Parkside

Pros

• The building looks nice.

Cons

• The building has visible mold and disgusting hallway carpets.
• The apartment floor is collapsing.
• The central air doesn't work, and the manager says you can't get an air-conditioning unit.
• The entrance has not been secure for a whole year.
• The parking garage gate is broken and wide open for over a month.
• The security guard is only part-time and hardly secures anything, with homeless people coming and going as they please.
• Hot water randomly isn't working; coworker has to shower elsewhere multiple times a month.
• They wish a building inspector would pop up and hold violations, management accountable.
• The linoleum has been coming undone since move-in, with a foot-wide sunken hole in the kitchen.
• Management didn't want to hear that the floor and subfloor need replacement; now the whole linoleum floor needs replacement.
• They doubt how long it will take before they fix it.

Review

For the past three years, a coworker has faced a steady barrage of maintenance and safety issues in the building where they live. The most striking problems are visible and pervasive, starting with the general appearance of neglect in the hallways. Mold stains and damp patches creep along the carpet edges, creating a grim, unhealthy impression as soon as one steps out of the unit. The carpet - the everyday surface people walk on - appears not only worn but compromised by moisture, suggesting longer-term moisture intrusion that hasn't been properly addressed. The result is an environment that feels unsafe and unclean from the moment you enter, coloring every day the tenant spends under that roof.

Inside the coworker's apartment, the situation is just as alarming. The floor is described as collapsing, a serious structural concern that goes beyond cosmetic wear and begs for immediate engineering attention. A floor in such a state can present tripping hazards, structural instability, and potential further damage to the unit as time passes. Compounding this is the ongoing issue of the linoleum, which has been coming undone since the very first day of occupancy. There is a visible, wide-area problem - a sunken section of flooring, described as about a foot across, in the kitchen. The combination of a delaminating surface and a sunken patch paints a picture of subfloor failure that would typically demand a full replacement rather than patchwork repairs.

Temperature comfort and reliable hot water are other threads in the narrative of neglect. The central air system is nonfunctional, and the building manager has reportedly claimed that residents cannot obtain air-conditioning units to compensate. This means residents endure hot, uncomfortable conditions in the heat, with essentially no recourse for cooling their living spaces. To make matters more stressful, hot water does not always arrive when expected. For the coworker, that irregularity has practical consequences: on more than one occasion - more than twice in a typical month - they have had to travel to another residence just to secure a hot shower. The disruption to basic daily routines underscores a broader pattern of unreliable, essential utilities that should be guaranteed by any well-managed building.

Security and access in the building compound these issues in ways that affect daily life and perceived safety. For a year or more, the entrance to the building has not been secure, allowing unauthorized access that compromises everyone's sense of safety. The parking garage gate has been broken and left wide open for over a month, effectively negating any sense of controlled access to one of the property's core entry points. A part-time security guard is the only line of defense, and that limited coverage appears insufficient to deter intrusions or to respond quickly to ongoing problems. The presence of homeless individuals moving in and out of the building without clear oversight adds to the concern, transforming what should be a sanctuary into a site of ongoing unease for tenants and visitors alike.

The tone of the management's responses suggests a pattern of defensiveness and reluctance when faced with substantive repair needs. Notably, when residents raise concerns about the structural integrity of floors and subfloors, management is described as not wanting to hear about those critical issues. This dismissiveness appears to have extended to the issue of an entire floor replacement, which, in the tenant's view, is overdue but repeatedly deferred. The sense is that maintenance requests are deprioritized or avoided, with repairs framed as non-urgent or inconvenient rather than necessary for safety and livability. The friction between tenants reporting real, tangible hazards and management resisting action creates a culture of chronic neglect rather than proactive upkeep.

Amid these serious issues, a sharp contrast remains: the outward appearance of the building can still look nice, at least superficially. The phrase looks nice - spoken perhaps with a sense of irony - lurks behind the stark realities of mold, collapsing floors, unreliable hot water, a nonfunctional central air system, and security lapses. It's a reminder that an attractive exterior or communal spaces do not compensate for the deeper, ongoing deficiencies that affect residents' health, safety, and daily quality of life. The discrepancy between looks and conditions feeds a growing frustration among tenants who feel their basic rights to safe housing, reliable utilities, and secure access are being ignored.

Ultimately, the coworker expresses a clear and persistent wish for accountability. They hope for an unbiased building inspection to surface the violations and compel the management to address them. The idea of an inspector appearing to document issues and hold the responsible parties to account reflects a desire for systemic change rather than piecemeal fixes. The longing for enforcement - a formal acknowledgment of the violations and an effective remedy - speaks to a broader demand that tenants' rights be respected and protected, rather than dismissed or deferred. In the meantime, the reality remains: a residence that should provide basic safety and comfort is instead characterized by neglect, unstable conditions, and ongoing concerns about who else might be affected by these deficiencies.

Located in the heart of Los Angeles, this neighborhood offers convenient access to essential amenities for senior living. With multiple pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens within a short distance, residents can easily access their medications and healthcare needs. In terms of entertainment, there are several theaters nearby including Alamo Drafthouse Downtown and Regal LA Live & 4DX for seniors to enjoy movies and shows. A variety of restaurants like Yard House and Takami Sushi & Robata provide dining options, while cafes such as Verve Coffee Roasters offer a relaxing spot to unwind. For outdoor enthusiasts, parks like Elysian Park and Runyon Canyon Park offer opportunities for recreational activities. Additionally, hospitals like LAC+USC Inpatient Tower and Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center ensure access to quality healthcare services in the vicinity.

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.1 miles)
• Walgreens (0.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.5 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (2.3 miles)
• Walgreens (2.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.1 miles)

Theaters

• Alamo Drafthouse Downtown (0.3 miles)
• Regal LA Live & 4DX (0.5 miles)
• AMC The Grove 14 (6 miles)
• TCL Chinese Theatre (6.2 miles)
• AMC The Americana at Brand 18 (6.9 miles)

Restaurants

• Yard House (0.4 miles)
• Takami Sushi & Robata (0.4 miles)
• Perch (0.6 miles)
• Precinct (0.7 miles)
• EightyTwo (1.2 miles)
• Girl & The Goat LA (1.5 miles)
• Bavel (1.5 miles)

Cafes

• Verve Coffee Roasters (1.5 miles)
• Starbucks (1.6 miles)
• Starbucks (1.7 miles)
• Starbucks Reserve (2.3 miles)
• Lamill Coffee Boutique (3.1 miles)
• Starbucks (4.2 miles)
• Proof Bakery (5 miles)

Transportation

• Union Station (1.5 miles)

Parks

• Echo Park at the Lotus Festival (2.2 miles)
• Elysian Park (3 miles)
• Glassell Park Recreation Center (5.2 miles)
• Cleland Ave Bicentennial Park (5.5 miles)
• Pan Pacific Park (6 miles)
• Plummer Park (6.3 miles)
• Runyon Canyon Park (6.7 miles)

Hospitals

• Kedren Community Health Center (2.6 miles)
• LAC+USC Inpatient Tower (3.1 miles)
• Usc-Norris Cancer Hospital (3.3 miles)
• Prado Center (6.5 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center (6.7 miles)