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Aqua Via
Category: Home Services Real Estate Apartments Apartments [Edit]
125 2nd St(between Oak St & Madison St)
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 208-3600
About This Business:
Archstone Emeryville brings the best of the city's "New Urbanism" to your doorstep, where shopping, dining and living come easily (with or without a… read more »
16 reviews for Aqua Via
16 reviews in English
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Review from Steven R.
Oakland, CA
5/11/2012
I've lived here about two years now, and understand that this was quite a place to live about five years ago. They let tenants book trips around the bay on a private boat, and had weekly wine night gatherings in the lobby.
Consider a few things before moving here:
It's a very very pet-freindly building - if you like dogs, chances are you'll meet several everyday while you're coming and going. The downside is that the stair wells often smell like dog pee, and fleas tend to get in the carpeted area.
The building has a hot sunny side (Amtrak side) and a cool side (2nd Street), which is located near a noisy produce warehouse that starts work at three in the morning. Most get used to the train noise with triple-pane glass, but occasionally you might have the window open and it sounds like you live on the tracks.
Rents aren't cheap here. There is no grocery store within walking distance. You'll find a Costco type knock-off up the street, but mostly restaurant owners shop here, and who really needs five pounds of butter.
The Jack London Square area is still growing, and if the crime rate goes down I'm sure we'll see more restuarnts like the Chop Bar and Enquentro start to appear. There's a movie theater not far away, and Yoshi's jazz club is a little past that. We do have BevMo and Cost Plus nearby, but there's not really a sense that it's a neighborhood yet. Although I do enjoy the vibe at the Sunday farmer's market.
Aqua Via offers a decent gym, but there's also an odd bocce ball court that takes up a lot space and no one uses. You can sit out on the common lawn area, but when that train comes, plug your ears, and hold your breath till the diesel smell subsides.
Amtrak station (JKL) is about two blocks away, BART is about six, and the 72 AC Transit line is close too. There's also the free Broadway shuttle which is great.
The new staff/owners here are still going through a learning curve. We recently had a water problem that discontinued hot water for about a week, and everyone had to use the few model apartments for showers until a part from back east arrived. Communication was vague, and they offered no rent deduction for the inconvenience - just a gift certificate. -
Review from Nic B.
1/16/2012
So, I absolutely hated the prior management. Everything that could go wrong did. Nothing ever-ever got done.
The new management started a month ago and there is a huge improvement. I will give it a few more months before writing an update, but they are nice and professional. A bit slow in responding, but they are at least friendly. So far so good.
The location is beautiful and you get used to the trains. The gym is clean and well appointed. The outdoor patio is really nice to use in spring and summer. -
Review from Steve D.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 3/26/2012
Since we moved in there has been a few changes, all in all its a great place to live. The current management have a different approach than the prior company-- and although I miss the ladies at the desk a lot Lorraine and Gladys are just as nice. They do their best and that's what counts. Getting my car stolen in the first few months of living there was just a horrible fluke... the building is safe and people who live here are mostly nice and peaceful. Its a great community.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/12/2011
After years of living in a shabby overpriced San Francisco apartment, living at the Aqua Via is like… Read more »
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Review from TasteMakerDinersClub M.
New York, NY
Updated - 3/10/2012
Management is consistent. Much more so than what was. This team is very different from old management, they seem to care more. It's a smaller team and could probably use some additions to the staff. Other than that I don't see any specific problems.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/12/2011
We received a letter from the building's new management company today introducing themselves, who… Read more »
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Review from Elaine L.
Oakland, CA
Our year lease with Aqua Via is coming to an end and we will not be renewing. If you're thinking about making AV your new home, let me share some of the things that brought us here:
* Location
* Secured building and garage
* Pet-friendly
* Spacious units equipped with stainless steel appliances along with full-sized stacked washer & dryer plus "condo-rated party walls."
* Concierge - Friendly and professional Service Solutions Desk staff.
* Fitness room
Here are some of the things we could've done without:
* Elusive-like-a-yeti building carts - Like some mythical beast, these alleged 4-5 carts were never available after grocery runs.
* Bikram-HOT units - Not all units are equipped with a/c. If you're facing the tracks, the hot side, this is not namaste.
* Industrial carpet and what-material-is-this countertops.
* Pet-stained carpets. Cleaning up after your pet doesn't always apply.
