We are really enjoying Ballena Village. My husband and I have been here 2-1/2 years. The newest manager, Christian is using his talent and vision to beautify the place, and the updates are really starting to show! Much needed maintenance is getting done and even though it's really a pain to experience, it needs to happen. Better communication around it would help immensely. Also, it's really quiet here, and all the people we've met that live here are very kind. The staff right now is the best ever, kind, responsive and have a good memory for faces -hats off to Daniel, the bright star that's the new assistant manager. There is a down side which we'd like to see improve: the cars get regularly broken into here and that's very concerning. But even with this, I do feel very safe here, we just don't leave anything out in view in our car. So, it's 4 stars for me. And I forgot to mention the beautiful, tranquil water stream that goes through the whole community. Christian recently got all of the falls and streams up and running and it really is lovely.

I have been living here for about 3 months now and I like it. I'm a low maintenance tenant the just likes to pay his bills and be left alone and that is exactly what has happened. Sometimes kids jump the fence and hang at the pool - meh. The gym desperately needs some weights, the equipment is old, but it does not bother me, as long as it works and I can lift, it could use a TV though. Overall the location and quiet environment makes this a nice place to live. I will say it is slightly overpriced in my opinion and it may motivate me to move elsewhere when my lease is up.

PRO: Maintenance and management responses are quick and efficient Swimming pool and BBQ areas are decent for the summer months Generally quiet location (except maybe during near by high school events) Relatively convenient, near the tube with access to ferry and transbay bus CON: Gym definitely needs an overhaul - missing and broken dumbbells Not enough storage spaces, but understandable since it was built in the 70's Hallway carpet and lighting can be improved OVERALL: Good place to live if you are lucky to secure a cheap rate (their pricing fluctuates based on supply and demand). It's not a 5-start luxury community, but it's much better than an old apartment building in other parts of Alameda.

I have been a resident of Ballena Village since March, 2014. I have been impressed with the responsiveness of all the staff members here, especially Cristian, the Property Manager, and the front office staff, Niteel and Robin. They are always eager to listen and help me when I have a request, of which I had many in the first few weeks of living here. My apartment needed some slight maintenance work when I arrived, and without delay or complaint, the maintenance staff responded professionally and with politeness. I feel comfortable in my living space and have met some very nice people, along with their dogs...all very friendly and adorable (the dogs, I mean!). I would recommend Ballena Village to any of my friends in need of a friendly, peaceful, attractive, and dog friendly environment.

Pros - A good commuter area especially when you work in San Francisco. The Ferry is a 7-10 min bike ride away. Fairly quiet neighborhood and the walls are thick; I can barely hear our neighbors upstairs. The Laundry room is clean and neat. Swimming pool is decent enough to swim in. Cons: Descriptions about the amenities are over glamorized. You get excited reading them but when you actually see the real thing, it’s not what you pictured. i.e. Golf area’s grass padding need to be changed, basketball court rim needs to be fixed and Gym needs to be maintained. The machines work well but they have a weight rack that has no weights. I wouldn’t normally complain because the gym is free but when we were looking at the place they glamourized it and sold us on it. When I went to use the gym it was a disappointment. Strict rules on what you can put on your balcony or patio: They won’t let you put your bikes on the patio or balcony yet they provide no Bike Racks. Alameda is an ecofriendly commuter city. They should at least provide us with a secured bike rack for our bikes. Putting them inside the house takes up real estate and indoor bike racks can damage walls. You can’t hang anything on the patio or balcony except shades to block the sun. When we moved in we put a safety net around our patio so that our indoor cat can hang out at the patio without escaping. Our cat enjoyed looking at the birds and ducks at the lagoon. But we got a letter that we had to take the safety net down. We tried telling them it was for the safety of our cat and to ask for an exception. But we got shut down. Overall it’s been an OK experience. The price we are paying for rent doesn’t equal to the amenities they say they can provide. I believe I can find a place cheaper with no amenities and still be better off living there. When it gets closer to our lease being up, we’re probably going to look for another place to live.