Park Place Apartments

Good Points

• I got my deposit back less a $240 cleaning fee
• This even with two cats
• The fees charged seemed reasonable to me ($95 full clean, $70 clean carpet, $75 pet treatment)
• I didn't get dinged for little stuff (nail holes in walls, normal wear and tear, etc.)
• Move out fees included cleaning of apartment and carpet, so I didn't have to
• I stayed long enough, so I didn't have to worry about painting fees (so, I couldn't tell you)
• It's quiet
• The doors are thin but the walls are thick (you can hear in the hall when walking in or out what you can't hear while in your apartment).
• Brief street noise from a few patrons returning home from the bars was a regular feature on Friday & Saturday nights at around 2AM
• I was never disturbed by my neighbors music or movies
• For a period, I believe one neighbor was using a weight lifting exercise machine, so this rocked the house while in use.
• For a month or two, a neighbor had some rowdy parties; but then, this ended, and I never heard a peep after that
• The highway is nearby. After a week, it was sort of like being by the ocean, but mostly I did not notice the traffic.
• All comments aside, it was amazingly quiet to me
• Resident noise was minimal
• It's safe
• I believe a security guard walks the premises at night (but don't quote me on this)
• No one I ever talked to had any problems regarding street crime of any sort (the revellers returning from the bars certainly seemed carefree)
• There are homeless folks in the area. They come with the downtown area
• I never saw suspicious individuals walking around the complex (though, there was a rumor that for a time someone was stealing parcel packages, I never looked into this)
• When I was moving in, on one website, there was a complaint about laundry being stolen. I never had a problem. Often, there was a load of laundry that would sit around for a week or so. It got put into a garbage bag and set on top of the machines after a day. And after a week, the bag was thrown out. It was amazing to me how many times this happened (and the week would run out an no one would claim the laundry). I never heard any resident complain about their stuff being stolen.
• Best I know, the building is completely installed with fire sprinklers. I felt fire safe.
• Fire trucks would arrive 2-3 times a year (best guess) for what I would call false alarms. Seemed like a lot of false positives to me. But better safe than sorry.
• Parking
• Parking is unassigned, by permit. I always found a spot. Once when I got in at midnight, I had to park pretty far away in a corner. Mostly, there was plenty of room.
• I don't know how guest vehicles are treated over the long haul. Certainly, no one seemed to noticed if a guest was there for an hour or two.
• I left my vehicle unattended while on vacation for six weeks with no problems, no notes on car, no damage, nor anything like that
• Utilities
• YES Energy manages the water and sewage bill (or did, everything on this page is or did, who knows the current, certainly not I). For a loft studio (one bedroom?) my fees were +/- $50 month, with the last month at $60, so maybe they're edging up
• PG&E could push $100 for heating or AC, but typically I kept it under $50. The windows are poorly insulated (and I had a skylight, which even when closed didn't offer much insulation), so heat or cool just flows out of the apartment. Seriously, I had drafts (wind currents) in my apartment on cold days from those windows. So, I could see the cost of heating or cooling being twice what I paid for many folks. I opened the windows on a typical day. It's California.
• Comcast for Internet was costing me slightly less than $75 when I moved out. I wasn't trying very hard to maximize my savings. They have Triple Play deals (phone, cable, Internet) and there are competing companies, but I don't think all the majors will service this building. Some folks had satellite dishes on their balconies. I don't know what the rules say about this.
• Downtown Walnut Creek
• Restaurants: I figure +/- 100 within walking distance
• Plenty of stores (CVS across street; Safeway & Trader Joe's in easy walking distance; Target within reach; hundreds of clothing stores and boutiques)

Bad Points

• I never trust a review that never says anything negative, so if looking for Park Place Apartment Sucks, Park Place Apartment is Unfair, I hate Park Place Apartments, or anything like that, this is the section.
• I've seen drywall damage in the elevator lobby (someone's knee, I believe), likely after a Saturday night (it was fixed in a day or two, probably Monday morning)
• The mix of residents (in my humble, unscientific opinion) runs the gamut from professionals and retirees to first time renters. I perhaps have a lower opinion of some of the later as I age.
• In the parking garage, garbage sometimes stays there for comically long periods of time. (Soda cups for days, a container worth of fries strewn about, lasted about a month, I believe). Though towards the end, I started seeing someone walk the garage every day, sweeping up. So, employees change. Maybe it was just who was doing the work at the time.
• Some folks (it would appear) don't know how to work a garbage chute and think they're just supposed to leave their bag sitting in the middle of the garbage chute room. These areas probably only get cleaned once a week, I'm guessing.
• I smelled skunk on a regular basis. So, like, the highway is right there. Or maybe it had something to do with the hookah sitting out in the open on the balcony below.
• My neighbors have smoked: cigarettes and cigars. Might I recommend buying a air filter or two if you run into this problem. Personally, I'm coming to the opinion that I should just buy Air Filters in lieu of fans and call it a day (just a FYI).
• Along with smoking, barbecues are allowed.
• Precious floor space in the apartment was taken up by a wood-burning fireplace that I never used (dirty, drafty, and a waste of space).
• I experienced two rent increases in three years. The last was for a comically large amount that when I talked to them about in the office, I was told was a typo and it was adjusted to a more reasonable amount. There is perhaps more to this than meets the eye... or not, I don't know.

Bottom Line

• I would live there again.
• If the need was there, I would sign a lease at distance (the specific apartment being sight unseen) with this complex again. (However, I have done business with them before, so take this for what it is.)
• I like the place
• I would recommend the place
• And lastly, if you are looking to stay in the Downtown Walnut Creek area, I have also lived down Carmel Dr and I like this side of Downtown Walnut Creek much better.