20 on Hawthorne

Mary Gonzalez

Place was an amazing place to live! However, after new Wonder Dog Management as of November 2021, new management has turned this place around. There is no longer any management available for contact at any point. Any ‘repairs’ made by management have just made the building look worse and trashier due to the fact that they never finish a project. Any sense of community that an apartment building of this size can have was IMMEDIATELY disposed of as Wonder Dog Management took over. Would not recommend loving here if any of that matters to you.

Sky Cascades

I signed a lease remotely, without seeing the apartment in person. Here are the things I wish I had known then: - The apartments are reached via a pretty gross carpeted interior hallway, with poor signage and lots of storage and apartment doors. Even after the carpets were cleaned major stains remained... a shabby introduction to the building. - Valet trash is sold as a benefit, but what it amounts to is a series of garbage cans out in the common hallways, every weekday night. You have to dodge cans in the hall on your way in and out, and smell everyone's garbage. - Units have no AC. I found this to be extremely uncomfortable in the summer months. I bought one large standing window AC unit for the main areas but the bedrooms were basically unlivable in June, July and August. Cheap construction! - The LEED status is real, but the building seems to have lost interest in sustainability measures: styrofoam cups in the lobby, seasonal scents pumped into common areas, toxic carpet cleaners, etc. Everyone seems to use window AC units. - The north side is loud, bounding Hawthorne St. - Cheap Cadet heaters in each room are tough to adjust and limit furniture placement. Oh, and that crappy product recently had a huge safety recall. - Some apartments have no overhead lights in bedrooms and living areas. Little fans instead. Cheap! - The standard refrigerator, freezer and ovens are tiny, apartment-size, so be prepared for that. - The finishes just felt really cheap to me. I liked the marmoleum in the bathrooms, but the faux wood vinyl flooring throughout the unit was less nice, and the granite countertops felt downright old school. All of the counters (bathrooms and kitchens) have granite tile, so there are grout seams that are hard to clean. The walls and ceiling have orange peel texture. The whole place feels really dated, even for a building built in 2009, and sort of shabby. - In the bathrooms the fan/light combo is on a motion sensor, so it goes on even when you don't need it, and regardless of whether you want it on. I tried to get that feature turned off and was told it wasn't possible. I found it really disruptive in the middle of the night, and wish there was at least an override switch. - There are huge gaps under the front unit doors leading to the hallways, so you can hear the conversations of everyone passing by. - Security has been a major issue. I had four different Amazon parcels stolen... and these were delivered inside the keyed lobby. There is a package room, which contract USPS and weekend carriers can't access, so that doesn't help. A homeless man spent several weeks living in the garage (people can walk in when cars enter and exit) and last year both a car and a bike were stolen. - Parking is easy to find on the streets in the area, but somewhat laborious in the garage rack (you have to get out of your car to punch in the code, then get back in, wait for the rack to align and the gate to open, then negotiate getting yourself and gear in or out of the car with very little clearance). I started with a monthly garage space but found it easier to park on the street instead. - Big dogs are totally allowed, and there don't seem to be breed restrictions either. There was a Great Dane living in the building, for instance. - Most renters get at least 2 months free rent when they sign a lease, some even more. Ask for it! - There is only one elevator. This one went offline several times, and it was definitely an issue for people with wheelchairs/strollers. - First floor studios face the sidewalk, and if windows are left open overnight anyone could literally just hop through the window into the apartment. - Second floor units on the East side (even numbers) share an outdoor terrace. This is good for dogs.

Kelsey Fernandez

Just moved in, everything has been great! Love all of the windows and spacious apartment!