All 24 tenant reviews.

“I booked this place online from the Bay area without viewing it so I was so scared until I got my keys. I love my studio apartment, I love my view and the location of City Lights. I couldn't have asked for a better studio for my first apt in Los Angeles. I read some reviews that have to be either old or from people who like to complain. This place is actually pretty quiet for being on the corner of Pico and Figueroa! Yes there are events, but you have front row seats! Our community is fun and filled with events and all of the neighbors have been pretty pleasant and friendly. Jared can attest to this, literally one hour of me moving there I was invited to a neighborhood pool party! The accept packages for you, the parking seems fine and the security guard is awesome! Sometimes he will even offer your guest his parking spot! You just can't beat City Lights on The Fig! Move here!!!”

“The leasing office who manages this property is horrible. Jenna, the new manager barely responds to your email even if it's regarding an urgent matter. There are active AIR BNB apartments at this building and if you get a unit underneath one you won't be happy. It's basically living under a constant rotation of travelers and they allow up to 7 people to stay in the unit each night. The evening security guard has completely ignored my call several times without even knowing what I was calling about. Which is unsettling considering the building's location and the fact that people from outside (non-residents) sneak into the building. Both my roommate and I have had scary encounters. When I first moved in the experience was much different. Tim was the Manager and he was efficient and responsive. Jenna has by far been the worst manager. Unresponsive and uncaring. Appalling that on duty security will ignore you and never attempt to follow-up. For all they know, an entry door could not be working and you would be completely out of luck. Everyone deserves to live in a place where they feel safe and where their rights as a resident are not being violated. A little customer service would've gone a long way if it was provided.”

“I have been living in this apt for 2 years. They never fixed the call box issue. Hot water was always a problem.The elevators were super slow, sometimes you wondered if it was running. After I moved out, they took away some deposit money without informing me that charge during pre-move out inspection. I left a complain on their website, but their agent never answered me back, so irresponsible. I will never refer to my friends about this apt.”

“I would not rent here if I were you. They mislead you and lie and then don't do anything about. It's constantly noisy and if you're a student that needs a quiet environment to study and get good grades... Stay clear of City Lights. Wish time would speed up so I can get out of here! Worst.life.decision.ever.”

“Quiet community, a little bit higher price range. Easy to get to freeway. Office staff is helpful, especially when I come home and am only available on weekends. Maintenance is usually within 48 hours. No one ever uses the pool, so it stays clean. Fitness center smells after someone works out, but is open 24 hours. Parking is gated within community. Guest parking is available weekdays, but weekends try to get there early.”

“I needed to find an apartment for my son who was graduating the University of South Carolina and moving to California. We are from the east coast and have never been to Los Angeles. After searching many properties on the internet we settled on City Lites. From the beginning Justin gave us outstanding service and guidance. As you can imagine it is stressful to rent site unseen. However we were so impressed by Justin and his staff that we went ahead and signed the lease. Upon arrival in Los Angeles, I could not believe how well kept and immaculate the apartment was and the entire complex. The management staff was fantastic. During the following 7 months we got to know Justin and his team. They were on top of every detail, communicating thru e-mail any events, concerns and maintenance issues. Hats off to Justin and his team. It was such a pleasure dealing with him and we would definitely rent again at City Lites.”

