Wilshire Embassy Apartments

Right off of Wilshire in the Miracle Mile, this is a great neighborhood that's developing quickly. The building itself spans 8th St from Curson to Stanley, and has about 60 units. It looks somewhat clean & modern from the outside, but I think it was built in the 80s, and believe me it shows. Though the manager is a real sweetheart, there's a pool that provides a nice respite from the hot summer days, and their on-call handyman addresses most issues promptly (albeit with a certain lack of... attention to detail), this place is nothing special and hardly warrants the asking price. The owners seem to do the least amount necessary, which sadly is becoming more commonplace in LA. The elevator is one of the slowest I've encountered, the air in the hallways is always unbelievably warm & stagnant, and there's often a peculiar aroma that floods each floor, seeming to come from whatever your neighbors happen to be cooking the nutrition right out of that day. There's no central AC, only loud window units, and each apartment utilizes the outdated radiant heating, which is the kind that eminates from the walls (and is apparently impossible to turn completely off). There's an intercom at the main entrance, a subterranean parking garage whose gated entry works only when it wants to (and there have been robberies/vandalism to vehicles while parked there, so it's not really as safe as one would assume), as well as a super-tiny laundry room on all 3 floors (each containing, you guessed it! two ancient, coin-operated washers & dryers). You have to supply your own refrigerator to accompany the cheaply built kitchen counters & cabinets. There's an electric stovetop, dishwasher, garbage disposal & carpeted floors. The units are fairly spacious w/average-sized closets, and they do a decent job of cleaning/painting/updating to make them ready for new tenants, considering they're no doubt on a limited budget imposed by the greedy owners. On the plus side, if you move in during the slow months (Dec&Jan I believe) they will likely give you your first month free, which can be very helpful in reducing moving costs and was the main deciding factor for me when I moved in. All in all not the worst place by any means but nothing to write home about either. Lee mas