El Paseo

I’ve been living here at El PAseo Apartments for almost 3 years in the same location. I have nothing but great things to talk about this community. Lauren and brandy are very professional and friendly. They’re are always very helpful and full of energy, along with a smile. The maintenance team (Lupe) is not only a hardworking person, but also a person with a great personality, easy to get along with. He provides the best service in an efficient manner of time. I’m really sad I will be moving to a different property;for, I really love this property and the staff. I will sure miss this home. I assure anyone that is looking for a great area to rent an apartment, that this is the perfect location. This is a place you can call, Home !
Thank you all for making this place my home for almost 3 years !!

First off let me explain the one star rating. I gave them a one star mainly because the staff tried their best to satisfy my wife and I during our time at El Paseo. I’m not quite sure what the five star ratings are all about on here.
This place isn’t even close to that type of rating. Seems like shills to me.
We had multiple issues that eventually led us to asking out of our lease after 5
horrible months. They told us of the $ 4000.00 break lease policy that existed at the time but the structural issues combined with the fact we would upgrade to another Irvine property allowed us to vacate our lease without penalty.
The main problem, which was never resolved to our satisfaction was the sub floor of the unit above us. The creaking and popping was really unbearable and hearing every step of the people upstairs really sucks. When we first moved in there was a couple with a small child and a dog who really had no clue they were being disruptive. I can’t fault them at all it was the poor condition of the floors that caused the issue. They moved out a few months after we moved in and we thought everything would be taken care of. It wasn’t. Irvine company spent 5k to attempt to fix the floors but didn’t give the contractor adequate time to finish the job properly. When the next people moved in is when it got really bad. Students who came and went at all hours and some who stayed up all night «studying». It was really horrible. When we asked to have them keep the noise down is when the damage to my wife’s car began. They parked next to us and began just throwing their car door open doing extensive paint damage to my wife’s car.
By this time we had already been cleared to get out of our lease and we were looking forward to getting the heck out so I didn’t want to make a big scene, I should have anyway…
The place is in shambles, all the buildings are falling apart and in need of structural repair. The grounds are nice but I wouldn’t walk on the grass if I were you. The grass needs to be ripped out and replaced due to urine saturation. The stench in the morning is disgusting.
Homeless people sleep in the bathrooms that are frequently left open. They have security but he just checks the doors to make sure they’re locked. By then the people are already inside and they just have to be quiet.
The area isn’t much better drug dealers out front at night, people everywhere at all hours, numerous car break ins. Smoke alarms from the laundry going off at all hours. Gates never shut or locked.
The only reason I’m writing this is because of all the ridiculous 5 star ratings posted here. It really seems these are fabricated.
5 stars… yeah right.
In all fairness I moved out at the end of 2014 so some of these issues may have been resolved by now. Use caution and be aware.

I have lived here for about 4 months now. The office staff Lauren and Brandi are always so helpful and go out of there way to take care of me and my family. Whenever I place a service request Luis or Lupe always come over to take care of the issue that I’m having. This place is really a Diamond in the rough!!! The community is always clean and the laundry room is open 24 hours! The gym has the normal workout items, but the size of the room is great! I still have not used the Business Center/​clubhouse. Last but not least the community has a pool that is 8 feet deep something which is hard to nowadays.
Update (Month 8)
Parking: I never have issues, I have friends visit all the time. You rent a spot and it’s easy! I have never hand anyone park in my spot. I am glad you can’t enter the exit people don’t look going around the corner.

Parking is horrible here for visitors. I often have to run outside and see if there is a visitors spot open when my friends come over. Not only that I had 2 people park in my rented space and the tow service took so long that the people already left (called at 11pm they came at 2:30am !!!) If your rented car space is located to the left (near the tracks) you have to go all the way around the apartment complex (endless speed bumps and slow cars you can’t get around since they are looking for parking spaces !!!) You also can’t get in through the exit, which I was so kindly told (being sarcastic here) by one of the leasing employees. You would think they would be more efficient to have a gate opener for both sides, nope !
New management has been on the curt side of attitude. I wish they didn’t switch out the previous manager. She always seems to be in rush and looks away or down to the floor when passing you .
Some times there are unusual bangs against the wall and we can hear our neighbors alarm clock every now and then. But with that being said the apartment complex in itself is a pretty clean livable place. No bugs! And close to freeways

Pretty unhappy with living here now. Seemed like an excellent choice when first moving here everyone seemed so helpful and nice, the place looked great. Then when we finally moved in, we realized so many problems with the apartment. Also the front gate is always breaking. The office ladies are now no longer friendly now that they made the sell. Just keep finding new problems with the apartment almost everyday or something is breaking.

