Montecito Pines Apartments

I lived there for about 9 years. When I moved in they were a step up from where I had been living. However over the years the rent was continually increased to where they were no longer a reasonable value. Also over the years there were structural problems, termite damage to my patio and patio storage area. An overhead plumbing leak ruined the carpet and wallboard. Both these structural problems were repaired. My car was broken into and the radio stolen while it was parked in its "enclosed carport." It is a mistake to refer to them as garages because they are a common open space inside and if any other tenant does not lock their "garage door" the whole place is open to anyone.

Owing to their design my lower apartment was dark and cave like. My small patio was underneath the apartment above. The lady above me seemed to water her plants whenever I chose to be sitting on my patio, result...several unexpected showers. The appliances were old... when my refrigerator began to fail to keep the contents cold, instead of replacing it, management asked me to see if I could just replace the door seals and they would reimburse me. That plan failed and after sever months i got a "new" refurbished fridge. And as someone else stated they are not air conditioned and the street noise from Montecito Av. is loud night and day.

After several years I finally moved to a larger, nicer and cheaper apartment in a much, much smaller complex. I don't know if serious improvements have been made to Montecito Pines... I moved from there in 1999... from the outside it's a nice looking complex, but there are better places to live.

Posted 08/20/09 | Report Abuse

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The building is NOT covered in shavings as posted in the first review. They are called SHINGLES. Yes, the building is old and shows wear, however there is a maintenance crew that is constantly busy attending to the needs of the overall structure and the tenant's inner spaces. A landscape and grounds crew is also on the job to keep the lawns mowed, hedges trimmed, leaves, pine needles and debris to a minimum. The apartments are not well insulated. They are hot in the summer time (no air conditioning) and cold in the winter, but they are fairly sound proof due to thick cement floors and adequate walls. The proximity to shopping and downtown is also adequate, but the building is right on Montecito Blvd and gets rather noisy due to the traffic racing by at over the posted speed limit. It is also close to a high school and when school is in session, it can get noisy with student traffic. The tenants have a lot of children living there so if you don't like the sound of children playing, best to pass this place up. The kitchens are sub par due to cheap materials used to construct cabinets and drawers, but the maintenance crew is always available by appointment to fix things as needed. Not enough guest parking, but the place provides locking garages for the tenants (for one vehicle) which adds some measure of security. If you own a second vehicle or a motorcycle, it can get problematic. If you have a lot of stuff, you may need to rent a separate storage space elsewhere because there is little or no storage facilities. The area does have its share of crime. Break-ins to the garage spaces and vandalism to parked cars have occurred. Not a good place to keep pets. There had been a plan to convert the place to condos but that seems to have fallen through due to the economic and real estate slump of late. The place has a pool, steam room and hot tub, plus a large laundry room. The landscaping is nicely done located among very tall and lovely pine trees (hence the name).

Posted 07/04/09 | Report Abuse

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A friend of mine lives here, and I visit quite often. The building itself it covered in tacky brown wooden shavings. It blends in well with the tall pine trees, which give it its signature name. There should be more visitor parking offered since I usually have to take the bus whenever I visit. The insides of the apartments have seen better days. The lighting has a tendancy to flicker, and it gets extremely cold at night. There is a shag carpet, and white wall. Overall, it's a little expensive for rent, and definitely worth it because of the local shopping (Olivers, Safeway, etc).

Posted 11/04/05 | Report Abuse

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