Hood Center Apartments

I lived at Hood Center Apartments for about 2 years while attending MHCC, and I found it to be a good place to live. It was a bit low rent, lacking a pool, gym, dish washer etc. but the rental price reflected that, and for a student who didn't have a lot of money at the time, it was all the better. For what it was, Hood Center Apartments was very good. The location was great, being right in the center of town and just a few blocks or a very quick drive from most of the stores, one block from Safeway, movie theater, parks, etc. made it all the easier living there. Where Hood Center Apartments really shined, in my opinion, was the management staff. They were always friendly and helpful. If I had an issue with something they would go the extra mile to make sure it was taken care of as quickly as they could. For example, once one of my heaters broke and they had a repairman there within a day or two to replace it. A few months before I moved out, Verizon finally made their FIOS available in that area, and I made sure to sign up for that. It's one of the fastest and most reliable internet setups you can get in the States. A minor gripe, I did find my apartment to be a bit drafty in the winters, particularly around the front door. I'm sure if I had mentioned it, Val would've recommended a way to fix it or even given me some insulation to put around the doorframe, but I didn't. I noticed some people said the walls were paper thin, but I generally didn't have any issues with noise from other apartments. I got almost my full cleaning/security deposit back when I moved out, with a portion deducted so that they could shampoo the carpets or something, which I didn't mind. If I was ever to move back to the area, I'd certainly consider renting an apartment from Hood Center Apartments again. For what they were, they were a really good place to live. more

I lived in two other apartment complexes nearby, besides this one: Kempton Downs, and East Wind. Of the three, I liked Hood Center the best. First, because it is all single bedroom apartments, there aren?t lots of noisy kids running around, and there are virtually no loud parties. So, despite the thin walls, it was usually quieter than either East Wind or Kempton Downs. (Also the 24-hour quiet requirement doesn?t hurt either!) Also, Hood Center was the cheapest of the three to live, by quite a lot. I paid $535 per month, although it seems to be true that everyone pays a slightly different price. I believe this has to do with differences in the apartments themselves, though; mine had bleach stains on the carpet, so I got bout a $30 per month discount over the regular price for something which was no big deal. I had Comcast internet at all three complexes and although I found it to be a fairly sporadic connection elsewhere, at Hood Center it was always fast and reliable. When there were problems in the apartment (broken towel rack, busted ceiling fan, etc.), the repair guy always came within a couple of days and fixed the problem right up. But what really makes Hood Center shine is the management team there, which is competent, flexible, and understanding. For example, I left with almost all of my deposit (they took $20 for ?nail holes?, which I admit was probably legitimate). Also, on a couple of occasions I was out of town when the rent was due, and had to pay it a day late. But, as long as I went and saw them, and explained my circumstance, they waived the late fee. Once I was gone for about a week when my rent was due, and received a call from the manager (Val) legitimately concerned with what was going on. Heck, she even knew me by my first name. Also convenient, this place is right around the corner from a Safeway, 2 strip malls, and a bus line, and only maybe half or a quarter mile from the nearest MAX station. Maybe 3 /4 a mile from MHCC. But if you have a car, there is tons of parking, and tons of free guest parking (unlike, say, Kempton Downs where there are like 5 visitor spots in the whole parking lot!) Although street noise may be somewhat of a problem for someone living in the three buildings facing Hogan (as mine was), the rest are located in a quiet, woodsy area. Unlike East Wind, the mailboxes and laundry are always available (laundry are quarter-fed machines, and there is usually space for several loads at any given time, although less so on weekends and afternoons). And no, there is no dishwasher, A/C, or washer/drier hookup in unit. But, as a low-cost apartment in Gresham, I simply don?t think it can be beat. It was plenty spacious for me and my queen-sized bed and large dining room table and sofa. I live in California now, but if I were moving back to Gresham or going to MHCC, I would try hard to get back to Hood Center. Pros: Cheap, great management, lots of parking, close to bus/MAX Cons: Thin walls/floors, no dishwasher, no laundry hookup more

I won't say the Hood Center Apartments are a bad place to live nor will I say they're a great place to live, but a decent place. The pros that I found to living their for about a year and a half were the friendly staff, the cheap reasonable rent, close to the grocery store and other shopping, close to public transit / MAX and Buslines, the easy to find nature / right off 242nd and they're clean. The cons of course were the paper thin walls, the cheap lousy windows that will cost you a lot of money on your electrical bill during the winter months, the outdated appliances and lack of dishwasher, no AC and lousy ventalation, which is unbearable during the summer months. And no balcony or terrace/deck. Pros: Cheap, close to shopping and public transit, clean Cons: thin walls, outdated appliances, bad windows, no balcony more