This is my third experience renting in the Irvine area and it has been a smooth and easy time during my lease. If there is anything you need fixed, the maintenance crew is extremely helpful, honest, and respectful. The management office was always attentive to my requests and have helped me with any questions I had, even after hours.
I rent a studio and I especially like the high ceilings and large closet area. The upgraded kitchen is also a plus. You get your own carport, and though parking can get a little full, I’ve always managed to find a spot for my guests. You can also pay per night for a parking spot (I believe its about $ 1.50 per night).
Overall, I’ve had a positive experience here. It’s gated and safe and located near a school. It has very good access to the ⁵⁵⁄₅ freeways, and there is a Stater Bros/​Trader Joe’s near by.

You know how some experiences start really well and go downhill? That did NOT happen here. It has been a week since I moved out of El Paseo to be closer to work, and I still have nothing but good things to say about the community.
EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE
You know that you have established good relations with your community staff when you know everyone by name– and miss them when you leave the community. I really don’t know how they did it. Throughout our stay there, the office staff was always as friendly and welcoming as the first time, when we set our feet in as possible customers. Any comments/​complaints were addressed in 1 business day or less! And the service team? Always knew what I was talking about when mentioning things that needed attention (which is pretty cool, considering they have to maintain X many apartments between only three of them). Something with significance that some might overlook was the attention to *consistent* detail. There were times when I would see «presents» left behind by careless dog owners while walking my dog at night; the evidence of these dog owners’ generosity was always gone the next morning (!!). I know that I can’t be the only one that feels this way because I would see the staff being stopped for casual and friendly conversations by other residents when they were walking around the community.
VALUE
You really get what they call a bang for your buck here. After moving away, I am acutely aware of how much I took the convenience of the location for granted. It’s near just about everything– including the heart of Tustin’s culture center (Old Town Tustin, which includes the rightfully-​famous Cream Pan and shops that have the oldie but goodie charm to them).
I will really miss my corner-​apartment with a private stairwell (which, I have to mention, the service team thoughtfully and kindly washed for us when it was possible!). The community was relatively private (there was none of the «everyone knows everyone’s business in this small town» kind of story that is often featured on tv), and yet was also small enough for me to get to know some of my neighbors– beyond the polite hello (thank you to my neighbor who gave me such a historical overview of Comicon, from an Artist Alley artist’s point of view!).
I cannot express my appreciation of the El Paseo team enough, for making my experience so positive. Thank you Laura, Lauren, Shaun, Luis, Lupe, and Alfredo! Cheers to THE hidden gem in Tustin apartment communities.

I was a resident for a year and had to move out due to personal reasons and I just wanted leave a review. The office and maintenance team are the best I have ever encountered after living with the Irvine Company for over 3 years. They may have a smaller community to manage, but the effort they put into their jobs are leagues ahead of other communities. This is coming from someone who had lived at and visited other Irvine Company apartments. They will go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. They really are the best and I will miss them the most.

El Paseo was my first apartment after UC Irvine!
To be honest, we weren’t really looking for El Paseo. We stumbled on it by accident. My roommates and I were driving around a few blocks away trying to find a place but made a wrong turn. We’re glad we did.
*Parking*
If you know Tustin, you’ll know that parking is terrible. Let’s face it. But El Paseo is super awesome in that they are able to rent out parking spaces to guarantee that you have parking (You just need to check if they have one available, They usually do!).
*Amenities*
They have a Gym that’s open all day errrrryday. Which is cool if you ask me. They’ve got your Irvine Co. standard feature Pool & Spa with BBQs. This may not matter to you but I does to me: El Paseo has a deep pool. I’ll say that again, DEEP POOL. Not those dinky wading pools that you’ll elsewhere. There’s this cool conference room? … where you can go in for free AC/​Internet. Yeaaaa. :)
*Staff*
What can I say… They are awesome & clearly know what they are doin. Lupe their maintenance guy knows the whole property like the back of his hand. If you need something done, Luis, Lupe, and Alfredo make sure that you’re taken care of. The property is always so clean and well groomed…(Can you say that about a complex?). Lauren & Laura are both really approachable and informative (You never feel liek you’re bothering them & and always are smiling… come to think of it the whole team is that way…).
Bottom line: They’re always there if you need some help.
Thank you, Brenda and Laura for helping a group of friends get on their feet. Though we’ve moved out (Job change, and Personal reasons), We definitely left with a good feeling.
I would wholeheartedly recommend El Paseo!

Ive been living here for two years now. Started off in a studio and now I inhabit a second floor one bedroom. El paseo, you have provided me with a home that is peaceful and always well maintained. Please dont change a thing. Your maintenance and office staff is always there for us and we appreciate all the effort to make this place wonderful.

