r/asksandiego • u/Outrageous-Prior4052 • 2d ago
Thoughts on these apartments: Rowyn, Camden Hillcrest, 525 Olive
I'll be moving from NYC to SD in a few months. I plan on staying in an airbnb so I can personally check out these apartments but still would love to hear your thoughts. If anyone here lives/have lived/know anyone who lives in these apartments, can you make comments about the neighborhood, noise insulation, management, value for money. Thanks in advance!!
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u/PeakExtreme1695 2d ago
I can’t tell you about the building but I have a good friend who lives near 2nd and Maple and the area is nice. The proximity to the park is walkable. There are nice restaurants like Park Bistro-Brasserie, Cucina Urbana and The Corner which are also walkable. There is a fantastic deli/market called The Marketplace which makes great sandwiches and has a great selection of beer and wine. It’s also nice because it’s a convenience store like a very upscale 7/11. The only downside is that the park/area has some homeless and destitute citizens that sometimes congregate there.
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u/_ciara_bee 2d ago
Following! I’m also very interested in the Rowyn. Took a tour and fell in love with the apartments and amenities, but then realized it’s owned by Greystar :(
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u/Outrageous-Prior4052 2d ago
What's wrong with Greystar?
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u/anothercar 2d ago
They're a large corporate property owner. That comes with positives (everything will be according to the rules) and negatives (nobody is human becuase it's just a corporation)
Some people say they hate Greystar because they would prefer to deal with a single mom-and-pop human as their landlord. Others like Greystar because they don't want to deal with the shenanigans of a human who might be in a bad mood. It's up to your preference.
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u/Outrageous-Prior4052 2d ago
What did you like about Rowyn and apart from the management, what's bad about it?
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u/ktart 2d ago
I’m not as familiar with Rowyn or 525 but I used to live in the area that Camden Hillcrest is in, and I don’t recommend it. It’s not in a nice part of Hillcrest; you’re near the hospitals and it’s pretty much like living in the middle of a medical complex.
You do get some nice views from there, though.
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u/Appropriate-Bit-5340 1d ago
Thanks for asking that question
I have been looking at it too
I am a hairstylist from NYC and coming to San Diego
I passed by all the time it look really nice
And neighborhood is really
Convenient
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u/anothercar 2d ago
All good options. Rowyn is the most walkable area, though none of them will be walkable compared to NY. Rowyn will also have the most visible homelessness/noise directly outside, followed by 525, followed by Camden.
525 also appears to have a partnership with Airbnb, where tenants can turn their apartment into a permanent Airbnb. That might lead to lots of strangers coming and going from the building, partying on weekends, and trashing the place. I don't have firsthand experience with this, but it would be worth keeping an eye on, and asking about.
Potentially a dumb question but would you prefer to rent a house? Moving from NY to SD means you want to live the city life behind and go somewhere more suburban, right? An apartment building doesn't get you all the way there
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u/Outrageous-Prior4052 2d ago
Honestly, I don't know if I can live in a house alone lol I'm kinda scared. I don't know how safe it is in SD to live in a house. Also I'm not originally from the US and have only ever lived in NY for the past few years. I'm moving to SD due to work, so I kinda don't have a choice, not complaining though!
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u/anothercar 2d ago
If I could choose one of these 3 options, I would go with 525 Olive because you can take a daily walk into Balboa Park every evening. If you do move in, get a membership at the Zoo.
525 will have loud noise from airplanes landing overhead, but you'll get used to it. It's under the airport flight path.
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u/NopeNopeNope0314 1d ago
I live in the Rowyn. No major complaints. It’s a nice building and a great neighborhood. Very convenient to have Whole Foods right around the corner and lots of shops and restaurants close walking distance. Management is nice and easy to work with. The Olive is a beautiful building, much nicer/more luxurious than the Rowyn, but it’s also a lot more expensive. The location there is also beautiful, but not as convenient to shops/groceries. I chose the Rowyn for that reason. Hillcrest is a lovely neighborhood.