Strata at Mission Bay

It’s been a great 4 years at Strata, my first place in San Francisco. I’ll miss it, and have had a great time. I highly recommend Strata to anyone who’s thinking of Mission Bay and SOMA.
PROS: great location, great amenities, great staff!
CONS: practically none, rent increased steadily but within SF parameters.

The location is just south of busy San Francisco downtown. There is no vehicle traffic and that was one of the reasons why I chose this location. I got used to not having central air or heat. The central system «appearing» vents on the wall are not connected to any system; they let in air from the outside, which can be extremely cold but fresh during winter months. There is construction in progress of new apartment or commercial buildings at the north and south ends of this complex along 4^th Street during business hours. The amenities are nice — fitness center, outdoor bbq, pool table, community kitchen and flat screen TV room. Monthly parking of personal vehicles is pricey and separate from the rent of the apartment unit so caution! The leasing staff needs as much information as you can possibly provide on any packages you expect delivered to the building while you are not present to accept them; they will gladly track it down, place packages in lockers and send you a code to retrieve electronically ²⁴⁄₇.

If giving negative stars to an apartment building and its FRONT office leasing staff were possible, Strata would receive negative 5 stars. This review is specifically what you can expect from the front office.
In summary, once you become a resident and they have your money do not expect anything other than rude service and summary dismissals. Specifically, do not work with Beatriz as she will make your living here and even move out very unpleasant. I have been living at Strata for 5 years and it was once upon a time a lovely place to live with a wonderful front office staff. That all changed once Justin and Danny left and Beatriz took over. To say she is curt is surely a euphemism. Before I moved out I asked the front office what would happen to any deliveries I was told j would be called. I go into the office to check and they tell me that my packages have been given back to carrier. First of all, don’t give people false information. Second, expect a you moved out too bad attitude.
If you enjoy sour, rude service and a run down interior and exterior, please choose Strata as your next home. Otherwise there are plenty of her apartment buildings nearby which actually care about treating you as more than a rent check.

This would be my first review on Unilocal.I always ignore those reviewers who didn’t end up with living here, but I KNOW I AM TOTALLY WRONG now and would like to let others know that THEIR WORDS ARE NEVER CREDIBLE.
The story started when my roommate and I were almost decided to sign a contract with another apt company in the same area, Ashley from Strata called me and saying they have a special now that I could save one month’s rent if signing a 12-​month lease right now. Both their rent and location are pretty close to the one I was about to sign, so we quickly asked a friend to visit it the next day (since both of us are living in East coast right now). There were no surprise, and we decided to take their offer. We mailed out the application form and deposit with over-​night mailing service, and was almost started to celebrate that we finally get a new home in the nice SoMA area.
However THIS IS JUST WHERE THE TRAGEDY STARTS. After receiving our application fee and deposit, their attitude changed immediately. We received an email from Beatriz, saying that the price was increased by more than $ 300 for the one we wanted to reserve. I was just hosting a party at my place, and was totally shocked depressed by it. We replied to ask how could this happen, and they said «Pricing changes everyday. Quotes are only good for 24 hrs». It was only two days away since our friend’s visiting, and on their website I saw that only the price of our chosen type was raised, which now becomes more expensive than the most luxurious one.
BUT THIS IS NOT ENOUGH. This morning I called in again, Molly answered it and I surprisedly know that the current price was only $ 9 higher than what we were told at first. I double checked it with her for several times, and asked for a confirmation email. However after I said we have already mailed in the deposit, she didn’t mention the price in the email. Apparently Beatriz has told her what she’ve done to us, because when ask her to confirm it again in the email, I found that this time WITHIN ONLY 1-​HOUR AFTER OUR COMMUNICATION OVER PHONE, THEY RAISED THE RENT BY $ 300 JUST BECAUSE OUR DEPOSIT IS ALREADY IN THEIR HANDS. Beatriz explained that Molly made a mistake, but last time you said the quote is good for 24 hrs, aren’t you?
Now I simply could no longer trust them, I even think the cheap price is only used to allure potential candidates, which would then be raised to a large degree once they decide to sign a contract. Maybe I could be wrong, but I just want to stop the same tragedy from happening to other Unilocalers.

Worst leasing staff ever.
Molly double booked us for a tour of the building and what is worse is that she didn’t even add our appointment to the calendar. We know because the other rude leasing woman was not in the mood to even talk to us when we showed up on time, and all she could say is: Well you are NOT on the calendar. Too bad won’t be calling Molly or giving a toss, just sit in the lobby and WAIT maybe Molly will finish her tour 45 mins later and tend to you.
What an incompetent. Well, I ain’t coming back and sorry for wasting my morning on you. Both of these women are incapable of performing simplest of tasks. Makes you wonder how many people turned away like we did.

