Allegro At Jack London Square

I was renting here 12 years ago ( don't remember if Yelp was existing) for a year during the transition of selling & buying my condos. Overall it was an enjoyment living there and I miss the convenience with walking distance to coffee shops, grocery store, restaurants, Chinatown, and the Jack London square. I used the gym 4-5 times a week, it was clean and neat. I remember that I was paying a quite reasonable rent compare to other apartment communities nearby and the secured / remote gated parking garage was great. I don't remember any of the property management staffs back then but there wasn't any unpleasant experience during my stay.

Save yourself the regret and discomfort of moving into this poorly managed apartment complex where they cut corners and penny pinch on everything. Out of any Windsor community I have been to this must be the shunned step daughter that is no one's favorite because everything is so cheap except for the rent.

What caught my eye were the stellar reviews on yelp and google, competitive rent prices, and location but I wish someone had warned me about the dark side.

To start things off on the wrong foot the day i got my keys aka my move in date, my apartment was in the same condition as i saw it when the last tenants moved out. Literal pubic hair in the bathtub, floors filthy, dust over the countertops- a complete nightmare. The front office made up some excuse about someone sneaking in to take a shower??? Anyhow they sent someone with a swifter to "professionally clean" Needless to say by the time I came with the movers a couple hours later- it still dirty not the clean apartment you would hope to move your furniture into and spent your first night at your new place.

Now if you're renting a place with a washer and dryer- you would expect a unit with a functioning washer and dryer- but not here. The first day I did laundry here was a hellish experience and I knew something was wrong with the washer. The unit was old on first glance but i had a old one at my past apartment that worked just fine so I didn't think anything of it. I put in a load of my darks- a bunch of lululemon leggings, jackets athletic wear mainly black and they came out of the wash filthy covered in a white paste like substance that clung to the fabric so bad I couldn't get out with a lint roller. I told the front office they said they would have maintenance come take a look. They said they couldn't find anything wrong, so I did another load- same outcome but almost worse. And I noticed when I washed my whites they would come out smelling weird even my friend visiting mentioned the towels smelled funny, how embarrassing. I complained again and they did nothing but send maintenance and said they could find nothing wrong. Here's the thing- I noticed on two separate occasions a row of old washer/dryer units being discarded by the dumpster shortly after I had logged my complaints. Which clearly implies they are fully aware that some of these units have been ran into the ground and need replacing but maybe I have to win a lottery or raffle to get a new one so I can finally wash my clothes without ruining them. I have had to wash my clothes at my boyfriends place which is such a huge inconvenience and no one seems to care at all.

There's no point really in mentioning the poor upkeep of the property, the dog poop smeared on the sidewalks no one seems to want to clean up and smells like urine all hours of the day or the dingy elevators that was out of service for three weeks. In just a couple blocks over fourth street is constantly washing and keeping their streets clean, I wish I would've looked into their units instead but I guess that's what happens when you rush to find a place.

The building gym is maybe the only redeeming quality. It's two stories with a few treadmills, peloton and even a stairmaster and jacobs ladder as well as cable machine squat rack and and free weights Also everyone at the front desk is friendly and accommodating. Whether I've needed something printed, a dog walker recommendation, or putting in a maintenance request- Lindzi and the rest of the staff are helpful and attentive, just not in getting a functioning washer dryer that actually cleans clothes unfortunately lol. The location is really nice although word of caution- do NOT get a unit facing 2nd street because you will be miserable the train will wake u up and completely ruin your sleep because the windows are so cheap and thin OR get a top floor unit because it has no AC it gets unbearably hot and you can't open the windows because the train is deafening already with it closed.

I have a long 334 days left of my lease and I hope some of my issues get resolved mainly being able to do laundry at my house, but I do regret not downsizing to a one bedroom for the same price somewhere nicer and newer with better functioning amenities.

Though Allegro is situated in an awesome location of Jack London square, the general upkeep of maintenance is subpar. From dog poop riddled around the building and the trash cans not being changed out enough, there is a stench and obvious sight of feces on the fake grass. Though I love dogs, there is no accountability when keeping tenants animals droppings at least near my building.

The gym is an awesome place that holds a vast array of equipment and I enjoy that very much. The office center is menial to say the least and the WI-FI is spotty most of the time when I want to make a business call/zoom.

