I have lived here going on 2 years. I was happy to move in - management made it easy and I liked the location and floor plans. I also think Richard is fantastic - I put in requests and he gets to them within a week or so. I am debating moving out because they use Conservice, which most large complexes do. I have never had an issue with them before. I am home a very small amount of time - I moved from an 800 square foot unit where I lived with another person. We ran the dishwasher, laundry etc. every week like usual. Paid no more than $120 a month (on the high end!) and one of us worked from home. SCL averaged $100 every other month. Since moving in to this unit with just myself, 300 square feet less, and I do not work from home, my bill has ballooned to anywhere between $170-$220 a month. My SCL is the same or lower price. So I know my habits have not changed. If anything, my bills should be lower because there is no mathematical way they can be this high now. I'm being told it's because I use too much water?? I am home even less than usual, so even if I am using more water, my bills should still be the same as it always is. If not lower! I'm disappointed because they say their hands are tied. I appreciate low to no renewals for rent, but because of how my bill fluctuates so wildly I basically pay $100+ more a month to live here than I did at a larger unit. I would think twice about moving in, which is a total shame because my neighbors are lovely and I do like the location. But it's not worth this headache and dismissal because I feel like I'm being taken advantage of as a tenant which is the worst feeling. read more

Loved how convenient this apartment is everything. Literally a 3 min walk to Safeway and 8 min drive to Alki Beach. If anyone can find out, what is their sea beach smelling spray for their lounge? It is also close to the park and 2 other grocery and two gas stations. 5 min walk to 24 hr fitness and crossfit. The place is also nearby bus stops and restaurants. Their maintenance guy Diego was also very friendly and helpful. What more can you ask for? read more

I just wanted to update my review as it has now been almost two years since my last review. Still one of my favorite places I have ever lived. Ever. The community is one that is so warm and welcoming, and the location is just.. perfect. The other thing I want to add is the staff here. There have been some changes to the staff here at Element 42 - and they are all WONDERFUL. Anna in the office is SO nice and friendly, and welcoming to residents (and myself) here in the building, and truly does everything she can to make sure your apartment is comfortable and maintained. She truly develops a relationship with you and your family, (and that includes the four legged members, as well!) She is just.. the best. The other person who works here is Diego, and he does building maintenance. He. Is. AMAZING. (as well!) Whenever I need help in my apartment, here is always so responsive and makes sure to get everything taken care of so fast- and with a smile, no less. I love this community and apartment, and I feel so lucky to be here :) read more

Element 42 feels like home and the only person I can thank for that is Stephen in the leasing office. Moving cross-country from NYC was intimidating to say the least. I flew out to Seattle with one day to see about 6 apartments. The leasing agent can 100% be a make or break factor for me, and it was in a lot of other apartment complexes I looked at. From the moment I walked into Element 42 I felt at ease. Also currently working in the service industry I immediately felt a connection to Stephen- his warm engaging personality and his patience in answering my many questions. I didn't feel rushed through and I wasn't just handed a piece of paper with no explanation of rates or fees like I had been at other places. He made sure every question was answered. At the end of my tour I knew in my heart this was my future home. As my move-in date was fast approaching, I started to get worried as I hadn't received an electronic lease or any sort of official document. Still living in NYC and unable to pop in in person I made a call about 2 weeks before my move-in date. A woman on the phone assured me in a day or two I would be receiving my documents. As a week passed by I started to get anxious as I still hadn't heard anything and everything for my move was booked. I called again and this time Stephen was there to make it all right; he almost immediately sent over the lease papers. I couldn't be happier with my decision to move here- you can't beat the location, amenities, especially the rooftop, are impeccable, and the units are so sound proof it's amazing! If you're looking to move to West Seattle I highly recommend Element 42 and of course I wouldn't sign with anyone but Stephen!! read more