My wife and I moved to the Strata for its proximity to Caltrain and some sun after having lived in the Inner Sunset for 2 years. We recently moved out of the Strata after being there 2 years because we found a nicer place. The Strata is «Ok» for what it is. My impression of the place is as follows:
Pros:
— Danny and the staff are pretty great and try their best to help you
— Maintenance issues were fixed within 24−48hrs
— Proximity to downtown, ballpark, embarcadero, Caltrain, Philz
— Fitness center has everything for a basic workout
— Business center has free WIFI
— They have storage units at a reasonable price and free bike storage (although they had some trouble with stolen bikes)
— They have cooking classes in the common room each month and free coffee, bagels, and pastries on Fridays, along with resident mixers periodically
— Pet-​friendly
Cons
— The Apartments: Like most buildings near the Caltrain area (we’ve toured them all), they bill themselves as luxury, when in fact you’re really paying for a standard apartment that is convenient for an active professional (i.e., laundry locker in the building, zipcars, storage, pet-​friendly, package room, gyms, etc.). There is nothing luxury about any of the apartments, they just have nice amenities.
— The Building: The Strata was across from the big building fire in March 2014 and sustained a lot of damage. Not the building’s fault, but there is a ton of loud construction going on all day long (8am — 3:30pm, dust, noise, annoyance) to repair the 50-​odd apartments damaged. To their credit, I thought the management company handled the fire issue very well. The noise is bad.
— Rent: Market based rents (which I have no problem with), so expect that your rent will be near market around the time of lease resigning. It will never stay the same, and hoping it only goes up by $ 50 a month is like asking Santa for a new pony. If you have a budget for rent, tack on another $ 500 – 600 a month because with parking ($ 275), pet rent (such a stupid concept, $ 50), utilities ($ 175), and storage ($ 85) that’s what it will run you.
— The Neighborhood: «It is up-​and-​coming». When we first moved to the Strata we were told the same thing, and 2yrs later it’s still «up-​and-​coming», maybe even a little bit worse because of the fire.
— Security — Not so great. Most people let others in the building because most people don’t know the other people in the building. Anybody that looks halfway decent can get in this place.
— Utilities — Despite being built in 2009 and never using the heat, our average utility bill at the Strata for a 2br apartment was ~175 a month (for 2 professionals not home during the day). Our place in the Sunset was built in 1908, not efficient by any means and somehow the most we ever paid (for a bigger space) was ~$ 90 in the winter months.
— The building vibe is pretty bland. Most people are nice and keep to themselves. The building has a corporate housing type feel to it despite attempts to create a «community» through resident mixers.
All and all, if you need a temporary living spot and are willing to pay for the convenience then the Strata is fine. It’s not a place to make a home, just a temporary spot between places. It was great for what we needed it to be.

No value for your money. Rent is super expensive and you dont even have a doorman. Parking is expensive and they nickel and dime you for everything. Sewer and trash? Yep gotta pay. Not to mention that the trash chutes dont open for some random reason all the time. They’re just stuck locked.
Oh and half the building is still under construction for the past god-​knows-​where months, so it looks like you’re living in a construction site. At least the construction workers are really nice and quiet but it still looks like crap.
They are very anal about everything too, they recently threatened residents that if their dog peed on the courtyard they’d get fined. I dont have a dog myself but for the absurd amount of money they charge for rent I should be allowed to pee there myself if I wanted to. What? You cant afford to hire someone at minimum wage to hose down the floor once a day? Give me a break.
Cant wait to move out of here, its a dead zone, there’s nothing around and there’s some crazy woman in leasing office that does nothing but stare at you and think you’re causing her a hassle when asking her the simplest of questions. She also sends out constant emails complaining about what you CANNOT do. I’m pretty sure all they want you to do is pay rent and not actually touch anything.
The amenities are horrible, the treadmills are broken, they dont have enough free weights, theres no pool, no vending machines, no car wash station, nothing really. The hallway carpets are always dusty, their office is understaffed so no one is ever there. What am i paying an arm and leg for exactly?
Oh i forgot, the heat doesnt work, it just makes a huge amount of noise and is slightly warm to the touch. No AC in the units either.

