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Review Highlights
“The close proximity to BART makes for easy commuting and the vibrant neighborhood has so much to offer.” in 16 reviews
“I did all the paperwork (save the lease signing) online with Yvonne while I was traveling out of the country.” in 8 reviews
“Melissa is still with The Grand and makes our mornings so much brighter as she's always cherry and planning our next great party.” in 13 reviews
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About the Business
Self-Guided Tours by Appointment Only! This Downtown Oakland high-rise features sophisticated floor plans, from lofts to spacious 3-bedroom apartments. Our pet-friendly community offers desirable amenities such as a fitness center and sundeck. Enjoy our central location providing access to major freeways and BART.
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105 reviews
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- Shannon L.San Francisco, CA15241840Apr 25, 2015
My wife and I lived at The Grand for over 3 years from 2011 to 2014. We moved in when the prices were not too bad. It's probably the best apartment building in Oakland and we highly recommend it!
We loved many things about it including the newer construction, parking garage, security, insulation, and parties. The Grand throws 4-5 parties per year including a spring brunch, summer BBQ, Halloween party, and a Christmas party. They provide food, drinks, and sometimes music.
It's within a short 4 block walk to Bart, 3 blocks to Whole Foods, and 2 blocks to Lake Merritt. We loved the entire property staff and especially Janie and Melissa! We miss living there.
If you're looking for an apartment in Oakland, then you should definitely make an appointment to visit The Grand.Helpful 5Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Maya L.San Francisco, CA133498Mar 14, 2024Updated review
I ended up living here for two years, and I have to admit I'm a bit sad to leave. The location, view, staff, amenities, etc are all well worth the price, in my opinion. Hoping the Grand stays amazing.
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Community M.
Mar 16, 2024
Thanks for the five stars, Maya! There’s nothing better than receiving a glowing review from a happy resident.
-Essex Resident Services TeamNov 4, 2022Previous reviewI like living here! The views of SF, the sunsets over the bay, the gym, the terrace. It is all amazing! I also love the friendly front desk staff, and the fact the parking is cheap and they building is smoke free & dog friendly.
They also recently replaced all the locks with Yale digital smart locks, so you can give a code to let others into your apartment without a key. I think this is the best upgrade they have had since I moved in this May.
Although I have only been here half a year, I have to say I am impressed the maintenance team always comes next day to fix issues I report. - Jun 23, 2024
Looks can be deceiving, Nasty rat infested property, horrific garbage smell in Lobby Horrible management, nasty attitudes from maintenance, gossiping concierge staff , talks about property management with residents, then talks about residents to staff members.. Some residents really think they live on Park Avenue .. NOT...what a horrible place and an even worse experience..
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Community M.
Jul 15, 2024
Hello Lisa, We're sorry to see you did not enjoy covering The Grand while you were working for one of our vendors. We strive to provide an enjoyable living experience for all our residents and work hard at providing a community residents enjoy coming home to. We acknowledge the challenges encountered with trash collection during your assignment, and have since addressed these concerns with our waste management partner. Regarding your assertions of a rodent infestation, we find these claims unsubstantiated. We wish you all the best in the future, and if you have additional concerns with our community, please reach out to me directly at emorella@essex.com. Regards, Erin M.
- Aaron A.Oakland, CA04Jun 3, 2024
I lived at The Grand from June 2020 to June 2024. Overall it was a good experience. I'm leaving primarily because there's no air conditioning.
Pros:
* Some of the best unit layouts in the area; little wasted space, built-in desks are amazing especially for the WFH crowd
* Internal sound insulation is great. I very rarely heard my neighbors through the walls
* Great location. Short walk to BART, Lake Merritt, Whole Foods, several restaurants and bars
* Great amenities, especially the gym and hot tub
* Street parking for guests is _somewhat_ easily available
* New management is easy to work with (previous management was more difficult, so consider than when reading other reviews)
* Maintenance staff and front desk are responsive and always eager to help
Cons:
* No in-unit air conditioning (except 23rd/24th floors) and during the summer it is a _problem_. Portable ACs are feasible but the windows make it tricky.
