Santa Ana - The Arbors Apartments (Anaheim, Garden Grove: appointed, affordable apartments, rent)

[Elena717]

Hi,

My daughter is looking forward to viewing The Arbors on Fairhaven shortly. From what I read online that apartment community is horrible. Does anyone here have first hand experience?

Thanks!

[EscapeCalifornia]

Why does she want to live in Santa Ana at all?

[Elena717]

She doesn't, especially, but the apartments looked attractive from the outside and are convenient to her Anaheim office. The commute is killing her from her present place and her funds are limited.

Thanks.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by Elena717

She doesn't, especially, but the apartments looked attractive from the outside and are convenient to her Anaheim office. The commute is killing her from her present place and her funds are limited.

Thanks.

Her best bet for deciding where she wants to live is to park and walk around the complex in the evening or on a Sunday afternoon when lots of people are home. Its pretty hard to get a feel for a place by driving by and looking at the outside.

[Elena717]

Don't we know it! Fortunately, she had an appointment to go over this weekend but I'm fairly certain she's abandoning the idea.

[Elena717]

My daughter did keep the appointment and explored the area. She said it's right on the border of the City of Orange, just three blocks from a large mall with a Nordstom's in it. She said the complex was clean and well kept and the people she saw looked nice. She assured me she wouldn't be moving into a dump in a questionable area.

Thanks.

[djrun]

Greetings,

Well based on the location of the apartment complex it outside some of the more dangerous parts of Santa Ana, but to me it still is not far away enough. That's just my take on it. If your daughter works in Anaheim I would recommend some other nearby places that are not only affordable but close. Many of the "affordable apartments" in North Orange county are not exactly of the highest quality, but then again I think anyone would easily go with the lesser of two evils, so to speak. Cities such as Buena Park, Garden Grove, and Westminster are safer than Santa Ana (relatively speaking) and wouldn't add too much time communiting to work.

I also did some homework on the Arbors Apartment and was disappointed at some of the reviews. You can read more if you go to Google Maps and search for the complex.

Here is a preview of what some previous tenants had to say:

"Before I moved in I asked about the security in the area and I was told by Maria, the now fired manager, the it was a safe nieborhood and that they had a 24 hour safety staff on the property. 2 weeks after I moved in, my car got broken into."

"Roach infestation is such a big problem that exterminators come to the property once a week to exterminate."

Out of 19 reviews only four said they would recommend the apartment to someone.

Hope this helps, best wishes for your daughter!

[killer2021]

"Before I moved in I asked about the security in the area and I was told by Maria, the now fired manager, the it was a safe nieborhood and that they had a 24 hour safety staff on the property. 2 weeks after I moved in, my car got broken into."

"Roach infestation is such a big problem that exterminators come to the property once a week to exterminate."

hahah, now that cracks me up. Go figure!

But yea, Santa Ana is very bad area. I am not sure how much she has to spend on rent but whatever it is I would go look for alternatives. Santa Ana is only your last resort if you cannot find anything you can afford.

[RobE]

I know the area of which you speak since I used to live around there when I was in high school. It was kind of an iffy area then and is probably only worse now with the far greater illegal population and gang membership in the area. It isn't as bad as central or south Santa Ana, but you could do better.

Look at Yorba Linda. It isn't that bad of a drive in the morning and it is very safe.

Buena Park and Anaheim have gone so far downhill since I lived in that area because of illegal immigration and its attendant gang activity that you should just forego it altogether. And the nice apartment complexes in Buena Park, well, many of them have gone condo (for around $400K per 3 bedroom apartment at that! No, that is not an exaggeration and this is off of La Palma near Knott!).

Maybe the Sunny Hills area, if those apartment complexes haven't gone condo.

Cypress might be a doable alternative. Stay away from La Palma (the city), though.

Despite what I said, see if the apartment complexes on La Palma near the Post Office in Buena Park (near Beach Blvd.) there are still decent. Probably not, but they used to be pretty okay. Just stay away from anything on Knott north of La Palma, anything on Beach and, especially, in the Ninth Street and Artesia Blvd areas. Lot of drug and gang activity there.

I would also give Garden Grove a miss since it is headed down the dumper and has been over the last 15 years or so. It's a pretty ratty place now.

[Elena717]

Thanks for all of your replies but it appears to be a done deal. My daughter keeps assuring me the area is fine. At any rate she is on a month-to-month, if this doesn't work out. DJrun, thank you for your research -- that's what gave me butterflies in my stomach to start with! We live in another part of the state and know nothing about that area except that it's HIGHLY questionable. I'm afraid this might be a situation of live and learn.