Herbert did give my wife a lecture that hot-wings are not to be placed down the garbage disposal, a happy moment for me. Building is consistently clean by cleaning lady Victoria, also very kind. During the evenings my wife and I make it point to eat outside. It's also a pretty quiet building, I can hear my neighbors during the day but around 10 pm it starts to calm down. Thistle does have a strict quiet hours as we heard from Catherine when my neighbors complained about us while hanging a picture frame at 12AM. Again my wife's decision to use a hammer. The next morning we went downstairs to apologize to our neighbors, so they fed us muffins and the rest is history. Thistle team recently hosted an outdoor movie night. Really appreciated this! I'm so tired of being inside. I would highly recommend Thistle, most if not all residents couldn't be happier. Ask the people that live here! Side note: We pay $2095 for a 1bedroom/bathroom, which is reasonable in comparable to this area. There's also guest parking! Guest can park in the upper level garage in the future resident space.

    Micro apartment comes with a Murphy bed. The little couch comes with the studio but it's not the most comfortable.
    Roxy O.

    We have been living here since the beginning of the year and have so far enjoyed being here. It's great walking distance to many things including old town, the paseo, and city hall. The building has underground parking. Trash services that comes by Sunday-Thursday. A nice little gym with all brand new equipment and laundry room on site. We also have a package room with locker service which is great. We have never had any issues with anything being stolen or missing. Catherine is very friendly and tries her hardest to always help out if ever we need something looked at or fixed. I have texted her early in the morning, or late at night and she has always been great at getting back to me. I have even knocked on her door (after office hours.) for assistance with the laundry room. And she has always been more than happy to help! Personally we have had nothing but good/positive experiences with her. Other staff like Vicky (cleaning lady.) are super sweet as well. & she does such a great job of cleaning up after all of us. I always see her working hard to keep the apartments nice and clean. Herbert (maintenance man.) always greets you with a smile on his face and you'll always see him working around the building. Other pros: pet friendly, can purchase extra car parking space, or storage on site. There is also a dog wash in our laundry room. & a built in bbq coming soon. The apartments also did a $500 raffle to help out with rent during the pandemic and we won that was really nice! Before all of this during Valentine's Day they had a residents party that was a cute idea. Now all of that makes the apartment nice to live in. Some cons because I have to be honest. The apartment has thin walls I can definitely hear my neighbors, doors closing, microwaves going off, and TVs. But I do think everyone is pretty respectful and I never hear any loud noises pass a certain time and the apartments are pretty quiet. The materials that were used to make the apartment are not the best we have definitely had issues with our windows not closing properly. Catherine did call someone to come fix right away but it's been hard to get people to come out with Covid and honestly I don't care to have people come in my place right now. Other cons: no guest parking so it makes it hard when people want to come visit. We are located next to a gas station so you will see homeless people out front almost everyday. That can be a little scary if you're walking back home at night. All in all we enjoy living here. & are realistic about what to expect with apartment living.

    Elevator permit expired November 2015. It was still posted when I left in June 2020.
    Emma W.

