Palo Verde is decent graduate/family housing for the price in this area. The apartment is pretty basic: all electric appliances, no dishwashers, and communal laundry rooms and mail facilities. The people in the office are pretty awful to deal with--the only homophobia my partner and I have experienced at UCI has been from the Palo Verde Housing office workers. That said, both married and unmarried couples qualify for family housing.

Palo Verde is a great place to live. I don't really have any major complaints. Although Irvine is much more expensive than other regions, I feel really happy with where I live. Fortunately, although still somewhat expensive, I pay much less than I would for a similar apartment off campus. The area is very safe and well-lit—my wife feels completely comfortable being outside after dark. Albertson's is only about an 8-minute walk away. There are several local trails for running; not to mention the state-of-the-art gym (ARC) only a three-minute walk away. At night the neighborhood is really quiet which is great if you need to study or simply want to get a good night's rest. I guess my only complaints are the lack of a dishwasher, though I think most on-campus housing units also lack them; I also wish the place had more storage. Only two measly closets—maybe enough for a single student but probably not enough for a married couple. Oh yeah, it'd be nice if they allowed dogs too. We could use a warm furry friend.

Living at Palo Verde has been great.

Pleasant and close to campus. Well kept and quick maintained. Office staff is horrible, rude, condicending and very demanding. Parking is often a problem.

Palo has a playground, even if it is not execellent, but enough for 20 M toddlers.(There are many perfect playgrounds nearby campus)
Also, the main road between the building is very safe for my kids, because they are only for people and not for cars.

Generally like it here, but there is no A/C which can be annoying at times during the summer

Noair condition in the summer. Bad soundproofing. But considering the rent, overall it's a great place to stay in.

For people looking for basic amenities, good location and minimum yet good requirements, PV is good. It is well worth the money. It may not be as luxurious as other apartments (where you pay more), but it definitely solves its purpose.