The Shores at Marina Bay

I have live here for the past 6 months and by far is the worst place I have ever been. Dealing with the contruction crews everyday had a nightmare. I have had my cars vandalize and cost me over a thousand dollars in tires. I have filed police reports and complain to Susanna at the HOA. nothing is beening done.

The Shores is a beautiful and quiet place to live, and my family and I loved it there! We recently had to move, but during our four years of residence, we took full advantage of the amenities like the nature-​filled walking trail, wildlife, pool, and well kept grounds. We didn’t even need to drive to the city for entertainment, we felt like we had so much to do right at home. There is even a dog park with a food stand nearby that you can walk or drive to. Once our baby son was born, he took full advantage of the place too and walked everywhere. I’ll always have cool memories and a fond feeling about living at the Shores when I think back to our times there. The maintenance and office staff were also great, they were very welcoming people who were interested in our stay being a quality one.

This review has to do with how hard it was to get my deposit back after moving out of the Shores.
I moved out of the Shores the day before Thanksgiving, 2015. My deposit should have been returned within 21 days, according to CA law, but I wasn’t able to get it back until April 2016.
What was the problem? When I called in December regarding my deposit I was told the check they sent me was returned because I left the apt number off my new address. I gave them the apt number and they were to send another check but none came. This happened again and again, with office staff telling me a check had been sent out to me. At some point I was told I’d have $ 25 deducted from my deposit to cover their bank charge to stop-​payment on the check I never received.
When I was able to talk to the office manager I requested they stop trying to mail the check, that I would drive over and pick it up.
In April my check was finally at the office. It was still missing the apt number.
During the months trying to get my deposit I spoke to an attorney who told me if my deposit was not returned within one year it was theirs to keep. I’m not suggesting the Shores tried to keep my money, although they did get away with the $ 25 they charged me for the stop-​payment. Likely the mess was due to inattentiveness, not sinister intention, although they should have provided a copy of their bank statement listing $ 25 for that stop payment fee.
Be safe, document interaction with management.

I am a resident, newly purchased my condo and went to our design studio to ask a question about lighting. When I go in, no hello, no good morning, nothing. I ask a women who I know to be the interior designer a question. «Im busy», she says «but are you in contract». No I already purchased. Nothing but attitude. Worse service ever and all for a two minute conversation. I love the complex, but the sales team, especially the Citibank rep, are greedy rude people who give a rats behind about actually getting you into your home.

We rented for three years before making the decision to purchase our place. Peaceful, quiet with beautiful views and great walks alongside the boats on the Marina.
A very helpful staff especially April Simao, the Assistant Community Manager who stepped up to make us feel really welcome and help us with our questions and transition. Highly recommended!

Can’t believe all the negative review. We’ve been here 20 months and LOVE it. We are now buying a condo. I think Unilocal is filled with gripers. Don’t believe them.

My boyfriend and I visited the sales center yesterday after seeing a billboard. When we arrived the sales woman was on the phone. We waited several minutes before she finally gave us some information packets (while she was on the phone). Although she was not aggressively rude, it was still a bit shocking that we weren’t directly acknowledged.
She finally hung up the phone, briefly acknowledged us, then went on the make another phone call! We finally decided to leave.
We realize we weren’t in our Sunday’s best, but we were also presentable and very interested in seeing the property. We have been looking for a property for about 3 months now. We were definitely interested, especially because it is in our target area and price range, however the poor salesmanship has completely deterred us.
People are potentially going to invest their livelihood in your property, the least you can do is make them feel at east about it.

A nice place to live location wise… but the maintenance people never come to fix your place unless it’s catastrophe.
We submit 2 work orders right after we moved in, and another one recently, and still nobody shows up as they promised.
We just wait and waste our time.