* Elevator outages have been somewhat regular over the last two years
* Certain units have an unfixable ticking sound coming from the walls (beware the *05 studio units in particular)
Mixed:
* Crime/homelessness in the immediate area is... not bad relative to the greater area. In the 4 years I was there, my guests and I only faced 2 car break-ins and one assault within one block. You do see some angry or erratic homeless people around but not as constantly as in some areas nearby.
* The area can be a little noisy during the day and sound insulation from the windows is mediocre. It was a problem for a moment when AU Lounge was using loud speakers outside all night but they've stopped that.
* Parking garage has only 2 EV charging spots and you can only see if they're available by going down there, and they often aren't. But they do have them at least.
* No community events. I've heard that they used to do fun things before Covid...Helpful 1Thanks 1Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Community M.
Jun 9, 2024
Hi Aaron,
Thank you for this review. Feedback is always welcome, and we'd love to better understand what we can improve upon to enhance your experience. If you'd like to contact us directly, please don't hesitate to reach out to our team at thegrand@essex.com
- Essex Resident Services Team - L. K.New York, NY66119Oct 30, 2023
This is no longer "The Grand." The property is on a rapid decline.
CONS:
- Elevators constantly broken,
- repugnant smell in the lobby from trash room,
- no community events,
- anemic services (no more office with printing,
- no more coffee for residents or social events with catering),
- no more customer service
- no heat for days
- no central air or AC
The positive reviews are from the good, pre-COVID days. This place isn't luxury. Package theft, rats in the trash room, toxic waste odor yet luxury pricing when Vspr, 17th & Broadway and the countless newer high rises offer more amenities.
No wonder they have so many vacancies. Do yourself a favor and rent elsewhere.Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 2Oh no 0Business owner information
Community M.
Nov 6, 2023
Hello L.K., Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences at The Grand. We understand having one of our three elevators down was an inconvenience and resulted in delays during high traffic times. Unfortunately, the part delay was beyond our control. Our team is actively working to improve the trash room smell by increasing the number of pick-ups we have per week for our compostable/organics. If there are additional concerns impacting your home that you wish to discuss, I am available. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at emorella@essex.com. All the Best, Erin M.- Area Manager
- Fatima A.Brooklyn, NY0167Oct 24, 2023
lived here for two years...while the location and size of the apartment are great...that's where it ends..
Management is terrible. They are not located onsite and good luck getting in touch with them. That requires multiple calls. Specifically the managers Vanessa and Erin are no help, no added value and will lie straight to your face. Literally lied over and over about a homeless man living in the staircase. I reached out to the execs and no response.
Maintenance staff is cool. Andy always went above and beyond.
Sauna and gyms are old and outdated. Always dirty. Small as hell.
Elevators always broken.
Trash collector noise all the time in the morning.
Windows are filthy. Don't bother asking them to clean "never good weather".
Don't get me started on how they wanted $2900 from me a month but we're offering it for $2500 online with 6 weeks free. I asked if I could get the $2500 without the 6 weeks free And they said no. Oh and Eric on the staff is beyond rude.
Lastly, they expect the concierge to be security for the building (not their job at all) and somehow get up 30 times a hour to let delivery folks up the elevator. Only started giving them a 30 min break recently during which time no one is at the door.Helpful 1Thanks 1Love this 1Oh no 0Business owner information
Community M.
Nov 7, 2023
Hello Fatima, Thank you so much for sharing your feedback about your experience at The Grand. We truly appreciate your kind words about our dedicated maintenance staff- they always strive to exceed expectations. I apologize if our attempts to address your concerns feel short, and I'm genuinely sorry we couldn't connect as planned. If you're open to it, I'd love to arrange another meeting to ensure we provide the clarity you are seeking. Feel free to reach out to me directly at your convenience. Wishing you all the best in your new home! Kindly, Erin M- Area Manager
- Ryan B.CA, CA864319Sep 24, 2023Updated review
My lease is coming up and they raised my rent $152/mo to $2492 per month. I didn't want to renew it because it was to much, given there were other properties around here with better amenities at a similar price. Then, I see it advertised online for $2281 and for new residents they also get $5850 in incentives. I got an incentive when I moved in, so I'm not hating on that. I know they need people to move in because so many leave. I do think it's shady to ask me, the current resident that you don't have to incentivize or spend time and marketing $$, to pay $211 more. That seems crazy to me.
