Broadway Lofts

I wanted to write an update (I moved last year to LA).
I saw a lot of reviews about security deposits being «stolen.» I just wanted to post that my move-​out experience was incredibly smooth. I had no issues with the security deposit — they were really straightforward with the fees and what was returned (which was all very fair). If you follow their rules, you probably won’t get surprised.
Thanks for the great years, Broadway Lofts!

I love living in this amazing building! My loft is gorgeous and the maintenance staff is incredible! Not to mention the leasing staff, so friendly, so kind and always willing to help with any concern. I adore my neighbors and the location can not be beat! Please keep in mind this is downtown living so it is not quiet. I find the noise comforting and a bit relaxing LOL… there are homeless but there are homeless in all of downtown in any urban area. If you’re looking for something that’s centrally located in the Gaslamp area this is definitely your building. I can see myself living here for many years!!! As for the Cockroaches I have never seen any in my loft or in the lobby, elevator or any other parts of the building that I’ve been to. The other wonderful thing I can say about this building it is continuously upgrading itself I have lived here for almost 6 months and there have been extraordinary changes in the short time that I’ve been here. If there’s anything I could say that I would like to see happen, I would love to see the building host events for us to get to know more of our neighbors, However that being said everyone I’ve met so far I’ve really really liked! Parking is always going to be an issue living downtown I was fortunate enough because the transportation is so plentiful, that I was able to sell my automobile… no longer needing one with the multitude of Transportation at my doorstep.

I don’t write a lot of reviews but I do use Unilocal reviews all the time when looking for a good place to eat or checking out a new place for just about everything. That is why I feel the need to write a review about my experience at Broadway Lofts. I want to give my true opinion and some facts to help if you are interested and looking up apartments.
I have been lucky to have lived in many downtown apartments due to being able to have had the opportunity to move around the country. I’m the first one to say that not one apartment has been perfect but I have had the luck to come very close. Unfortunately, Broadway Lofts was not one of those to come close, but actually the complete opposite. I could write and tell you ALL the letdowns I experienced with living here but I’m going to give you the top few reasons why you should look at other apartments.
1.) Yes there are cockroaches! Not only did our apartment get sprayed after the first complaint but it did not do the trick. I woke up one morning and was getting ready for work and was sickened by the huge cockroach that I almost stepped on. It was huge. I couldn’t believe it. When I told management that I was bummed that I wasn’t liking the apartment, especially because of the cockroaches, he said that it is normal for downtown San Diego and that I will have them anywhere I live downtown. (I do not have them at my new apartment and I have friends who live downtown and do not have cockroaches as well.)
2.) The homeless right outside your door. Like I said I have lived in many downtowns and this location of any downtown I lived in is the absolute worst I have ever experienced. I have felt so unsafe that I couldn’t even walk out the door a few steps to the 7 eleven for something I wanted due to an aggressive homeless man right outside the door. It became a norm to have to watch my step due to urine and trash all over as soon as I took a few steps out the front entry of the apartment building.
3.) The noise is bad. Not the downtown Gaslamp noise. I knew before moving in that Gaslamp would be loud but what was a surprise was the noise of the road construction that went on right on 5^th and Broadway every day and throughout the late nights.
4.) Last is the lack of communication and follow through with management. There were multiple things that needed to be fixed in the apartment and we were promised it would be done before move-​in day. I walked into my apartment for the first time with my keys and was surprised to see someone with a painting roller painting the floors. This was suppose to be done way before moving in. Not only that but no window screens and even missing a window blind completely in one of the windows. This almost took two months to get done. The staff will amaze you upon a tour. We were promised so much and honestly Aimco and Broadway Lofts has been the worst experience with rentals.
I just saw this other review by a lady on the Penthouse floor. She said she’d say bye bye to cockroaches and wave at them! As funny and dumb as that sounds it’s false. She may even be the unit that maintenance stated leaves food out and had a cockroach issue. We were told one unit on the Penthouse level lives a dirty life and hence the reason for roaches. Not sure if it’s her place or not but always consider the source.
Aimco should be embarrassed by this property. It’s a disgusting building. Management needs a course in customer service, especially in follow through.
Do yourself a favor and Unilocal other Aimco properties such as their location in Point Loma. They are all bad. It’s not a coincidence. They are not a good property management company.
I hope this helps anyone who reads this when researching a place to call home.