    Please don't be fooled by these bribed reviews. Thistle sent an email blast to residents who hadn't had major issues with their units, bribing them with $100 to post a review. As you can see from the dates on all these reviews and the attached photo, all but ONE review from an actual resident was 1 or 2 stars prior to management offering this deal. Read the real reviews that weren't bought by property management. I came to Thistle planning to live here long-term and was gone within two months. I normally love apartment living and accept many of the challenges that come with it, but living at Thistle was truly beyond anything I was prepared for. My "brand new" appliances were either installed incorrectly or defective - the dishwasher (which didn't turn on), fridge (which frequently made a rattling noise that other residents have confirmed also experiencing) and the AC (which shut off one day about a month prior to me moving out and was not fixed prior to me leaving). My bathroom sink was installed incorrectly and flooded the bathroom the first morning I moved in. The hot water system is inefficient and many units, including mine, have a difficult time getting hot water at times. The walls are incredibly thin, like unbelievably so. You will hear everything from your neighboring units from the TV, to conversations, the microwave, the shower and possibly even them using the restroom (gross but true!). There's only one wifi option and it constantly acts up, kicking you off without notice and sometimes staying off for up to hours at a time. A real bummer in the work from home era! There are many unsealed cracks/crevices around that allow critters into your apartment. I was lucky enough not to have experienced rats but I did have some spiders and silverfish. The external maintenance vendors were routinely disrespectful of my time and privacy, and Thistle property management only seemed to encourage that type of behavior. For example, instead of coordinating with the HVAC vendor to reschedule my appointment after they failed to show up or notify me, the property manager gave the vendor my cell phone number for them to contact me directly without my consent. To be honest, there were also several red flags prior to me even arriving. For example, my first inquiry for availability went unanswered, the property manager agreed to call me back on my second inquiry for availability and never did, the leasing agent made several errors in calculating how much money I owed and how much rent would be, and I was given a lease to sign with information for another resident. I thought all of these might be simple mistakes but after living there, I see that it's part of an overall culture of unprofessionalism and disorganization. Virtually every written communication from them was riddled with typos, grammatical errors, etc. I was also consistently left off mass communications to residents. The level of professionalism and service you'd expect from a complex of this price range just wasn't there. I'd also caution people who use wheelchairs about the accessibility here. I'm not sure if it's ADA-compliant but the elevator can only be accessed by entering an elevator bay that has two traditional doors and no automatic opener. There is no way to access the elevator without physically opening the door first to let yourself in. Also, as of June 2020 when I left, the posted elevator permit had an expiration date of 2015. In the short time that I was here, the elevator was out of order for several days, and on several other occasions, the elevator was either slow to come or did not come at all. I have the privilege of not needing to rely on an elevator for accessibility, and I couldn't imagine the frustration of this elevator if I didn't have that privilege. Herbert in maintenance is awesome. He does his absolute best to try to quickly fix everything for everyone - not an easy feat in a complex with this many maintenance issues! This place has potential but the property manager is awful. That said, she seems to be the standard for Moss & Company, which has abysmal reviews across Southern California. I had to chase down my security deposit because as the deadline approached, Thistle had made no effort to return it. Christina from corporate said that she confirmed the deposit was sent but it's been almost a week (and past their legal deadline to return the deposit) and I haven't received anything. When approached about the fact that they were past due, Christina had no proof that it was ever sent. If you're thinking about leasing, don't. If you know you want to live in the area, drive around and get complex names/numbers. There's a ton of housing options in the area (including options that are way cheaper and rat-free ... seriously look at some of the other reviews) that will make for a more comfortable home. If you're still thinking Thistle might be a viable option, feel free to message me if you have additional questions.

    Gap between door and doorframe leading to balcony
    Christina W.

    This apartment complex is disappointing to say the least. On the surface, it does look very nice. The grounds decently kept, bright and open floor plans, and nice aesthetics. Instagramable common places, if you're into that sort of thing. This is where the positives end. Close inspection of the units shows sloppy work, haphazardly put together with little to no oversight. There are gaps where the screens should meet the window frames that allow bugs in, and gaps along the doors so gaping that you can easily see the outside (picture attached). There are cracks along the caulking, which is odd since this place was just renovated. And my front door rattles so much when the wind blows that I honestly thought someone was trying to enter my apartment my first week here. Contractors left some sort of sticky residue on the floors that I am still trying to scrub off 4 months later, and the toilet paper holder was practically hanging off the wall when I first moved in. That same toilet paper holder was fixed, but fixed so poorly that cracks are starting to reappear around where it is anchored into the wall. The shoddy construction also left several gaping holes in the wall behind the washer/dryer, allowing RATS to get inside. When I first notified management about the rats, it took several days to get maintenance to come, and they just patched the holes with foam. The rats chewed through at least one patch, and they had to come patch it again. I still do not have sufficient information or follow up on if/when these rats will be eliminated from the complex, and as far as I know, the rats are still happily living in the walls. These large gaps also have allowed for spiders to come in. I've killed one every few days and gotten a couple nasty spider bites as a result of living with them. If that's not enough, I have just recently had ants, which I discovered by finding them crawling all over my bed. They ended up in the bed, kitchen, and bathroom. I had one crawling on my foot as I attempted to work just two days ago. In regards to management response, they did come by to seal openings (read add more foam) and an exterminator was scheduled for yesterday. I was told to expect him between 9-11 am, and I had to completely tear apart my apartment so that all my cabinets were empty and all my furniture was away from the wall. This is not an easy feat in a tiny studio. I rearranged my whole day to accommodate the exterminators, despite still having to attempt to work from home while all my belongings are piled up in the middle of my apartment. They did not show. When I reached out to management, I was told at 11:20 that there was a delay and that they would arrive before 5pm but possibly 1-2pm. Meanwhile I cannot access anything in my apartment due to the prep (this includes food and dishes) and I have to reschedule several appointments and am working sitting on my floor. The exterminator did not arrive until just after 2pm, meaning I could not return to the apartment until after 6pm. In addition to all these pest issues, I was told upon move in that WiFi would be available through two carriers by March and given a mobile hotspot to work off of in the interim. The hotspot was horrible and didn't hold signal which was especially problematic when many of us transitioned to work from home (well past March 1st). We finally got "enterprise" internet in May, which will disconnect from my work laptop every couple of hours and drop me from virtual meetings. I've called spectrum twice (the only provider that I am aware we have) who have been unable to resolve my problem. Lastly, the walls are INCREDIBLY thin. The whole place feels like it was built of cardboard. My apartment is right next to the stairs, and the whole apartment shakes when people allow the stairwell door to close too hard. I can hear everything in the apartment above me and the apartment next to me, including the sound of their microwave going off and footsteps next door. Sound carries through the walls so badly that the next door tv will echo throughout the whole apartment. Also, it sounds like you are underwater if you are lucky enough to be in the bathroom when the upstairs neighbor takes a shower. Overall, living here is not only not worth the price point but it is also exhausting. Chasing around management for updates on when vendors or technicians will arrive or calling vendors yourself for an issue feels like a full time job. And when you're not doing that, you get to feel like you are living WITH your neighbors because the walls are just that thin. I've never lived anywhere so disorganized and unprofessional. They overpromise and underdeliver time after time, and I can't wait to leave.