I'm in unit 711. Let me tell you about my unit, in case you rent it. The unit is fine. I like the unit itself, just not the neighborhood. It has carpet, which I don't mind. It get's stuffy in here and very hot during the summer months. Also, I had to disable the heaters because they radiate heat all day. You'll have to dry your laundry multiple times. It just doesn't work that well. Directly across the street are numerous trash bins. The homeless go through them every night they are out. Then the trash collectors come 5 days per week from 5-8. Be prepared for a LOT of noise. I hear car alarms going off at all hours. There's a homeless man who likes to hang out in the parking over-hang. He loves doing his drugs there and then breaking things around him, including cars. My direct neighbor got shot while he was out on his balcony. There's a half inch between your front door to the ground. Unless you like your place smelling like everyone's cooking or weed, I'd get something to prevent that for your door.
There is no onsite leasing staff. They use a third party concierge and mostly rely on them. The elevators break down every week (no joke). One of them has been out for months. The gym is sub-par. Their 'spa' is just a jacuzzi. The rec room is really outdated. It feels like an old folks home in there.
All in all, I'm not going to tell you not to live here. But do your research. If you're ok with all the things I mentioned and want to pay what they're asking...then don't say I didn't warn ya! :)Helpful 3Thanks 1Love this 1Oh no 0Business owner information
Community M.
Oct 6, 2023
Hello Ryan,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about your experience at The Grand. We appreciate your time and the opportunity to address your concerns regarding your renewal offer. It's important to us that our residents feel valued just as valued as incoming residents. We understand the inconvenience caused by the elevator issue, and we apologize for any frustration it may have caused. We've been eagerly awaiting a part from overseas, and our elevator vendor is working diligently to expedite the process. In the meantime, the two remaining elevators are fully operational and available for your use. Regarding the staffing concerns, our office team may operate at a different location, but they are accessible six days a week through phone, email, text, or in-person appointments. Our dedicated maintenance team is also on-site and ready to assist residents. While we can't control external factors, we take pride in being a controlled access community with a 24-hour front desk attendant for added security. We wish you all the best in your new home. Kindly- Erin M- Area ManagerJan 23, 2023Previous reviewFirst, let me preface this by saying that I have nothing but love for the people who work here. Everyone has been great on that end.
My 3 star review is based on a few design flaws. First, the biggest flaw IMO is the door to the apartment. It rests about 1/4 - 1/2 inch above the floor. That allows ALL the smells from everyone cooking to permeate the hallway and your apartment. My place smells like curry or hamburgers or weed on any given day. It literally is the biggest design flaw I've ever seen. And, I'll echo some of the other tenants with the blinds. They are dated and keep coming off the grid. Also, they just painted to update the building. I'm not sure what they made more modern. It looks even more basic than before.
Second, there is a water heater in the alcove, where I work. The heater goes on and on and on, leaving the apartment hot...especially where I work. So, I'm left sweating through zoom calls and work in general.
This has nothing to do with the apartment but, the trash people come every morning from 4-5 AM to pick up the trash across the street. It's annoying to say the least. And there are 100's of crows that hang out in the tree's that poop on you, your car or the street in the early morning hours. Creepy!
The good things are: You can't hear you neighbors, the apartment is spacious, there's a washer/dryer in unit, parking is easy and the concierge staff is AMAZING!!! Packages get delivered to your door. Thank you. - Adam E.St Paul, MN2517Aug 9, 2022Updated review
I've lived at The Grand for 7+ years. I lived here during the pandemic and moved apartments from the bottom floor to the middle of the building.
tl;dr - do not live here if you want any type of customer service.
Pros
- Location. It's probably one of the best locations in Oakland.
- The building is cement which most of the newer buildings in the area are NOT. You can't hear your neighbors. It's wonderful.