I’m a city girl from San Francisco. I was looking for historical touches, great views, and amazing neighborhood, close to restaurants and bars (but not too close where you feel like you can never leave the party). Broadway Lofts has everything I wanted. Are there homeless peeps in the neighborhood? Yes, but living next door to a nice hotel with ever present guests and valet guys standing outside, and then walking into a very secure building makes me feel as safe as ever. Is there noise? Yes, it’s called downtown, not suburbia. Are there cockroaches? Not that I have seen, and I have the same roofdeck the prior reviewer had. But if I saw one, I’d politely ask it to leave, telling it that I have a pest-​free zone. It would undoubtedly tell me that there is no such zone, reminding me that the mice flourish in OB and the spiders abound in Hillcrest. I would be forced to agree, and then wave bye-​bye as I swept that trespasser off my deck. I mean really, bug-​haters, they have pest control in the building; what else can be done? I also love that the building is very dog friendly; both the neighbors and the building management love dogs. It is also people friendly with valet dry cleaning, parcel pickup, an attentive maintenance man, and great management. Heaven.

I have lived in the Broadway Lofts for just over a month now and I absolutely love it! It is within walking distance to a ton of great places, including Horton Plaza, and I can get just about any kind of food delivered — huge perk for my busy work schedule. The building and neighbors are very dog friendly. I haven’t had any incidents with the ‘urban adventurers’ in downtown, and I do feel safe while on the block with the security guard at the Lofts and the valet guys next door. All in all it has been an awesome place to live!

This place is a total rip off. They will steal your deposit. There was nothing wrong with the loft. The loft is cold, noisy and dirty. Stay away!

I recently moved in to my new apartment at the Broadway lofts and I could not be happier. The entire experience has been top tier from start to finish. Howard from the leasing staff was very helpful and patient, he really took the time to answer all of my questions and to help me find the right apartment in a no pressure manner. The location is ideal, right at the top of the Gaslamp in the heart of downtown. The views are incredible and the building is always spotless. The night guards and maintenance working are always friendly and helpful and remember your name. I could not recommend the Broadway Loft more highly to anyone looking to move into downtown San Diego.

