Park La Brea Apartments

I’ve been here a month and all is well. The apartment is both spacious and efficient. The area is pedestrian friendly and quite pleasant. It’s peaceful. We’ve taken to having groceries delivered and when we eat out I just walk a couple of blocks to a nearby restaurant and bring home a to-​go order. My wife and I are quite happy here. I would advise anybody moving here to budget a little extra to get assigned parking, though.
I need to give Park la Brea some extra credit. We did have a couple of issues at move in, one my fault the other theirs. In both cases a good resolution was reached very quickly. It is unavoidable that goofs happen, so when a company kicks butt at getting the problem resolved as fairly and as stress-​free as possible, well that’s just as valuable as any other amenity they could offer, here. Ordinarily I would have given 4 stars, but they earned the full five for being extra responsive.
I’d also like to credit our leasing agent Anahit (Alice) George for setting us up with an ideal apartment. My wife and I came to see her about 6 weeks before we were ready to move in just to see what this place was like. My wife has medical concerns that put some constraints on what specific apartment she should have. (i.e. we need to be on the ground floor.) When the time came, again this was six weeks later, I sent an email to Anahit asking what she had. Before long I had an email with quotes for three apartments, all that fit the considerations we had expressed earlier in the year, the only real decision left for us to make was our move-​in date. What I’m trying to say is that we spent part of a saturday checking out the property and not a minute of it was wasted. We didn’t have to start all over. I very much appreciate that, very considerate and efficient. Thank you, Alice.

I just moved here last week and I love my new pad. Its very spacious, plenty of sunshine with the large panoramic view windows. My leasing agent Crystal Loporto made this a great experience, she was very knowledgeable, open and friendly. She knew exactly what I was looking for. Thanks Crystal!
Christina B.

I had problem about toilet. He came to my apt quickly then he fixed that. He’s C. Reynoso. He’s really nice!

Move here if you like to be close to your cockroaches and don’t care about basics like reliably taking a shower.
$$$$$$$$$$— the web site states it has all these amenities – true, but if you want to use them you need to pay a monthly fee – they ARE NOT INCLUDED
–as in $ 40 for gym and pool– broken down equipment, not e fixed in a timely manner — you can join a premium gym for the same price
–vintage is great, but this place contracts out to the lowest bidder and they take shortcuts and things don’t get fixed. Yes they apologize – do damage control on Unilocal,but anyone who needs to get something done, needs to make A LOT of calls and be willing to not hAVE things done right the 1^st time
–NOT AT ALL WORTH IT– lots of vintage places on the west side that do get things done and don’t charge an arm and a leg – easily can get 2 bedroom for under $ 1900

Park la brea is soo beautiful! My brother lives here, and I look forward to visiting him every time. there is so much space to take nice walks, go running etc. i love how they actually have a park and it’s so well kept and clean. The landscaping is beautiful! They have everything you can possibly need around here. Restaurants, farmers market, whole foods and so much more! The grove is walking distance from park la brea, which is a plus! Everyone in the office is so nice and helpful. They are open 7 days a week, which is very convenient in case you need anything. The apartments are so nice, not to mention the beautiful views of L.A. very spacious and comfortable!

Love visiting my sister in park la brea they have the awesome bone park and the café with yummy coffee oh and movies outside during the summer overall always a good time and best of all parking is hardly ever a problem.

Dearest John it’s clear to me
you don’t understand
my discrepancy.
You’re pasty and lazy,
liars to boot, and you,
my friend, aren’t very astute.
I don’t care if it’s old,
I don’t care if it’s gross,
I don’t even care if it’s grandiose.
You treat tenants like trash,
with your greed for the green,
one might even describe it as serpentine.
Want a nice review? I have an idea,
invite me into your office
and let’s make things clear.
Give me my father’s deposit,
stop screwing around,
but no! I’m sure excuses abound.
«The door had a nick,
the rugs were not clean,
and we’ll have to charge for the broken screen»
Learn to be nice
and then we can talk,
until then I say, «go chew on a rock.»
Enjoy the money I gave you,
I hope it seems fair,
you’ll live life as a dirty crook, sweet, sweet mon frere

Outrageous, can you believe that as a resident, with a parking permit, I got a ticket for «stored vehicle in excess of 96 hours»??? So what, I can’t park my car in front of my apartment for a week? For a month? I’m out of town currently and I can’t go straight to the office and show them this stupid ticket, I wish whoever ticketed me understand whatever he/​she is doing. And yes, I will ask my boyfriend to go and question those irresponsible employees of park la brea why on earth they charge their residents extra parking for parking their cars in the right place.

We worked with Richard Maravalle and he was fantastic. We had a lot of questions and concerns and he addressed each one very respectfully and honestly.
He got back to us quickly when it came to emails and phone calls and always made a little extra time for us.
Upon move in we had a handful of basic apartment maintenance issues and they were fixed the very next day.
They also steam cleaned the carpet for us due to some dirt from the previous owner.
We have been here 2 months so far and are loving it. We spend a lot of time at the park. The Grove is walking distance and very enjoyable. KMart is also super close and carries practically everything we need.

Location is great — Great place for kids — convenient coffee shops inside the property and the pool is great. A great place to go on a jog.

The only thing that makes my experience at Park La Brea be «off» is the gym. I pay for the membership and yet, for a huge complex like this, we only have 4 treadmills. BUT most of the time 1 or 2 of those treadmills are broken. Many times the TVs on the treadmills don’t work either. The sound is usually coming in and out and/​or the images are totally blurry or not coming in right.
What is also a bit annoying is that though there is always someone at the pool checking ID, there hardly ever is someone at the gym checking. I’ve seen people without memberships come in countless times, which is not fair. I know that Park La Brea outsources the gym/​pool, but they represent the complex still. I tried a few times to go see a gym manager, but he was not there so many times that I just gave up on it.
Otherwise, I love the complex! But please fix those treadmills. You should probably replace them with some that won’t break all the time – or at least not take forever to fix them. Make sure people are at the gym checking guests in as well, please.