    Ants Part 2

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    4 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Management is good.Pet friendly but too many dogs. I hate dog poo. The rules are not enforced.

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    David H.

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    6 years ago

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    Sarra T.

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    Shari R.

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    Keisha H.

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    6 years ago

    Best staff. Easy move in. Quiet place. Great location. Near police station and cityhall. Next to a gas station.

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    Shari R.

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    6 years ago

    Toured this apartment complex today. It was lovely. Andrea was extremely knowledgeable and helpful!

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    Keisha H.

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    6 years ago

    My Husband and I love how fast maintenance is. Herbert is the BEST!!!! Super nice & helpful!

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    Ask the Community - THISTLE Apartments

    Review Highlights - THISTLE Apartments

    Herbert, Thistle's maintenance technician, is really funny, professional and not your average handyman.

    Mentioned in 10 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    We moved out a few months ago and we couldn't wait to leave! When we first moved in there, no one…read morementioned they had a rat infestation and we had to deal with rodents right outside our door. It was a nightmare leaving the house! Secondly, management was HORRIBLE!! It seems there's no communication between the landlord, manager, and property manager. When rent was due, you had the manager who's in charge of that letting you know you had a late fee because rent was never received while the landlord would tell you it was fine because he received the rent (their rent process is only wire transfer or money order). We also had horrible neighbors upstairs that would be jumping up and down, stomping, and throwing heavy objects onto the floor (our ceiling). After we talked to them in person (mind you, it was 2 adult women), they retaliated! The noise got worse and it was at all times of day and night. The property manager was notified of this along with the landlord, presenting them timelines of what occurs and even the manager stating she heard the stomping too when meeting up with them. They knew of our jobs in the healthcare field with our crazy work/sleep schedules and NONE of them cared one bit! We felt discriminated against them (they were aware of it and our legal matter) and it all made sense why they have such a high turnover moving rate there. We are happily living elsewhere with a much bigger space and less expensive monthly rate. I would STAY AWAY from there if I were you!

    It's been almost a year since we moved into The Cassini and we definitely found our happy place…read morehere. We were deciding between several options, but Sarah won us over with her exceptional knowledge and attention to detail. There was no question she didn't have an answer for and she was always available and ready to show us the place (and we checked it out three times before we made our final decision). The apartment complex doesn't have amenities, but this in no way cancels out its exclusive feel. The area has everything one might need: gyms, SPAs, cute little cafes, and major restaurant joints, quiet streets to jog. The best part is that the building is brand new; everything is stylish, minimalist, fresh, and clean, and we've never had anything break or give us any problems whatsoever.

    AVA Pasadena

    AVA Pasadena

    (45 reviews)

    Alright! This review goes to the staff, and high kudos to the maintenance team, Rosalvo, and Willy,…read moreand the Air conditioning and heat company! About a week ago, our AC unit went out! Toast! Yep, that's what I said, right when the hottest days in SoCal were in the 90s and 100s. I'm here to say that a new AC unit was installed today! Overall, we love living here; our neighbors are friendly and respectful.