It is unfortunate that I have to leave a bad review for Broadway Lofts. We moved here not even two months ago with very high hopes. Now, two months in we are paying to break our lease. Worst customer service I’ve/we’ve seen and we’ve lived in apartments, high end apartments in 4 states now. Don’t believe the «Aimco partners with Disney» line regarding customer service because I’ve interned at Disney and seen the leadership and this is far from it. Don’t get me wrong, they will «wow» you until you sign the lease. Seriously, you will think the communication and emails/​follow through is a new level of rockstar status until you electronically sign that lease.
My review is mainly rooted in the lack of customer service, poor management thus far, and a complete lack of follow through on not only maintenance but very simple emails and phone calls. Oh, and cockroaches.
We had toured several apartments in San Diego and had three more appointments after touring Broadway Lofts. We cancelled our following appointments because we were so blown away and impressed by the level of customer service and initial communication by the leasing agent and his supervisor. They were awesome. After signing the lease, a completely different story. Honestly, a complete 180 from their responsiveness until that point. This is not a vent, this is not a «nobody leaves a good review» nonsense that we heard upon asking about some bad Unilocal reviews prior to signing. We rent one of the 4 penthouses, pay a pretty penny for it, and the last thing we want to do is move. But, after having cockroaches, pooling water on the patio, no screens, finally blinds that took 6 weeks to special order and are broken and the wrong size (!), and two windows that won’t open, we are calling it a wrap at this place. PICTURES OF ALL THE ABOVE TO FOLLOW.
We toured the penthouse and several other units and decided on the penthouse. The staff all stated that the issues would be fixed prior to us moving in and the day of move in all that was done were the floors were cleaned and freshly painted… nothing else. We have had maintenance in here several times. First off, the toilet continually ran and needed a new crank on the outside… then, the bathroom sink leaked. They fixed it, it now leaks again! Two of our windows don’t slide open and they finally had the part they claimed last week until the window guys came to fix it, looked at it, then said they had to order the part? Where’s the break in communication? Then, there were spots on the wall that had to be touched up. Didn’t happen until we had to repeatedly request it.
Then there were the cockroaches. I do have pics of these but will have to upload from my cell phone. I was cooking lunch and noticed a UFO-​sized roach causally strolling through my kitchen. I nailed it with a Pier 1 Imports giraffe only to find another one IN THE TOILET. So, I email and am initially told they’ll deal with it at the end of the week. That was not acceptable to me so the next day the roach killers came to spray. I was told in an email that they occasionally see them on the roof above me. Awesome. Then, I come outside and I find ANOTHER roach just chilling next to our bikes that are parked in a pool of water because the patio/​balcony areas roof isn’t flat and all the water pools right out there for days, right underneath the bedroom window (that still doesn’t have a blind to close after 6 weeks). So, they spray and I’m told it will probably be a problem as long as water is pooling out here… which is constantly. I tell Aimco via email and no response. I continually hear that «roofing guys» have to come look at it. Okay, maybe act on that instead of just saying it.
Where I’m so baffled is it is nearly impossible to get an email, phone call, etc from the staff (except for Melinda). Numerous times I’ve tried and unless you see them in the hall or on a tour you feel like your on an island somewhere. Nobody, especially at the penthouse price, should tolerate no screens in their windows (after being told they are on order time and again), broken windows, cockroaches running around, water pooling on the balcony, leaky pipes, and the list goes on. When I received the Aimco surveys upon move in I gave them all exceptional and awesome comments. I was even told I left one of the nicest reviews. That’s how dumbfounded I am by the complete communication cut off upon moving in until now. I will hand it to them, they are great at selling the property and making you think you are coming home to this «Aimco family». They have an awesome website that appeals to anyone hesitant and I see a lot of values centering around integrity and honesty but no follow through.
We are paying to break our lease, and that isn’t cheap. That’s how disgusted we are with Aimco and Broadway Lofts. Feel free to message me for any questions. Check out my reviews, I seldom leave a bad one.

I would never stay here again. The loft is small, cold and dirty. There is zero insulation so you can hear a bunch of noise and the guy at the front desk was very rude. Also, they will make up any reason to take your entire deposit when you leave.

If you like hearing loud noise all day, this is your place. I stayed here with my friend when I visited San Diego and I couldn’t sleep. You can hear people yelling outside, sirens and even cars driving by. I didn’t feel very safe walking around the building either. And the guy that worked the lobby, Howard, was really rude. I do not recommend staying at this place I would never even consider it again.

Love love love… I have lived her for a few years and it just keeps getting better!!! Angela is an awesome manager and the property is nice and well maintained!!! I would recommend living here to everyone!

I love it here! The staff is awesome and incredibly responsive. I’ve had a handful of service requests and they are typically completed in a day… and a york chocolate bar is left behind, which is awesome.
The designs of the units are very unique and super cool since the building is so old — lots of character. In an empty unit you have to have a vision of what it would look like with your stuff in it.
Pros:
— Public transport is right out front of your door. I got rid of my car because I live here. I hop the trolley, get on a bus, use Über/​Lyft, ZipCar garages are across the street and two blocks away.
— Unique style — you can’t find many lofts in SD and these are vintage with lots of character
— Staff — responsive
— Bathrooms are really nicely done
— You get the true «city» feel. This corner is a true city hustle and bustle corner. People are walking around during the week so you get an energy
Cons:
— Homeless population — the area does have homeless issues. They are harmless but annoying. This is a city problem that needs to be addressed
— Noise — if you don’t like the sounds of honking/​sirens then it won’t be a good fit for you. I happen to like city noise because it means it is alive.
— Thin doors. My only real complaint here is that the front doors need to be replaced with thick sound-​proof doors. You can literally hear indoor conversations in the halls. I’m a private person so hate knowing that if someone is standing at the elevator they may hear me!
Overall I really like it though.