My husband and I have been living here for 4 months, and overall we’re very happy.
Pros:
1. The service of the front office team (Justin, Carlos, Danny, and Beatriz) is superb. I’m a doctor and I work night shifts about one week a month. When pile driving started up right outside our window on my week of nights, Justin helped to find me a vacant apartment in the complex where I could sleep during the day. Both the effort that he exerted to find this option and the fact that he solved my problem were impressive. It’s good business practice but I also felt cared for in an old-​fashioned business-​to-​customer way.
2. You can move within the apartment complex for free as long as you’ve lived there for at least 3 months. This provides some sense of security as you’re moving in, and really helps if something comes up.
3. The features of the facility do add to your quality of life here. My husband uses the gym frequently, and we rented the «clubhouse» to host some friends for a BBQ. Renting the clubhouse only requires a deposit in case of damage. Even though our apartment is not large, I was thrilled to be able to host a small party. There is free bike parking and zipcars in the building if you’re eco-​friendly like us.
4. Location. Very convenient if you’re affiliated with UCSF, but also the (admittedly not stellar) SF public transportation options are convenient to access, at least CalTrain and Muni. The BART is not close.
5. There are nice community social events and promotions that my husband and I have enjoyed: cooking classes and wine nights.
Cons: (largely out of strata’s control, but worth stated for a balanced review)
1. The rent is high. Not out of proportion to the rest of SF, but shocking even for people moving from the east coast.
2. Mission Bay as a neighborhood does not have much to offer. Very few restaurants, grocery stores, bars etc. Hopefully this will change, and we don’t necessarily mind going for a walk, but there are days when it would be nice to have sense of a community in the neighborhood.
3. Mission Bay also has a ton of construction. Those of us who live here deal with it, but the neighborhood can be loud and dusty, especially 9 – 5 on week days.

After living here for almost the past two years we’ve loved it. The management team is very professional, friendly and always helpful. We were recently displaced due to the huge fire across the street which directly affected our apartment. While we’re having to relocate due to the extent of the damage and circumstances we cannot give the management team enough stars on here for their Platinum level experience they’ve provided to us during our transition.
If you want a great place to live and be taken care of by great people this I highly recommend the Strata.

We looked at this place to consider renting a unit here. The community is well-​groomed. Danny was very nice showing us around (and he has a beautiful child). The lobby and grounds look very luxurious. They have a lot of great amenities even bocce ball.
We didn’t end up renting here for a few reasons.
1. It wasn’t very close to the BART. The boyfriend needed to get to East Bay for work.
2. The price point was similar to the same quality place to SoMa which is closer to the BART
3. The apartment layouts we saw were kind of awkward.
4. It’s not that near the area known to be the «hip» part of the Mission
It’s definitely a nice community, though. We just wanted to get more for our money.

I am going to now publicly document what is wrong about Strata after sharing with management, because I finally hit my breaking point (see point 1):
1) From 7:30 to 9:00am on Sunday February 2^nd there was a loud, constant banging noise coming from inside the walls. Come on! It’s Sunday! This is ridiculous!
2) Packages have been stolen and opened and are left in plain sight.
3) People smoke in the courtyard where it explicitly says no smoking.
4) There are pee stains on the hallway carpets, and I’ve seen a pool if pee in the elevator (note: this is an animal friendly building, which I appreciate as a cat owner, but this is still gross).
5) The heater doesn’t work. It’s in the apartment and really only warms an area of 1′ x 1′. I almost got hypothermia when we had a cold snap.
6) Maintenance drilled a hole through my fiber optic box for internet on a day I needed to work from home.
7) For the ridiculous price I pay to live here, there is no doorman/​security.
8) The walls are not very soundproof. I hear people playing video games and partying at all hours.
I know SF has crazy prices, but you can do better for this amount of money.

Best apartment ever! Customer service and amenities are all 5 stars :)

This review is exclusively for the office management and staff. A team of smart, caring people that really try to be helpful and prompt with your needs.
I lived there for about a year and I really enjoyed it.
Thanks Cynthia, Evelyn Danny, maintenance and others for doing such a good job.

airbnb’d a room here in June and while I’d never pay what people pay to live here I must say it was a great place to stay, walk, and take in San Francisco during the visit. Love the 24-​hour gym and the courtyard layout plus the close location to AT&T Field really can’t be beat. Great public transport access and pet friendly, to boot.

I lived at Strata for a little over two years, and being the first apartment I had in the city, I enjoyed just about every second of it. I decided to move out to be closer to my job in Redwood City. The staff are always friendly and there to help you — especially when you need it the most. The managing company stands by a strict set of corporate guidelines, but I’ve never felt taken advantage of. For the most part, you get what you pay for.
I gave the place a 4-​star rating for a couple of reasons: Strata is a well-​outfitted apartment complex with plenty of amenities, but you’re paying a pretty penny for it. There are other places with similar amenities and luxury features at more competitive pricepoints. Also, the first two years living there was spent battling mosquitoes during the warmer months. I lived on the third floor and there are no window screens allowed due to firecode. Though, any type of service request was addressed in a timely manner.
Pros to consider before moving:
–Gated parking
–In-​unit laundry
–Package delivery/​drop-​off to your apartment (with consent)
–Gym/​Lounge/​BBQ area
–Friendly and helpful staff
–Close to Muni, Caltrain and AT&T Park
Cons to consider before moving:
–Base rent is a bit overpriced
–Tenants’ dogs treat parts of the building like a toilet, which can create an odor at times
–Construction will continue in the area for at least a year or two
–Giants game/​fan traffic