FINALLY!
Well, the issue with Park La Brea is that they contract out their repairs to a company Called Able Maintenance. Truly, the most inept company I have ever dealt with.
After a series of truly ridiculous repair attempts and mishaps with my floor and other issues in my place, out of desperation, I called PLB administration. Randomly and by a stroke of great luck (which NEVER happens when dealing with PLB) I got a hold of the man in charge of PLB. Harry Helman. I laid out the crazy story about my floor plus several of the other issues I have had and was having with my apartment and Able. He was truly appalled. He jumped into action, got the repairs done, and solved all my issues.
I am over joyed with the results. I am truly grateful for Harry and his team (PLB administration) for handling everything.
On the downside of this, why did it have to get so terribly bad before I could get anyone to do anything. What would have been the outcome had I not been able to reach Harry?
There appears to be a systemic problem with how issues, repairs and service are conducted within PLB. Why is Able still on board when they have proven themselves to be incapable of doing the most simple repairs in a timely and effective manner?
That being said, I Like living at Park La Brea. I love my place, the landscaping, the neighbors, the location and the great administration team. I know no home is without issue and some problems so, I stay. There is much more good here than bad.

I have been living in the Park La Brea apartments for 8 years and one of the greatest benefit is the activities center. The prices are incredible; only 5 cents per page to print, free scanning and emailing.
Additionally, the staff is so kind. Sylvie the manager is always perky, friendly and willing to help.
Debbie as well is always willing to help and they both have great relationships with the patrons.
They have created a great atmosphere where you feel at home when conducting your business.
I highly recommend the Activity Center at Park La Brea for anyone in the community.

****** WARNING********
DO NOT MOVE HERE!!!
Let’s begin,
1.) The apartments are «updated» but the faucets are all leaking.
2.) my toilet in the master has clogged up many times, it takes them 4 – 5 days to come out and plunge, I was told by one of the maintenance guys to buy a plunger. (Does that sound normal when I’m paying $ 3,000 rent??)
Any maintenance call goes out of state and it takes days until they come out to fix. (a few times the work order «got lost».
Mold in the bathrooms are just painted over.
3.) They’re tenant screening process doesn’t exist. The halls smell like marijuana, loud neighbors blasting music at 1 am.
People out in the street hanging out at 3 – 4 am making noise. People pissing in elevators. Dogs pooping everywhere.
4.) parking sucks, it costs 20 – 50 $ a month extra if you want indoor parking. If you try finding parking on the street after 10 pm you might as well play the lottery.
5.) you want to go to the pool? 20 $
But, you can get a membership and sign for 6 months or a year, yes a couple of hundred dollars extra.
6.) now for the exciting part! Your lease renews automatically every year. So, let’s say you want to leave after 8 months? 2 months rent penalty!!!
If you want to leave 1 year 11 months after living here (like myself) you have to pay an extra month penalty!!! Ridiculous!!!
Save yourself the headache and anger. Do not move here!!! Look for another place
Oh, and before renting the leasing office will treat you like royalty, once you’re in they won’t look in your direction.

There are many pros and cons to living at Park La Brea. I’ll list my experiences here:
Pros:
**KID FRIENDLY!!! If you have a child, and can’t afford to own a home in LA, PL is awesome. There are parks and swing sets everywhere. You can walk to everything! It’s safe, and there are many nice children and parents here. Plus there is a 9-​star school right across the street.
**Cute, vintage apartments, some reasonably-​priced.
**Access to acres of greenery-​our toddler is SO happy!
**Free movies at the movie theater, and a café, dry-​cleaner, and hair salon & fitness & pool (at an extra cost).
**QUIET.
Cons:
**Bugs. People, I thought from the reviews that they were limited to the towers, but no. We live in the garden apartments & have had a severe cockroach problem since we moved in here last October. They come and go. The management would have you believe it only happens to people who are messy, but that’s not the case. My husband is from NYC, and even he has never witnessed an infestation like ours. I’ve lived in a a variety of vintage units in LA, and I can say that I’ve never had a problem like this. It’s getting better, as they hired Terminex recently, and they keep coming and treating. But we have yet to have a cockroach-​citing free day. Also, we had mice for a minute, but that problem resolved itself quickly.
**They charge for EVERYTHING. Water, garbage, an annual $ 12 fee-​plus you have to purchase renter’s insurance. But this is the clincher-​they charge $ 100/​month PET RENT for our 11-​pound dog. And that’s on top of a pet deposit, that I believe they keep for extra cleaning. So, our $ 2200 a month rent really is $ 2500 a month after everything. Expect to pay $ 200 – 300 more than what your apartment costs. I understand they raise your rent $ 70 a year, as well. And, you have to sign a new annual lease every year. So you only have an option to move once a year, and that’s it. Once you sign, you’re stuck for that next year. And the year after that.
**NO STORAGE & very little closet space. Our unit is 900 square feet with meager closet space. If you have a family with clothing, you’ll need some armoires to store stuff, and you may need to pay for storage space.
**Parking for one car free. For our other car, we have to pay. Luckily, there is a lot of parking available. But there is NO parking (All permit for miles around the area).
**Air conditioning: Our unit only has it downstairs. It’s not Summer yet, but let me tell you, it already gets hot upstairs. They say they do not allow for mobile units, so plan on boiling at night during the Summer, or sleeping downstairs. A word of advice for Park La Brea: Please consider placing units upstairs, if you can only install one unit. It’s naturally much cooler in the garden apartments downstairs. Thanks!
So that about sums it up. Hope this helps you decide!