* Obsolete bocce court.
The inescapable:
* TRAIN. Building is next to the tracks. Yes. Windows that face the tracks are triple-paned. Yes. Even with the windows closed you can still hear the blaring horns from the train. Remember, no a/c means open windows. CHOO-CHOO! The trains are loud. Real loud. Blaringly loud. You-can't-hear-yourself-think LOUD.
Despite the train and sweltering unit, I am going to miss living in Aqua Via. We made some great friends in the building and around the neighborhood. You do get a sense of community. With a new owner comes new management and new rates; an increase that could easily cover costs towards renovation. I understand that AV plans to renovate units with granite countertops, hardwood flooring and a/c.
The move to exclusivity is underway. Those who aren't bougie need not apply. The Man has spoken. Mission Gentrification, SUCCESSFUL. -
Review from Conspicuous C.
Lake Forest, CA
4/2/2008
Any pros or cons are overwhelmed by the fact that this is located right on a busy stretch of railroad tracks used by freight trains hauling cargo from the port and Amtrak trains (there's a station one block down). They all blast their horns repeatedly at the stations and the crossings. They do this at all hours of the day and night. When they do so it interrupts any conversation you are having since no one can hear. It's no fun to wake up every night at 2AM to a train horn. The windows have the thickest double pane glass you've ever seen, but it's all for naught.
There is no central A/C, they give you a small portable unit but it doesn't do the job. This summer we were unable to get the inside temperature much below 80 degrees on warm days. This forces you to open up the windows, making the train situation more serious.
There's also not much casual restaurant or shopping options in within several blocks. In the neighborhood it's mandatory that you either be gay or at least wear a beret at all times in public.
Finally, it's way too expensive for what you get. The ceiling aren't particularly high for a loft. I don't think occupancy is very high either. You can find better values elsewhere.
If you are the kind of person who houses dogs in an apartment, this is definitely a dog building.
PS The freight trains DO roll at all hours of night, it's busier in the day due to Amtrak, yes, but that is damning with faint praise. -
Review from A X.
Oakland, CA
11/14/2007
Unfortunately this building is located right next to the rail tracks which contributes to some noisy moments if your windows are open.
The building has a great gym and 3rd floor podium which includes a Bocce ball court and grill. It has ginourmous over-sized pots and plants which gives it the whole Alice-In-Wonderland-Feel after you've eaten the wrong muffin (or done a bump or two).
In the event that 'Tiggy F.' has actually ever played Bocce ball, I would fail to see how a ball would in fact fly over the cement wall and hit the train. Let alone based on her complaint of the trains - why she would view it as a bad thing. Personally I'd just pick the ball up and impale the train driver as they rode by... but that's a post for another site...
The building and units are classified as luxury and the rents are high - this is no Section 8 property, so if you have an issue providing proof that you'd be able to pay rent and have a steady income, then you may wish to look elsewhere. However, with the promised build out and current development underway at Jack London Square, this will be a schnazzy place to be living for the years to come. -
Review from P J.
Daly City, CA
1/17/2009 16 Check-ins Here
Here are the facts:
The apartments/common areas are VERY clean and modern and well-kept. The concierge are very friendly and willing to be helpful.
Very pet friendly.
Yes, it's literally next door to railroad tracks/trains, but you have the choice to live here and put up with the trains (at all hours of the day). Before we moved in we hung out in our apartment (before signing the lease) to see if we could tolerate the loud train noise...so, before any complaints about the noise level are issued, it is/was your choice to live near a train station.
All in all, we are quite content with our living situation at Aqua Via, it's modern design, cleanliness, pet friendliness, and very close proximity to Lake Merritt Bart Station (a 6 minute walk), and overalll, very nice neighborhood and neighbors. -
Review from John R.
San Leandro, CA
3/7/2011 69 Check-ins Here
I've been putting this off for too long, so I decided to just write something up real quick and I will edit it if I think of more to say (or anyone can send me a message with questions).
My wife, cat, and I lived in Aqua Via for one year. When we moved in (Oct 2009), I guess the rental market had had a slow summer because they gave us a great deal to move in. 2-months free prorated throughout the first year. And we absolutely loved the apartment we got: 1 bed + den, 2 bath, ~1100 square feet (huge!), on the 3rd floor with a back door directly to the patio and fitness room, and air conditioning. Aqua Via provided everything on our "wish list" for an apartment (see PROS/CONS below), and the price was right for us (~1700/month with the deal we got). Aqua Via seemed like a great find; high quality, newish apartments, for a more reasonable price than the Bond or the Grand.
