Tenant Reviews for 630 S KENMORE AVE

Cristina Raeger was honestly the best thing about the Evanston Apartments and the owner is very lucky to have someone like her running this nightmare property. Anytime there were issues with the unit, (and there were MANY) she was on top of it. Very efficient and considerate, honestly if it weren't for Cristina, I would be giving the Evanston Apartments 1 star. With that said, as good as an apartment manager may be, there's a limit to what they can or cannot do and this building had many issues that are worth noting before you sign a lease. 1. Roaches. BIG ONES. I was on the 6th floor, NO KITCHEN... So no dishes sitting around, trash had to be thrown out every day, no food left out, apartment was CLEAN and there would be giant roaches in the front room, climbing the walls, in the SHOWER, it was hell. And I'm not just talking the little ones, BIG FULL GROWN ROACHES ON THE TOP FLOOR. ------- CAN CLIMB!!! 2. Water leaks: the heater would randomly spew out puddles of water, I turned mine off completely and came home one day to a soaked floor. At one point, water started leaking from the ceiling and when the contractors went in to fix it, they stepped through my shower ceiling and I had roaches coming in and out of my horrific standing shower for weeks over the holidays. 3. Someone died in this building, apparently on the floor beneath mine. Rumor has it it was Unit 504. Not a brutal death or anything haunting and horrific, but just a heads up. Don't quote me on the unit number though, just residents shooting the ---- to forget the hellhole we're living in. 4. Parking in Koreatown is HELL. For the entirety of my stay here, I was on the waiting list for parking but was never given a spot. As a result, my car was hit and totaled literally ACROSS THE STREET while parked. 5. Laundry facilities SUCKED!!! Like half of the time, the machines were out of order, and if they weren't labeled as such, it was pretty common to have to wring out your wet clothes and pray to your god that the dryer would make a difference. Ah life at the Evanston! 6. CONSTRUCTION!!! During my time here, there was loud construction happening on the buildings on either side of the Evanston and it would start as early as 6am going as late as 9-10pm and it was relentless. Loud drills, power tools, construction vehicles, nonstop. Sometimes residents would be so frustrated, you'd hear angry screams echoing from the windows. Good things about the Evanston: 1. Rooftop. It's a climb and mostly occupied by litter bugs that leave cigarette butts and empty beer bottles lying around- spoils of the loud parties that could happen every now and then. 2. Deposit: they give it back pretty fast.

Excellent experience. The manager Cristina is a excellent professional and a very nice person. They returned my deposit in 2 or 3 weeks and it was very fair. I recommend the building and the real estate company for sure! Erik Baptista

Does not return security deposit at all and will make up multiple major bogus charges that don't make any sense just so they can keep your entire deposit. Also said I owed money in addition when I left the apartment spotless upon exit.

Everything is broken down in this building. In the bathroom, there are very large cracks in the tile that management refuses to fix. Even caulking won't help cracks that large that continue to grow, and I've seen bugs go in and out. There is an electrical shortage in the building so management routinely puts up signs stating that all electronics must be turned off when not in use. Water is continually shut on and off as they refused to fix the pipes for so long that now the water has mildewed the walls internally. I see large roaches every time I go to do laundry as well as inside the apartment. Avoid! I will be moving as soon as possible. Koreatown buildings are often neglected by slumlords, but this one is really bad.

Don't do it, I regret it. There is construction outside and everything inside is trash. They only make it appealing on the outside to get you to sign the lease. Then, you're on your own.

One of the nicer buildings in ktown, but the reason for the extremely high turn over rate is the managers paranoid delusions. Makes fake excuses to come into your apartment at least 1-2x per month. You do not need to check my smoke alarm this month when you just used that reason to enter last month and I watched you test it without issue. I suspect they have rented to serious criminals in the past without a care until it was too late. Or maybe the landlord suffers from a mental illness. Its very creepy. Not a problem because there's nothing to hide, but who wants to pay some of the higher rents in ktown to be under the paranoid control of a strange woman who sits by the only entrance hours per day and says things like "I see every single person that comes in and out of this building"? ...Okay??? Either don't rent to problematic criminals or seek treatment for unresolved issues.

Prewar building well located in Koreatown. No amenities except for laundry. Pros: Walk score of 95 which is nearly unheard of in LA. Tons of restaurants and shops around, Metro just a couple of blocks. Very happening neighborhood. Responsive manager. Takes care of requests promptly. Pleasant. Rents are a bit cheaper than average for the area. Units in good condition. Kitchen has refrigerator and gas stove. Cons: No parking. Neighborhood lots are ~$120 per month. Forget about street parking. Tiny laundry room, just totally inadequate often with broken machines. Vermin. Huge roaches and pigeons shitting all over everything. Noise. There's a construction site on either side plus an unaffiliated parking lot out back. The idiot valets are constantly setting off car alarms, and drunks picking up their car late at night make a racket. Residents running Air B&B. It's against lease rules but you never know who your neighbors are. Kitchens are tiny. Hard to cook.

An old building and the owners don't care about the property. The apartment manager is great but she can't do all that much, so it's frustrating. Cheap but you pay for it in other ways. Major issues: No heat: The heating is broken and we've been told their not going to fix it until next fall. Last night was a cold one, 46 degrees. Really sucks. Water: They turn the water off frequently for repairs, so if you work from home, expect to be without water quite often. Sometimes they give you notice, sometimes they don't. They won't invest in updating the pipes. Pigeons: Welcome to the Los Angeles Pigeon Refuge. The landlords won't do anything to dissuade or remove the pigeons and they are plentiful and annoying! If you park next to the building, expect to increase your expenses with all the car washes you'll need to get from the pigeon's exploits. They're loud too, so if you like the sound of pigeons cooing persistently, you'll be right at home. Neighbors: They don't really screen, they will stick 3 people in a small 1 bedroom, rent to crackheads who are up all night banging around. Sounds: If you like to hear everytime your neighbors flush the toilet, take a shower or listen to a TV Show, this place is for you! Cockroaches the Size of Range Rover: Although they spray upon request, the cockroaches are persistent, unbelievably large and very smug. And don't forget, every time you ask for a spray, you have to empty every single cabinet, shelf and it takes 3 days to go prepare and put everything together. Annoying.

If you want to live among 4 inch cockroaches, then this is the building for you. If you want to live in a building where the water is shut off multiple times per week because they didn't care about plumbing maintenance (or any maintenance) until they absolutely had to, then this is the building for you. If you want to live in a building where the landlord police's how much energy you're using (because utilities are included) then this is the building for you.

The landlord is a nut job and lives on site. She is paranoid, has major control issues, and is always in a hostile mood.