My experience at these units have been nothing short of the worst management I have ever encountered. They fail to provide basic needs and have the most uneducated staff I have ever dealt with.
This team has given me nothing but excuses, and blaming problems on other people. My shower broke, the sink broke, Our water pressure was down to a trickle, we have no A/​C, the tile needs replaced. All of this and we pay $ 2700/​mo for management to tell us «We have no control over it.» Maintenance has come and gone, and the same issues arise because they did not fix it correctly.
Currently, I am unable to SHOWER because it broke, and I called in a request yesterday, told I would get it fixed to day around 2pm. I called twice and have been told it is not on the top of their list, so I have to wait. I have to wait to shower? what? Are they serious?! I haven’t been able to shower for two days at my expensive apartment. what. a. joke.
The parking is so limited. Good luck finding a place.
It is loud inside the apartments.
The pipes in the basement sound like a sledgehammer is hitting them in the middle of the night. we were told to «deal with it.»
We decided after only living here for 3 months we will not renew our lease; such a waste of money. Management is laughable. The buildings are falling apart. DO NOT LIVE HERE.

This review is only for the leasing part as we have yet to complete our move in and live there. Overall experience was great. Only downside was getting anyone to answer the phone. We ended up just walking in and made an appointment for the following day as there were no appointments that same day. Ben Lopez was our leasing agent and was extremely helpful, informative, honest and patient. We wanted to see the apartment one last time before signing the lease and he was helpful in arranging that. He even had some paint repairs performed that we observed on our first visit and had the place tidied up.
Parking Services was also very helpful in renting us a reserved parking space and providing a list of available storage spaces.
We were a bit skeptical about leasing here due to the roach problems that we read about in the online reviews but feel a bit better after our neighbor said that she hasn’t had any problems. She has been there for over a year. Perhaps the problems are with only some buildings?
Highly recommend getting an appointment with Ben Lopez.

Have lived here almost five years. Occasional issues in my 2 bedroom for the first four of those. Moved into a one bedroom in September and have HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. The worst of them being:
Service department was notified on March 25 that I had found termites in the apartment. It is currently April 17 and the only service I’ve received is Park La Brea leaving a notice that «termite activity is heavy» and they’d call Terminex to take care of it.
So, if you want to tape cups over holes in your floor after pouring vinegar down them and STILL wake up to termites crawling everywhere, this is the place for you! Especially since their service hotline is managed by a third party and can’t tell you when or if anyone will be arriving.
It’s lovely to know they don’t care about their own property!
I’ve filed a complaint with the city & will be looking elsewhere ASAP.

I’ve been trying to get in contact with whoever can help me with this. The front entrance gate located on 3^rd street was closed on my car, leaving scratches. I spoke to the administrative office and they clearly told me that it’s not automatic, meaning the patrol officer closed the gate on his own. HIS NAME IS MOR or something like that. Part of his shift took place during 5:50 pm, April 5^th. He denied the gate closing on my car when clearly even the car behind me saw and heard the gate closing on my car. La Brea obviously is extremely unprofessional in terms of handling issues like this. That patrol officer has been my biggest stressor as a guest before and just yesterday, he closed the gate on my car and denied it. I can give two rats about the scratch. It’s just him, denying his own action.
I see that the director of services replies with a comment to everyone else’s comment. I’ll be expecting an email or a comment in response to this matter.
I will never, ever consider living in this apartment and convince whoever tries to live here that it’s probably not the best idea.
Also, don’t call the 877 number. I called once an hour today and no one picked up.

I had to put in my two cents. When my daughter moved to LA, this was the first place we rented for her. It was close to the Grove and had security. And I loved the way that it made you feel that it was built back in the Frank Sinatra days. Really jazzy. the floors were dated parkayish and the kitchen was definitely nothing special and draining the tub in the bathroom was so slow it took till next Tuesday to drain and never got fixed the whole year there. the price was $ 1800 for a one bedroom and one bath. And the price of a designated parking space was worth it even though the walk was farther than you might expect if you had groceries. I stayed overnight a few times and the guest parking was not as convenient as it could have been but not horrible.
The renting it was a good experience. The woman that showed us the place was very nice. The problem is… It’s not like an insurance agent that follows you through the process, you feel like you make a friend and then poof she is not the one to call when you need something… She just seals the deal and then you are on your own. We got the six month lease because of the price being a little stiff for a starving student… basically it was a getting to know the area and then go find another cheaper place later kind of plan. I will say that you need to get your 30 day notice in about 60 days earlier or they will say that it wasn’t in on time. Get things signed when you turn them in and get the person’s name you talked to and make copies of everything! My daughter ended up staying there a year because they said her 30 day notice was not in in time when it actually was. So helpful hint. Don’t do it the day before and think you are fine. You will get stuck staying or paying. Left a bad taste in my mouth for their business dealings.
I felt the need to review, because recently I’ve read some FIVE star reviews on this place where there is only ONE review and this is it. Not sure why those don’t get filtered. But when I am really looking for an honest opinion, I have to say that the reviewer has to have a few more reviews under their belt. The unfortunate thing is, when someone reviews something so high or low, it doesn’t reflect a true score under it’s ratings.
So for all you parents reading reviews for places for your kids flying out of the nest soon… If you can afford it, I would say this place is a good starter place. It is centrally located and has security which is not the best out there but it’s better than not having anything in this area! My biggest gripe in all the places my daughter has lived is the parking. You just gotta have it! Even if you have to pay extra. Believe me. It may seem unfair to have to pay when you are already paying so much, but it will give you peace of mind knowing your kid is not driving around forever without parking.
My hint of the day is… look for a place in Studio City! It is not that far from where you want to be and it definitely is less expensive. Has better parking even if you don’t have a designated space (which I still recommend!) And it is just a safer area with several custom home neighborhoods. It has been my most favorite area she has moved to! The neighborhoods just feel safer and the pride of ownership is evident in both single family homes and apartments. And it is just on the other side of where you want to be!