As for the apartment I am pleased with the layout, washer/dryer and all other appliances. Even when my fridge died out after spending $300 on food I was at least reimbursed $100 which was better than nothing and was given a new refrigerator.

In all, I like the area but wish that there was more security measures in the area and wasn't riddled with the stench of feces when out waking. Definitely bargain with the rent if you choose to move here because of the issues and all the other buildings being erected which are all brand spanking new.

Touring this complex was a genuinely positive experience. Brenda, our guide, was a standout with her transparency, efficiency, and relatability. She effortlessly balanced being easygoing while understanding our interests. Her commitment to thorough information stood out when she connected with others to answer questions. Brenda's welcoming demeanor and teamwork added to the atmosphere. Makaila, another helpful team member, enhanced the experience. The guided tour is a must for anyone interested, offering insight into a clean and modern living space at a nearly perfect price point. The great location is a bonus. While there's a need for more in-depth research on my end, it didn't detract from the overall tour. I may revisit this review if I decide to apply, get approved and move in. The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because I can not speak to actually living there, only did the guided tour.

I was given a tour of Allegro twice. Both times were great! I was helped by Selah and she was kind, patient, and knowledgeable about the property and answered any questions my roommate and I had. We were also helped by another woman a few weeks back who was also great, but I unfortunately don't remember her name. Overall, the leasing agents that helped us are great!

Just wanted to update my recent review:

My boyfriend's car got stolen out of the apartment complex parking garage. I called the leasing office telling them and they told me that the security footage can only be released to the police and that we would never be able to view them. So pretty much, we will never know what happened to his car. Just something to keep in mind when renting here. Please be very cautious!

My husband Hauwei and I stopped by to tour a few weeks ago at Allegro. We wanted to apply for their 2-bedroom but decided not to because our house did not sell and we decided to stay for another year.

We liked their 2-bedroom layout and thought price was reasonable. Our touring experience was great and appreciated how accommodating Lindzsiy was.

We are still in contact with her and appreciate how she is still willing to help us with questions although we won't be leasing there anytime soon because of our circumstances.

I've read past comments about how the staff here are amazing and after interacting with Lindzsiy they are are not wrong.

Pros:
- The staff are VERY good. The leasing manager and most of her staff are fantastic! They're responsive and pleasant. The maintenance team is outstanding and very responsive and pleasant! If I owned apartments I would want to hire these people. They are great!
- Super close to BART and the ferry and chinatown and the waterway and weekly Jack London Square events (farmer's markets and such).
- Decent floor layout. Washer and dryer in unit. Nice little outdoor patio with a small outdoor storage closet.
- The proximity to the water really is fantastic. It's peaceful, it sounds nice, there is a breeze that helps cool things by a couple of degrees in the summer.
- Decent gym set up (usable when there isn't a pandemic)