Amazing location! So much to do and enjoy within walking distance. Super easy to commute in and out of West Seattle. The on-site manager Bill is the absolute heart of this place. He is so kind, genuine and caring. I always get a response to any question or concern in a timely and professional manner. Diego, our maintenance hero is the sweetest!! He truly takes care of our building as if it is his own home. It's a small building and pretty quiet for being in the heart of Admiral. The units are stylish and modern, my ONLY complaint would be the closets are microscopic. Overall Element 42 is a great place to live! read more

I visited Element 42 earlier this week for a self-guided tour. I met Ella the Assistant Manager and Diego the Maintenance Supervisor. Both were warm, welcoming and excited I was there to see their community. The grounds were well-kept and the property was clean. Ella was extremely knowledgeable about the community and neighborhood. She was able to answer my questions and made me feel like the community offered everything I am looking for. She expressed her love for the neighborhood and what it has to offer its residents. She was ready for my visit when I arrived and was wearing a mask. Thank you. The one bedroom apartment I toured was great. I absolutely loved the floor to ceiling windows and sliding patio like door in the living room offering plenty of fresh air into the home. Having lived in several apartments in my days the ability to have a window that opens like this is essential to me. It had wood like flooring, freshly painted walls which made it feel new and nice appliances with the microwave above the stove. The LED kitchen light really brightens the food prep area and sink. There was a lot of closet space and the bathroom was fairly large. The community is pet friendly and located across the street from a park where I can take my dog for a stroll. Safeway, Starbucks and much more are all located just steps away from the apartment. The gym was open, clean and smelled fresh. It seems to have everything I would ever need. Having toured nearly a dozen communities in West Seattle, Element 42 is definitely on my shortlist. They checked all my boxes for location, floor plan style, curb appeal, and responsiveness. By far one of my better tours this week. Thank you for making me feel at home while visiting and for the follow up after the tour. read more

I love my apartment at Element 42 BUT! the best thing about Element 42 is Stephen in the leasing office. OMG! He is so friendly, helpful, competent, etc. He's simply the BEST!! The neighborhood is great. Close to shopping, the park etc. Quiet at night. Very happy that I made the move here. read more

My partner and I had a similar experience to the other negative reviewer. I like how this page doesn't actually say that they are managed by Riverstone Residential group. I agree that April was awesome, and all the employee reviews I've seen have been great--as far as how they are treated. But the people that are getting the "short end of the stick" are the residents. The best part about living here was that the building was brand new, and that west Seattle is a really excellent location. Safeway was right out the backdoor, and night life was right down the street. I enjoyed Seattle. However, I really wish I had read other reviews on Riverstone Residential, as the sheer volume of negative experiences would have shied me away, despite the move-in specials! Michael is right, their rating with the BBB is so low that I couldn't even file an additional complaint. There are multiple "Riverstone Residential Group" listings on the BBB, maybe to try and hide the fact that they have horrible ratings? See for yourself: Here is an "F" with 7 complaints: http://bit.ly/VnFAAW The SEATTLE listing with a whopping 108 complaints thus far! That's scary. http://bit.ly/YGLzwl Here's one that is relatively new, but already, 8 complaints: http://bit.ly/ZOM8qR Not to mention, check out the yelp page on Riverstone Res. out of Lynwood: http://www.yelp.com/biz/riverstone-residential-group-lynnwood Here's another view into their customer service: http://bit.ly/Y6dvK7 It sounds like some people are happy here, though, and I'm glad for that. But personally, I learned a lot about thoroughly reviewing those that I would rent from. I suggest you do the same. On top of all that, after we finally paid exorbant amounts of money, then we got an email saying "someone broke into our office and stole your and six other residents personal information." I have to say, I'm scared what will come next, as well as how someone was able to break into a building which is locked electronically and supposedly secure. Now I have a credit watch on my personal information because I have no idea who has it or what they will do with it. Oh well, its not Riverstone's problem, right? And to the other reviewer: I would love to see what you have to say once you've actually tried to move out, as the overwhelming majority of complaints against this company come from complications with moving out. Renewing your lease is probably your best option. Good luck to you in the future. read more