I’ve been here for a while now and I love it. The units are unique and very spacious. All of the appliances from the kitchen to the washer and dryer are are new. One of my concerns when I was planning my move to downtown was the noise from the street. I was able to get a mid level unit that faces away from the street, and I can barely hear anything but maybe an occasional motorcycle.
The staff here are very friendly and take good care of the tenants and the building. I see Angela and Howard just about every day and they are quick to help with any questions. Jimmy is up every morning mopping the sidewalk clean and Sal and the rest of the maintenance staff have solved all my requests within the same day.
I would recommend Broadway lofts for anyone looking for a place in downtown.

This place rocks! I feel like I’m living at the Palomar hotel itself. San Diego livin at its finest & everyone is really friendly. I couldn’t be happier with my decision moving here.

Ive been here for a few months now, and I am rather enjoying it. I was hesitant on living in downtown SD, but Broadway Lofts has made it an easy transition for me. Its funny reading other reviews where people complain about things that have nothing to do with the apartments themselves (i.e. downtown SD homeless population, parking situation, noise level). Thats what you expect and get when you move anywhere in Downtown and should be deemed as irrelevant to the reviewing process for this place.
The floors and walls are concrete, which help out with keeping your apartment cool. All the appliances are new, and work really well. I have a unit that is on the inner part of the building, which helps reduce noise from outside, but at the cost of a view, which is fine by me. I have some rear window views with the hotel across from us.
If there is ever an issue, maintenance has always been quick to resolve the issue. I see Jimmy almost every morning downstairs cleaning the lobby area, and I’ve never seen the elevators or lobby dirty. He is super friendly and great at his job. Management is awesome. They have always been helpful, kind, and understanding when there has been a mistake and they always greet us when we run into each other. They also hold community events which are fun to go to and meet other residences in the building.
The location is amazing. Its right up 5^th ave close enough where the walk to Gaslamp is minutes, but far enough that you don’t get all the ruckus from the partiers on the weekend. But I seriously walk every where.
Just a tip:
Dont forget to factor in parking if you have a car. The complex doesnt offer any parking, and the lot across the street is ridiculously expensive ($ 200 a month). I park my car about 5 blocks up and pay about $ 140 a month.
bring lots of friends to help you move in. The cops were jerks and told us we had 20 mins to unload our entire truck. we had to pack everything into the lobby.

I’m really surprised to see any negative reviews by people. Perhaps we’re still in the honeymoon phase, but we’ve been here 6 weeks and we are loving it! The common areas are always clean and smell nice, neighbors and staff are super welcoming, and LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! Jimmy from the maintenance staff was incredibly helpful when we moved in, Howard and Angela have always been professional and friendly. Broadway Lofts is a great place to live!

UPDATE 9÷8÷14
I scheduled a face-​to-​face meeting with Broadway Lofts in regards to all the issues we had during our move out (i.e. pre/​post move-​out, deposit refund etc.). Long story short, it started off pretty rocking (basically pointing fingers back and forth). I have to admit, this was extremely frustrating at first as I was uninterested in playing the «who is to blame» game after all the inconvenience that we had to go through. After lots of clarification with our pre and post move-​out walk-​through, we came to an understanding. I did not schedule this meeting in hopes of getting any of our refund back. it was the principal. Broadway Lofts did a poor job at communicating any info to us during the move-​out process and we wanted them to understand why this was so frustrating on our end. Luckily, this turned into a great meeting. I have to admit that Sal did a great job at explaining the charges taken from our deposit and seemed very sympathetic towards our frustrations during the entire move-​out process. After some explanation, I thought that the charges were fair. Eventually, I felt that Angela had a better understanding of our situation as well. In the end, Broadway Lofts refunded some of the charges that could have been prevented if they had communicated this to us prior to our official move-​out date. I understand that Angela has a very busy schedule due to other properties that she also manages, but this could have been avoided with some communication. I have to say that we did not have any issues with the management staff until moving out. My boyfriend and I left the meeting feeling a sense of relief. It was nice to know that Broadway Lofts acknowledged their lack of communication during the process and was also sympathetic towards our frustrations. Based on the resolution in the end, I’ll have to give Broadway Lofts a B+ for effort. We also received the rest of our refund check within 2 weeks. Because we came to a mutual understanding, I wanted to update my review as it is the right thing to do.

