Downtown LA Apartment (appointed, apartments, renters)

[lckawanna56]

Does anyone have any information on the Bunker Hill Apartments. Is the building decent looking on the inside? I figure the area is somewhat safe, though downtown is a little sketchy at night. Any information on whether the Apartments are decent quality?

Thanks.

[HarryKerry]

I had checked out a website some months ago (I can't remember what it was, but you can Google a search like rating downtown LA or Bunker Hill apartments) and I was surprised by the number of negative comments from residents of downtown LA apartments and lofts. I can also tell you that an aunt and cousin of mine did live in a downtown la loft.

First, my aunt's experience about 2 years ago: She was among the very fist residents in a completely refurbished 1910's or 1920's building redesigned as lofts. While the lofts were nice inside, the promised access to parking in the building was often unavailable and downtown streets are either not safe to leave your car overnight or parking is prohibited. That left the paid parking lot. Any visitors had only the pay lot if they came by car. While the owners claimed to seek professionals who work in the office towers near by, her building, and a lot of the other buildings downtown have a very large contingent of USC students who are often, loud, rude, party at night making noise that makes it difficult for working adults to get needed sleep. Also, her building owners sold her on the security of the building and how the guards would even escort her, if necessary. Well, she couldn't park in the building due to one of the many parties thrown by the USC students--even though she had a guaranteed spot, the owners would do NOTHING to enforce this, she had parked her car at the end of the block--she was close to skid row--and she requested an escort to the car--a very reasonable request for that neighborhood as it was a selling point--and all the guards refused and were often NOT at their posts as I observed people walking into the building by passing the guard who was not at his station. She left when her leased expired. She went into it so positive, but left really disappointed.

Second, what was on the forums: While some building have been constructed within the last few years down in South Park near LA Live, the buildings on Bunker Hill go back several to a few decades. Residents report that the buildings--on the inside--are showing their age and amenities are either not working or clean. Generally, the newer buildings are now about 20 years old, and they now require some serious maintenance that the owners are not performing and the building show a legacy of very little prior maintenance. Some even report bugs in some units that management won't address. Also, dirty public areas that have some trash not picked up, and we come to the omnipotent cadre USC students who party all night robbing those with jobs of sleep. Management owners do NOTHING about the USC crowd and pretty much blow off the adults who complain. I think the owners know the USC students comprise too many of the renters (who else would want to rent in some of those buildings as they can't seem to attract the desired office workers) and don't want to upset their "bread and butter." This was also the case at my aunt's building: it seemed as if they were willing to put up with the USC crap because they were a lot of them paying the rent.

I have to say that when the newer buildings opened about 20 years ago, I knew someone who lived in one of them it was great back then. She loved it as she was ONE BLOCK from work and many of the tenants were other grown-ups with jobs and everything there was fresh and the doormen were pleasant and helpful as can be and you felt secure. Her apartment was beautiful, and the other tenants were friendly as you passed them in the hall. I would have loved to live there then.

Bunker Hill area is not as bad as the areas east that boarder Skid Row where my aunt lived. Bunker Hill has activity from those attending concerts at Disney Hall and the Music Center and Colburn School of the Arts and upscale restaurants, so it is safer (very safe during the day time hours) at Bunker Hill, but you still must be careful at night, but better than near Skid Row or even the residential buildings near Little Tokyo.

Does it have to be Bunker Hill. The rents in downtown LA are really no cheaper than other parts of the city. If your job is downtown LA, then you can get there from just about anywhere using subway, light rail, or Metrolink commuter train. Good luck.