- The hot tub + grills are nice but ... see cons.
- The maintenance team has always been SUPER fast and incredibly kind.
- The units are some of the biggest units in the area for the best price.
Cons
- The building management has been moved "off site" which means zero service. You call a line picked up in some offshore location which then tries to transfer you to a call center. It's abysmal. I've called multiple times. Never gotten anyone on the phone. They only communicate via email with 2+ days before getting back to the simplest question / request.
- The amenities have taken a turn for the worse in the location given the lack of onsite community management or leasing agents. Gross grills, the gym is starting to get dated, no one cleans anything anymore. It's headed down hill and fast.
- The blinds are plastic and break constantly - see other reviews. Basically everyone says this.
- Constant increase in rents. Be warned - they will increase the max every year even if it's a pandemic and half the building left.Helpful 5Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 2Business owner information
Community M.
Dec 26, 2018
We appreciate the detailed review, Adam, and want to thank you for the honest feedback. We can't tell you how grateful we are for your three years here and will take your concerns into account. Sounds like you have a realistic perspective of apartment living, and we value both your pros and cons from a feedback standpoint. As always, we're always here if you have any immediate concerns that come about. Thanks for sharing! -- Joseph S., The Grand.
Dec 24, 2018Previous reviewThe Grand is a great apartment building and easily in the Top 3 for the uptown Oakland area ... at least for now. There are 6 or 7 new buildings coming up all over so we will see if that remains true in 2019 when these new buildings open.
I've lived there for 3+ years now and have enjoyed it. Here is my honest review:
Pros
1. Saif. He's really the only reason I'm giving 5 stars vs 3/4. He's kind, considerate, always available and professional. He's helped with me locking myself out. Given great recommendations for food and is fantastic with building/maintaining the community feel. If he wasn't there I'd lower my rating.
2. Concrete building - the floors and walls are all concrete. I can't hear my neighbors and they can't hear me. Love it.
3. Neighborhood - walking distance to BART, near great bars, restaurants and Lake Merritt.
4. Decks - there are two nice rooftop decks for use. I enjoy the views.
5. Units - the units are nice, spacious and updated. Any requests are taken care of within 24 hours.
Cons
1. Price - with all the competition coming soon I hope they will address this. They've increased price every year by 5-10% which yes is fairly standard but still frustrating given no increase in value they provide. Net / net - The Grand is SF level prices in Oakland without the amenities. NEMA in SF has similar pricing and it has amazing amenities.
2. Amenities - pretty basic. Onsite parking ... that you have to pay for. No free guest parking. Gym is dated and small. The front desk could use work. They just changed to a new team and there are still issues. There's a "jacuzzi" which is tiny. You have to pay to rent the party room. For how much we pay - there shouldn't be any cost for the extras.
3. Dogs - it's a dog friendly building which is awesome but there isn't a dog park or park for the dogs to use anywhere super close so most residents just walk their dogs around the building. Which means dog pee and poop literally on everything around the building. Light posts, the building itself, etc. Suggestion - build a dog potty station on a deck or inside the building or power wash the sidewalks more. Like weekly. - The Oakland Panda B.Temescal, Oakland, CA021Oct 27, 2022Updated review
So I'm updating this. There are far better options out there. This is a little past my year renewal and over all it's just not a good experience. When I lived here ten years ago it was great. Clean, secure, accessible in-person management.
Just to give you a sense of the management communications: windows have not been cleaned for over a year. The windows are filthy. Instead of communicating with tenants on timelines or informing folks the windows for the apartment weren't going to be cleaned, there was in fact no communication to anyone. Long story short, I basically project managed the situation - emailing asking for updates the last 5 months (once a month) on when the windows were going to get cleaned, only to find out that there is an issue and the windows will not be cleaned anytime soon.
If you want an apartment with great views, BUT with filthy windows that get cleaned less than once a year, then I highly recommend.Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Community M.