Pricey and not worth it at all, parking is a problem. You have to pay extra for pool use and everything else that is on site.
Not happy at all. Glad I am out of here finally!
One word… overrated.

I want to take a minute to say how happy I am about Park La Brea and my recent interaction with some of the management team. I live in an upgraded apartment in one of the main towers and do feel when you pay these higher rents we deserve to be heard. If you truly care about living at Park La Brea you will pursue and find the right people to get things done. Every request I have made to upgrade my apartment has been met. The Director of Facilities has truly been amazing as been his team. I can’t thank everyone enough. It has made my living at PLB that much better. There will always be things we can criticize about the complex but I look at it this way. if there is something you really want or need done in your apartment. ASK. otherwise it will always be a NO. Thanks again to all.

It’s been almost 24 hours since we notified the service department of our water leak in the kitchen sink disposal. The service department cannot tell us when they are coming to fix this issue. We have not been able to do any dishes or run the dishwasher. It is really inconvenient as we have a young child. This is really disappointing. Let’s see how long it will take for them to fix this situation…

I’ve lived in Park La Brea for many years now. I have to say I love my apartment. I have a large one bedroom with an incredible view of downtown L.A. and the Hollywood Hills. I find it a very peaceful, creative environment and my rent is still below what most people pay for a cramped «modern» apartment.
I love the classic feel of Park La Brea. It was built in the 50s and has an old Hollywood feel. I like being central. A walk from Farmer’s Market, The Grove, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art where you can hear free jazz on Fridays in the summer, salsa music on a Saturday afternoon. Love that place.
When ever I have had a service need such as plugged sink, or peeling paint or most recently stained carpets, the problem is handled quickly and efficiently.
On the negative side, parking can be a problem. Every family now has two or more cars and there is only so much space. Reserved parking is always an option here and the cost is affordable.
The elevators are old and they sometimes breakdown.
I think these are small inconveniences for very affordable housing in the most central part of L.A.

DO NOT LIVE HERE! Nothing works, nothing gets fixed, the leasing office will say yes to your every request but are yet to follow through on anything at all. We found out 11 hours before our flight to LA that we couldn’t move into the apartment afterall because they ‘hadn’t quite finished the paperwork’ — we then sat in a hotel for 5 DAYS at our expense with a toddler while they didn’t even answer the phone. They finally said we could move in any time from 9.30am but the almost comedically useless Leasing office said we couldn’t move in until 10, and then 1pm, and then 2pm, and then he eventually gives us keys at 2.30pm — meanwhile we’ve been standing outside on the sidewalk with a 1 year old and a cat. All of our amazon packages were returned because they gave us the wrong address, even when we figured this out they gave us yet another incorrect address. They didn’t give us (or tell us about) perimeter keys so I couldn’t get back through the gate once I’d gone out. Parking is a nightmare, it literally adds 35 minutes to your commute looking for a park when you come home — We were assured we’d get our parking pass 5 VISITS TO THE LEASING OFFICE AGO but still no parking pass as yet. One of the toilets doesn’t work, the bath won’t empty, only 2 of the 4 stove tops work, if I can open the blinds the handle crumbles in my hand. I’m literally considering applying for a job at the leasing office because they clearly do NOTHING. Counting down the days until our lease ends.

Excited about our new home in Park La Brea! The journey was a long one, considering I rented my apartment while living in Europe, however it was a painless move since I had the wonderful Carl Grubb assisting us the whole way through. We definitely couldn’t have done it with out his patience, guidance and promptness! Cheers to you, Carl!
The grounds are beautiful, the area is fantastic and overall, we are happy with our new home.

Still love it. Maintenance came fast when I recently had an issue!

