Tenant Reviews for 215 W 7TH ST

I've lived here for 6 years and still love it! My neighbors are the friendliest people. That has resulted in lifelong friendships.

I have owned a condominium in the Bartlett Building since 2005. It is very well situated at the corner of 7th and Spring. Walking distance to all the great new bars and restaurants and retail in the Historic Core. There is a common rooftop with spectacular views. There is no pool or jacuzzi or gym. Just the basics. But that also means lower HOA fees for owners, which should translate to less expensive rent than some of the other buildings. Also, for those looking to buy, the reserves are in spectacular shape, reducing the possibility of special assessments. The board has done a great job with stewardhip of the building and the retail and historic storefronts are about to get redone by Andrew Meieran, who has done a spectacular job with the Edison. Currently no in-building parking, but the BOard negotiated a reasonable rate with the St. Vincent's Jewelry Center close by and hopefully this is something the new owner of the garage will rectify soon. Byron, the head security/concierge is also incredibly friendly, professional and helpful.

I lived in the Bartlett for 2.5 years starting in 2005 when it opened. There were a few issues that had to be resolved when it first opened. But overall, this is a great place to live. If you don't like the intensity of urban living you should stay in the suburbs. However, if you want to live in a great historic building in walking distance to great art galleries, bars, restaurants, and cultural amenities this is a great place to be. The building has 24-hour concierge/security. The staff is VERY helpful. And the residents/HOA is very committed to making the building a great community in which to live. About half of the units come with a parking space in the building's garage. You may hear street noise (this is downtown) but I RARELY ever heard my neighbors.

I see on websites for his other buildings that developer Barry Shy has taken his name and his company's name off--it's all sblofts.com and what have you. The Bartlett was my first apartment in Los Angeles, so I didn't know any better. What a nightmare. Towards the end of my stay there the sprinklers broke and were unable to be repaired, and the HOA had to pay to have a fire truck on standby outside the building 24/7 for weeks. The parking garage is decrepit with a huge waiting list. I was promised a spot within a month of moving there and it never materialized...had to park a block and a half away and walk through hobo camps at night to get home. I'm a female grad student...not good. There was no recourse for maintenance issues. I had to get an attorney involved to get my deposit back from the management company. Stay away! Barry Shy doesn't deserve any more of our money.

My wife & i were former owners and residents of the Bartlett from 2006-2007. Admittedly, sirens screamed regularly each night, helicopters flew over the area, and sounds of construction woke me at 3 AM from one of Barry Shy's other condo projects along Spring Street, but this was urban living. Our neigbhors were pleasant and the residents/owners really cared about the building. Yes, i did witness one "rave" party incident on the 8th floor (#812?) but that was an oddity. Otherwise, the building was quiet. And despite having a beautiful rooftop view of the downtown skyline, i rarely saw the rooftop used or abused. And, we did experience a problem with the cooling system last summer but that eventually was repaired and everything was back to normal. It took some time to adjust to the new environment but living in the Historic Core was exhilirating. We had fast food & sit-down restaurants, dry cleaners, bars, coffee house/cafe, galleries, theatres, museums, public trans, Fashion & Flower Districts all within blocks of our home. We regularly browsed the nearby districts and ate at Angelique's or Clifton's and during the summer we attended an opera at the Palace Theatre and movie screening at the Orpheum on Broadway. Every first friday of the month, there is an art walk at the galleries on 5th and Main and in the spring you could cheer and watch the LA Marathon runners pass the building. The area certainly is still in need of constant maintenance and unsavory characters may walk the streets, but this is Downtown. I worked on Bunker Hill and walked home each night without incident; the homeless residents never hassled me. As the neighborhood has gentrified over the years, you will now witness women walking alone at night along Spring and the surrounding streets at night. In short, living at the Bartlett was a pleasant experience which i cherish.

This is in response to the person who thought he was moving to Beverly Hills and got sidetracked to downtown. Yes, this is downtown. I lived in the Bartlett Building for 1.5 years and other than the couple across the hall who had domestic issues, and were promptly removed by the landlord, I never had any problems at all. The concierge staff is pleasant, helpful and enthusiastic. The homeowners are also. This is a new building and the homeowners are all united in making this a great downtown building. I don't understand why those who obviously shouldn't be living in a community type environment, come downtown, rent a loft and then flip out because they have neighbors. Go live on top of a mountain somewhere where there is no noise, no helicopters, no restaurants, no markets, no metrolink and certainly no cultural venues as downtown is the cultural hub of all of Southern Cal. For the most part, those who live down here and love it are an eclectic, interesting group of people. I for one, love living down here. And FYI, Tom Sizemore moved out several months ago so I suggest you get over it!

The Bartlett condominium development is mostly owner-occupied; however, there are several rental properties in the building. <br><br>While there were some issues with questionable activities, the HOA did work to resolve those issues. Not all units have parking, so ask before you move in. There are plenty of parking garages in the area as well.<br><br>The neighborhood is actually not as bad as depicted. While the infamous "skid row" is a few blocks away, the downtown business improvement district has a cadre of personnel roaming the neighborhood to keep any questionable and obscene behavior in check. Small independent shops are starting to emerge. <br><br>Also, because these rentals are part of a 140-unit condo building, the construction, repair and maintenance of your unit is completely dependent upon your landlord.

Please do yourself a favor and do not rent here. My wife and I rushed into renting this place and it was the worst mistake we ever made in our life. First off, downtown La is where the Los Angeles Police department releases paroleld convicts, up to 800 a night right out into the streets. At night you can hear screams, gun shots and crazy people screaming their heads off, along with sirens and police. Secondly, this place is a rip off. For the amount you'll pay it's totally not worth it. there are other lofts around the area that are much better. The plumbing gets shut off an average of 2 times a month, sometimes 3, and the hot water stops working an average of once of month, because this building is so old. you will have to sign papers saying you will not sue if you get cancer or other defects due to lead paint. The air conditioner is super loud and doesn't work too well, the dryer and washer is only good for a little less than half a load, barely enough if you are single. I've expeienced 3 break ins, and the neighboors are these teenagers who throw rave parties on the weekends where they take drugs and inhale nitrous oxide from a tank from 10 at night until 10 the next morning the whole weekend. I've had to call the cops on them over 5 times. Plus, there are about 20 kids sleeping out on the balcony and some of them have tried to break in. The neighboor upstairs was a convicted drug addict and domestic violence offender/actor Tom Sizemore. He was throwing huge parties with live bands and got arrested and thrown in jail. By the way, he was shooting pornography in his loft, and there are a few other tenants whom i've spoken to here that also film pornography in this building. Walking around for 10 mins outside will show you that there are homeless people everywhere and drug addicts running around. This morning I saw a bloody dead rat in our driveway. The subterranean parking is absolutely crazy some stalls have stilts while others leave you no space whatsoever. The parking garage looks completely broken down. The front call thingy for the door hasn't worked for a year. There was a valet but then they got fired for mishandling the cars and they also broke our back windshield. All of this for 2500 dollars a month. This is insane. Do yourself a favor and do not rent here. Everyone on my floor has moved out and they all agree. I hope that you find yourself a better place. Please rethink your options before you make a big mistake.