My experience with Element 42 was having mine and my partner's identity stolen from their office. I can only assume this was an inside job, as no police report was filed. I simply got a letter in the mail saying I should watch my credit. The thieves were able to get an ID with my partner's name, get into my bank account and drain my line of credit, and Element 42 just washed their hands of it. This place is terrible. I would do my research before renting from here and seriously consider what others' experiences have been. Sure, there are many happy tenants, but we'll see when they try to move out, they'll get the classic "Riverstone Bait-and-switch," lose their deposit, and be charged ridiculous fees. I have never seen so many complaints about a real estate group before. There's even entire websites about it. You've been warned! read more

Obviously the person who wrote the review below this has some kind of chip on his soldier...my husband and I have lived in Element 42 for about 9 months now and we absolutely love it here. The location cannot be beat; the bus stop's practically at the front door, walking distance to numerous bars and restaurants, and 3 grocery stores within one block (heck, we're attached to Safeway). Top top it off we have two dogs and there is a nice big park right behind the building. As far as customer service, I definitely feel like I matter. April is in the office every day it's open and she is wonderful. If you have a problem, she will always listen and make sure that it's taken care of as fast as possible. She genuinely wants everyone to be happy here, and she does a great job. If you're not a dog person, this might not be the place for you. There are a lot of dogs in this building, but as a dog owner myself that's one of the reasons I love it here! It's not easy to find a nice apartment that will allow large dogs without an insane deposit. This is just my experience, but it has been nothing but positive. I am certainly planning on signing on for another year when my lease is up. P.S. I pay my rent online, and I don't have to pay any convenience fee...that only applies if you try to pay with a credit card (since they are charged their own fees for running through the network). Pay with an electronic check and it's free! read more

My experience with this place has been a complete nightmare. I applied for an apartment here back in November 2017 and it took them over 4 months to simply go through the application process (as I was without a home all the while and handed false hope that my approval would be just around the corner.) I finally had to move elsewhere since they just kept prolonging the process. The place that I moved to after giving up on Element42 accomplished the very same application process in just 2 days for comparison sake. The Element42 management said that my deposit would be returned to me, yet it's now August 2018 and I still haven't received it! I have been constantly emailing them since I decided to move elsewhere in order to get my deposit back, there have been over 70+ emails and still my deposit hasn't been returned. I've even stopped by their office a number of times and made several phone calls to try and resolve this issue, but all to no avail. The management are completely full of excuses, incredibly difficult to contact, and seem to work on some sort of cosmic timescale! They flat out stole from me. I was somehow charged two application fees when I applied, yet they can't seem to return the "mistaken" charge. And, to add insult to injury, they recently told me that they don't even have record of me paying my $400 deposit, which was supposed to be returned to me months ago! I've shown them all the proof that they need, from my bank statement, copies of the checks, and still nothing. I have never experienced such unprofessionalism. This place is a total scam! They stole hundreds of dollars from me and I gained absolutely nothing in return, aside from headache, hassle, and countless wasted time and effort in trying to have my money returned. I absolutely would not trust Element42/Greystar's management with anything, much less choose to live in their premises after the experience I've had in dealing with them. Just terrible. Save yourself from the torment of being scammed then and ignored by seeking housing elsewhere. *Update as of 9/5/18 I decided to change my review from 1 to 2 stars because my money was finally returned. And all that it took was a formal letter threatening to take them to small claims court with all of the info and proof of documents supporting my claim attached, and then for that to go through their higher ups, and for their accounting department to send me a check in the mail. So if you or anyone else are being ignored, or struggling to get the ball rolling with their management, this is the technique that I would suggest. read more

I lived here for 4 years. The convience of having Safeway downstairs, restaurants less than a block away and the bus stop to get to work Downtown was great. I had a small studio. Loved the hard wood floors and having a washer in dryer in the unit. The bathroom was surprisingly pretty big. The community room was very nice and the deck up top has an awesome view. Bennie was the manager at the time and he was so nice. Made the move out process so smooth for me before I moved out of state. Thank you! read more