DO NOT MOVE IN HERE.
I will be posting every horrifying detail I remember. If you get through this lengthy post, I promise you, you will NOT want to move in here.
My roommates and I were looking into these apartments early April, and all throughout May. We were linked to someone working at the leasing office called Lynn. She is incredibly nice, but I think she is incredibly disorganized. We tried calling many times and somehow we always managed to miss each other. Eventually we got ahold of her, received a tour of the apartment and found a 2 br 2 ba apartment with central AC and laundry unit inside for $ 2100, which we were excited for. I mean, what a steal! We submitted all our forms and she told us we would have to wait for a credit check and that the unit would be taken off the market for us. One week passes by and nothing. No emails, no calls, so I call her myself (only to go through voicemail). I couldn’t reach her at all so I decided to phone her partner, Crystal instead who informed us that someone just moved into that apartment that day. — Hold up — What?!? We were told the apartment was off the market for US. And now it’s gone? So Crystal helped us find an alternative apartment with the same amenities for 2400~ Not as cheap as the 2100… but whatever, it was still within our price range. She runs the credit check (which happens within 5 minutes or so) and things get approved. Fine. Whatever. We got our apartment in June.
Before I moved in our apartment (about a week after our official move in date), I paid for an assigned parking spot because a resident I bumped into recommended so. On the day I moved into my apartment, someone had already parked into my PAID parking spot. So I call patrol, the security informs me to find the 30 minute parking zone and park there temporarily and that they would write down my car information/​license so they know I was placed there. All the 30 minute parking spots were full so they told me to double park at the 30 minute parking spot in front of a specific tower and that they would call me to let me know when my spot was available again. So I go home, sleep for the night. Around 4 or 5 in the morning, my roommate sleeping in the living room comes to my room, freaked out because she heard pounding on the door. We thought that maybe someone was pranking us, but no they were pounding HARD on our door. Then later my roommate received a phone call aggressively threatening her in a ungodly hour that they were going to tow MY car which is illegally parked. So let me emphasize this: they called my roommate because MY CAR was filed under her name/​phone number. AND they told me they wrote down my car information so that something like this wouldn’t happen
Reserved guest parking is shit too. Got a reserved spot for my overnight guests, and someone was already parked in it. Happens all the time.
Then multiple times since June, our kitchen sink has caused us multiple troubles and TO THIS DAY IS STILL CAUSING US TROUBLES. At least once a month (in the fall time, it happened 3 times in one night. who knows if it happened while we were all out working) our sink will be filled with soap and when we wash it down, it will lead residues of dirt, food particles, leaves, and various dirty things. Often times whatever this residue is will smell rancid and sewage like. We have so many sheets of maintenance papers of them «fixing» this problem. The last we heard, it’s because we live on the main floor. So any food that gets clogged from upstairs will come back out of our main floor sink pipes and into our sink… And another thing they’ve told us is the water/​soap from the laundry machines in the basement also come up.
Also about once a month our kitchen sink pipes (which, btw did I mention, don’t actually fit together??? Even after they replaced it) will overflow out and leak all over our kitchen. It’s already caused water damage to our cabinets because sometimes it happens while we’re at work and we don’t catch it in time.
We’ve also had multiple fly problems — both the little fruit flies and the big houseflies. One time my boyfriend visited for a weekend and he killed at least 10 in a morning. We really don’t understand why, because after the first time we got flies, we make sure to throw out any food-​related trash ASAP and not throw it into our regular trash can.
I’ve also reported a problem with the guest bedroom AC filter smelling like trash/​sewage (after using the AC) in July. I also reported that same problem in August and September that it was still happening and that it may be causing an allergic reaction when I breathe after using the AC… but I guess maintenance decided that it was not a priority because the issue is still not fixed and we never got notices that they came in to take a look at it.
so TLDR: do not move in here. It’s a shithole. I can’t wait til I move out in 6 months… Park la brea does not give a shit about our safety, health and well-​being.

TWO MAJOR ISSUES: SAFETY AND SECURTY
I have lived here for a total of nearly five years. Four years in a Garden Home and recently moved into a Tower Apartment.
In terms of the Tower, the elevators are constantly malfunctioning. I have been stuck in an elevator twice in just once month. There are also quite a few elderly people in my tower who need these elevators to be functioning properly all the time. Asking them to climb a few to possibly 12 flights of stairs is just not an option.
However the worst thing about this place is the laziness of the security/​parking patrol here. People can easily walk in out of the property without anyone stopping them (which explains why it once smelled like weed and urine outside my old apartment), my brothers bike was stolen, and my reserved parking spot is constantly being used by someone else.
I pay extra to have a reserved a parking space because I work very long hours and don’t wish to be searching for a general parking spot at 2 or 3 in the morning however I am constantly coming home to find someone parked in my spot. Whenever I report this to security/​parking patrol, they simply recommend parking in another reserved spot that is supposed to be empty, but surprise, another illegally parked vehicle in their recommended spot.
The general lack of urgency or care from the security team is truly upsetting. On one occasion, I complained to a patrolman when it was the third night in a row that someone was parked in my spot. His response was: «Look man, I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them.» To which I had to remind him he clearly wasn’t enforcing the rules because someone was illegally parked in my spot again. He had no response. As I mentioned earlier, there are many people using up reserved parking spots that they are not paying for. I once asked a nearby security guard: «Do you know that most of these cars aren’t supposed to be parked here?» His response was, «Yeah, I know.» as he continued to stroll on by. I was shocked that he just basically admitted he didn’t care to do his job.

One of the best place to live in, very secured, management works great.
Lots of entertainment in the events happening in the community. I would miss leaving this place, if I have to come back to LA i would love to stay here.
As it is my first apartments in La, its the best when compared to the others.
As it is near by to grove, Nordstorm, farmers market and many more…
Fitness park, swimming pool, theatre, curson café, and the parks is just amazing.
Best place for a family with kids.