“I lived in city lights from 2011 to 2013 and had numerous problems with this place since the new management took over ( Mr. ------------- and the -------------- chick). Ill start with the things that annoy me first. 1. No guest parking, its always full with residents. 2. the carpet is cheap and feels like sandpaper. 3. the poor excuse for a gym is useless, one person is a crowd in here. 4. Elevators are extremely slow 5. Club noise is pretty loud but has gotten better 6. fire alarms constantly going off at all times of the day and night Now the major problems. 1. Management, (Mr. ---- is literally a ---- especially) is supposed to be there from 9-6 but good luck ever finding them there. I mean some of them live here and yet can never find the time to do their job. Not to mention they threaten you with lawyers when they decide to charge you an extra days rent when your contract is up. The ----- lady here, who I can't remember her name is seriously the biggest ----- I have ever met(she wasn't here when I signed the lease) and is just plain stupid and so fake it annoy's the ---- out all the resident's I have talked to. 2. Security! We had two break ins which resulted in the apartment being ransacked and our computers and electronics stolen. Then the management refused to change our locks, which are defective, unless we paid $60 for the same pos locks. Oh here's a fun fact, go to any on the apartments in city lights and yank up on the door handle, the door opens right up! Great security! Also, one of my class mates was held hostage for hours when someone broke in and when the police were called they couldn't even get in the building. City lights could be one of the best apartment complex's in the area, it is in a good location if you want to be in the city but the downfalls far outweigh the good things. City lights is over priced, has terrible management Mr. ------ jizz ---- on his gay little white scooter who parks wherever he wants even if it blocks residents cars, takes your entire security deposit when your apartment is spotless, and just generally nickle and dimes you on everything. AVOID at all cost.”

“I lived at City Lights on Fig for 2 years. There were good things and bad things, and I eventually moved away because there were too many negatives at this place. I am a young professional, in my mid 30s. On the positive side, the apartments are beautiful, appliances work well, and the building has a pool, hot tub and gym. The maintenance was OK: out of three maintenance requests that I made it 2 years, they fixed two in 24 hours, but once I had to wait for them to fix a light bulb for 14 days. On the negative side, this building is noisy ("dorm atmosphere"). The majority of residents in this building are very young (I would estimate under 25 years of age, mostly students). At night, it is very common for random people to walk down the corridors, as they are going to, or leaving from some party. Generally, this has been happening between 10pm and 2am on weekends. Those people can be quite loud -- talking loudly in the hallways at 1am, as if they were not in the middle of a residential building. I tried talking to these people, and sometimes they would quiet down, but on a couple of occasions, they were rude to me. The management told me that I should call security. However, in my experience, there has been little gain in doing so because most of these people are visitors. They are in the building once and will simply leave.. of course, another group will appear in 15 minutes, and the story repeats itself. Guest parking was very difficult for me. Each time I had a guest, they ended up paying $25 at LA Live Garage if they stayed overnight. A new nightclub opened just across the street in May 2011. Noise problems got worse since the club opened. The opening night was very loud -- there was noise throughout the building as some club patrons went to City Lights on Fig after they were done partying at the club. I talked to the security, but they were overwhelmed and could not do much... and frankly, it sounded like they did not care much about the problem either. On Sundays, the club has been playing loud music from their roof during most of the afternoon. As the club is not far from City Lights on Fig, this was audible in my unit. There were problems with USPS mail delivery. Occasionally, my mail was lost. For example, USPS lost my W-2 tax form -- it was never delivered and my employer confirmed that they did indeed send it. USPS also messed up my mail hold when I was on vacation: when they were supposed to deliver my accumulated mail, they did not. And I often received other apartment's mail into my mailbox. When I moved in and changed my car insurance address, I was given some really high quotes, even as high as $5000 per year for full coverage on a new car (worth about $20k, and I have excellent driving history). I was told that this is due to the 90015 zip code. I eventually found something much more reasonable, however, it made me feel that I am moving into an unsafe neighborhood. Occasionally, we received notices from the management that there have been recent thefts in and around the property. The people that work at the office are a mixed bag. Some are excellent, but some are average at best. The agents change quite often. For a while, City Lights on Fig had very good management which really made a difference, but recently, this has no longer been the case in my experience. When I was moving out, I had a bad experience with the management keeping $220 in my security deposit. It started by the management telling me *not* to bother with cleaning my apartment because they will charge me for cleaning anyway (?!). They also said they will charge me for painting the walls. They made both of those statements *before* inspecting my unit. However, I am a good tenant. I kept my place in great shape, and I always clean my place when moving out. So I cleaned my unit thoroughly. They ignored this and insisted on "cleaning" and painting. They said they "need to clean behind my refrigerator" and "behind my washer and drier". What a lame excuse. Likewise, the walls were in great shape, there was no need to repaint, other than a few small scratches that could have simply been patched up. The management has been largely uncooperative during my move-out process. We agreed on a pre-move inspection, in writing, but they did not show up on the designated time and date. So we had to do it again. When we did it, they walked into my place, told me everything looks fine, but that they will still charge me for cleaning and painting. I asked for this in writing, but never got it in writing (it is required by CA law). We also agreed in writing on a final inspection on the day of moving out. Again, they failed to show up for the inspection (but later charged me $220 for carpet shampoo general cleaning wall painting).”