I recently moved into Element 42 and am completely happy with my choice to move here. Moving across the country can be extremely stressful but Stephen in the leasing office has been the greatest help. He was working the day I came to look at multiple apartments in the area, and I very fortune to have meet him. He did not just sell me on the apartment but the entire neighborhood. Other buildings I was looking at just quickly showed me the apartment but did not sell the area like Stephen did. Every time I called with questions before I moved in, I knew if Stephen answered I would get all my questions answered and my mind put at ease. I believe one day I called four times (yikes) with questions and he always took the time to answer and never seemed annoyed when I kept calling. He is by far the most professional and helpful person I have ever worked with when leasing an apartment! I moved in on a weekend and it was extremely easy. I meet Diego, who does maintenance at the building, when I picked up my keys. He is extremely friendly and gave me his number if I had any issues with my apartment. Of course moving in there are always going to be a few minor maintenance issues and Diego had all of them fixed within thirty minutes of calling. He has even help get larger packages that were hard for me to carry to my apartment. I have only met him twice and every time is see him in passing he always says hi and asks how I am doing. Overall the building is well kept and clean and am so happy I chose to live here! read more

Fantastic location...2 grocers, 2 coffee shops, loads of restaurants within 1 minute walk. Quick commute to downtown, even during rush hours. The facility is incredibly clean, even the trash room is well kept. There is a lovely gym, rooftop area, and parking spots are well sized! And management and maintenance are friendly and keep an inviting living area. I love living here. read more

I lived in Element 42 for 5 years. The location is great -- near grocery stores, bus stops and the best Crossfit gym. One of the best things about Element 42 though is Diego, the maintenance worker. He is exceptional. He always greets you with a smile and hello, while offering to help in any way he can, whether is carrying something for you or just checking to make sure everything is going well. There have been several property managers so I'm never sure who to contact, but Diego has been a constant. The property is so well cared for, it still feels new. I only left this apartment complex because I moved out of state but already miss it. read more

Amazing community with walking convenience to almost anything ! Friendly staff (Bill is the best!) and neighbors I can't find anything to complain about. It was definitely worth the wait to get an apt here. I love my new home! read more

I cannot stress enough how much I have loved living at Element 42. The location is amazing - walking distance to EVERYTHING (you're attached to a grocery store, and walking distance to six more!). Beautiful, spacious apartment. Excellent views of downtown Seattle and the mountains from our roof. Walking distance to Alki Beach. And most importantly, an excellent staff. They are excellent, friendly, and always responsive. They took care of everyone (and still do) during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the beginning, they came up with virtual movie nights, games to play, and even dropped off little gift baskets to everyone, and provided a common area for resident food donations. They are always quick to assist, and Diego (the man who never sleeps, it seems) is always there to assist with any amenities issues that you may have, as well as just keeping the overall place spotless and running up to speed. I highly recommend Element 42 for its location, cleanliness, and awesome staff. I'm only leaving because I am moving across the country. Otherwise, I'd stay forever! :) read more

A great location, but would only recommend living on the top floor. I lived on the 2nd floor w/ one above and could hear my upstairs neighbors constantly. The flooring is super loud- wood floors above without proper installation. I could tell you where the people above were standing, or what they were doing at any given time. 3 sets of people moved in and out while I was there- so it wasn't just one particular person. I asked the managers to help with the noise complaints multiple times, and they were helpful, but you can't tell people not to walk around! One couple even moved in a drum set and played often, which was a nightmare! The apt mgt was able to help with that issue. Rent is pricey, but so is everywhere now. Ended up leaving as I worked nights and could never sleep adequately during the day due to noise. Get an upper floor only. Living attached to a grocery store was great. read more