I lived there for about a year and a half and don't have any compliants. Its nothing fancy but a good little apartment. Perfect for MHCC students. Less than a 5 minute drive from campus. Pros: good location, cheap rent, good staff Cons: no balcony or pool more

A few of the things said in the first post confuse me. First of all the manager is very kind. There was one time I remember having a problem with her, but usually she was nothing but kind and was always a pleasant person to talk to. As far as security goes, they do not ""harass"" everyone; they do their job. When they are around (they only drive through four times a night or something) they may question you if you are coming in late, but I personally greatly appreciate that because my car got broken into a lot and sometimes there are some shady characters around, so I would be annoyed if they weren't stopping to talk to me and everyone else lurking around at night. Another thing that is completely wrong in that last post is the parking issue. I never (not even once) in the two years I lived there, was unable to park in front of my place. There is a ton of parking. Seriously. Also, apartments are larger than 450 square feet usually. I am not sure what the square footage actually is, but my $500 apartment (quite reasonably priced, mind you) was really quite huge for what I paid and compared to other rent in the area. The building doesn't look great from the outside. Landscaping is maintained but the paint job is bad and there is often trash strewn about. I loved my actual apartment but I did not feel safe outside at night due to very low lighting and very shady characters around (a lot of which are dumpster diving bums and loud teenagers jumping over the fence from another apartment building). Another annoying thing that happened was when I moved in, the website said small dogs were allowed (and since I planned on getting a dog, this was a great) but when that came up after signing my lease, I was told that was no longer true. Although I don't think the website exists anymore, the misrepresentation was a huge problem for me because that was one of the primary reasons I chose the place. Pros: Parking, Service, Apartment Size, Privacy Cons: Unsafe, Dark, Shared balcony can be annoying, Ugly more

It is sad when I read the review panning the manager and service. Normally I don't get into this and I really don't think I have ever even written any review but I feel it is the right thing to do. Val (the manager) went out of her way to help assist me in my attempt to get an apartment there, just taking her time with me as I was so new at the process (a divorced gal and used to a house). We are talking a lot of time she didn't really have to spend. She was caring and concerned and professional and really the best. She just as easily could have tossed me the application and said ""do your best"" as others did to me. I am unsure what these other folks are referring to except perhaps these complaints are based on a need to act out revenge for not paying rent or not playing by the rules. Those apartments were clean and the grounds kept up. If I had an issue that I reported I got an immediate response. Maybe not immediate action in that a plumber takes time to get there, etc. BUT I was always kept updated as to the status. On one day, Val was there in my apartment herself to physically help clean up a leak that came from an upper apartment. This was on her time off. When I tried to thank her she just laughed and said "" oh well it is all part of the job for me""...I am unsure why these folks are trashing her like this and it's of concern. It is my thought that they need to attempt to be approved at another apartment and deal with reality. I have since moved on in the past few months but will be always appreciative of always being treated with respect. I always felt like when I pulled in the driveway, I was HOME and I was safe. I knew any issues would be addressed and I miss that place. I actually just got on line to thank them and found these comments and felt I needed to respond to them. Pros: close to everything..great response on service issues...great staff..great rent Cons: I wish they had a pool or balconies more

I agree with the previous poster. Avoid at all costs. The walls are paper thin, every apartment pays a different price, and there is no way you will ever get your deposit back no matter who well you leave the place. more

I lived in these apartments for two and a half years, I tried the whole time I lived here to get them to fix the things wrong with my apartment, like the water heater, heaters, electrical wiring and lighting, but to no avail. They would tell me they put in a work order, and then never come back, and when I would call again they wouldn't know what I was talking about. So after the two and a half years living here, I was getting ready to move and they slapped me with a 30 day no cause, then on top of that gave me a bad referance. The owners don't live here in portland, they live in eugene and evedently don't care what there manager treats people like, cause she's not a nice person by any means. They also have no regard for the housing laws, families of 6 living in a one bedroom. Daycare being run out of apartments. Tweakers on site wating for their stuff, no one that lives here ever has a parking spot, and the sercurty that they hired harasses everybody. Not to menton the rent that they try to charge now is rediculous, everyone pays a different price for the same apartment. If the manager likes you, it doesn't happen often, she'll give you an apartment for 430.00, if she doesn't like you you'll be paying 550.00. Take it from me this is not the place to live. Pros: 420 Sq Ft, near the college Cons: Everything more