The Landing at Jack London Square

Packages get stolen more often than not, the train is very loud, management is unresponsive, and amenities often need maintenance. The stairs are a pain when you're injured and or have a disabled or elderly guest. People's cars have gotten broken into, tires have been slashed and some cars have even been stolen off the lot. You can hear shootings outside at night, fights break out in the parking lot and glass shattering from cars being broken into on the street. It's a very unsafe environment and you'd think being behind a gate would filter out some of the mayhem but security is slim to none and management does nothing to help rectify an issue. The rates are low for a reason--not worth it at all. We just moved out and it's the biggest relief to not be living there anymore.

I spent 6 months at The Landing and left with a bit of a negative impression. The Good: The apartment was big and cozy. I got a discounted rate for 6-months, so it was affordable when I stayed there. The interior was nice and the floorplan was good. Maintenance seemed responsive to issues. The Bad: The train across the street is extremely loud, and it comes at all hours of the day (3am, 4am, 7am, etc.). Now that I've moved I realize how terrible the sleep I was getting actually was. It's also a pain that the property is on the other side of the train from the highway. You do have to deal with getting stuck waiting for very long slow trains to pass by sometimes when you're trying to leave or get home. Management (including the person in corporate I dealt with) seemed to have a high turn-over rate and a combative, accusational attitude. They didn't seem to be anyone you could trust or rely on. When I moved in, there was damage all over the apartment. A drawer was barely intact, the garbage disposal had a bad leak, the dishwasher wasn't even hooked up (but you could turn it on and water would spew everywhere). I noted everything in my walk-through checklist and took pictures. Then of course when I moved out I was accused of causing the same damage and not only did they charge me my whole security deposit, but they said they were being lenient due to all the damage "I" caused. When I sent them photos from my walk-through, they accused me of being dishonest and not taking the photos when I moved in. They also kept treating me like I was just trying to haggle and they were only apologetic because they had to be. I don't really think this place is worth the high price, but then again nothing really is in the Bay area. If you do move here, try to get a unit as far away from the train as possible, and don't trust management.

We are not off to a good start at The Landing at JLS. We moved into our apartment in less than 24 hours of receiving our keys. We had no reason to believe our unit wouldn’t be move in ready. The model apartments we looked at were clean, so we trusted that. The first thing we noticed was a strange adhesive on the hardwood floors. We thought maybe it was a wax that needed to fully dry. However that was not the case. This was the most problematic, because we had to shuffle things back and forth in order to clean and move at the same time. We could not reschedule our movers. Other issues we had were Missing light bulbs Missing microwave vents Dirty washing machine and Dryer Dryer had a missing foot Knob on washing machine was not working Missing shelf in cabinet Food stains under kitchen cabinets Dirty Stove and Broiler Dirty Dishwasher that still had food remnants Pet hair found on multiple surfaces, especially on and around the windows and on the bedroom shelving. Shelving was dirty in the bedroom closets. Carpet had what looked like pet urine. We submitted our 48 hour check-in list of issues. We emailed management at least 20 photos documenting the dirtiness. Management is slow to respond. They seem to be out of town on the weekends. Management seemed very on top of things until we moved in. We were only offered a cleaning and a wavier of not having to clean when we move out. That does not compensate us for the time and money we lost fixing our new home to basic cleanliness. We are beyond frustrated. Management even acknowledged that they did not do a walk thru before we moved in. When you move into an apartment you expect it to be clean. Especially during a global pandemic, where your home should be your sanctuary. We have been expressing our concerns for weeks with no real resolution. It’s concerning, their lack of interest to help tenants.

I have lived here for 1.5 years. In the time I've been here, I have seen them raise rents exponentially for new tenants, and now they plan to charge for parking and remove guest parking (two things that were initially included in the rent). There are tons of nicer, newer apartment complexes around the area with better prices and accommodations. The only thing this place has going for it is the pool, and they'll probably start charging extra for that too.

I moved here 8 months ago because the rent was reasonable in comparison. It was run by BRE. Now Essex has taken over and just raised my rent 10%. They claim to care about residents but, not so!. I moved away from an ESSEX property in Berkeley because of their price gouging and here we are again. There are no elevators in these buildings so they are essentially a "walk up" apt. four floors tall. They are repainting the buildings and hired a company who are lazy and sloppy. When I brought it to their attention, I basically got a shoulder shrug? I have watched these"painters" walk around smoking and joking and working unsupervised for a month now. This is what ESSEX is paying for and seem not to care about what they are getting for their money. A good example of what ESSEX cares about ,high profit through rents with disregard for residents. Don't bother moving here. They will tempt you with deals sometimes and them put the hammer down once you have moved in. I have complained about a dangerous situation on a walkway and months later, it still exists.

It's s nice place to live but rents are just as bad as if you lived in SF.

Try living in Oakland.... But not anywhere. Jack London Square is the safe, convenient and happening place, especially for millenniums. The Landing on Embarcadero W. is a gated community right on the bay. My apartment is on the top floor (no elevators) so I get daily exercise and my kitty loves the view. Newly renovated it boasts all the newest upgrades,and there is private covered parking, security, and both a gym and a pool. I love that it is so quiet (except for the daily trains) and I can walk in the neighborhood and shop at the weekly organic farmers market.

I love my apt but, moved in eight months ago and was notified that when my lease is up, my rent is being raised 10%. When I complained they gave me this smoke and mirrors excuse about how everything is going up like utilities etc. I pay my own water, sewer and garbage so that statement was an ignorant excuse for Essex to do their money grab. It costs a lot to move so I am basically stuck. I would never rent from Essex again if I moved. Do yourself a favor and watch who the management company is. When I moved in, it was run by BRE who apparently was owned by Essex. Now BRE is out and Essex has slammed the rent hikes on everyone. This apt is great bu there are no grocery stores around. Great if you eat at restaurants. BART is not too far. There is also train noise but you get used to it.