The Pearl Studios

Current Resident 341565

Resident • 2025 - 2026

They do not seem to care about insect infestations in their units

I would hesitate before leasing or renting here. Once you’re here you are on your own. You will get absolutely no help if you have an issue like pests I’m so sorry I moved here - I had other choices I thought it would be great!! It’s absolutely abysmal leadership here

Former Resident 353137

Resident • 2019 - 2020

My experience at Pearl Studios was an overall poor one to say the least. Originally looking for an affordable living space in the Pearl District, I landed on this living space back in early May of 2019, beginning my lease in June 2019. To get right to the point, I recently was forced to break my lease a little before the end of my contract due to an issue with cigarette smoke in my apartment. After I had given notice of the issue to the property management both in-person and in writing, it quickly became clear that they were not going to do help find any sort of remedy to this issue. I began smelling cigarette smoke as early as January 2020, but the smoke steadily became more and more potent as my time continued throughout the months of February & March 2020. As a resident of the community, I made a point to speak with someone who lived near me that was a regular smoker. He & I seemed to come to a resolution initially, but the issue of smoke in my apartment did not seem to let up. I communicated the issue of smoke to property management back in March, but they failed to address the issue to make the space what I believed to be a habitable living environment. Unfortunately during this crisis, I thought that the property management would make efforts to address this issue as quickly as possible, understanding that people who are exposed to things like cigarette smoke can make them more susceptible to other infections, such as the well-known COVID-19 virus. When I finally told them I needed to break the lease because my stress and my health have been compromised, they decided to pin the vacancy of the remainder of the lease on me saying I never provided them with adequate notice. I also was NOT given notice that they would allow something as serious as smoke funnel into my apartment and do nothing about it, making this apartment an inhabitable living environment. I've luckily since been able to move into a much better living space that provides the most basic needs for someone to sleep at night without having to worry about getting sick, and missing work days because of it (referring to myself). Though I did have some positive experiences at Pearl Studios during my time there, this unfortunately was handled terribly on their part--I would urge anyone and everyone who is interested in this space to consider the potential issues that you may run into should you move to Pearl Studios.

Current Resident 634988

Resident • 2015

Overall, living at Freedom Center was a good experience. Occasionally, you will have neighbors who are inconsiderate of quiet times and are noisy. However, being in a studio on the bottom floor was awesome. Even though it is 275 square feet, the 14 foot ceilings on the first floor make the small space livable without feeling claustrophobic. One down-side was not having any closet space besides a small space in the kitchen. However, we got a huge wardrobe from Ikea for roughly $150 (4 feet x 2 feet x 8 feet and it was a huge space saver and easily fit all of our things. Also, if you have kitchen appliances such as a waffle maker, cupcake pans, crockpots, etc. there is plenty of room with 14 foot ceilings to store them on top of the cabinets. In the kitchen there are no drawers so you will have to be creative when storing your silverware. In general, it's the little things like this that make living in a small space fun- using creativity to make living functional. The grounds are kept clean and I enjoyed how pet-friendly they are. It is not easy finding places in downtown Portland who take pets and for a reasonable price. The kitchen appliances were really nice, although the bathroom sink is bigger than what I call a wet bar sink in the kitchen. If you cook a lot, be prepared to hand-wash big pans in the bathroom sink if it won't fit in the half-sized dishwasher. There are no cabinets in the bathroom so I recommend getting an over the toilet cabinet. The one we got was from Bed Bath and Beyond. One thing to note- Being on the bottom floor, you also get this stadium-light feeling from all of the walk-way lights. I like sleeping in the dark so it was pretty difficult to shut the light out.There is a laundry room on-site that takes credit card, a nice game room, monthly beer-tastings, etc. There were times where I felt unsafe. Between neighbors throwing beer bottles at each other across the alley-way during a fight and someone walking into our apartment at 4:30am, it is definitely something to consider. We moved out before I realized there was a huge homeless issue down there. I drive by that area during my commute from work everyday and I could not be more thankful I have moved. There are literally dozens of homeless people lined up under the bridge and trash is littered everywhere. Thankfully, I did not have to deal with this but I am assuming they will be gone when the rain goes away (but I am sure they will come back when the rain does). Last thing, I was unhappy with the unprofessionalism shown from the staff after we had moved out. I am not quite sure how we could possibly owe $300 after we had put down a $1,400 deposit and paid all of our rent on time. They sent the invoice to the apartment, which we did not live at anymore, even though we had given them a forwarding address. Instead of calling us, they sent us to collections which was a fun process. We are totally easy-going people and would have paid the balance if we had known. All they had to do was give a simple phone call in order to avoid sending us to collections. So, fair warning ahead of time not quite sure if this has happened to anybody else. I loved living at the Freedom Center, especially for the location and price. These are just some things to consider if you are thinking of moving to this community. I have attached photos so you can get a feel for the space. Bed is a double-size.