Its location is the tri-​fecta of noise. First we have the 55 freeway that this complex is directly against. Second, it is also directly against the railroad that has trains go by about once every half an hour ²⁴⁄₇ right on through the night and although it is a no horn zone, they often hit the horn as they go by. If you are lucky, like me, and have an apartment that is on the side near the tracks, you get an awesome earthquake effect each time the train goes by. The final piece of the puzzle would be the Southwest flight landing path to John Wayne Airport. If you wanted to keep your windows or patio open and watch some TV, every 20 minutes from 7AM-10:30pm you’ll have to turn your volume up close to max, then back down once the plane passes.
Hope you’re not a light sleeper!
On top of that, the place is old and falling apart from the inside. The maintenance of the grounds is kept up but in the four months I have lived there, they have entered my apartment 7 times, illegally turned off my fire alarms for 30 days for an «inspection», screwed up my online account so i couldn’t pay online, twice. Had to work on then replace the water heater to get my hot water back, twice… Had my garage door get stuck open and i was called «combatant» by the manager, Laura, for not wanting to leave my garage with all of my things in it unattended because it meant the maintenance crew had to come back.
All in all, this place has been the worst living experience in any of the 8 apartments I have lived in. I wouldn’t recommend this complex to anyone.

El Paseo Apartments are a great place to live! I have been a resident since July of 2013 and don’t know why I have waited this long to write a review! Guess you can call this a new years resolution :) So here’s a break down of this place…
STAFF
The Leasing staff here are so great! These are the nicest staff I have encountered at any apartment community. Whenever I have a question or call them to have something checked in my apartment they are always eager to help! Thanks Laura for being an awesome Manager, you have great staff! The maintenance crew is the best too! I would especially have to give a shout-​out to Lupe and Alfredo who are always so nice, smile and greet me every time I see them. They also can fix any problem you have in your apartment, something so small as even changing the battery on your A/​C. So a big thanks to all of you who are awesome at what you do!
THE COMMUNITY
These apartments are located at the end of Newport Ave which I like, it feels as though we are tucked away from the craziness that can be going on in Newport Ave. The Apartments are gated which is a plus to add to some safety. El Paseo also has a pool and spa, which seems to sparkle every time I walk by because they keep it so clean! They have a 24 hour fitness center, it only has a couple cardio machines, so dont expect to be doing a full workout, but its convenient if you want to hit up the elliptical at 1 am. :) This place also has a patrol come around after hours to check on the community if anything suspicious is going on. You may also call them if you feel there is a noise complaint or you yourself see some suspicious activity.
Laundry
Im placing this into a separate category because this is a big factor to many people if a unit has in unit laundry. This community has a separate area for laundry located next to the leasing office. Now when I first moved in, I was a little skeptical about carrying my laundry to the laundry room and having to wait for it to be done. Honestly, its not that bad. I take care of all my laundry once a week, they have a card you would purchase in the laundry room and each load to wash and dry is $ 1.50 each, which is not bad because it would save you some money if you were using your own washer in the unit, which would run up your water bill.
The Units
What I love most about these apartments is they have vaulted ceilings in some of there second story units. Which makes the space feel so much more open! There is carpet on the second floor and hard wood floors on the first, so take your pick! :) The units have balcony’s for those of you who like some fresh air and they have a good amount of closet space since the closets are big in width. A lot of people who move into apartments worry about noise from there neighbors but I honestly never hear anything, from anyone! Its like I live here by myself! Everyone seems very respectful of there neighbors and I never have any trouble with noise.
Parking
When you move in you are given one parking spot per unit, if you have more than one car you now have an option; there is street parking available or visitor parking aka. unmarked spots for you to park in as well. Now if you are someone who gets of work after 5 pm and later, or like to go out on the weekends and come home late, I would highly urge you to purchase an extra spot. The visitors spots do go fast here so just so you have your own spot you can pay an extra monthly fee to purchase your own or if you know you have guests coming for a night you can buy a spot for the night for $ 1.50, which is not bad at all!
Thanks for reading!

This apartment community is wonderful! I have been living here for a few months now and I love almost everything about it. The staff at the leasing office are always welcoming. They provide snacks and coffee for everyone. The maintenance crew are always very helpful. When you see them around you can easily ask them any questions. Very friendly.
The living room is very spacious. I especially like the enormous balcony, enough room for a small/​medium pets to walk around. The bedroom is pretty decent size. The storage space is great as well. Although the kitchen is not as big as I have hoped it would be, it does have plenty of cupboard space.
The parking here is great. There are guest parking all around the community and if there is a need to get a designated parking spot for even just a few days, the staff at the leasing office will be happy to rent you a spot.
This community is pet friendly and I was very pleased to find doggy bag dispensers and large grass areas.
Overall, I am super happy to be part of this community!

Fancy looking place, but it’s the staff and management that has brought this place to a one star. The final straw was an appointment that was set, and no one from Management didn’t even remember! I had a few commitments that I had to push off on a Saturday morning, so I was very upset. But, then again, after nearly living there for almost two years, it was kinda expected.
Avoid this place! A studio apartment is way too much for the burden and constant disappointment.
As a positive, no one ever parked in my car port (but been blocked a few times).