Metropolitan

Everything about the metropolitan is just ok. Some of the appliances are new, some of them are not. The location is somewhat close to downtown San Mateo, but not close enough. The area it is located can be a little shady at times.

Noise is a huge issue. Unless you have a unit facing the courtyard/pool, expect to be woken up by early morning garbage trucks or loud traffic turning off the highway. Windows are single paned, so the noise penetrates easily into the apartment.

Management is ok.... Local staff is very nice and friendly but seems swamped all the time. Maintenance usually is completed promptly, that is a plus.

Amenities are good. Nice clubhouse and pool area with included steam room. If you live in the 337 building though, access to the pool can be a little cumbersome. The elevators are the only way out of the garage and move extremely slowly, so expect to be annoyed by that. Mailboxes were broken into recently and it took months to repair/replace them.

Overall, move here if you really want to save a few extra bucks but otherwise might be better elsewhere. Read More

I relocated to the area to be close to family, and, after looking at many areas, decided to try the San Mateo area to star off. Many of the apartments around here are older, not build as well, not great areas, etc. After touring the Metropolitan Apartments however I knew this was where I wanted to be, and my decision has proven right thus far. Pros and cons include:

Pros
- Incredibly friendly, helpful staff (how they remember everyone's name is beyond me)
- Service requests are addressed... quickly
- Great location that's right near the 101 and a five minute walk to downtown San Mateo
- Units are incredibly spacious (love the high ceilings as I'm 6'5"), quiet, and very recently updated (or at least mine was)

Cons
- Service requests don't always address the issue the first time
- Rent is a bit high (many were shocked when I told them what I was paying in San Mateo)
- Can be quite a bit of street noise with the windows open

The last point to make is that this is a dog-friendly complex, and there are a LOT of dogs. If you don't like dogs, you may not like living here, so be aware of that.

Happy apartment hunting! Read More