William Penn Apartments

Nice building decent apartment.
Well maintained.
Management is friendly.
Good deal for what you get.
Neighborhood is not the best but your close to downtown and airport santa monica hollywood beverly hills.
Parking is difficult be careful for tickets.

My boyfriend lives in these apartments and I have to say, having been over to his apartment quite a bit, I cannot recommend anyone get an apartment here. There are roaches galore — every time you turn on the light, they scatter across the kitchenette top — and we are constantly making sure the bedbugs are under control. There was also a mouse that chewed through his wall and took us quite awhile for us to finally catch him.
The studio apartments themselves are also TINY — it is like being back in a college dorm room, making bunk beds almost completely necessary if you want to have any space. Which makes it REALLY uncomfortable not having A/​C when a heat wave comes through — its like being in a sauna. Not to mention the heater doesn’t work, so in that rare event that we have a cold snap, there isn’t anyway to heat this up. It’s a true pain managing the temperatures here.
The hallways smell like weed and human waste, which is reminiscent of the smell outside. Not to mention there are some seriously shady characters that live here and hang around outside. I had to call and have my boyfriend come meet me at my car after someone was hanging around and staring at me while I was parked. LADIES BE VERY CAREFUL HERE! I have been cat-​called numerous times during the day and I get uncomfortable stares and comments while I am walking to my car. Also, word to the wise, don’t wear flip flops walking around on the sidewalks here as I have stepped over multitudes of dog feces and several dead cats, so you spend all of your time dodging very unpleasant things.
Only bonus I can think of for this place is it is very close to a metro station. But since I don’t want to walk that distance at night, I usually drive anyways.
Really, though, save yourself the trouble, and look for roommates or a little pricier place and have a comfortable place to call home.

Ariana Meneses is nice and helpful, any issue I have she’ll take care of it… First of all ppl complaining about the «area» DUHHH… that is why you are paying 650 $-700 for rent. Try finding that rent amount anywhere else, with ELECTRICITY PAID FOR. Look around. see what u find. ;) Yes the area is ruff /​doesn’t bug me. I’ve lived here More than a year and it’s been chill. No issues and no bed bugs. I CLEAN. By the Way Bed Bugs are brought by PPL. They are a traveling bug. PPL bring them in with them. I have never had any BBs… I DON’T COOK AND GUESS WHAT I DON’T HAVE ROACHES. NONE … PPL that are not SANITARY and leave food out guess what. U can be in ANY place in the world and I bet Roaches would sniff out ur food u lay out or crumbs or spices etc. PPL need to clean. CLEAN… Bugs /​BBs /​crime are not immune to any community and I know this because I work in property where rents are about 2,000 for a 1 bedroom for rent. I moved here to save $ and I Have…

Do not stay here !!! They do not give you back your deposit money after you leave. I stayed here and was never late with my rent. I left the place in perfect condition and even cleaned it… It’s been over a month since I moved out and I still have not received my money… I have called and emailed and now they say the check was mailed but there is no proof they can offer and it was supposedly sent weeks ago… They are scum !!! I suggest that you pay $ 300 less on your last month of rent and tell them to apply your deposit money toward it… Otherwise, don’t expect that money back !!!
The heaters do NOT work !!! The place has roaches everywhere… The apartments have bedbugs !!! The hallways and elevator stinks like dirty people. Homeless people sleep on the sidewalks across the street at night… Drunks and prostitutes roam everywhere… And there is never anywhere to park !!! I warned you !!!
They switch managers and leasing agents avery 3 months ! The church next door does loud singing and praising for the whole day on sunday… The cops are always in the halls looking for somebody… The residents are loud and ghetto ! Stay away !!!

The staff their doesnt have good customer service. Arianna Meneses was one of the worst people I have ever dealt with in finding a place to live. No customer service what so ever. They want people to live there yet act like their above you and better than you! This woman left a bad taste in my mouth and is the reason I didnt sign a lease. Hire staff who make that place inviting and make people feel welcome. That place needs it!

