Ora Oakland

Chad Washington

I am a current resident as of August/September 2021. I have lived in apartments on 12 month leases in New York City, San Francisco, and Oakland and I can honestly say this is the best apartment complex I have resided in. - Management is extremely helpful from day one. I was able to schedule a prompt viewing of a unit I was interested in, and the process was flawless since. It was seamless to move in, as they were flexible with the time I needed to utilize movers. They respond immediately to any issues with the unit or amenities. All around great communication and people to work with. - Amenities are excellent. The appliances are all brand new in the unit and in great working condition. I have had no issues and do not need to worry about something not working. The rooftop is a great view, easily accessible, and very relaxing. The elevator is seamless. City Lift is a bit hard to get used to, but I understand the efficiency of the parking system and it sure as hell beats getting my car broken into on the street or parking tickets. The gym has everything you need and is never too crowded. - Community is by far the nicest group of people i’ve lived in a building with. Diverse group of folks who like meeting new people, despite being in a pandemic! It feels like everyone has friendly dogs too. Can’t wait to meet as many people here as possible. - Services are great. They pick up recycling and compost 3 times a week AT YOUR DOOR, which is unheard of and very sustainable. Any issue with City Lift is fixed immediately. They fixed a circuit breaker issue in my unit the first week immediately. Gotta love it. - Location is the heart of Oakland. As an Oakland native, I cannot think of a better place for a 20-40 year old person to reside. Lake Merritt is 1 block away, all the bars and restaurants you’d want in walking distance or less than a 10 min drive. The freeway is also relatively close for a commute into SF. I highly recommend moving here!

Pawel Dlugosz

Like many other residents of the Bay Area, the COVID-19 pandemic shrank & yet opened up a whole world of residential possibilities to us. We didn't intend to move but the offering at Halcyon was too good to pass up. We found a one-bedroom with a substantial patio, access to a rooftop terrace, dedicated bike parking, self-help package concierge, trash/recycling/compost pick-up, washer & drier in the unit, and two months free & an extra signup bonus. Not to mention, we'd pay slightly less than at our old apt complex, where we were surrounded by inconsiderate neighbors & non-existent sound-proofing. I mean, we always considered ourselves to be extremely fortunate to be able to live in close proximity to Lake Merrit, but now having Snow Park within reach (after a $12 million renovation) makes it an even more enjoyable experience. We're excited to call Lakeside our home for the foreseeable future! P.S. One downside pre-moving in (but not worth taking down a star) was the constant back & forth before singing the lease due to inaccuracies.

Monica Lawton

Posting this again because it appears Halcyon took my original review down (not surprising). The building, location and units are beautiful; however, we had a terrible experience with management (Sares-Regis). They will say what they need to get you in the door and then walk back their promises. Building staff turns over every few months (we had three community leaders and countless support staff in our 11 months here). This results in poor communication and promises that never materialize (construction concession, window washing, etc.) with no accountability. The attitude taken is "well I'm sorry X person promised you that but we can't do that." Additionally, packages go missing on an every-other-month basis with no resolution and the City Lift parking set up breaks often (and you're just out of luck for hours until they come out - IF they come out). Before we moved out, we tried renewing our lease and moving to a two-bedroom loft (from a one-bedroom) that management told us they've been having difficulty getting a tenant for. We agreed to every term they asked for, including signing a two year(!) lease (so they wouldn't have to worry about trying to secure another tenant in the near future), but they wouldn't budge on price. They would offer someone new walking in off the street an 8-week concession but nothing for tenants who have lived here for a year, paid rent on time every month and have agreed to signing a longer lease. They were incredibly difficult to work with through the whole process. They told us we needed to move in the next 5 days, so we scrambled to set up movers. The next day, someone else told us that wasn't even possible because the apartment wouldn't be available. They were 45 minutes late to inspect our apartment, and only showed up after we called two different building contacts several times. After saying customer service matters to them, they promised "you'll have an answer by end of day" twice, with no follow up. We ultimately decided not to renew because we'd be stuck with poor management for two more years. I hate to resort to leaving reviews, but we gave them countless chances to make things right, and they haven't. Please think twice before choosing a building managed by Sares-Regis.

zachary lee

I recently moved to Halcyon because of the spectacular customer service Nate Bennett provided. I looked at over 150 different apartments. While Halcyon does not offer all amenities as other apartments do Nate provided the details and service I needed to feel secure in going with Halcyon. Very impressed and happy.