It is soo easy to get lured by the style and and spaciousness of the building. That’s all they can offer. Period.
Here are the things to ponder before signing a lease on this apartment.
1. No parking. Parking fee in front of the building is about $ 200. Palomar offers $ 210/​month for valet. How posh, right? Well, if you’re not with Palomar though, be expected to be harassed by the valet parking manager of Palomar!
She had the audacity to say she paid for the permit all the way to the front of 7/​eleven thus a resident (who did not opt to pay the valet parking with Palomar hotel) has NO way of unloading your groceries in front of the building. Parking at the garage is so steep and narrow, I had my car damaged twice less than a year parking there.
2. No GYM. Amanda and Angela lied to me and said by August 2013, they would have a gym at the penthouse area then after than they said they are trying to get a contract with Palomar Hotel to use their gym. Never happened.
The Valet parking partnership happened though because it is generating them money. They don’t really care in accommodating their residents.
3. Excessive noise. Don’t be surprised if your newborn child here becomes autistic! The traffic light, fire engines/​paramedic sirens and worst of all the jammering of the road all year long. I probably experienced maybe just one week of no construction or jamming on the street.
4. No values or integrity at all. I understand business is business but I go for a company that upholds a good integrity and I think that is what makes most of the successful business lasts. When I was moving in, Amanda placed orange cones to my designated spot in front of the building so that it easy for me to unload but moving out, Angela didn’t care whatsoever. Sad to say I got a ticket for parking violations, parked in front of 7/​eleven because all the cars for valet parked in front of the building. I then used the hourly parking across the street but imagine how hard that was when carrying a heavy load of furniture and have to cross a busy street. Once I parked in front of the building, the manager of Palomar started harassing me to move out right away! It was a horrible experience!
5. In other words, people who makes conscious decisions in managing their finances will never survive living in this building.
How hard it is to offer and place those orange cones again for moving OUT even only for few hours???
I have to say the repair people are very friendly and helpful though.

If you were thinking about moving here, do yourself a favor, and DO NOT.
Here’s Why
1) a girl was SHOT AND KILLED right outside directly across the street from the entrance a little over a year ago. Look it up.
2) No parking. Really. Plan on finding a lot for about $ 200-​$ 220 additional per month about 3 blocks away.
3) Run By Aimco: Notorious for raising the rent, and for not paying back the deposits or prorated rent for the last month. They say they’ll pro-​rate it the $ for the last month, But, when it comes down to it, they still make you pay it, then say they’ll return it afterwards. Then they dont.
4) The floors are gross. Rough un-​sealed cracked concrete floor with old black spots of GUM here & there, worse than the bum-​piss sidewalks outside. You cannot get these clean, and stuff/​dirt from the cracks will stick to your feet every time you walk on it no matter how much you mop.
5) You can hear the Cookoo-​Bird/​Chird Chirp on the street corner… you know, the cross walk signal sound for the blind people… If you don’t buy a ladder and regularly DUCT TAPE it with fabric to muffle the sound a little every couple of weeks, you will NOT be able to SLEEP, STUDY, WORK, or do anything that requires any sort of peace… Ever. It doesnt stop. The sound will drive you nuts.
6) Don’t bother asking the city to do anything about it. They’ll tell you the owner of the property needs to file an injunction. I literally handed the paperwork to the manager and the REgional Manager Jill from Aimco… and they told me I’m better off moving.
7) If you cover the floor with nice tile, as I did since the previous management company said it was ok, they make you remove it. What a nightmare. 2 week long project to remove that. Had to take off work 2 weeks to do that.
…They’d rather have the gross gum floors from previous tenants.
…and then after all that, they still kept the deposit and the last half of the month rent. unbelievable.
8) Next, you can’t open your windows because you can smell the bums smoking outside… and you can hear them shouting, and fighting.
9) you might also want to budget in $ for parking tickets. There used to be a 30min spot for people unloading groceries, but now that’s a 3min passenger loading zone so you can’t leave your car, and the motorcycle cop… while he is hot… loves writing tickets on that street. It’s Litterally his Full time job.
10) No one will want to visit you… Why? See above reasons…
I lived there peacefully for over 2 years… then Aimco took over, and it was one thing after another. Good Luck.