“I decided not to renew after my orginal lease ended because the rent was just too high and for the following reasons. First, the parking is a nightmare and I found myself calling the staff to see if there was any available parking for my guests. Secondly the replacement staff. At first the previous assistant manager was very helpful and always helping out the rest of the residents. He was always emailing and returning phone calls as soon as possible. He was very friendly to everyone and always keeping everyone updated but he left last year and the replacement was a total nightmare and very uncooperative and not helpful at all. I was thankful he did not last there for a while and went to another place. Lastly, the noise level is just too much. The building itself I think it's not properly insulated and sealed because I can hear everyone that walks outside my apartment, below my apartment, and also upstairs.”

“I made the mistake of getting a one-year lease here in January and I have some particular complaints. i'd say 70% of the tenants are students living on their own for the first time ..... guys literally run down the walkways, girls click down the hallways in high heels, etc. From inside your unit you'd think clydesdales live here, it's just loud. that leads to my second point - everything echos here. the walkways are open in a courtyard-style so the noises and conversations are not restricted to your floor.... you can hear whatever is going on ANYWHERE in this complex because the sound carries. in addition to outside noise, the walls here are very thin. i regret my decision to lease here every morning when i get woken up at 6am by my neighbors' stomping around upstairs. other in-unit noise includes the washer/dryer machine. it's so clunky that I literally can't place or receive a phone call during a washing cycle. Parking is a nightmare. My "compact parking" is next to an SUV... how does that make sense? i have to navigate my parking at least 3 times to make sure it won't hit me upon opening its door. there's NO guest parking, my friends always have to find street parking. UPDATE* After moving out I received my deposit return and was SHOCKED to see that they kept $270 for the following reasons: $120 Paint Life $95 Carpet Shampoo $80 Cleaning Service Firstly, the tenants obligation to pay a paint-life fee is not disclosed anywhere in the lease agreement and they just try to argue that it's part of wear-and-tear. Secondly, carpet shampoo and cleaning services are customary turn-over costs for property management and are ALWAYS built into their annual budget. Charging tenants for these unsubstantiated costs is RIDICULOUS and illegal.”

“I have lived her since September 2008. The apartments are nice, I will give them that. But $2756 for a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom? The apartment is only 1,000 square feet. When I could walk down the street and get a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom apartment for $900 cheaper. The pool is ok, the sun only shines on the pool for about 2 hours a day. The gym is small. There has been a band practicing for 6 months below my apartment which they have yet to resolve the noise even though I have complained about 100 times. And if the Lakers are playing or Michael Jackson has a funeral don't even try to get out, because the cops won't let you back in. All of this fun for $2756? I think I'll go elsewhere.”

“City Lights is a decent place to live. The apartments are very nice on the inside. I'm usually very critical and I was impressed at how modern the appliances are. The pool, hot tub and longue are all nice. I don't really use the media center much because I have a nice TV, but it's nice to have. The gym is quite small and limited. It's ok for a quick workout but not great for much more. Parking is easy and there's always plenty of guest parking (except during Staples Center / LA Live / Convention Center events when they rent it out, that's annoying). The staff is very friendly and the maintenance staff is quite responsive. My biggest beef is noise. My apartment is on the street and I constantly hear sirens, cars, buses, and homeless people. Sometimes it keeps me up until 4 AM. The price is moderately expensive but not horrible for Downtown LA. If you can get an apartment facing the courtyard it's not a good place to live.”

“I just moved to Downtown and I am very impressed with the location and the building. Everyone is very friendly! I would recommend it!”