So, I moved into Park La Brea about a month ago and I like this place. I love my funky apartment and my amazing view and the staff has been very nice. The Unilocal reviews almost made me not consider Park La Brea, but you have to take the reviews with a grain of salt. Here are my two cents on the big complaints:
1) Bugs. When I moved in, my apartment was incredibly clean. Before signing the lease, I one to my floor and inspected… the hallways, the door around my unit, and even the garbage shoot and did not see a single bug. So far, not a single roach. I did find a stink bug in my apartment, but I had the windows open. Guess what, if you open your windows a bug might fly in! Shocking, right?! As for roaches, my guess is that if you don’t leave food out and keep your space clean and dry, those little suckers probably won’t come live with you. They like the nasty apartment two doors down.
2) Security. Yeah, the people at the gates will pretty much let most anyone in. I came to check the place out and drove right through with no questions asked. But, the same could be said of most apartment complexes. My place in Atlanta was a smaller, gated complex, but you could still get in if you wanted to. Walk in behind a car or just ask a resident to let you in (people try to be nice, so they do it all the time). Few apartment complexes have fool-​proof security, so just watch your back and be careful. Keep your apartment locked and report suspicious people if you see them. So far, this place feels very safe. It’s in a good area of town and there are always tons of people around, so I would guess that the place is as safe or safer than most.
3) You Pay for Everything. Yes, EVERYTHING here is extra. Want central AC? Extra. Washer and Dryer? Extra. Assigned space? Extra. And trust me you WILLL want an assigned space. Gym and Pool? Extra. Yes, you WILL pay extra for everything outside of your basic lease. To all those people bitching about it in their reviews, well, sure, it is frustrating. But, they FULLY disclosed all of the expenses up front. I knew I would have to pay extra fees for the added perks BEFORE I signed the lease, so I can’t complain about it. It’s pretty simple, if you don’t like the price of the apartments or the extra fees, you can always live somewhere else. Good luck with that in this town!
4) Broken Elevators. Yup, that’s probably going to happen in a building that’s nearly eight decades old. There are two elevators in each building, so having one go down is inconvenient, but not the end of the world. Sometimes both can go down and I can see where that would be frustrating for someone who is elderly or handicapped. For the rest of us, will it really kill anyone to walk up 5 or 12 flights of stairs? Nope. The times when both elevators are down are probably few and far between (hasn’t happened in my building yet).
5) Windows. Yeah, the windows in these units are old and single pane. Not energy efficient at all, but in a town where the average high is 71.7 degrees and the average low is 55.9, I’m going to guess that it would be pretty pointless to replace all of the windows in the 4000+ units here.
My experience, thus far, has been great. I moved into an 11^th floor 2 bedroom apartment with central air and a washer and dryer and I love it – it’s about 1100 square feet for about $ 2,500 per month. This is not one of the remodeled units, but a «classic» unit which still has a galley kitchen and metal cabinets and counters and steel doors. It’s funky and has character. There are lots of windows and the place is bright. The only downside is that my bedroom and bathroom have big windows and are in direct sunlight all day. On very hot days, those rooms can get hot. Closing the blinds helps a great deal.
Parking has also been a big pain in the ass until today when I purchased an assigned space. There is a great deal of open parking if you want to try to get by without purchasing an assigned space. In the month I’ve been here, I’ve had to actually park outside the complex on busy 6^th Street. Both of these times have been late at night, so if you are a night owl, you will probably have a hard time finding a space. During the day, it’s WIDE OPEN. I purchased the space because I work late hours and wanted to avoid the hassle of looking for parking after a long day at work.
Park la Brea isn’t a cheap place to live, but the great thing living here is LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. You can walk the The Grove and Farmers Market and it’s close to everything. The landscaping is lush and the place has a nice neighborhood feel. The pool is beautiful and there are even two cafes, a theater, hair salon, and dry cleaner.
Again, I’m only a month in and my opinions my change, but so far so good. If my feeling changes, I’ll update this review, but at the moment I’m planning on staying for a few years. In spite of the downsides, I really do enjoy living here.

I lived here for 5+ years and finally moved to a clean, new apartment. I lucked out with a not-​so-​bad experience at PLB but think twice before moving here.
The good
Location
Best thing about PLB is its location. It’s far from freeways but not too far from West LA, Downtown, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, etc. You can walk to the Grove, Pan Pacific Park, and delicious restaurants nearby. I’m really going to miss the location!
Unit
I lived in an «upgraded» unit so it wasn’t too bad. It was super spacious with a lot of storage space (walk-​in closet!).
Maintenance
I must have lucked out because I had no problem with the maintenance people. They were quick and came out within two days. But I ran into some problems with them right before I moved out (read below).
Community
It’s nice to walk around PLB because it’s very green. They have cafes so it’s nice to go downstairs for a quick coffee break.
The bad
Elevators
WHY ARE THEY ALWAYS BROKEN?! UGH! I felt bad for older people and parents with kids. I don’t know how they walked up the stairs all the time. I got stuck in those elevators too. It’s not fun. Make sure you have your phone with you all the time. The alarm in the elevator doesn’t do anything. You have to call patrol.
Laundy Room/​Basement
Ugh, the laundry room is in the basement along with the trash. Thankfully I lived in a tower with a lot of foot traffic so it was maintained well. Trash was taken out every morning and laundry room was pretty clean. BUT it’s still disgusting down there. I heard other towers had roaches everywhere in the laundry room. Make sure you check the washers and dryers before putting your clothes in!
Noise
Windows are super thin, you can hear almost everything that’s happening outside. Walls are thin so you can hear your neighbors all the time too — esp units next to you.
Central A/​C and Heater
Having central A/​C and heater was awesome. But air will come through the vent. It got super cold during winter that I had to tape it up. Brrrrr.
Pest
During the years I lived there, I never had pest problems. I saw maybe three to five bugs over the 5+ years I lived there. BUT a month before I moved out, I saw some bugs in my kitchen. I freaked out and thought they were baby roaches (they weren’t roaches). I called service and told them to come out ASAP. I throw out my trash everyday, I don’t have food out anywhere, so where did they come from?! There were a lot of new people on my floor so maybe they brought them in? Not sure but it’s gross. PLB said they treated my unit but they didn’t leave a note behind… so they probably didn’t treat it… and they reappeared after 2 weeks. I knew PLB wouldn’t handle it so I got bunch of raid products and that solved the problem. I heard so many horror stories — rats, roaches… and bed bugs! My friend broke her lease because her tower was infested with bed bugs!!!
Extra Costs
Let me tell you, PLB charges you for everything. Not just parking and gym but for window screens, peep holes (!!!), and everything. They probably take them out and charge the next resident for those things. How annoying.

