I've previously given a one star review here in the hope that apartment management would listen to my concerns and several other residents. Now that construction is largely over and I've moved out anyway, I'm bumping it to two to be a little fairer. The reality is that when conditions are right, this is a great place to live. The rent is expensive but you do get an amazing central location in downtown San Mateo, big apartment sizes and decent amenities such as parcel locker service. Parking rates are basically a steal compared to central San Francisco. I would originally rate this place a 4 out of 5. However, I cannot ignore the dismissive attitude and poor communication that ACCO Management has exhibited to residents who raised concerns (for context, see my previous review below). There was a point where residents had to collectively threaten a class action lawsuit before upper management finally came out with a proper response relating to the construction situation. Even then, communication was mediocre at best. Ben and Amy as the "frontline" resident managers have done their best given the circumstances, and I do want to highlight the great extent they've tried to be helpful. As a result, this review stands at a 2 out of 5. Also, there's more construction going on with an unrelated site across the road, but that's out of management's control. --- Previous review (April 2021) TL;DR stay away until the construction is completely finished. Pros: convenient location, apartment itself is great. The resident managers are great. When there's no loud construction going on, it's an alright place to WFH. Cons: You literally need noise cancelling headphones or earplugs to stay sane in your own apartment during the day. For the past 8 months there has been loud construction, at times deafening. On weekdays, you will not be able to sleep, work well or hold a proper conversation from 9am to 4pm. Update 9/11/21: Four months later, also got woken up on a Saturday morning because of this ongoing construction. This review is still accurate.

Summary: lack of respect for tenants and poor expectation setting. The building has been under construction since I moved in 08/2020. The management mentioned during virtual tours that there would be “minor improvements” (a couple weeks of work) done for the hallways. However, major capital improvement projects have not stopped since then. Major works that all last more than 6 weeks have been happening in lobby, hallways, vacant units, deck area, balcony, and exterior facade - imagine the noise (on top of train noise), smell, and concerns over Covid with construction crews going in and out of buildings throughout the entire year. It’s extremely disruptive when everyone has to work from home. I assume the building management took advantage of the Covid downtime to these projects because lots of people moved out, but it’s extremely disrespectful to current tenants, who are paying almost 3k and above to live here, supposably getting a “premium” experience. A crew of construction workers entered my balcony space to do paint works on a Saturday at 9am without prior notice, playing music and completely disregard my privacy - just one instance over many things that explains the 1 star review. I didn’t want to rant in public initially but these are things potential tenant should know. FYI- Also there’s a new construction starting across the building, so addition cautions. Ps the only good thing about the building is the property manager Ben, who has been hired by ACCO to patiently to listen to all the complaints, with which the asset manager does nothing about. The star is for Ben and nothing else.

Do NOT ever live in this building! This is the WORST apartment rental place ever! The Management is all about money. They are inhumane and cold-bloodied and sneaky and only want to get money from you! They are money vampire! They would ignore your request for preliminary or final walk-through together with you and do NOT do final walk-through together with you when you move out; and then they will charge you hundreds for cleaning even you have cleaned spotless. They even charge you for painting and painting materials—which is UNHEARD OF!

5 stars for the best property manager I've ever had, Ben Hoh. I've lived at the Hillsborough Plaza apartments for over 2 years, and its been really comfortable living. The staff here are fantastic. Maintenance staff are extremely friendly, work hard and are super prompt to solving any problems and keeping the place clean. I can't say enough good things about Ben. He tries to form a personal connection with every resident when he can, and has helped me out many times. The building is old, but the property owners have done their best to modernize the place. The gym, pool area, laundry and lobby areas are brand spanking new. The Amazon lockers are nice to have, and all the building entrances have been updated to use fobs. The old building does provide some advantages. The floors are super thick, so its impossible to hear your neighbors. Construction noise was a pain while construction was happening, but now most of it is complete, and with COVID restrictions easing, the renovated amenities will be nice to use. The only downside is the lack of laundry hookups, which means no in unit laundry. But there are plenty of washers and driers in the basement, and I've never had to wait for a machine to free up. Overall a comfortable 2 years.