Editing to add a couple things as of August 2014. Still love the building, and the new leasing manager, Terra is just a good as April - super friendly and really trying to do resident events. My main thing now is just a notice on choosing an apartment. We moved units in the middle of our lease, from a studio to a one bedroom. Previously we faced 42nd and it was SUPER quiet. Road traffic from time to time, but it never woke me up or bothered me having the windows open. Now we live at the end, overlooking the Safeway parking lot and two floors above the docking bay. And it is LOUD. Car alarms go off at least once every few hours (Seriously people... how do you forget that you turned it on?), employees rounding up carts, bros on the weekends thinking it's really awesome to rev engines in the lot (fyi - it's not), and also all the delivery vehicles/semis going into the bays. Last but not least is the garbage truck for the docking bay between 5-6am every Friday. Who doesn't love being woken up by incredibly loud banging for 10 minutes once a week? No? You don't? Neither do I. This is obviously not the fault of the staff here, and I knew moving to this side would produce more noise, but holy crap. Just a fair warning to potential renters when they have one of these units on the end available (and I would also imagine the backside that faces the upper parking lot and the lot ramp). Try and get a unit that faces 42nd if you want quiet! I've lived here for 6 months now, and have nothing but positive things to say. I moved here from a really large building just about a mile south of this one, and it's far and away better. I prefer smaller buildings, and this one fit the bill for me. They only have studios and one bedroom units, which means virtually no children (which is a plus for me!). There are LOTS of dogs here though - which my dog certainly does not mind. I've never heard my neighbors, and I'm right under the rooftop patio so I don't ever hear anything above me. They have two parking options - in the garage underneath the building (which seems really compact), or upstairs in the gated portion of the Safeway lot, which is where I park. I wouldn't really call it secure, as there's a door that's always open at the end of the garage to go to Safeway, but there's never been an issue. The rooftop and lounge are very nice, and the gym is actually quite nice. I saw a review earlier complaining about how if one person complains the entire building gets a memo, and apparently that's annoying? Uh.. well, I'd rather get a memo and know that they're actually listening to the tenants than have it be ignored. And there are only positive things I can say about April. She's always in the office, and anytime I have a question, it's usually answered within the hour. As I said, I'm only 6 months into my 12 month lease, and my living arrangement is changing to where I need a one bedroom rather than the tiny unit I have now. I figured I'd be stuck with no options, but I'm able to transfer to a bigger unit without a problem. She was able to get it all figured out for me in less than a day. And she doesn't mind my dogs constant air licking when we walk by the office to go outside. Location is AWESOME - above a Safeway (eh.. it works in a pinch), across the street from Met Market (even more helpful that they're 24 hours) and half a block away from PCC, and a really good coffee shop - Freshy's - for those that don't want Starbucks. Hiawatha park is next door, and is a great place to walk your dog or let them run around off leash at night when it's empty. So overall.. um.. I really can't think of anything I don't like about this place. Ok, I guess if I HAVE to complain about something, it'd be the door to the dryer automatically shutting as fast as possible. That's annoying... Otherwise.. I have nothing bad to say. read more

I have lived in Element 42 for a year and to be honest I really loved living there. Let's start with the location. Super convenient! Safeway and Metropolitan Market are around the corner, so grocery couldn't have been more easier. I loved having it so close! Parking... you have two options. You can either pay $100 for a garage parking ( which is rather small and tight) and there is gated outdoors parking for $50. Also, if you chose not to have paid ans secured parking, you can park outside and there's always free spots ( it's metered during the day, but just off the 42nd street there is a free street parking so great!). The building is new, only few years and still in excellent condition. It is always clean and well maintained. The only negative thing could be the fact that there are plenty of dogs and sometimes I noticed unpleasant urine smell just outside of the entrance of the building. Other than that, no issues. Rooftop is great. It has plenty of space to entertain and is clean and nice looking. There is a nice view of the mountains to the West and of course the city center. I had rented out the space for a private party and it worked great. I cannot remember how much I paid though, maybe $50? You can pay your rent by credit card which there is a fee on the transaction. You can pay by check or online and there is no fees there. Not a biggie! I had a one bedroom apartment and it was great. For a year, I did not have a single repair done. The apartments are well maintained and look new. Kitchen could have been a little bigger, but then again for 1 person is more than enough. Kitchen and bathroom were new, washer and dryer was much better than in other apartments I saw. Hardwood floor was very good as well, making the apartment look really great. The only thing I would have wished more was closet space. It's rather limited but I did manage with everything. Big windows, always sunlight coming thru which I enjoyed. The gym was rather small and limited equipment but I think it was enough for basic apartment gym. All new equipment and again, super clean. My apartment was located on the Safeway side, I agree it was a bit loud during rush hour 5PM-7PM but at night it was quiet and I was never woken up at night by cars and I am a very light sleeper. The one negative was trash. It is located in the garage and rather inconvenient, but to be honest, not that bad. Management was amazing. They are always willing to help. During my year there, I did not have any issues. After my lease ended, they suggested me I can go month to month with no price increase which was absolutely amazing because I was moving to another state and was not sure when exactly I was moving. there were no hidden fees. Upon the move out, apartment inspection went very smooth and they did not even charge me for making holes in the wall for art. I did not even have to patch it myself. If I could, I would totally move back to Element 42 since I am back in WA. Now I work on the east-side so it would be too long of a commute for me but really, great place to live!! Had the best time!! read more