So you’re interested in moving and came across William Penn Apartments. Let’s take a look at some of the things you consider when searching for home, and then go into a little detail.
Cost, Location, Amenities, Safety, Management.
Cost — [±] $ 700. Good priced studio, you have a bad ass kitchenette with burners and enough room to prepare meals, it’s all you need if you don’t like to be home much. But, if you are a home body or you have a family in one of these units it might not be enough. Bathrooms aren’t very big but they’re nice and it’s good enough for me. The views and new hardwood (laminate) floors are a nice feel and serve me well.
Amenities — With right around $ 700 for a decent size studio with potential city views (I have them) you get a few nice amenities. They have a pretty little courtyard you can actually relax in during the day and modern furniture throughout the entrance and lobbying areas, though not very many take advantage of these. You have a gym with machines and kettle bells leaving you to be your creative self and get tough on your own. No heavy lifting will be done here. Washer dryer etc, and elevators.
Location — The area you would live in is very interesting, it’s like a garage sale every day.
The demographic is 95% Spanish 5% the rest. The economy on Alvarado thrives, with pupusas y tamales for cheap, genuine leather wallets for under $ 5 and plenty of other things you can spend your dough on like violins off the Metro. It’s a pretty central location with a 5 minute walk to the Metro and 720, 1 stop (15 minutes) away from downtown and about an hour and a half to Santa Monica via 720. Also, you live near MacArthur Park, which is nice, but unfortunately the houseless dress it down with dull colors and smelly bodies.
Safety — OK so as a fair rule of thumb, living in Los Angeles and being out ANYWHERE between 11– 6 am is dangerous. That being said, I’ve not been harassed in the area after hours or mid day, that doesn’t mean I’m not on high alert, because there are some interesting characters I don’t benefit talking to in the evening. I’ve found a warm «How we doing» clears any tension, and I scoot along home.
(NEW)Management — I believe the management truly does their best given the circumstances in which they work. 2 people handle all residence inquiries. A complex like this needs at least 3 to actively turn inquiries on the daily. I’ve gone to them with issues and if I stay my adamant self, things do get done in a timely manner. The place stays pretty clean and security patrols in the evenings as well.
Be kind, strong, and adamant with apartment issues and you will find, things will get solved.
My stay at William Penn Apartments has been positive, if you are a happy person, you take on challenges, and don’t let little things run your day and your overall big picture, you will be just fine staying here.

If you see a positive review for this building ITS FAKE.
STAY AWAY from this horrid building if you value your mental and physical health.
There are COCKROACHES everywhere, and the management does NOTHING. The cheap rent may entice you, but beware with cheap rent comes cheap standards of living. This building is DIRTY, DISGUSTING and HORRID.
The fellow residents are NOT HOUSE TRAINED and the sort of people you would think didn’t exist.
STAY AWAY at all costs, moving here will be the BIGGEST MISTAKE of your life.

I love the historic building. The staff there is great. Anybody complaining about bed bugs brought them themselves. They do regular pest control. It’s clean

I stayed here for 3 days earlier this month. 6^th floor to be exact. The halls seem newly renovated, but reminder I’m on the 6^th floor, so I took the apartment’s elevator, it is so sketchy. It makes me nervous thinking about it. As for the room we stayed in, it was nice, we had quite neighbors. No bed bugs for me, and trust me I’ve dealt with bed bugs before earlier this year so I know the pain. But no, no bed bugs at all. The exterior of the apartments looks a little bad, could use a new paint job and yes it is true, it is very trashy outside. Could definitely use a cleaning. Overall it wasnt as bad as I thought it would be, but its not as good as I’d have hoped. Overall its just eh

It’s not a place to stay for long term because everything is horrible starting from the front stuff to the the outside trash. The front office stuff take their sweet long time to fix stuff or to respond to anything you ask. they are never in the office to ask them anything. BED BUGS ALERT Since we are approaching summer more of those come out and roaches too will come out .
The security is horrible they just sit and not do anything. OHHH if you live there DON“T drink the Tape water because it’s connected to the sewer and everyone above you or below you share the same line of water so you get the drill. When you have a package begin sent make sure you put a post on your door because if it’s left on your front down you won’t find it at all .
This Place is not cleaned during the weekends so the front door and where the dumpster is it will look like some dogs just came and had their feast. Not a place live for a long term unless you are trying to save money but there are better places for that same price close by and they are well maintained. the elevators are always not working which is kinda a good thing for taking the steers

If I could give this negative stars, I would.
Seriously, number one problem there is bed bugs. Those bugs are literally the worst thing that ever happened to me.
The whole place is infested.
If that isn’t enough for you are incredibly dim and it’s the perfect place for you.

Man! My review was so full of truth last time that they took it down. THAT should tell you something! BEWARE everyone.
RUN as fast as you can. This building is a trap. The prices look amazing, maybe you’re broke or desperate. We’ve all been there. If you are any of those things though, save yourself the headache and find a room with a roommate or a room that’s the same price elsewhere. This place is NOT worth it!
This is not the case for everyone, but this building has WAY too many people who were never house-​trained. It’s a super ghetto experience… not in a fun way. I’m constantly woken up by people screaming and yelling in the hallways, or hanging out and smoking in the hallways.
Security is crap, management is neglectful and rude, but oh so nice when you’re going through the lease-​signing process.
This building is awful. I would give it 0 stars if I could. Don’t do it! Trust me, I care enough to write a review about it and warn you, stranger to stranger.

Great apartment for the price, New ownership is making a difference we are seeing more and more improvements. Units are getting new flooring paint and appliances. It’s 5 min away from down town Los Angeles, staples center, and best of all its very close to all bars, got to love that. Great building for the price. courtyard and gym are a way to save money.

the halls are Done! Wow!!! what a difference management makes! wish I hadn’t moved out…

I just moved in almost a month ago. I like it. Everything is renovated and management is really trying to change things. Very eclectic community and close to downtown and the red line. Oh yea and it’s CHEAP!

i dont mind living in a bad neighborhood, so the 1 star is not about that. i dont even mind the rude manager as long as everyone does their job. i DO mind the bait & switch tactics that ive been getting from the william penn employees.
they post ads all the time saying that they have a super cheap apt with a kitchen. when you get there, they will show you a closet with a mini fridge & call it an apt. they will put you on the mailing list & email you once a week begging for your money. dont waste your time. they obviously dont know what they are doing & there are plenty of cheaper & bigger apts 2 blocks away.

