Berkeley students, if you don't mind it being a bit run down you can't beat it. Singles, partially furnished, some of which have sinks and/or street views, shared bathrooms (six or so on each floor), a shared kitchen, and the best thing of all, location. This is in the heart of things, between Share Tea and Blondie's Pizza. The place is old, with sagging stairs and a rickety elevator. Shared bathrooms are one person at a time, and have locks and showers. The ceilings are high and the room livable. The price cannot be beat for a single so close to campus. Residents tend to keep this place a secret. In 2026 management changed, so Spectra no longer runs the place. It's now run by Premium Properties. All in all, a win.

I lived here for three years up until the fall. I do not recommend living here. The roaches were everywhere - in the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, apartment rooms. There was constant noise, smoking, and the rooms get very hot. It's a very claustrophobic environment. These were not worth the price nor the location's convenience. It was a sad, dark time for me. I think many of these issues are inherent to the building's physical features, location, and tenants they attract, so the overall experience is irremediable. I don't blame it all on management.

Spectra Southside has completely turned around. This is my second year living here, and let me just say the common areas feel clean. We have an actual study room now! And the pest issue is a night and day difference. The manager is a huge help with any problems and actually takes care of the problem in a timely manner. I’m extremely impressed and grateful. I plan on renewing for another year. This place is finally starting to feel like actual student housing.

I've lived at Spectra Southside for some time now and let me just say the new manager they hired has done a remarkable job turning this place around. It smells and looks clean we now have a cool study room and a clean kitchen. Also hats off to the maintenance team as well! Definitely recommend living here!

I just recently moved my daughter to Spectra Southside, and let me just say they have exceeded my expectations. On move-in day, my daughter’s room was missing a mini-fridge. The property manager went and got one himself and installed it for her. Now I’ve lived in quite a few apartments in my lifetime, but I have never seen a hands-on manager like the one I saw on move-in day. I could tell that he goes the extra mile for his tenants, so I know my daughter is in good hands. I highly recommend this place to anyone that’s looking.