kw90

Resident • 2014 - 2015

Pros: The apartments are small but livable, with nice appliances. Very close to restaurants, transportation, many different gym, rock climbing, yoga facilities. Pet friendly. Nice gameroom with pool table and free coffee. Cons: Ever since I have moved here there has been noisy construction going on. Trucks blocking the streets. NO parking. During the day the parking under the bridge is always full and expensive. Freedom center does not have onsite parking. Homeless are always camping out by the parking lots next door, cars getting broke into. etc. The key fobs to get into the building are constantly malfunctioning. I have been locked out of the building several times waiting for someone to open the door. My bike was stolen from their 'secure' storage room. And their cameras just happened to be not recording at that time. What a coincidence. Noise: Between the CONSTANT construction and NOISY freeway don't expect any quiet time. Even if you close all your doors and windows you can still hear the freeway and construction. Grounds: The facilities and grounds is pretty well kept up. Clean. Safety: Plenty of lighting, upkeep of landscaping. Neighborhood: Super close to everything. Streetcar, Gyms, Restaurants. Maintenance: The one time they came into my apartment to upgrade lights and fixtures they left my door unlocked... Staff: Staff changes a lot. Would not recommend if you own a car or want a quiet place to live.

themangosteen

Resident • 2012 - 2014

The units are small as one of the reviewers mentioned, but you do get a lot for your money. I've lived all over Portland, and this is a very convenient location with all sorts of entertainment and great food around you. To live in the Pearl district at the price is a steal, and worth sacrificing some space. The community is also very friendly, and it is easy to make friends with your neighbors. I value a good community, because I've lived places where my neighbors are downright rude and inconsiderate. The small size of the units does force people to be more considerate to each other in a way, but I think the price/location draws a very excellent crowd. I would give it a chance and take a tour. The management also takes a active role reminding people of the community rules, so not much conflict seems to arise. They also provide monthly social events which are surprisingly popular and made me enjoy my time living there.

Current Resident 440625

Resident • 2013

I disagree with the previous reviewer. I have lived here since June and am very happy with my little studio! Yes, parking is pretty much non-existent, but that's somewhat common for the area (there is a lot across the street that I pay for monthly, otherwise it's street parking). The selling point for me was the neighborhood--I love living in the Pearl District! You really can't beat the location, and my rent is lower than any other newer building in the area...yes, some of the "vintage" apartments cost less and are bigger, but I'm fine with the smaller space in exchange for the dishwasher, elevators, etc. The management is very nice and they seem to legitimately care about answering my questions and addressing any concerns. The biggest drawback is obviously the size--less than 300sq ft--but I have no need for extra space as I live alone, and my friends always comment on how cute it is and that it's the perfect size for one person (I certainly don't feel like it's a "jail cell" as mentioned above). If I need more space I just go down to the game room, where they have free beer every week (!!) Maybe it's not for everybody, but I knew what I was getting when I moved in and have not been disappointed.

Current Resident 153930

Resident • 2012 - 2013

If you ever wondered how it felt to live in a jail cell, rent here. Poor building construction. Slow Elevators. Zero Parking. Not the bargain they make themselves out to be.