I’ve lived in PLB for over two and a half years and plan on staying.
We got an amazing price when we moved here and our apartment is actually bigger than most of them. We live in the towers and absolutely love it.
Of course there are cons here, as with every other commercial apartment building in Los Angeles. I’ve never had a problem with maintenance, they literally come the day after I phone in a problem (one time, I phoned in a blocked sink, and they were there 30 mins later). It is a pain to get someone at the head office on the phone though but in that case I just go in person — no reason to be lazy.
— Yes there are bugs, but this is LA… there are bugs EVERYWHERE. Plus, have you seen how dirty most of these apartments are? Everyday I walk by apartments that look more like hoarding grounds, with beds in the living rooms and kitchens with wall to wall clutter. If more people were clean, I don’t think that there would be such a big problem with bugs. People: clean your places! Don’t leave dirty dishes laying around! Take out the trash! Organize! Lot’s of these bugs travel from neighbor to neighbor, so if everyone took an initiative to keep clean, it would be a lot better. (Note: those huge roaches we get are not dirt roaches, they are wood roaches and come from outside, the palm trees, etc. I grew up in Texas with them my whole life. It’s California, so we have to deal with it)
— Guest parking is a joke
My biggest issue right now is A/​C. And I have called management a million times. I am 8 months pregnant and I’ve already delt with 2 heat strokes due to the heat and no one will come and install an A/​C unit for piece of mind. Apparently, they do not instal A/​C anymore, but I”m not just trying to get one out of comfort (the rest of the year is fine), but I really cannot deal with this much heat being pregnant. (I cannot afford putting in 600 dollars for a portable A/​C with windows that will not adapt to using a hose).
I don’t really know how I’m going to handle the rest of my pregnancy if this heat holds up and I am a little worried about the babies room as well next year if we cannot find a solution. You would think PLB’s team would be worried about a pregnant woman, but I guess not! Can I send you guys my hospital bills instead?

Update! a lot of people ask me how I like living in PLB and to be honest, it keeps getting better! My elevator was just renovated so now I’m even more proud to be where I live!
Feel free to ask me questions. YEs its busy and a lot of people in and out. The staff in admin do their best. I’ve had issues, but you’ll have issues everywhere you live. But for the most part things are handled as best as can be. I even found an amazing parking solution! Hope this is helpful– if you have questions, I’m an open book.

I agree with most negative reviews here and will add just one more point.
Do you enjoy DMV experience? Do you like dealing with Social Security offices? Do you like filling out countless petitions, notes, complaints, forms, requests, etc. If you love bureaucracy and what it has to offer, then this is a good place for you.
This is an enormous understaffed community. Everyone is stressed out with too much work, and it reflects on the services. Staff is rude and refuses to be helpful. No matter how much you complain, they won’t care because you are one of thousands of many tenants and they are not afraid to lose you. They have full-​time lawyers and unlimited resources to fight you. You will spend days without water, power, gas in your apartment before they come around to respond to your petition.
My advice: find a smaller building in the area with on-​site manager. You can get a better deal for the same price. Yes, you won’t have an overcrowded pool and (not so) secure territory, but you can live without it.

These guys are the absolute worst when it comes to customer service. Me and some friends were applying to get an apartment but are very glad we looked at some reviews on here before doing so.
The customer service has bee absolutely terrible. I was left on hold for over 10 minutes and had to call over 14 times before the leasing office would answer my call again for assistance with something I could get resolved with a phone call with minimal time needed from these guys.
I pity their current tenants

If you’re new to LA and in search of an apartment, Park La Brea is a great option. You can choose between garden apartments or a tower. When you tour the complex, you have to ask the right questions. Yes they will show you the newly renovated unit with an awesome view — now it’s your job to ask about the unit YOU are selecting! Here are some tips on what to ask:
1) Ask your agent if the unit is one of the *updated units* or not. The renovated units have an open-​concept layout with an open kitchen and marble countertops. They also have hardwood floors. Don’t blame Park La Brea if you live in a sucky unit — it’s YOUR job as a responsible adult to ask what the heck you are leasing. They will go over all of this with you when you tour the place and put down a deposit.
2) Does your unit have a view? What does it overlook? Is your unit next to the garbage chute? Ask these questions. Each tower is in a unique spot and each unit may overlook a different area. I overlook the entrance to the tower and have that So-​Cal palm tree habitat outside my windows — love it.
Pros:
— The complex itself is beautiful. It feels like a college campus. Water fountains, beautiful flowers and palm trees, well kept lawn areas and high rise towers. LA can feel so hectic, so it’s nice to come home to a relaxing community.
— You are within walking distance to The Grove. I repeat, walking distance.
— 3^rd Street is nearby, filled with shops, brunch spots and a Trader Joe’s.
— You can purchase a parking spot so you don’t have to circle for parking. I CACKLE at the people complaining about paying $ 60 for a COVERED parking space. Move to San Francisco folks and you’ll be met with $ 100+ for parking, MINIMUM!!! This is a STEAL!
— Easy laundry system — just reload your card.
Cons:
— There are bugs. Cockroaches. However this is not a Park La Brea problem. It’s an LA PROBLEM. All of my friends who live in different apartments suffer from cockroaches. I’ve even seen them on sidewalks here. GROSS. If you notice a couple of those suckers around, put in a maintenance request STAT. I had a maintenance worker show up the next day after my request and he eradicated the problem. Haven’t seen a cockroach in 3 months — let’s hope it stays that way.
— It gets hot in the units, deathly hot. I have an old-​school AC unit but it only cools down the living room as there is no AC unit in the bedroom. I’m actually sweating right now as I write this.
— LOUD in the mornings. Trash pick-​ups and loud outdoor landscaping starts up at around 8AM, good luck sleeping in on your days off. The glass half-​full would laugh though because this means they are maintaining the place :)
— If you pay for a parking spot, you can’t park anywhere else. Even to unload groceries. Seriously, don’t. They will ticket you. It’s kind of aggressive.
All in all, the pros outweigh the cons. I love living here! My unit is awesome and there is actually so much space I don’t know what to do with it. I’m still trying to furnish it! The move in process is super easy, ask for Izzy — he’s the best!

