Review History for anonymous

3030 Lake City


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anonymous

Resident ā€¢ 2008 - 2010

5/12/2010

How tolerant are you?

I, like many before me, did not have an accurate idea of what living here was truly like until after I moved in. I do not recommend living here for a number of reasons, though there are some good qualities. As others have said, the management is great. They have always been friendly and helpful and take a no-nonsense approach to people who don't follow the rules. Be very careful when you sign your lease...you will be charged a $100 late fee if your rent is late, even if only by one day. There is also no way of getting out of your lease early without paying extra money on top of the months of rent you have left. None of the utilities are paid for either...you can easily find a place that will pay for some of your utilities, but this is not one of them. The maintenance workers are awesome. They are honestly great people and respond to your complaints in a timely manner 95% of the time. The unit I live in is, by itself, fairly nice. The living room and bedroom are very spacious, though the bathroom is a bit small and crowded. The deck is a nice touch, but I honestly never use it because it faces the building across from me and I don't care to be stared at by strangers. It has a nice storage room off of it, too. Unfortunately, my only window, which is very large, overlooks the outdoor walkway. As such, I never have the shade open and don't feel comfortable leaving it open while I'm out because someone could very easily look or come through it. The lack of natural lighting is a bit bothersome for me. My parking space, which costs $35 a month, is about the best I could ask for. It's right next to the stairs that lead up to my apartment. Street parking looks a bit crowded, so if you want to go that route, it's something to keep in mind. And trust me, this is NOT an area of town you want to be walking around in more than you can help it. One of the reasons I moved here is because most places don't allow larger animals. It cost me $400, $200 of which is refundable, to bring my big dog with me. I'm honestly very glad to have a big dog here, as she makes me feel a lot safer. However, a lot of tenants don't pick up after their dogs. It's gotten better since they installed a camera facing the unfenced yard, but many people let their dogs go elsewhere (also, I would not recommend using the yard for anything...all the animals use it as their toilet. I saw a mom and her kids sitting out in it the other day and was horrified). There are also quite a few stray cats that roam around, and I often smell their poo around the stairs that lead up to my apartment. Speaking of smells, the building I'm in has a WEIRD smell to it. It was like this ever since I moved in. I don't know what it is, but it's not terribly strong, but it is strong enough to transfer over to some of my belongings that don't get washed as frequently (i.e. my blankets...half the time I don't use them because they smell funny). Most of the time I only notice it when I first walk into my apartment, but it definitely bothers me still and I use candles frequently to try and counteract it. The laundry room is on-site on the first floor. It costs $1.40 per wash and dry ($2.80 total for one completed load). They recently upgraded to newer machines, which is great. But it's still a hassle, and the laundry room is usually a little grubby from other people tracking dirt in or always using too much detergent and spilling it everywhere. Instead of being coin-operated, they rely on a card you put money on by using a machine. The machine only takes $5 bills and up. I found this to be quite a hassle and would have preferred coin-operated. Also, someone recently broke into the laundry room and ripped the machine off the wall and stole it. The new machine is now in the manager's office; another added hassle to doing your laundry here. It also gives you an indication of the safety level in this area of town. The worst part of living here, for me, is the noise. I have gotten a serious case of noise anxiety from living here. First off, the floors are extremely, extremely creaky. Most of the areas in my apartment make a very loud sound whenever I step on them (and I am a fairly small person). The worst part of this is that you can hear it very clearly from the unit above you. If they have kids, you are in for a very stressful time. Not only do I hear the loud creaking whenever people walk around, but my entire unit shakes from their steps. They don't even have to be running around and I can feel my whole apartment shaking. I can constantly hear people either talking/yelling or walking around from all the units surrounding me...there is very little peace and quiet. It is VERY very annoying. The floors/ceiling are quite thin. The walls on either side of me are better insulated, but depending on how courteous/loud your neighbors are, you can hear them too. I have complained many, many times about the noise generated by the people around me. I am not particularly intolerant, but it grates on my nerves when people are being excessively loud and act like they can make as much noise as they want as if they're off in the middle of nowhere on their own property. Most neighbors I have had are quite rude and loud, so expect to bang on a lot of walls unless you like to hear other people live their lives. I sleep with earplugs in because there is NO way I would sleep otherwise. Even then, I can still hear the people talking and walking around (yes, it is that loud). I could easily hear the people above and below me whenever they decided to be "intimate." The bathroom has the worst insulation of all. I can hear word for word what the people around me are saying when I am in there. The noise itself is bad enough, but the dealbreaker for me is the unsafe area of town added on top of that. Lake City is NOT a nice area. It is quite dirty and littered, and it draws people who are, in general, very rude/shady. I always see bits of trash on the apartment grounds (sometimes right outside my door) from people being too lazy and careless to just throw it away in the huge garbage can closeby. The outdoor area surrounding my apartment has an unpleasant smell to it...whether it comes from the other units, the building itself, or just the combination of the garbage mixing in with the environment smells, I honestly don't know. This apartment building is right next to a busy intersection in a gang-infested area of town. I have heard gunshots on a number of occasions. Loud cars with the subwoofers turned up go by all the time. Sirens are common, too. I see the police patrolling this area quite a bit because it is known for the elevated crime and prostitution. There are no sidewalks, so if you want to walk around, do so at your own risk. I have never felt safe here. I go out as little as possible around here because I value my safety. I get stared at by shady-looking men whenever I go anywhere outside, and I would never, ever want to be outside past dark without my big dog at my side and the pepperspray in my jacket pocket. I think it's ridiculous not to feel safe in and around your own home. I highly, highly recommend living somewhere else. The Greenwood area of Seattle has a lot of unlisted, smaller apartment buildings that might not be as big or as nice, but it is definitely worth it if your safety is at all a priority to you. I've lived at this apartment for two years, and wish I had found a way to move out after the first year. On a good note, my monthly rent did not go up when I renewed it, but this is most likely because many of the other units are opening up as other people are moving out, probably for the same reasons I am. Also, if you were to live in a top floor unit in a different building from the one I'm in, your experience here might be better; however, the area of town will still be the same, and that alone is reason enough to avoid this place. You CAN find affordable places in safer areas.

    Review 24 out of 33

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    3030 Lake City

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