    WARNING: AVA Pasadena is a Scam, I would give negative 5stars if I could…read more We had a nightmare dealing after moving out. AVALON slapped us with a ridiculous $946 bill with a FAKE "pet odor" and wall damage that never existed. The apartment was in perfect condition. When we asked for PROOF--photos, invoices, ANYTHING--they said they DO NOT NEED ANY PROOF TO CHARGE US, after we repeatedly asking, they said they will provide WITH COURTESY and would take 7-10 business days to provide it. But at the same time, they threatened us with a tight deadline to pay within 10 days or FACE COLLECTIONS. They tried to force us to pay without giving us any evidence and pressured us with an unfair timeline. After doing some research, I found out this company has a BAD REPUTATION for OVERCHARGING UNREASONABLE MOVE-OUT FEES and SENDING ACCOUNTS TO COLLECTIONS without proper communication. It's no surprise they pulled the same tactics on us. They clearly don't care about honest tenants--they just want to steal money by inventing damages and rushing you into paying. We're fighting back and won't let these greedy, dishonest people get away with it. If you value your money and sanity, STAY FAR AWAY from AVALON.

    AMLI Old Pasadena

    AMLI Old Pasadena

    (61 reviews)

    This is mostly a review of the touring experience: having toured a couple times, and although I did…read morenot sign in the end due to the unit I had wanted was unfortunately rented right before I applied, the experience I had with the help of Bianca (Senior Leasing Professional) was exceptional -- I appreciated her professionalism, patience, and frankness through this long process of finding my first rental in Pasadena area. In fact, she was probably the one of the most helpful Leasing Agents across multiple Pasadena and Los Angeles rental properties. Thank you! Although on the pricier side and there is not a lot of guest parking for such a large community, However the unit and grounds appeared very modern, well kept and numerous communal spaces, luxurious pool and gym.

    I lived here alone from approximately May to February. I…read morehave been waiting for my security deposit to be returned. I am neat and have always been refunded my entire deposit from all my apartments Ive lived in. Normal wear of a light beige rug! ( who puts a light beige rug in a rental?) they are replacing it!! And having me play for it instead of having it cleaned! They are painting the apartment after a short stay and having me pay for it!! I've never in my life had to pay for painting an apartment! The paint is very cheap, it scratched very easily (not Benjamin here) That should be their cost of doing business after all I've paid over $4000. A month for a one bedroom. That's are low down! I do not recommend this property!!!besides being extremely overpriced!

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    (18 reviews)

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    Acappella Pasadena Apartments - Inner complex view looking upwards at night. Very warm and homey vibe here.

    Acappella Pasadena Apartments

    (78 reviews)

    This review is specific to Residence Experience Coordinator, Selena Espinal. She has been one of…read morethe kindest, most capable people we've encountered at Acappella Apartments and that says a lot because we've encountered a few who were also wonderful! She is knowledgeable, proactive, and follows up with us when we come to her. We feel lucky to have her as a resource.

    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.

    The Stuart at Sierra Madre Villa Apartments

    The Stuart at Sierra Madre Villa Apartments

    (88 reviews)

    Ester and Robert do an amazing job with the time they have on site! They are both very warm and…read morefriendly people. They are constantly working on keeping the complex clean and welcoming. Only drawback is that they need more time and/or extra help! Large complex for only two people to keep up!!

    We lived here for 3 years -- it was our first apartment in California…read more The first year was quite good, but over time, things started to get worse. There are many homeless people around the area, which often makes it feel unsafe. The maintenance team, however, was always great -- they were professional, kind, and quick to respond. That was honestly the best part of living here. Unfortunately, the rent keeps increasing every year, but nothing really improves. Management is rarely available -- we never saw a manager in person, and most of the issues we reported were not resolved. There is also no security on the property anymore. During our first year, there was a security guard, but after he left, they never replaced him. Many times, we saw homeless people entering the building, using the bathrooms near the pool, and even using the pool itself. Packages were also stolen several times, which made us feel very unsafe. Another challenge was the nearby theater. They were doing ongoing construction and decoration work right next to the building, and tenants on that side had to deal with loud noise almost every day. When we contacted the Essex office to ask for help, they said it was not under their control. The location might seem convenient, but it's right by the freeway, so it's always noisy. Sadly, it's also not the safest or most comfortable place to live. Overall, we would not recommend this property. There are many better and safer options nearby where you can truly enjoy your home and peace of mind.

    THISTLE Apartments - apartments - Updated May 2026

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