Lived here for one year, will try to give a fair and honest review– had a 15 month lease: $ 1832, but broke it because I could get better value for my money, and my central nervous system couldn’t take the excessive noise pollution. I expected city/​party noise which I can handle– but this place is a constant noise factory.
None of the real problems come from the loft or the staff, or neighbors. Everyone here seems like yuppie professionals. It’s the surrounding area. It is a cool space that you can design to your liking… but
Pack earplugs.
I think any loft away from 5^th ave, gaslamp would be cool. Like around where the Ralph’s grocery store is– less bums and a little quieter. It’s just for the same price, I got a 2 bedroom, 3 ba, single garage, gym, cyber café, gated community, no bums, salt water pool, and extra parking spot, and balcony and washer and dryer, 7 mins away, and still by the beach.
Pros:
1 .Always the restaurants and bars/​pubs– walking distance.
2. Elevators never broke
3. I had a beautiful view– 11^th floor
4. The maintenance crew was quick and responsive
5. Trash room always clean
6. Resident events in the basement occassionally
7. Staff is pleasant
8. close to the airport
9. Concrete walls help neighborly sounds, but need industrial velcro or a drill to hang pictures.
Cons:
1. Secured garage parking across the street was $ 220, and going up (adds to your rent– or you can risk searching the street for parking where you wont get towed. But be prepared for party visitors to the city to park in your spot even with a reserved sign– they don’t care– they want to party. The garage won’t make them move either. Be careful, many near miss head on collisions in that garage too– all the big truck and SUV people think it’s the Indy 500. Be careful walking to your car– always look in the mirrors there– cause you can hear them coming fast but can’t see them.
2. I timed the fire engines and sirens going by blaring their irritating horns also:
It came out to every 19 mins ²⁴⁄₇
3. The parking garage elevator breaks down on a regular schedule and the fire engines are usually for that to get the people out safely.
4. Everyone has a dog-​it seems there is NO SIZE limit, or QUANTITY limit for the types of dogs people can have. I have seen people with 3 Alaskan Husky type dogs in one 600 sq foot loft. People let their dogs urinate right outside the front door a lot– so it 85% of the time smells strongly of urine. It is embarrassing when your friends come over… just sayin’
5. Bum to resident ratio is out of control, has gotten a little better within the last 3 months or so, but be prepared for one of them to ask you for money on a daily basis. (When it rains, in the morning they may be camped outside the front door when you come out because it has an awning.)
6. Oh the big one: Apparently, the city of San Diego allows construction crews to do construction starting at 10 pm and going on most of the night. I’m talking about full blown jack hammers and concrete breakers. I have lived here for a year and they are still doing construction on 5^th ave– right in front. My friend’s son (a native San Diegoan, said: «they’ve been working on that street since I was a kid»
he is now 31. I lived on the 11^th floor and yes it sounded like it was right next to the window.
7. When they do construction– be prepared for your water to be cut off — without a notice! Surprise! Gotta go to work? No water. After complaints, it got a little better.
8. They will give you a «Notice to Entry» whenever they want. In the first 6 months I lived there– I got 3, or 4. They said it was to check for lead paint. Shouldn’t that have been done prior to residents moving in? (now I don’t do drugs or any criminal activity– we all got notice of entries.
9. Once with the construction, I guess they hit a gas line or messed with the foundation– and then I just happened to walk out in to the hall, and over the speaker — it said to leave the building immediately. I ran back to get my friend. If I had not just came out to the trash room– no one would have told us to evacuate– you can’t hear the warning inside the units. When I came down the elevator, firemen dressed in full gear pushed the door open! Once we got in the elevator it said dont use the elevator!
10. Tip: my firefighter friends tell me that their tallest ladders only can go to the 3^rd floor, and they told me horror stories of people they had to leave on higher floors… just sayin’