“We are current renters at City Lights on Fig in a beautiful 1-bedroom apartment. If you are thinking of living at City Lights (www.citylightsonfig.com - They have plenty of available studio,1,2,3 bedroom units) they have a referral program where they give current renters $2500 for referring someone to sign a lease and move in by August 31, 2008. We are willing to split this with anyone who wants to move in. ** In addition - City Lights gives you one month free for signing a 12-month lease. Thats 1 months rent free and $1250 in cash to move into a luxurious downtown apartment! Although it is a somewhat expensive apartment (what isnt in downtown LA?), a months rent free and $1250 reduces your rent a ton. With that said, its DEFINITELY worth checkin this place out, especially because the new LA live will be nextdoor in a few months .Honestly, this place is awesome, i love it and am looking forward to all the new entertainment venues being built near the area! The things people seem to be complaining about are the things you COULD complain about any apartment complex. If you are interested in moving in and want in on the deal, please give us a call (414 651 7499)(as you have to bring in a signed referral paper on the first day you visit to get the $1250). Happy apartment hunting!”

“and thats my biggest beef - they rent the majority of their apts to usc students. Mom and dad come in to sign the lease and thats the last time they will be there until their kids graduate or flunk out. there is constant turnover in this building.<br><br>Many of these kids have never lived on their own, and have little respect for the professionals that live there. they try to skate the rules, like no guest parking, leaving the garage vulnerable to theft. their little dramas are played out in the public areas, with sobbing girls or drunken guys upset over USC loss to UCLA. Once, at 3am, some guy moved out, with no<br>regard to sleeping residents.<br><br>I like the staff - they have always treated me kindly, and I try to do the same. If it wasnt for the arrogant USC losers this place would be a nice place for professionals”

“I just moved in in August and have to say I disagree with what most of these posts say. It is a smaller apartment building with about 100 apartments so it's not very noisy at all. They have a dog run in the back so that you don't have to walk your dog down the sidewalk. I guess I moved in after the new manager started because everyone in the office has been great! They keep my packages if I'm not home (and I get a lot of packages!) and every time that I have called to have something fixed, it happens the same day. It has NEVER been that way anywhere else I have lived.<br><br>I was told that there is only someone patrolling at night and I haven't even heard of anything happening since I moved in.<br><br>I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants to live downtown but not in a loft.”

“http://hvingrl.blogspot.com/<br><br>If you want ot know the truth about who runs your life.”

“I am a current resident of City Lights and will be for the next year. I have mixed feelings about City Lights, I've had good experiences and bad. <br>It is an expensive place to live, but it is one of the cheaper/nicer places to live in downtown, and all the amenities make up for the high rent.<br>The pool, small gym, and entertainment room are all beneficial, except don't use the dvd player in the tv room b/c its broken and even though we have complained it hasn't been fixed. The building is also newer so the appliances are not old and all in good working condition.<br>Noise is a huge factor in living here. When I first moved in 2 years ago I had a small studio w/an amazing view of downtown and the staples center. After about 6 months the noise from the bus stop right in front of the building drove us crazy and we moved to larger apartment attached to the smaller inner courtyard. The noise that we deal with now is from the residents and dogs...which isn't any better than the bus stop.<br>The building and grounds are very well kept except for a few dog owners that don't pick up after their dogs.<br>The security is something to be desired. They say they patrol 24/7 but we have had 2 bikes stolen from the rack in the parking garage (yes, they were locked up). My bike was also vandalized another time. Management didn't seem to care much about the stolen or vandalized bikes, which was very aggravating. Word now is that security cameras will be installed in and around the building, so that will hopefully help with the reckless people. Basically if you really like your bike keep it in your apartment. <br>The main manager can be a jerk and can also be really nice...must depend on his mood, but he recently quit, so hopefully new manager will be more stable minded.<br>Overall the experience has been good rather than bad...hopefully this helps in your decision making.<br>”

“I am a current resident at City Lights on Fig and have made the mistake of overlooking the noisy and boisterous surroundings of the building. The security personnel are hardly professional and useless at best.”