Jun 22, 2022
Thank you for taking a moment to post this three-star review, Colin. While we’re glad you’re enjoying our convenient location in Oakland and working with our team, we’re sorry to learn other aspects of your experience have fallen short. Your feedback is important to us, and we’ll be sure to take your comments to heart when implementing future improvements to our community and apartment homes. If there’s anything else we can help you with, please don’t hesitate to contact our team directly at thegrand@essex.com.
-Vanessa, Community ManagerJun 21, 2022Previous reviewI have lived at the Grand for 3 years and here are some takeaways.
Good:
-Location
- Nice Apartments (not ultra luxury as positioned though, maybe 10 yrs ago)
-Front Desk
-Maintenance Team
Bad:
-Parking garage is subpar (small spaces often w/ stacker)
-No Pool
-Mediocre Hot Tub
-Not the most high end luxury building anymore in Oakland and is showing it's age a bit
Ugly:
-No A/C and cheap blinds that fall off / break constantly
-Clean buildings windows once a year and can get quite dirty - Naz A.Los Angeles, CA0284Mar 15, 2023
My partner & I lived on the penthouse floor here in 2020 & for the most part, we loved it! Efrain & Amalia, the maintenance staff, are absolutely AMAZING. We had some issues, but they took care of everything promptly. Joe, the manager, is also great and willing to hear you out/help if you're experiencing issues.
I do wish they had a pool and upgraded floor plan interiors to be more on par with newly built luxury high rise apartments in the area. However, the price is reasonable and you get a large space and incredible view of the San Francisco bridge/water/skyline, plus you can't even hear your neighbors! The location is also wonderful and much safer than other parts of Oakland.
Overall I would recommend, but be mindful that it's a bit older/dated than other high rise apartment buildings.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
Community M.
May 12, 2023
Hello Naz, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review! We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your time at our property, and we will be sure to pass along your kind words to Efrain, Amalia, and Joe. We appreciate your feedback regarding the upgraded interiors and will take it into consideration for future updates to the property. All the Best- The Team at The Grand
- Erin B.Alameda, CA02Aug 6, 2023
I was a perfect tenant at The Grand for 2.5 years, and the entire experience was ruined thanks to property management illegally withholding a portion of my security deposit it was not entitled to. I submitted my intent to vacate 33 days prior to my lease expiring. I then started to get one-off emails from several people at Essex - none of whom I've ever heard of - asking me to clarify my very clearly written email with all of the details of my notice. Eventually I put 2+2 together and gathered either their email system is having issues, or someone on the shared email alias is forwarding emails to team members without all of the details.
Anyway, they seem to have documented my notice date incorrectly, because when I received my move-out statement from Essex corporate in SoCal, they had charged me $800+ for extra rent, supposedly due to not having received 30 days notice (they never actually told me this - I had to piece it all together from a vague billing statement). I immediately emailed to correct them, sending them documentation (multiple emails between me and staff; Google saves all, including metadata) proving I submitted my notice even earlier than required. They apparently made some correction, but not all, because I got a check in the mail that was still short what I should have been refunded. They still charged me for a day of rent, despite me vacating the day prior to my lease ending and despite me giving 33 days notice. I again emailed, and emailed Essex corporate and finance department, and have received NO response.
I have consulted my attorney and shared with them the documentation, who says I would definitely win if I took this to small claims court - not just for the amount they withheld, but treble damages because it's now more than 30 days after I vacated and I never received any itemized invoice from them demonstrating why they were withholding the deposit. But... I don't want to spend more time on this. I thought potential and current tenants should know this, though, because it is infuriating that Essex is doing this just because they can - again, they didn't even return my emails to tell me what they were charging me for, and they certainly didn't apologize for keeping (stealing) my security deposit.
I will never rent from an Essex property again, and I warn anyone else from considering them.Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 1Business owner information
Community M.
Aug 7, 2023
Hello Erin, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your recent moveout experience. I am so sorry to hear you had issues with your initial itemized statement that was sent to you on 07/08. It looks like your move-out was revised on 07/11 and your refund was mailed to your forwarding address on the same day. The 1 day of rent you were billed accounts for the rent responsibility through your lease term versus your vacate date. If you have any other questions regarding your final account charges, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at emorella@essex.com. All the Best, Erin Morella- Area Manager
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