We’ve lived here for a quite a while now. We had been apartment hunting for some time and visited many rentals. When we visited here, we were delighted to meet the staff there. Management was always responsive, as I remember once my mom sent me a card for the holidays, but to the wrong address. They helped get it to me. The staff is great. The security guards and maintenance staff are also responsive and friendly. The grounds are well kept and I love our gym. My parking space is secure and I have never had a problem . There are also events so the residents can meet each other, including this fun wine tasting. San Mateo is a blast. The plaza is centrally located, reasonably priced and has great amenities. You can make it to the train station in 2 minutes, and there is plenty to do within walking distance. This place can be a bit pricey but the cost of convenience is never cheap. It is located in downtown San Mateo next to dozens of restaurants, grocery store, movie theaters, coffee etc. Everything is within walking distance. The number one benefit of living here is having the Caltrain located right down the block which makes those of us working in SF or companies along Caltrain tracks super convenient. At night you can hear the trains but they're never loud enough to wake you up. Neighbors are nice. Never really had to file any noise complaints!

We lived here for slightly over a year and I personally have mixed feelings about this place. I will explain in the end as to why I am only giving 2/5 stars for this property. Pros: 1. Convenience - if you are a foodie then this is a great place to be. Being conveniently located near downtown San Mateo allows you to get all the good food that this pretty town has to offer within walking distance. Caltrain is also one block away so commuting around the Peninsula is not too bad. However, if you are someone who likes nightlife then San Mateo might not be your cup of tea because there’s only a handful of bars around the area. 2. Cheap parking - parking in the Bay Area can be very expensive, especially if you live in the city. The monthly parking here is only $40/vehicle so that’s a really good deal. 3. Amenities - the outdoor lounge and grill area can be really nice on a sunny day. Unfortunately, the pool is not heated and is closed during the winter months. Cons: 1. Old/outdated building & high rent - The monthly rent for a 1 bed is approx $38-3900/mo, however, the units do not reflect this price as the kitchen cabinets, appliances, and popcorn ceiling can be very outdated. Other properties such as Ryan tower, or if you prefer something brand new, Brickline Flats, will have something that either lives up to the price or has a better bang for the buck. 2. Noise & dust - Being close to the train tracks will expose you to constant noises every day. Management doesn’t seem to be interested in installing better windows as I have raised this request in the past. The balcony and apartment can also become very dusty due to the amount of traffic there is out there. 3. Common areas - The common areas became very dirty towards the end of our tenancy at Two50. Elevators constantly had food or liquid spills and the trash chutes always smelled pretty bad. 4. Elevators - The moving process can be very tedious since no furniture is allowed through the lobby and has to go through the garage ramp. The elevators respond very slow and will always shut on you super fast. 5. Management - the management team was very nice and welcoming before signing our lease but we noticed a shift in attitude once we moved in. We requested to borrow two dollies from their storage room during our move-out process but the answer we got was simply a “no” without further explanation and a very smirky smile, which struck us as a very rude response. We also received some condescending comments when we handed over our keys. 6. Move-out fees - Last but not least, we were surprised by some hefty fees, just like some other reviewers have mentioned already. This is the main reason why I am leaving an overall negative review. Management charged us for carpet cleaning, paint, and labor to redo the walls even though we left the unit in a good shape that should be considered as having regular wear and tear. We are currently in the process of communicating with Acco (the management company) and hope they can waive these excessive charges. I will update this post once we hear back and have this issue resolved. Overall: Two50 has a lot of potential if management would try not to brand themselves as a “luxury condo” and instead focus on offering better value to the tenants. I understand that the recent opening of Brickline Flats might have prompted Acco to increase their rent to match the market prices but Two50 really does not have the same building quality to demand such a rent hike. We met multiple couples and individuals around August who saw a steep rent increase and decided to move out since they felt it’s not worth staying here anymore. As mentioned above, I hope Acco can resolve our last invoice and I will provide an update later on.

Having lived here for two years, it is located with immediate proximity to the train and restaurants downtown. Very friendly and helpful staff across the board. When I didn't feel like getting out on my bike, it was great having a gym on site which is state of the art. Would recommend!

After 7 wonderful years at this place, I have moved out to a new home.  It was a sad day saying "goodbye" to the staff.  From the leasing office managers, to the maintenance crew, to the parking lot staff, it has been a great experience with such a warm, friendly and professional staff in place. If my kitchen sink was clogged in the morning, it was cleared by the time I got home from work same day.  The online services makes repairs and paying rent as simple and efficient as can be.  I enjoyed the pool and the newly remodeled fantastic gym. It's a great community and has been a pleasure living in downtown San Mateo, where the restaurants are many, Cons: not a lot of parking around town