You probably found The Charleston because it’s the cheapest building not just in downtown, but all of L.A. It’s true you won’t find cheaper, so if you’re on a budget this is for you. Just know what to expect:

On the bright side, this building is a residential hotel, so you’re covered by rent control PLUS more protections like you can’t be evicted under the Ellis Act if the owner wants to sell or renovate. This is a huge benefit!

The building has no tenant or guest parking and street parking is... very difficult, especially at night. But you can walk to 7th & Figueroa in about 15 minutes and there’s plenty of buses and 2 big subways (Metro Center and Westlake) that quickly take you to Koreatown, Hollywood and North Hollywood and USC. Plenty of Uber and Lyft cars are always available thanks to our DTLA location. And a lot of great restaurants and business deliver here too because we have the same zip code as the Financial District.

The neighborhood is run down, but it’s quieter here than the downtown core too. We do have several convenience stores and Mexican restaurants and even a decent sushi bar on our block! It’s a very convenient location other than the parking situation. Home Depot, Rite Aid, Food-4-Less, Starbucks, Panda Express and McDonalds are all just 2 blocks away at Wilshire & Union, plus a post office is 2 blocks away at 7th & Burlington.

The units are very small but fine for 1 person. A standard “studio” is 200 square feet and they have a few “doubles” that are more like a 1-bedroom but are really 2 studios combined. (Those “doubles” have 2 hallway/entry doors with different apt numbers.) All units have a private bathroom (sink, toilet and tub or shower) and kitchenette (a second sink, fridge and cooktop with a few cabinets) and therefore are technically not SRO/single room occupancy. A few units have nice city views of the DTLA skyline.

The building provides no heating or cooling. Technically they have old-fashioned radiators, but they’re only turned on in the very coldest nights of the winter and spit out water like crazy. On the other hand, utilities are included so you can add a heater or AC at no expense. Technically the lease forbids tenants from installing their own AC, but that rule does not seem to be enforced and you will notice many window units in plain view from the outside. Just be careful to plug big appliances like an AC onto its own dedicated circuit. This takes some guessing because multiple apartments and common areas shar Read More

The price is unbeatable for the location- only 3 minutes from DTLA. I haven't met anyone who pays less than I do for rent. Whenever I submit a maintenance request, someone comes to fix the issue within the next day. It's also extremely walkable. There are tons of restaurants and stores within a ten minute walk. The best part is that all the utilities are included so I don't have to cut corners to stay warm or keep the lights on. Overall, I like living here.

Cockroaches, uneven floors, does not fix things in apartments, and that’s just the begging.

I have lived here for four years and I can honestly say that this building it fair but there are many other problems with the building that has not been properly addressed by management.