“I've lived here for about six months. The halls are very dirty all the time-sometimes there is puke! The rest of the building is kept pretty clean, but there are just a lot of USC students here that act like it's a dorm. <br><br>The resident manager is a jerk to everyone-on some level, I can understand that a lot of the kids can be hard to deal with, but I'm not like that and he treats me like crap anyway. There have been a couple of new people in the office-2 girls and they have both been nice. That guy has a major chip on his shoulder though!<br><br>My neighbors have been kinda loud, but when I've asked them to be quiet, they've calmed down. <br><br>The Maintnance guy is awesome and really friendly.<br><br>I think if this place got a different manager, it would be a LOT better. There is a tv room for everyone to use that is really cool, but you have to go through the office to get to it, and that's just not really worth the trouble of being hassled and treated like a 3 year old. I will definatly move when my lease is up.”

“College students come home at 2, 3am turning TV/Radio/walking down the hallway in group laughing & talking out loud (majority of the residents here are frm the nearby college), and the poor building sound insulation makes the situation worse. The bldg is using a very low quality material/appliances and the workmanship is terrible: dryer broke 4 times in 8 months, oven handle fell off for no reason, white bath tub stain-up easily but hard to clean, the connection of each pieces of materials are not smooth...just to name a few. Yet they have the most professional and friendliest leasing/maintenance staffs. They are very attentive. Unless u r living a student life tht don't sleep until 3/5am, otherwise, don't live here. Trust me, I am a professional that work in downtown and lived in the apartment that is right across frm my office before I moved here, this apartment is definitely not a suitable place for a professional that have to wake up early and go to bed early, or to come home to relax after a long stressful day at work. Yet if you are looking for a partying place or a place where you might hear the fight/crying/complaining to friends abt whatever tht happened in their life apartment anytime in a day (even at 2-3am), then this is definitely the place for you.”

“Well these apartments are rather pricey. If you have roommates then the price is almost bearable. The view can be extremely spectacular or extremely ugly. My apartment faced a back alley where I witnessed such things as men dropping off hookers and homeless people peeing. However, if you get the more expensive apartments, you get to see the lights from the Staples Center or you can face the pool and it's really nice. <br><br>The noise from my apartment, I can't speak for others, is really a problem. Since I faced the alley, we would hear a truck play "La Cucaracha" on loudspeakers every hour or so, sometimes late at night too. It was extremely annoying. Also, for some reason, cars always come to that alley late at night and rev their engines and I can always hear the homeless people who live in the alley play loud music from a radio. One particular homeless man would yell random things (many times profanities) at very inconvenient hours of the night, almost every night. It was also hard to sleep because the lights from the alley was blinding. I think for other people who dont face the alley, things would be slightly better. <br><br>However, City Lights has its good qualities. The management is nice enough, and helpful. We never had to wait long to get things fixed. That is mostly due to very hardworking maintenence staff, especially Tulio, who is a very nice guy who would go out of his way to help you. Mail has never been a problem either. <br><br>As for other tenants, most mind their own business and no one really talks to other people. There is a good mix of USC students and downtown business people who live there. Besides from some USC students being loud sometimes (and for someone bouncing a basketball on the floor above us for a while) I've rarely had a problem with the people who lived or worked there, which is amazing in itself, especially in LA<br><br>Since the building is new, everything is beautiful and well kept. It gets repainted almost perpetually and is always clean. There is a spectacular lounge area that all my friends fell in love with. There is even fresh baked cookies everyday and a huge tv viewing room. The pool, jacuzzi and gym is also great to have. It was rather luxurious to live there. Everything gets taken care of. <br><br>Parking is strange because you have to double park if you have more than car in your household. For people with roommates, it becomes a hassle. Other than that, you get free covered underground parking, which is wonderful! There is even a security guard in the parking lot at all times, so its very safe. <br><br>So, if you can afford it, these apartments are nice and safe and in a good location. But be sure not to get an apartment that faces the alley, you will surely regret it.”