Cons (buckle up):
- The parent company Allegro is the worst. Just the absolute worst.
- The trains are loud as hell and run all the time. You'll get used to them after few months. If you're single the people you date won't sleep well and won't enjoy sleeping over. Some train drivers will blow the horn more than a half dozen times regardless of the time of day.
- 2 weeks after I moved in the maintenance team identified that my bedroom window needed to be replaced. After 3 months I asked for an ETA and they said that the glass company was backed up by 3 weeks. It took them 10 months to do the work (it all happened before the pandemic). So, it took them about 8-9 months to decide to replace my window which means I gave them about $27,000 in rent before they could be bothered to replace a window that needed replacing.
- My car was broken into 3 times while parked inside the locked garage. The car adjacent to mine (only a car on one side) was broken into twice. This cost me thousands of dollars in repairs and stolen things. There was never anything visible in my car (no cables, no papers, no change, no sunglasses). The people who broke into my car didn't even bother to take the garage key because it's so easy to get in.
- My motorcycle was almost stolen twice and significant damage was caused each time. The last time someone destroyed the ignition trying to rake the ignition pins with a saw blade. It was parked inside the garage.
- One of my neighbors had their car actually stolen while parked inside the garage.
- Cars parked outside the apartments are broken into really regularly. I would see multiple broken windows on this block each month (it's Oakland, so of course there are a lot of breakins). When dates were over to visit me they would comment about being nervous about parking there and having their car broken into. It adds stress to their lives.
- The only garage security are cameras at the garage entrance. So, there's no way to tell which vehicle or person is to blame for this and their security is ineffectual.
- Security is one person walking around for part of the day. There are 4 buildings each with 6 floors (two garage floors and 4 apartment floors). One person walks around all of that and the outsides of the buildings. This person has no access to the camera feeds and as far as I know, the separate company who controls the cameras does NOT provide any details to the security team to coordinate efforts.
- In the building I was in the door separating the main entrance and the garage often didn't lock (and anyone who gets into the main entrance can get into the garage via the elevator).
- There is a system for packages to be left in a locker area in the lobby of each building. Packages can also be left with the main office. Some delivery people are pretty incompetent (some can't figure out how to get into the building, a lot can't figure out how to use the lockers - which have instructions on them for delivery people). Packages are VERY often left on the floor of the lobby outside of the lockers. Often in full view of the windows for anyone walking by to see rather than a couple of feet off to the side to conceal them from view.
- As soon as the pandemic began the touchless interface for the lockers broke in my building so you're left touching a screen shared with about 150 other people.
- Emails went out several times about the frequency of packages being stolen from the apartment lobby areas.
- There's no AC and it gets incredibly hot for several months per year. If you open a window for air the really loud trains mentioned above are a hell of a lot louder.
- They say they're dog friendly. They have the same dog restrictions as any other place. The apartments across the street have an onsite dog washing station. The apartments down the block have a private fully enclosed dog park.
- There is fake grass surrounding a portion of the apartments. Do not put ANYTHING on this fake grass. The grass is nasty and perpetually covered in dog pee. It ruins boxes/bags.
- When I moved in the carpets were so filled with ammonia from dog pee it made your eyes water. It was in the carpet padding and washing the carpets didn't help.

No room to leave the rest.

I lived there for 8 years. The staff there when I left was awesome. Lindzi goes above and beyond, no hesitation. Angela was the best building manager over the years, and there were many. Manny is just the best. But Windsor is the worst corporation. They do not care about the tenants, are only interested in making money off them, and they are cheap. The local staff do the best they can but so much is really out of their control.
Pros: Dog friendly except for some annoying neighbors, if you don't want to live by dogs, move. Good space for the $ in this neighborhood.
Cons: Common area cleanliness. Hallway carpets are the ugliest. Elevator is the slowest and not safe especially for someone handicapped (door doesn't open when there's an obstruction after a while).
My advice, give the local staff a raise. It's hard to find good people and there's a good team now. Spend some money to make living conditions more safe, secure, and aesthetically appeasing. Spend money to show the tenants more appreciation and build a community.

They love to screw you out of money. From the exorbitant cost of utilities, to the ridiculous rent increase at the time of renewal, this place makes tons of money for its owners by screwing over the tenants. Do not live here.

The final straw for me was the last financial jab they delivered as I was on my way out. They make such a big deal about cleaning the place, and have such high fees if they do any work themselves, that I hired Daniela Ross Cleaning services (https://www.thumbtack.com/-San-Francisco-CA/service/2317086) for a professional move-out cleaning (including windows, fridge, and oven) to avoid any charges.

It took 3 hours, they did a great job, and it was completed the evening before our move-out inspection on Monday morning.

But alas, neither my roommate or I attended the inspection (because we have jobs) and they took that opportunity to screw us one last time.

Imagine my surprise to see that we got charged $190 for a Professional Apartment Cleaning after I spent $210 the day before for the same work! That place was spotless, there was nothing left to clean!!

I balked, they claimed that the cleaning was "not done to our standards" which is absurd: the company I hired does impeccable work. I will be suing them in small claims court.

Stay far far away from Allegro At Jack London Square. Read all the other reviews (the stench of dog piss really is awful), and then live somewhere else.

The worst place I've ever lived. Allegro is disgusting. The front office staff isn't helpful at all. You'll get multiple packages either stolen/lost and although there are cameras, the staff will not tell you anything from the footage. Sometimes the office closes early without notice. They won't do anything about people smoking indoors (I.e. my violent, racist, stoner roommate). You're paying way too much for nothing luxurious at all. The gym is small and has been inaccessible for most of the duration of my lease. The smell of the dog shit and piss outside in itself is a deterrent. Don't bother wasting your money here. Move somewhere else!