Residents step out of their front doors to a concrete path circling two grassy courtyards that straddle the laundry room. Small wooden decks jut from each unit. A small laundry room at the center of the complex doubles as a mail room and sometimes serves as a gathering or meeting place for residents. Across from it, a jungle gym and set of rings rise from a sand-filled recreation area visibly worn but still functional after two decades of use by children. Several dozen healthy trees, including pines, redwoods, and willows, shade the complex.
Gardeners come once a week to cut the grass, trim the foliage and tidy the grounds.
From a distance, at least, the complex's various shades of brown and tan paint appear to be in good shape. A closer inspection reveals the place probably could use a paint job. And sections of the laminated plywood siding are buckling and chipping. Single-family homes border the complex to the east and across Maybell to the north. A luxury high-rise apartment building looms to the west.