Briarwood Apartamentos

Briarwood community is well-located near Sunnyvale downtown and the Caltrain station, offering great convenience. However, it has several downsides, including an older building, lack of gated security, and limited parking. While a recent exterior renovation improved its appearance, the rent feels high for what’s offered. Overall, the location is a plus, but the value may not justify the cost.

Water shutoffs happened many times throughout the last few months that I've lived here, sometimes without any notice and for hours at a time. Caltrain goes by many times per day and you can clearly hear the horn inside the apartment and it causes the floor to shake. Half the time I've made maintenance requests, they've been marked as completed even though no one has come by to do anything. Lots of car break ins and porch thefts reported on the community board. Thin walls, I can clearly hear my... neighbors. AC unit barely works and is only in the living room so good luck getting any cold air in the bedrooms without getting a portable AC unit. And now they want to charge us for having guests park for a few hours! Lee mas

DON’T MOVE HERE!! Not worth it before, during, or after COVID

There are so many cons to living here. Like other Bay Area complexes Briarwood is insanely overpriced, but the complex is worse than average and it can literally be a total DUMP at times. This place is not even worth the reduced rents they are pushing because demand has completely dropped.

UNSAFE - Look at the other reviews. Mail service here is the worst I’ve seen anywhere. The mailboxes have been broken into and packages... regularly go missing. Most of the posts on the residential app are about the mail situation, including stolen packages. Even your regular letter mail will get lost or stolen here. It’s insane.

DIRTY - I have never seen so many bugs in the Bay Area as I have at this complex. It’s gross. They will cling to your lights indoors, so get used to it. The outdoor dumpsters are always overflowing and disgusting, so this place is a literal DUMP most days. For the number of units, there aren’t enough dumpsters, but you will still pay $40 a month in RUBS trash fees. It doesn’t stop at the trash. If you live on the ground floor the landscapers will blow dirt, leaves and other crap from the shared walkways right onto your patio.

DARK - The apartments are DARK! I’ve seen multiple units and all are dark. Many of us working from home complain about how dark our units are, no matter what building or floor. Sucks to work from home in a dark dingy apartment…

LOUD AND THIN WALLS - The train is LOUD and you can still hear it all the time no matter where you live in the complex. The walls are also THIN here, so you’ll hear what your neighbors are doing. People I know on top and bottom floors complain about hearing their neighbors talking, arguing, exercising, so you’re in for a show.

COVID UNSAFE - There have been little to no COVID protocols here that I can see, other than shutting down the amenities which weren’t nice to begin with.

Stay far far away! You will regret moving here. Lee mas

This townhouse is a pretty good option for roommates. 2.5 bathrooms, spacious living room and the AC are among the advantages. The location is really nice, close to the downtown, expressways and highways. The apartment has a washer and dryer inside, the community is pet-friendly, and has a nice swimming pool area. The only downside is the noise, coming from the passing Caltrain, which is something to get used to.

Our two bed and two bath is very affordable, and overall has a great floor plan for roommates as the rooms are basically identical in size. However, the walls are thin, there are a lot of bugs and the building is old. That last point doesn't usually bug me, but seeing as this unit is RIGHT next to the train tracks (like, a wall, a parking lot and then the building), the building shakes when the trains pass by.