The apartments are OK but they are super expensive and then they nickel and dime you for everything. What’s up with the hot water fee? Really? I’m already paying electricity & water separately yet there’s a hot water fee? And a billing fee? You’re billing me to bill me? Ridiculous. And then just wait until you move out. That’s when they really screw you. I lived there for only 3 months and left the place pristine but they charged me $ 600 to repaint the entire apartment. DON’T DO IT!!!

I am now a proud resident of Strata @ Mission Bay. The entire move-​in process was wonderful and the leasing office has been terrific. I owe it all to our leasing consultant Danny. The place is fantastic in terms of apartment living.
Thank you Strata for doing such a great job helping me and Shanna!

Yes it’s expensive, but so are the other apartments nearby (at least all the ones that allow pets). The apartments are very nice and most importantly, sound-​proofed like condos. I can’t speak for apartments near the courtyard, but I live on the fifth floor and I almost never hear noise from my neighbors (I’ve lived here a year and some). Also, they receive your packages and bring them right to your apartment if you ask them. And you can drop off UPS packages at the leasing office.
On the downside, the construction is pretty loud and obnoxious, and in the meantime, it’s surrounded by parking lots and construction sites so there’s nothing at all nearby.

Well, I’ve been here for 2.5 years now and have just about had it with the management. The latest problem is the bugs. The courtyard is infested with mosquitoes, flies and all sorts of bugs. The management tells me they do treatments every 25 – 30 days and additional treatments are not needed. Bullshit. They don’t have to live where the bugs are. They insist that the firecode will not allow them to provide screens, and they refuse to show me where in the firecode it disallows screens in the home. Guess some things you just have to do yourself. I’ll refrain from using names, but they know who they are, and they’re worthless.
BTW… 2 rental raises of ~9% each time my lease is up. I’m done here. Save yourself the sanity and go somewhere else. Lots of other places in the area.

I would have given them 4 stars if it weren’t for our last month, but it left us with a terrible taste our mouths.
We signed a lease just over a year ago, knowing we got a killer deal. The place was brand new and had everything we wanted and then some. The apartment was nice and spotless, we were the first tenants and that was a plus. The laundry, communal gym and the BBQ were all big factors in our enjoyment of the building, not to mention a great view of the ball park (on the north facing side) and easy parking for visitors.
Other Observations:.
1. The building was clearly finished quickly and there was some less than stellar construction. The carpet had nails sticking up in several locations which were quite painful. The paint job was completed at a primer level which meant every time you bumped into the wall with anything that was not white, you left a mark.
2. It’s great to have a building in SF that allows all sizes of dogs, however, some tenants don’t give their dogs the love they need. The people across the hall from us had a neglected dog that barked all day and all night for 6 months. However, most people were very courteous with their dogs.
3. Ballpark traffic, concerts, and shows aka Cirque du Soleil are fun to be near but make it difficult to maintain a 7 – 4 work schedule because of the consistent noise and traffic.
4. Two days after giving notice to move our storage unit (along with the entire garage and many other storage units) were broken into. We had 3 expensive bikes stolen from a closed and locked storage unit with no window Not only has this been a pain to solve, but costly in deductible and time. The building promptly hired a private security guard for a few nights AND reprogrammed all garage door openers and key cards. Based on this we felt that it was an inside job or why else would they have reprogrammed the cards. This was at least the second time that we are aware of the building being broken into.
5. Before moving out we spent much of a day cleaning, it was very clean, but not immaculate. We did the walk through was Strata’s maintenance guy and we agreed that would pay for repainting the entire apartment because of mostly minor markings. We were told then that we would be charged for half the value of a carpet cleaning. When the bill finally came we were charged in full for the carpet cleaning which was double what we had been quoted.
6. No bills are included in the rent except wifi, but the signal was sporadic, often dropping our connection despite a repeater that immediately outside our apartment which didn’t seem to help). The added overhead for 2 people in a small apartment was around $ 120 extra each month,
7. No composting facilities are located in this building, which is annoying because the community dumpsters were always overflowing with rubbish that goes straight to landfill.
In conclusion we have mixed feeling regarding our overall Strata experience. Better deals can be found in San Francisco if you know where to look and have time to shop around.