Then, over the summer a lot started to change. About Jun/July 2010, the owner fired the management company (I guess he thought he could do better himself?). Some changes were good (like the remodeling of the lobby, or adding new furniture to the podium), because having the guy the writes the checks actually take an interest in the building and services helped. However, some changes were bad (such as losing special perks like the free ferry tickets tenants used to get each month, and rents skyrocketing). Summing up everything, I think the net change was negative. Instead of that affordable-luxury feel, there was a general vibe that the owner decided he could pump more money out of this building (by upgrading units and charging rent similar to his other building, The Bond), and the staff was starting to seem frustrated and miserable. My wife & I loved our unit, and moved because we absolutely needed a second bedroom, but I don't think we would have stayed much longer regardless. If we had stayed another year, our rent would have gone back up to the ~2000/month contract rate. And, talking with the leasing staff, our unit was probably going up to ~2300/month (without upgrades) or ~2700/month (with upgrades such as wood floor, marble counters, etc). If people can afford that, and will pay it, that all fine. We just felt like the building was losing the nice atmosphere that attracted us there in the first place.
Toward the end of our lease, things were actually pretty miserable. Twice in the last few months, our kitchen was completely flooded. Something had clogged the drain below our sink, and that line was common to all the kitchen's above us. So... we had other kitchen sinks overflowing into our kitchen sink and floor. Also, I don't know if maintenance was overwhelmed or short staffed, but we stopped getting the great rapid maintenance service that was there when we moved in. I asked twice (2 weeks apart) for some minor items to be taken care of (overhead light replacements, etc) and nothing ever got done. It was like we were on the list of people moving out soon, so they didn't bother with us. I will say that the maintenance guys were always great when we dealt with them, and the concierge staff was excellent (Karina was always helpful).
As far as the other employees, it seemed like they couldn't keep anyone happy enough to work the leasing office (for example, Ben was great but you could tell he wasn't treated well enough). And the resident manager, Remy, is the most amazing person working at this place. Anytime, day or night, she is available for emergencies or lock-outs. I don't know if she gets her rent for free or what, but whatever they pay her is certainly not enough. Having served in the Navy, I can tell you that her situation was similar to be at sea on a ship -- you're always at work, always on call, and everyone knows your name, number, and location, and they will not hesitate to call you at any moment. The one argument we had against moving out was that we would not have a Remy at our new place.
So we finally moved out, to larger place for less. And to leave one last sour taste in our mouths, we get our refund check for our deposit and find that we were charged an extra three days rent (they said we turned our keys in late, even though we actually handing them in a day early) and did not receive the $100 deposit back for our key fobs. I don't have the time or energy to go over there and make a scene, but there are days when I definitely feel like it. -
Review from Jen T.
Oakland, CA
5/31/2008
I have been an aqua via resident for almost 2 years now, yes 2 years, meaning that I not only completed my first lease, but signed a second one as well.
Some of the reviews below are giving the building a bad rap. Yes, it is located next to the train, but that is obvious before you even sign the lease, so why complain after the fact? Secondly, as far as hearing the trains all hours of the night, this is not correct. Typically, they stop around 11pm and resume around 7 am.
This is an extremely dog-friendly building, which for any pet owner seeking a great place to live, is quite a challenge. Not only that, but you won't find nicer neighbors around. Everyone in the building will greet you and say hello, and give your dog a friendly pat on the head.
All in all, the units are larger than most, and the building is kept up very well, it is extremely secure and the residents are well aware of who should and shouldn't be in the building. Plus there is a large parking garage for those who need it as well. I have a 7 min walk to the BART station, and I am in the city in 15 minutes, can't beat that! -
Review from Milan P.
Oakland, CA
1/7/2010
We moved in November into a 7th floor unit that faces 2nd Street (opposite the tracks), and I am very happy living here!
