The Essential San Diego, san-diego-ca

I've lived here for 8 years and I love it. I like that it has good security, you have to have a key card to get through the gate, through the main door, and then into your room. There is also a security guard on the property during the night. They have a housekeeping staff who will come in and clean your room every other week. The staff is all very friendly and willing to help. Other reviews talk about no AC but I've never had a problem with that. In fact mine almost freezes me out. Maintenance always promptly addresses any problems that I have. It's true that it is a small room, however check any other apartments in San Diego and you'll pay two or three times as much as here for a studio. It's close to SDSU, the bus and trolley line, and there are a lot of places to eat around here. The new management is excellent and Sonia, the new manager, tries to address any problem right away. I would highly recommend this place.

Had a friend living here until recently, and remembered I lived here too. Was here from August 2021 - December 2022. The first few months Aug-Dec 2021 were great. Fantastic management. Great benefits. Ty and Jacob were amazing.  However, I was not pleased with the sudden switch in management from Jan 2022 and onward. Many rule changes with little to no notice. ** The amount you pay for rent is not worth it without easy access to a kitchen. And it does not allow anything like toaster ovens, hot plates, etc. to accommodate not having one. Big fines if you are caught with one in your apartment. And on top of that: The ‘communal kitchen’ is not open 24 hours. ** Other tenants had a habit of not throwing garbage away correctly, causing entire floors to smell awful and attract a ton of fruit flies. Multiple complaints to the leasing office. It would be cleaned for a week or 2, then start up again. ** There are also mandatory, monthly inspections as if it were a college dormitory. And would not make accommodations if I felt more comfortable being present while they were doing this. There is no reason they should be coming in this often to ‘check the alarms’. It’s BS. ** FYI to any disabled folk out there, this is not a very accessible location. The elevator breaks down sometimes and is left unfixed for days to weeks at a time. None of the doors are automatic, and they are all very heavy. The only accessible thing here is the wheelchair ramps. And regarding the parking spots, people park on the blue cross-hatched spots all the time! And do not move for several hours. ** You are only able to access the front entrances and personal apartment with your key. Zero access is given for entrance through the backdoors in the alleyway. You have to walk around the block in order to get back inside. ** Multiple complaints about loud neighbors. Especially during midterms and finals. Nothing was done about it. ** There's a no smoking policy inside the apartment. People do it anyway. If the smell of marijuana or tobacco bothers you, or if you're asthmatic, do not live here. We have had people set off the fire alarms in the middle of the night on more than one occasion. ** Posted hours for the leasing office were never reliable. They say they will be open until 6 M-F, but the office would already be closed by 3 or 4. Due to my work and school schedules, many of my packages were held hostage for several days and was never able to get help when I needed. ** Two of the front entrance locks have been broken for months. Very easy for strangers to not only enter the common areas but get inside the building as well without a key. Not very safe! Glad to be out of there. This is a great place if you need to be close to campus. But that's the only benefit I can think of. If you have a car or are able to commute through public transit, don't waste your time here. I don’t think it’s worth it unless you really desire the convenience of it. The only thing I was pleased with my entire stay were the maintenance and cleaning staff. Really nice people and extremely helpful. Massive shout out to Arthuro!

I recently moved into The Essential and have had a very traumatic experience. The landlord has repeatedly asked me to rub his big stomach or else my rent will be doubled. Additionally, on Tuesday afternoons, they try to lick me despite my objections. When I tell them that their tongue smells like sewage, they do not stop. I have tried to address these issues with the landlord, but they have not been receptive to my concerns. In fact, their behavior has continued and has become even more aggressive. I do not feel safe or comfortable living in this residence. I am at my wit's end and am considering taking drastic action if the landlord does not stop their behavior. I have threatened to pour milk all over the new carpet in order to get them to leave me alone. I do not want to do this, but I feel like I have no other choice. I do not recommend this residence to anyone. The landlord's behavior is not only intrusive and disrespectful, but it is also potentially dangerous. Avoid this residence at all costs.

Do not live here. You will not get your mail. Office staff will take days to find your ship packages. Staff are focused on their own things not your living experience. Food will be good the first few weeks and then....watch out. These photos of plates were taken 3 months ago. $12 for these portions and for this poor food quality. Live here and you will see this happen to you. This past school year Suites on Paseo broke their agreement and changed the meal plan without notification and would not let us out of the agreement. They did not honor their agreement with us. Sad year for our son. Wished we had it all to do over again. We would live somewhere else.

Wonderful, helpful, young staff! Professional, friendly, and do their best to accommodate you. Never had to ask for something or remind them twice about an issue. Maintenance guy, Lee, is helpful and responsive too. I mostly dealt with Andrew and he's awesome, though, all the crew is nice and helpful. They had a brief period of discombobulation when the managers (Amanda and Kara) abruptly left but the Young bucks held the fort down and shined in the moment when it mattered. And no, I don't work there... but I've lived here for over a year now and it's awesome place to live.