THIEVES!!!
Cars and motorcycles are stolen very frequently even from the ‘secured’ garages and management refuses to do anything about it. This is a protected property with dedicated security people. We pay a lot of money for this non-​existent service. Not to mention that parking is also extra $$$ in addition to your rent.
The management will try to get every single penny from you!
There are constant attempts to break into apartments. Just a few weeks ago, someone got arrested trying to enter to a place. In another case, he fled away. Just google ‘park la brea lapd’ and you will be very surprised with the results.
Don’t move here unless you really have nothing to get stolen.
ELEVATORS ARE ALWAYS BROKEN!
You are lucky if the elevators completely work 2 – 3 days per week. This is ridiculous. It took 6 months to renovate one of them and guess what, it is also not working at least a few times a week. There are old people, pregnant women, disabled people living on the top floors. It is not acceptable to treat them like this.
COCKROACHES ARE EVERYWHERE!
One day you will wake up an realize that your kitchen has thousands of cockroaches. This is a very usual incidence in PLB. You call management and that say ‘yeah it happens sometimes, no big deal, we will fix it’. Really, no big deal?
FULL OF JUNKIES!
You will see people smoking pot in the elevators, in the halls, in the garages. This is pretty common.
As a summary, we people don’t deserve such a horrible treatment, specially while paying so much money. Don’t move here unless you have to. Everyone is dying to get out as soon as possible.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE:
Living here was WONDERFUL! All issues that I experienced were during the first month of my stay and all were sorted out quickly! The apartment grounds are beautiful and well kept! They have a cleaning team that services the building’s lobby and floors (cleaning mirrors, vacuuming halls, etc.) The building is older so the basement/​laundry room was creepy so I never used it! The elevator renovation did not fix the issue. I would get alerts daily about down elevators but that never inconvenienced me.
You get A LOT of SPACE for the money!!! My apartment was HUGE! Also the apartment complex is HUGE and I would have to use my navigation to get to certain buildings or to get to a certain exit.
NOISE LEVEL:
Being that my unit did not have central air, I kept my windows open and was able to hear the children playing outside, lawn service team and other noise from outdoors. This was to be expected though it was annoying. Passing ambulance and fire trucks would echo between the towers and made the sound 10x more loud at all times of the day/​night. Helicopters were always passing and the noise echoed too.
My neighbors on the side were pretty loud! I think this was a very rare case because they were being ignorant and childish. I said this to say the walls are not that thin but if your neighbor is anything like the one I experienced my last month, you may have some complaints. The neighbors above me were quiet with the acceptation of them sliding their furniture on the wood floors (which it states in the lease to have some sort of rug down), playing the piano until 11:30 pm, and some slight bumping. I figured I was being nitpicky so I never called the patrol.
Hallway noise was tolerable but you could hear doors slamming, people talking, but it wasn’t anything worth complaining about!
PEST:
The initial walk through upon arriving went great! The place looked clean and spacious. The next evening when we returned I started seeing small (the size of a pencil eraser) roaches on the walls and around the apartment. By the end of the night I had killed at least 10 – 15. I contacted the pest control (provided free from the apartment) and had them come out. After they treated my apartment for the roaches I probably saw 10 more during that month on separate days. So I decided to buy some Combat Roach Gel, I put it in corners around my apartment and from that point on, I never saw another roach inside my place.
Also within my first month I had baby spiders (picture included)!! They COVERED my clean stove and areas on my living room CEILING! I would try and kill them, and they would come back! Finally I called the pest control and they treated my apartment!
I HAD NO MORE BUGS FOR THE REST OF MY SIX MONTH STAY! I think the only bugs I saw were from the windows being open with no screens.
SAFETY:
I felt VERY safe living here! The community has a great staff of patrol and they were friendly and quick to respond to any complaints or issues. It was nice to have a gated community where patrol monitored the people entering ²⁴⁄₇.
RECENTLY they CAUGHT a supposedly armed guy who was going around towers and checking for unlocked doors! He had stole things from apartments but all was returned. I unknowingly SAW the guy weeks before while I was in my apartment! I heard him in the hall calling a guys name then walk into my neighbors UNLOCKED apartment! Luckily they were home and told him he had the wrong apartment. I was looking through the peephole and watched as he went to the door in front of my apartment and attempted to open it. I thought it was weird but also thought maybe he was looking for his friends apartment who said the door would be unlocked. NEEDLESS to say, KEEP your door lock NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE!
PARKING:
My first day at the apartments I found parking easily being that it was middle of the afternoon. AT NIGHT WAS ANOTHER STORY! My very FIRST NIGHT at my apartments I spent 45 MINUTES driving around looking for parking!!! IT WAS RIDICULOUS! Needless to say, the next day I went to the leasing office and paid for a parking spot which was the best investment while living here! I had multiple friends come over and would spend the same amount of time driving around looking for parking. It is definitely worse than described in the reviews I read.
They DO GIVE PARKING TICKETS so be careful and mindful of where you are parking!
PRICING:
I did a 6 month lease which meant my price was a bit more than someone who was doing a year long lease. I was also given a $ 1500 deposit and was given every penny back at the end of my stay! The price I think was very fair due to the location.
YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING! The beautiful pools, the gym, screens for your windows & reserved parking is NOT free! Any guest you bring for the pool supposedly had to pay $ 10 each time!