I've never met friendlier staff who smile and say hi every time you see them. So far we've had no problems. They allowed us to paint (as long as we paint back), they fixed our missing lightbulbs within reasonable time, they hold our packages and nothing has been lost, and they offer a dry cleaning pick up service with Red Hanger (no, not free, but convenient) and always have community updates in the elevator which is a nice touch. This past holiday they even offered a free tree-removal service, dumping your x-mas tree onto the street for you!
We fell in LOVE at first sight and came back four times to check out other units. We knew we wanted to live there, we just couldn't decide. The view from our apartment is great - I always say the complex across the way is like my life-size dollhouse. The units are spacious, ceilings are high, and everyone is surprised at how affordable it is. What sold me is the large windows, what sold my bf is the concrete ceilings. Boys love their concrete.
Since moving here, my favorite things are the view, the insulation, and the Farmer's Market at JLS -- a quick 6 minute walk for fresh fruit and veggies and even wood-fired pizza... FTW.
I wish they didn't charge so much for an extra parking space, but there is plenty of free street parking. Oh, and people complain about the trains - honestly, on our side we can't hear them at all. Of course if you sleep with the windows open you'll hear them honk, but you'll be impressed with the insulation. If, however, your unit is on the bocce ball court side, be forewarned and don't hold it against Aqua Via. If you're looking for quality and friendly neighbors and staff, this is a really nice place to live. -
Review from Sabrina S.
Oakland, CA
7/29/2008
I, too, have been an Aqua Via resident for two years, and my husband and I have been very happy here. Building residents (many of them dog-owners) are very friendly. Some of the things we love about this building:
1. Modern design and finishes, including high ceilings, maple kitchen cabinets, stainless steel appliances and a front-loading washer.
2. Spacious layout -- unlike many other modern buildings in the area, which tend to skimp on square footage.
3. Excellent sound insulation -- we NEVER hear our neighbors.
4. Two full baths in our 1BR apartment!
5. Helpful building management and lobby attendants (7 days a week).
6. Super convenient location for commuting to work in downtown San Francisco -- only 20 minutes from door-to-door if we time the train right.
7. Short walk to Sunday Farmer's market at the waterfront (and the new Market Hall soon to be completed).
8. Easy access to several freeways, making it quick (outside rushhour) to get into the city or anywhere in the East Bay.
It's true the train is right there, but all the units that face the tracks have triple-paned windows. We have never once been awakened by the sound of trains during the night.
If you plan to spend your days inside your apartment working from home, then perhaps this is not the place for you... But if, like us, you work in downtown San Francisco, you will love the short commute, and coming home to a clean, modern and spacious living space. -
Review from Juju B.
Sausalito, CA
8/7/2008
An honest review of aqua via:
Aqua via deserves 2 stars and here are my reasons:
GOOD:
Aqua Via really does offer clean, spacious apartments. Construction is so good that you will rarely (and only if it is completely silent in your apt and you have your ears to the floor or wall) hear your neighbors. We lived here for one year and I always felt safe, the building is very secure as is the garage downstairs.
BAD:
Let's be clear on the train situation. Yes, the Amtrak is right outside your door. You have triple pane windows here so if your windows are closed, you will still hear the train, but it is totally bearable. However, if it isn't November-February, chances are you will have your windows open (these windows are huge, let in a ton of sunlight and no AC here) and if you do, be prepared to hear the train at ALL HOURS. Whoever is saying that the train doesn't run during the night is painfully wrong. It does. Not only that but there is an Amtrak announcer who makes announcements about passengers standing away from the tracks and so on- this happens IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. Crazily enough, you get used to it but the constant honking from the trains that start at the other end of JLS and then go right up to your windows, you just don't get used to. IT IS VERY LOUD making conversations, phone calls, and tv watching impossible. You can't hear!
Another problem here is staff and management. I don't know what it is, I'm sure these people are really nice in real life but it doesn't translate to work. First of all, there is to be a concierge at the front during working hours. There usually is- and that person is usually 1)"out to lunch" (at 10am, then at 12, then at 1:30- you get the picture), 2)on the phone- literally all. the. time., or 3)watching weird sounding youtube videos. Expect to ask for something to be fixed, and that request to never get followed up on. Expect to walk into the lobby and literally be floored that these people get paid to sit and talk or sit and browse the internet. Second, we had multiple issues with our move-in and move-out. There are two elevators at Aqua Via. To move in and out, they require you to reserve one (for your move so the elevator doesn't stop to pick up passengers). When we moved in, we showed up on the move in day and staff actually had the audacity to imply that we couldn't move in b/c I had not reserved an elevator (I am Type A- OF COURSE I reserved an elevator). We were literally standing in the lobby with a moving truck outside and they were saying we couldn't move in. Then when it was time to move out, to avoid this situation again, I made sure I reserved an elevator THREE times, with two people. Guess what happened. Not only did no one show up to keep the garage gate open, but no one showed up to keep one elevator solely for moving. I contacted the staff member who was supposed to be there, AND the manager, both of whom did not pick up their phones. This move, that should have taken 2 hours max, ended up taking 4.