I've lived here for 14 months. I moved in during the summer of 2012 when they first opened so I was the first tenant in my unit. Pros: Great place. I cannot imagine a better location in West Seattle. Everything you could need on a weekly basis is within a 5 block radius. April is fantastic. I had lots of package deliveries for work and she never got upset with me and was always super helpful. The design and quality of construction in the unit was top notch. Overall it really is a nice place to live. Cons: It's fairly pricey. There are a few young professionals who still occasionally think they're still in their frat party college days so fairly regular memos are issued regarding late night lounge access and smoking. Overall this is pretty minor. My biggest complaint is that the building turned into a kennel with all of the dogs. I'm actually a dog person and really like dogs (just not an owner), but we're not talking about small dogs. Many tenants had really big dogs and many had more than one even in the small little apartments. Just don't be surprised when pet hair is all over the stairs and hallways and prepare for the smell of wet dog in the elevators every time it rains. The management team do a really great job of trying to keep it in check with regular cleaning but there's only so much they can do. Again, I actually like dogs but nobody told me upfront the building would turn dog owner central when I moved in so that was a bit unpleasant considering the $2.75/sq ft not including garage parking. All in all, people are fairly friendly, the property management team is excellent, it's a nice building. If you are fortunate enough to actually work er... rather... make money in West Seattle without having to ever cross that bridge and you own a dog, Element 42 is golden. read more

Still great - I thought I would also note, I have been on both sides of the building also. I am on the 4th floor facing safeway and where my apartment is located, I do not get noise from the parking lot, I can see it, but mainly I can see the mountains and the water... what I do see of the parking lot is masked by plants, and if I want I can stand and people watch. Having the store there (open 24 hours) also makes for great food convenience. read more

I lived in this community for 2 years and as a military member who has lived in multiple apartment communities, I have to say this is one of the best. Sure there's some higher prices in Seattle (especially West Seattle), but with people like Bill and Diego there, it's all the more worth it. Bill works in the leasing office and goes above and beyond to be present, attentive, friendly, and supportive. Diego is the all-around-handle-everything guy and he truly does. He is responsive, super friendly, effective, and will do anything for his tenants. Not to mention the whole place is always perfectly clean and well-kept. I wish I could take these two (and the great location of this complex) with me to my next location. read more

I liked living in Element42, it's the moving out experience that left me with a sour taste in my mouth. BE WARNED. I was told to leave my keys on the counter on the move out day, along with a check for utilities. No walk thru or anything. And then we get an invoice for $900 for painting, cleaning and replacing the (tiny amount) of carpet. (We lived there for 4 years. That's normal wear and tear.) They went unresponsive when we said we would not pay, as we had paid A LOT of pet rent along with the deposits, which they kept. Look up the rental company on BBB, they gauge, scam, nickle and dime, and win by threatening your credit/court. It's a hassle. read more

Please read their management company's (Grey Star) BBB reviews before conducting business with them. I wish that I had because it's the experience that I'm having now. read more