If you like peace and quiet, with long strolls along the bay and sounds of nature floating through your window all day, then this is where you want to live. It’s not super convenient if you are used to being «in the middle of it all» and being able to walk to restaurants or supermarkets, but there are two places worth eating at and a CVS within a mile. The star of this show, however, is the bay trail. If you have a dog or exercise in any way, the bay trail right outside is as awesome as it gets. The complex itself isn’t too shabby, with ponds and trees and walkways which smell of flowers all year long, but there’s nothing like a jog along the bay with downtown SF as the backdrop. As soon as I saw this place, a year ago, I was hooked. The only reason I’m leaving is because I purchased a home, and I’ve never felt this sad to leave an apartment.
I don’t know about how things were years ago, I only know about my own stay. I’ve never had a real problem with management, even when the earthquake caused the pipe above my secondary bedroom to leak and they had to replace my whole wall, management always kept me informed and returned my calls. Javier, in maintenance, was even nice enough to coordinate between me and the HOA in fixing that wall in time for my family to visit, and left a good enough impression on me to remember his name. The management here seems to keep the place in order — with so much nature it’d be easy to all unravel but cleanings and trimmings are regular, even annoying. I am however, at this moment, waiting for a callback from a manager in the office and have been waiting for two days and will likely have to call them back for the third time — as trivial as it is, some people care about that kind of thing. All in all, I’d say the rental office people are upper average, with as far as I can tell, not a single prick among them.
DOWNSIDES:
They water way too much, and many areas are left muddy all day every day, even in this time of drought, and they water way too early, starting at 9pm as far as I can tell, which is still early in the evening for me. Goose shit, goose shit everywhere. You like nature, you say? well, nature shits. They clean the walkways on occasion so it doesn’t pile up, and lawn maintenance chops up and clears the dried ones, but that still leaves lots of if around. Can’t walk on the walkways without looking down. And price — you pay a premium for premium location and atmosphere (apartments themselves are in no way premium). So if all you care about is your «cave», then you don’t get what you pay for here.

A wonderful place to live in the East Bay! !
I moved to CA from Portland Oregon four years ago and lived in two places in the Walnut Creek area before finding this gem. I have to say that out of all the apartments/​condos my family and I have lived, this one is top notch. Here’s why.
Our apartment was beautiful. High ceilings, Everything worked well, washer /​dryer in the unit (A total plus!), and very quiet insulated walls from any and all outside noise and neighbors. We loved our patio and had so much storage as each room had very large closets. There were even cupboards above the washer and dryer and a hall closet and pantry. Not any unit I have lived in in CA before has had this much space and felt so roomy!
The outside grounds, buildings, and general maintenance of the area is very well maintained and beautiful. Our workout facility and pool are super clean, that it gives 24 hour fitness a run for their money. Also, the gated community added extra peace of mind and security.
The Office Staff: The office is run by a very professional woman named Behia who not only came out one day to greet me personally, but also created a welcoming atmosphere every time I dropped by the office to pay my rent. She is very nice, fair, and easy to talk with on any matter. When my job transfer came up, she handled my contract with ease and care and gave me utmost respect. What a great experience for me especially when I was stressed!
There is Rebecca who manages the office and was usually the person who answered the phone. Every time she was extremely kind and offered help along the way with my questions during our stay. Also, she gave me help one day with some paperwork I needed to have finished with a change in our insurance. She was a great help and even let me fax it from the office, which I found above and beyond.
Andrew who also works in the office was the person who initially set up our contract and got us started in our new place. He ran our credit and showed us the apartment with enthusiasm and made the whole process of applying so easy and stress free. He also made great conversation when I would run into him from time to time on the property.
There is also Marissa who was a sweetie and was always smiling and cheerful in the office. She works alongside Rebecca in the front area.
Overall, I have no complaints which seems odd for me. I’m a perfectionist. I’m also a home-​body and super picky, so my apartment and the way it’s managed is very important to me.
We are sorry to have to move from the Shores but a recent job transfer to Houston made it not possible to live here anymore. If I come back, I will choose this place again. It’s a GREAT place to enjoy your home ! I never give a full rating this high, but I will when I feel a place earned it.

Its a shame because the property is so beautiful but the management is absolutely awful and all issues I have encountered here have sprouted from them– being a home owner at this location may be a different story but from my experience as a renter here for the past 2 months, I can not wait to leave!

I mean when it’s windy, it’s windy and a tsunami will knock it out eventually, but it’s totally LOVELY! Beautiful diversity of people, landscaping and views. A wonderful place to visit!