The end of my story is that the manager contacted me much later the next day, only to say that there was a "miscommunication" and to ask whether I would be paying my rent (I am a therapist and my husband is an attorney, we pay our rent ). On top of all of this, we were sent our security check a month later, only to find it was $600 short. Luckily I kept and an itemized record of our move-in costs and could prove where they had shorted us.
All in all- you'll get a nice apartment at aqua via. However, I'd suggest you keep a record of what you pay when you move in- I suggest you check 5 times whether you have an elevator reserved- and I suggest you never expect something to be fixed if you ask. Rent here isn't cheap for Oakland. -
Review from ERICK M.
Oakland, CA
4/27/2011
question,
i am set to move in on may 1st and my unit is going to be on the side with the tracks, but it has ac and i usually don't keep my windows open, can anyone tell me if the train noise will be that bad with the windows shut? -
Review from Stacy M.
Seattle, WA
4/6/2009
I am very torn as I write this. I have lived in the building for three months. My apartment is BEAUTIFUL. We have a 2 Br corner unit, and we love the space. We also are fairly happy with the neighborhood. We can commute easily to Berkeley, downtown SF, and Silicon Valley. There's a movie theater, giant book store, and a half dozen good restaurants within 10 blocks. (A grocery store would be nice.)
However, all these wonderful benefits are outweighed by the trains. Our corner unit faces the tracks. We knew this moving in. However, we did not understand just how loud the train whistles are. It's 140 decibles. This is the loudest noise a human ear can withstand without permanent damage. The whistles are designed to penetrate a foot of solid concrete, so it penetrates the triple paned glass like it wasn't there. And when the windows are opened -- as they need to be to cool down the greenhouse effect of the apartment -- we cannot speak to each other when a train goes by. From 6 to 8 pm that's every 15 minutes or so. The commuter trains also start up again at 6am, and again run every 15 minutes. And of course there are regular freight trains as well, that blow their whistles all night. My parents came to visit recently. Not only did they refuse to return, they suggest that we sue the management company for failing to fully disclose the extent of the train noise.
The funny thing is, Oakland can easily pass a law stating that the area is a "quiet zone" and no train whistles are allowed. However, the Aqua Via management refuses to lobby the city council for the change, and suggests that the residents should handle it. Though we have overall had an excellent experience with management, this has been a severe disappointment. In the 3 months we've lived here we've seen several people move out because they couldn't handle the train noise. For their own future, you would think that the mgmt company would be proactive about solving this huge problem.
We will unfortunately give up our lovely apartment when the lease is up. Because there is no way we can stand the noise. -
Review from a k.
Oakland, CA
6/15/2009
We have lived at Aqua Via for over 3 years. When we first moved in the apartment building and management was amazing!!!! We had true concierge service and the apartment building was regularly maintained. True the trains are extremely loud and the rent is high but excellent management and great service made up for it. Then about a year ago everything fell apart. Not only did the apartment start to fall apart the wallls started to crack, the carpets started coming up and the toilets started leaking and not flushing properly. Then lapham property mangement took over the day to day operations of the building. If you search Lapham property management on yelp you can read the negative reviews for yourself. Our windows have not been washed in I dont know how long, and the freeway, trains, and produce trucks spew out a huge amounts of diesel exhaust that cover the entire building in a layer of soot. The carpets in the hall way are also stained and smell funny. Before the new property management company the carpets were steam cleaned regularly now I cant remember the last time they were properly cleaned. All of this would be bearable if the rents were not so high but $2000 for a 1060 square foot apartment is not worth it. This place has now become more urban then luxury which is a shame Save your money and avoid the frustration of living at aqua via.
