Before I wrote this review, I debated looong and hard whether to give the Edgewater 2 or 3 stars. Like a previous reviewer, I was always taken with the property when I saw it driving over the 520 bridge. It semed so quaint and charming, how could anyone not be taken with it? After living here for over a year and a half this is what I have to say about living on the edge of good ol' Mad Park.
The Good: In the summertime, the Edgewater is a fantastic place to live. I have a kayak, which I keep on the property and can launch right into the water and have access to the best urban paddling spots: Portage Bay, the Arboretum, Lake Washington and even Lake Union, for those kayakers with enough stamina like myself. This is an absolutely fabulous perk for those paddling aficionados like myself.
But for the out-of-shape, couch-potato types, fear not: there are several fabulous waterfront decks on which to grill and eat to your hearts' delight. Nothing like a hearty meal overlooking the 520 bridge to cap off a sunny evening.
The pool is very pleasant on 75 degree plus days, which are admittedly few in Seattle, but the view of the water and the plethora of lounge chairs makes those few days absolutely heavenly. Unfortunately however, the pool is deluged with school-aged children and their absent-minded parents, so intent on chatting on their iPhones and working on their tans that they neglect to rein in their out-of-control children who splash and bother anyone attempting to enjoy a calm peaceful pool outing.
The Bad: Prices at the Edgewater are high. The absolute lowest price for a 700-square-foot apartment is about $900 a month. And that will only get you a far-from-the-water, noisy one-bedroom that is likely to be right over the communal laundry room. So if you enjoy hearing strangers start and stop their laundry all day and night the Edgewater is for you.
Also, since the apartments were built in the 1930s there are no washer or dryers in-unit. And there are no dishwashers either. So for the faint of heart these aparments are not for you.
Another fun factor is that since there is a dire parking spot shortage, if you arrive home after 6 or 7 pm most nights, you most likely have to park outside the complex. Imagine how fun that is when carrying in loads of groceries or when moving. And if you work nights like I do, enjoy parking 1-3 blocks away when you get home for the night.
The Ugly: I fear this will be the longest section of my review. Where shall I start?
The number-one reason I will soon move out of the Edgewater: the absolutely horrendous soundproofing between units. I'm in no way exaggerating how thin the walls are and how loud your neighbors will sound. To those requiring peace and quiet to maintain their sanity: Don't even bother reading the rest of my review, just forget about living at the Edgewater entirely. I'm serious, click away from this review this instant.
The walls between units are so thin, you can hear a cell phone on vibrate next door. If your neighbor tells a funny joke you will be able to laugh along with it. If someone sneezes you can say "Gesundheit!" and they will say "Danke!" Your upstairs neighbor's footsteps will sound like a wildebeest stampede if they weigh any more than 100 pounds. And if you have 250-pound-men as your next-door neighbors like I do, expect to constantly feel like an earthquake is underway, even if all they are doing is walking from the couch to the fridge and back for a beer to finish watching their Monday Night Football game with.
I wish I were joking when I say I was once awoken by my bed shaking so badly i thought Freddy Krueger was inside it and about to murder me, but it was only said neighbors and their friends drunkenly stumbling about in the hallway outside my door.
Oh! And if your unit is located anywhere near a family with a newborn baby, you're in for a real treat. You will soon become acquainted with the screeching infant's nighttime feeding schedule, along with it's parents' endless bickering about money, chores and gripes about their sex life.
And speaking of sex, if your upstairs/downstairs neighbors have it, you will know. You will know their frequency, duration, freaky sex names for each other, fetishes, maybe you will even be able to deduce their favorite rooms/positions to do it in. None of which are bad things but, if you are the shrinking-violet/Christian type, I'd beware. read more