I wouldn’t recommend the Shores unless you like a lot of noise, lots of smoke from wax logs, and charcoal BBQ fires started with lighter fluid and lack of responsiveness from management.
There are two sets of rules here. One for the tenants and one for the owners. The lease states that the use of manufactured logs is not permitted because it could cause a chimney fire. Using charcoal and lighter fluid is also not permitted. Yet if you complain about people burning these logs or using charcoal/​lighter fluid, you will be told that they are owners and nothing will be done. In other words, the owners are allowed to put everyone at risk.
We live in a downstairs unit and were told that the man upstairs was very quiet. He has an obnoxious child who makes unbelievable amounts of noise. In spite of repeated complaints to him and management, nothing ever changes.
And don’t ever ask to have anything repaired. The maintenance staff don’t understand how anything works and will have to call in outside help that will take a long time or will never materialize. We have just given up!
If you value your life and your sanity, don’t move to The Shores!

I have lived here for four years and I love the location. Right on the water, access to great gym, pool and hot tub. People are generally very friendly. But the final point is the incredibly sweet maintenance staff. My door had some serious issues and the top lock somehow closed while I was clsoing it. I had to call maintenance at 9 pm on a Saturday night. The guy showed up smiling and cheerful and tried everything to get me back into my apt, NEVER COMPLAINING! I felt so bad. He was so sweet and got me back into the apartment as soon as possible. Any place that has such a cheerful and wonderful maintenance staff at 9:30 on a Saturday night deserves to be applauded!!!

We puchased our condo about three years ago. At the time, the Shores was at less than 50% occupancy; so it felt like coming home to our own private retreat. The Shores used to be all rental, so there was a mix of longtime renters and first time homeowners, and everyone seemed to live in peace and harmony. We knew all our neighbors, or at least most of them, and there was a fleet neighborhood children for our daughter to safely runaround with. The HOA answered their phones, and information about community going ons (however few they were) were given in a timely, efficient matter. Then John Stewart Company took over.
About a year ago, I noticed the parking lot getting fuller, and where once it was simple to find a prime guest spot (you only get one spot per unit), I had to search the complex for parking. With homevalues declining, the builder decided not to sell any more units and instead rent the units, which is fine. I’ve been a renter for years, so I’m not saying there is anything wrong renting. However, I believe there is a correlation between the length of leases and respect for property.
First, John Stewart doesn’t do long term leases. I heard somewhere that the longest day due is six month (which sounds questionable, I would think it’s a year), but the reason they do this is so they have the freedom to continually increase the rent. I remember when I lived in SF, rent couldn’t be increased more than 1.5% annually. That rule doesn’t seem to apply here, unless my neighbors are lying to me about what they’re paying after each lease renewal. Since John Stewart encourages a «turn and burn» tenant who only stays for a couple months at a time, there is little respect for the pristine quality of the property. There has been garbage left in plants and flowerbeds. One of our longtime neighbors bought an ab roller for the gym, and by the next day, someone had stolen it. People speed down narrow roads with music blasting, making it much more dangerous for the kids to run around.
Second, there is no longer any communications. In the past, we used to get notes telling us about HOA meetings and different issues. Recently, there has been a string of break ins in the community. It took John Stewart at least two weeks after I first heard about the robberies to actually notify us.
Finally, the property manager is AWFUL. I’ve read posts here about the poor management at the rental office. I can assure you that it’s no better for homeowners. Our gym key stopped working a couple months ago. It works everywhere else. We tried getting ahold of the HOA office multiple times, but nobody was ever there nor did they return calls. Finally, we called the manager of the woman who works at the office. She assured us that we need only go into the HOA office and they can easily rectify the issue. Now, the HOA office is opened 9 – 5 M-​F. We work! So I took a week off, and everytime I went to the office, nobody was there! And we didn’t just go around lunchtime. We went multiple times, and there was never anyone there. She is, however, there when complaint letters need to be sent. For instance, we’ve received letters because our Christmas lights were up to long, even though we don’t turn on the lights (this was mid-​January of last year). We’ve received letters about our daughter’s scooter being on our balcony. There is always a letter, which is strange to me, because when someone broke the mirror in our gym (dangerous shards of glass only being covered by masking tape), it took about 2 months to fix.
Anyway, as I write this, I start getting angrier and angrier about how The Shores has changed. We’re planning on using our unit as a rental soon and moving out to by a non HOA home.

I have lived at the Shores for two years now and I LOVE IT! The community is quiet and the people are polite. I love to walk my dog along the water, amazing views of san francisco just across the street! The Shores are an undiscovered treasure in the bay area. The gym is great too. The location is perfect. I recommend to anyone who asks, you won’t find a nicer place in the bay area, and when you see how reasonable it is, you won’t believe it!

YES there are nice places to live in RICHMOND… you just have to be on the right side of the 580.
The Shores is a pretty nice place to live. Gated to keep the riff raff out. Pretty decent living space (Although i’ve only seen the 1 bedrooms). What s exceptionally special about this is the LOCATION. just walking distance outside of the complex is the BAY! its such beautiful scenery and a great place to go jogging.
The only weird thing about the 1 bedroom is that the washer/​dryer is in the bedroom. You’ll think its a closet… but its not. Kinda werid… but i guess its better to be thankful that you have really really close access to a w/​d.

Marina Bay must be the best kept secret in the entire Bay Area. There are several complexes available on the Marina, but I make my home at The Shores.
The place used to be strictly rental for almost twenty years. Since going condo they have rejuvinated the units and polished up the property. The gym is amazing! Because this is an established community the plantings are lush and well groomed. The buildings are well maintained and well built. I’ve rarely heard my neighbors.
The Marina is lovely and on the Bay Trail so you can hike or bike to Berkely if you are so inclined. The Trail links several parks around the Marina including the Rosie the Riveter Memorial, a great playground at Lucretia Edwards Park and Shimata Friendship park which is popular with wind surfers. All the parks have plenty of bbqs and tables for casual events.
Only one mile west of the 580, but you’d never know it. It’s like living in a resort. SF is thirty minutes when there’s no traffic (it can happen) North Berkely — 12 minutes, Pinole — 15 minutes, Marin — 13 minutes.
Don’t miss Point Richmond, the charming little town three miles north.
The City of Richmond has its problems but you won’t find them here. There is an occaisional car break in and that’s about it. The Marina Bay Neighborhood Council is very active and keeps the city government on its toes.

I loved living here. I found this place on a fluke one weekend when I was in town from LA trying to get all of my moving plans settled and in order. I was chatting with my cousin and she told me to just go down cutting to 23^rd street and make a left. I actually didn’t believe her at first because as much as I’ve been down Cutting hundreds of times I’d never been to the Richmond Marina. As soon as I crossed the 580 overpass I was in a world secluded unto itself. This is not the Richmond of the late night news, rife will murder and robbery, and desperate citizens seeking reform for schools and police, this the future of Richmond.
Prime waterfront property with beautiful and expansive views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito, the San Rafael Bridge, and all of San Francisco welcomes me home every evening. The birds, and crickets seem to come out of nowhere at sunset and this place begins to feel more like it’s on the Georgia coast than Richmond. The area has tons of amenities including public tennis courts, boat docks, open park space, running/​walking paths along the marina, nearby Salute restaurant and a cute little general store just in case you can’t make the trek to Longs.
The property itself is chock full of amenities as well, 2 pools and jacuzzi’s, awesome gym facility with giant flat screen tv’s on the walls, and individula flat screens on each of the Elyptical machines, treadmills, and bikes. There is a well stocked are for free weights and a number of machine weights available as well.
The property is wonderfully maintained and patrolled by security from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM. The Rental office management is so kind and prompt with any repair requests. I had an issue with my dryer — I couldn’t find the lint trap and the maintenance man went to my house and fixed it and ever called me on my cell to tell me how to find it in the future.
I can’t say enough good things about this place. If you’re looking for something near the city, but not nearly as expensive and often times with more bang for your buck check out The Shores.
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I was a bit delusioned. The rent now rivals that of Oakland and San Francisco. Not worth it.