I have a buddy from out of town living here… like many unsuspecting out-​of-​towners squatting in my lovely city, he was unaware of what he was getting himself into.
Yes, the rent is cheap, but… you get what you paid for.
I came here twice. On the first occassion I was waiting in the lobby for a while (friend was being a lazy ass fool) so I just sat around the lobby. This was Saturday afternoon around 2PM. It was an extremeley slow day.
I decided to pop my head in the manger’s office to ask about their sign because I’ve been meaning to move out into something new. As soon as I tell the fat lady at her desk she replies «I’m kinda busy right now, can you come back in 15 minutes?»
Of course I didn’t. The fat woman had papers in front of her but if she were a good leasing agent she would’ve immediately cared about trying to rent me an apartment.
So that was that.
My 2^nd time here I walked around a bit and noticed how dirty the hallways were, just… terrible… like a bum was slid across the floor multiple times. Naked. With oil stains and pee all over him.
We jumped into an elevator that was horrible slow and small. The worst elevator ride ever.
The room was small as all hell, and yes a living situation is possible, but with everyone talking about bed bugs, roaches, and mice… I dunno.
Also, we had a bit of people over his place and secooooritey (Rick James voice) kept giving all his patrons grief not letting people in/​arguing. (This was a little bit late, like 9 – 10 PM-​ish) So we go down the street and come back and the security has like 3 – 4 of his homies just drinking and smoking by the front door. Needless to say… it didn’t feel safe.
I would never come live here.

I wish I could give this place a star of shit. I lived here for over a year! If the stupid church across the street doesn’t drive you nuts with their Salvadorian salsa cumbia hymns, when did Jesus do the meringue? Then the crack heads, hookers, and BEDBUGS will. Seriously, took me months to get rid of them and I have the scars to prove it. The manager Jesus can suck a fat one, and Claudia is a very sad lady.

For the most part, living here was bearable. Yea, sure, crime, crackheads, the ever-​present aroma of piss, and no parking are factors you learn to deal with. No one ever broke into my place or screwed with me but then again, I am a guy. I wouldn’t recommend anyone trying to raise a family or a single female move into this shithole.
With all those pleasant factors in mind, this is where I drew the line: BEDBUGS!!! oh… and GERMAN COCKROACHES! I feel like I’m practically a goddamn amateur entomologist at this point — I’ve seen at least 4 different kinda bugs so far. I’m not one to generally lose my shit, but once I started losing sleep, I snapped.
The rent is cheap however, it ain’t worth the aggravation. IF you have a car, expect to get at least one ticket a month. The meter maids are bloody RELENTLESS. Only way around it is 90 bucks a month for parking at a parking lot where they slang dope.

BEWARE !
WILLIAM PENN APTS. IS NOTHING MORE THAN A SCAM !
Craigslist or Pennysaver ad sound too good to be true? Pictures look good, don’t they?
You better believe it baby !
Of course you would like to apply. That is when you find out the truth.
FIRST THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THE UNIT FOR $ 499 (or another impossibly cheap rental rate) IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THEN YOU WILL BE OFFERED AN APT. FOR $_____…not much more and still seems like a great deal…
ONLY TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
WITH A $ 35 NON REFUNDABLE CREDIT CHECK FEE– AFTER WHICH YOU WILL BE TOLD THAT THEY WILL ALSO NEED A $ 100 «HOLDING DEPOSIT» WHICH IS REFUNDABLE, APPLIED TO YOUR MOVE-​IN (IF) YOU ARE APPROVED FOR THE APT.
AFTER ALL OF THIS, THEN YOU ARE EXPLAINED THAT THE ONLY UNIT LEFT IS ACTUALLY MORE $ A MONTH ! AND THEY WILL CONTACT YOU IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS ???
STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS OR YOU WILL BE SORRY.
THIS IS BULLS — T !
If that isn’t enough to warn you, try looking around the common areas of this building. Nothing like the pictures.
The condition of the hallways are absolutely deplorable — overcome by the smell of alcohol, marijuana, and garbage.
This is just another old renovated residential hotel for the unfortunate who cannot afford decent housing.
Which is a shame. Recession or not, everyone deserves an acceptable place to live and this place is NOT.
The neighborhood speaks for itself as well. Although the immediate area is racially diverse, and that is a BIG PLUS — it is undesirable. Obvious crime, dirty streets/​sidewalks; appearing to be for the most part, an unsafe environment.
Added to the reviews we’ve read here about BEDBUGS, forget about it !!
STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS !