I would give it 2.5 stars. I lived here for 3.5 years and I have mixed feelings about it. When it comes to pros: beautiful location located by Ballard locks & Golden Gardens, management team was communicative & helpful (Alyssa was great from start of the move-in process and finish of the move-out process), maintenance team was great with any needed repairs, access to the pool during the summer, and before I left I noticed they were doing more community events for residents! I also appreciated that they would give a heads up on repairs or inspections well ahead of time so we were informed. I lived in the A building and the space itself was spacious and cozy for a studio apartment. My least favorite part was...like many people have mentioned, the walls are super thin and if you're sensitive to noise, it can be really difficult to sleep depending on what your neighbors are doing. Even if your upstairs neighbor was just walking, it would sound like they were lifting weights or dropping things. During my time here, there were multiple instances where people were yelling/arguing and you could hear everything which was not pleasant. I know this was out of management's control and they could only do so much. Along with that complaint, there were also many outages that would happen which is inconvenient if you work from home and they hiked up laundry prices quite a bit. read more

I love living here. The neighborhood, the Parks, the amenities the beach and the management. All make Lock Vista a great living experience.

Lock Vista is a charming and well maintained apartment building in the best spot in Ballard. The move in process was clear and straightforward- Alicia helped us out, was super friendly and knowledgeable, and made us feel at home immediately. read more

There's no insulation between the floors, so you hear every footsteps and every conversation in the apartment above and below you. Too many people are very inconsiderate, smoking cigarettes in the building. It travels into other apartments with ease . read more

UPDATE: I've now lived at Lock Vista for several years and I love it here. Great building, with a great location, an excellent maintenance team, and top-notch management. Seriously: The management team is superb. They take the business side seriously without losing their humanity. I have witnessed how they dealt with an emotionally troubled tenant in a manner that respected all tenants *including* the vulnerable tenant. They have had many tenants whose ability to pay rent was impacted by COVID-related employment and they worked with them in a compassionate and humane manner. I have already stayed here longer than anticipated because it is such a great place to live. If you are looking for a comfortable, well-run, and laidback home, check out Lock Vista. Join us. read more

Lived here for two years and every year they hike up the rent and don't add anything of value to this place. They don't care if you stay or leave clearly. Also, recently they've been doing construction all around our apartment for over a month that has been extremely loud and noisy. Their response to this totally disrupting our work lives is to work in their shared club room. As if we could move our whole office set up, moniters and all to the club room! Completely unacceptable. Not to mention the hallways often smell terrible and our laundry room always has something broken. What a terrible experience. read more

Lock Vista is great place to live. There are many pros maybe a few cons but without a doubt one of the best things is the maintenance team here. They are friendly, professionally and often go above and beyond in terms of helping out the residences. I have experienced this personally. Shout out to my boy Greg as one of the shining stars of their team. read more

Haunted Apartments I rented a 1 br apartment in the 2nd Floor of Bldg. C for a little over a year. The management was nice and courteous, and I didn't have any issues. I overlooked the pool, and sometimes the splashing got a bit loud, but nothing major. Before I moved into my apartment, they refinished the hardwood floors, which was nice. Unfortunately they chipped up under my office chair when I sat in it. But the most memorable part of my apartment was the existing little tenant I shared it with. I should start by saying I always liked/was a bit creeped out by the tiny children's bathrooms in the basement of the building, where a daycare/school obviously was at one point. Now it was home to everyone's work out equipment in the big main room down there. I'm not sure what happened in the storied past of this building, but regardless I would get visitations about once a week from a disembodied little girl's voice. She would announce her presence with a happy "Hi!" to my then-fiance when she was alone at my apartment. And when it came time for me to move out (to move into fiance's apt.) she asked in a sad voice "leaving?". There were a few other instances where she spoke to me, but those two stand out in my memory. read more

Okay I never do reviews but I do have to give it up for Lock Vista. They responded quickly to my maintenance request of the stove fan and they even replaced it with a new one!! 10/10. On top of that, there was a misunderstanding with a parking situation and I appreciate that they owned up to it and made it right. I've dealt with enough apartments to realize a difference on how Lock vista dealt with it. Very professional, apologetic, and genuinely concerned. Thank you!! read more

put in a request to have two screens replaced on Monday and Craig was at my apartment to install them on Tuesday afternoon.

I can't begin to say enough good things about living here. It's the first time I ever moved out of an apartment and was sad to leave. I lived in a studio in the A building for almost a year until recently relocated for my job. The apartment was cozy, safe, and still had the original wood floors. Loved the fact that even with all the old charm my building had a modern elevator and a great little fitness center. I previously lived across the street at cadence and can't even compare the two. If you're lucky enough to live in one of the remodeled apartments you get a taste of real Ballard while enjoying a modern home. One more thing....a great staff! read more

Lock Vista - Apartments Near Me - Seattle, Washington

When I share details about how management has treated me, most people don't think I'm serious. But it really is that bad. Management will not: - answer their phone - return my messages - let me into the office while it is open - respond to my emails My life was threatened almost daily for 7 months. Neighbors heard the death threats, and they heard him (my downstairs neighbor) pounding on my door trying to get in. But despite several residents expressing concern, management took no action at all. The same person slashed two of my tires. I have a video of him threatening to slash them again if I got my car fixed. I sent the video to management, and received no reply. Management doesn't care about your safety. They don't care about doing good work. They care about two things: the bottom line, and themselves. The way I have been treated is truly horrific. I share my experience with everyone I meet. I'm trying to move out, but since management will not speak with me, I guess they don't deserve the notice anyway. Seriously, RUN read more

I pulled the towel rack and toilet paper holder off the wall. Put in a request for them to be fixed and it was taken care of the next day. Appreciate it! read more

As usual Gregory and Anthony were very polite and informative to fix my light and window issues. Thanks

Have not yet made my decision to move, as my lease isn't up til April, but Julie was such a delight! I appreciate her attentiveness and friendliness. It really makes the difference when you're considering a new home. Good sized apartments and close to everything. Renovations looking pretty good. read more

Great location, good value with the renter incentives, 381sf studio seems bigger with the storage in the unit. Property management is responsive and professional. read more

I didnt move in but Alyssa was very helpful during the tour! The units are large with lots of natural light.

Here's the thing about Lock Vista: The only things "wrong" with Lock Vista are things they have no control over. We are in one of the best parts of Ballard, but Ballard is becoming a bit sketchy. The streets are mellow with flurries of batshit. The building and the grounds of Locks Vista are awesome, especially for the price. I tend to keep to myself, but the neighbors I have met have all been nice. BUT: There are sometimes brief flurries of batshit in the halls. Surprisingly little. But you have been warned. The folks running the place do a professional job and are remarkably batshit-resilient. read more

I hate this place. The people that live here are incredibly inconsiderate (neighbors dog urinates in the stairwell and there is blood from his dog all over the walls and stairwell. BLOOD! Ew!), the building updates are very cheap (linoleum in kitchen is so thin and cheap, it's ripped since I've moved in and the sink in the bathroom is so cheap and flimsy it shattered when a soap dispenser slipped into the basin, laundry machines are frequently left filthy (I've had thousands of $$$ worth of clothing and bedding destroyed by the washing machines that aren't maintained, building frequently has break-ins (we have been getting emails from management that request us to leave windows closed even while at home and mention not opening doors to strangers in the building, noises from inconsiderate neighbors are very easily heard (my upstairs neighbor stomps around from when they wake up to when they go to bed, I'm often waken by them stomping around at 10 pm and then awaken by their incredibly loud snores at 6 am). Bottom line. I hate this place and you couldn't pay me to move back in. read more

I've been at Lock Vista just shy of 3 years and it has been the best rental experience I've had since living in Seattle for 10 years. The main reason for this is the management. Jenette and Jessica are THE best. Whenever I pop into the office to fill up my laundry card or grab a package mailed to me I leave with a smile from talking with them. I've lived in both the studio and 1 bedroom versions. while it's great having a bedroom I do miss my walk in closet in the studio. Other Pros: Swimming pool in the summertime. Fast response and fix time for any maintenance issues. Apartments kept in good shape so cleaning is easier. Nothing worse than trying to clean floors and counters in kitchens and baths of apts that are really old where the dirt is permanently stuck on. Don't have this issue here. The only downside is the noise that can be omitted between floors + ceilings, but that's a common issue in apt living so it shouldn't really come as a surprise. Luckily noise does not travel between walls so much so you shouldn't hear the neighbors on either side of you. read more

It was my first apartment in Seattle and after spending alot of money moving across the country it was a nice enticing place with reasonable-ish rent and a small deposit. Oh, but once they got you forget about customer service. I actually did sign a lease for a second year and that is when everything went out the window. Staff, smile but not really helpful. Tons of barking dogs around and the owners usually don't pick up after them. Avoid the grass or poo on your shoe. The ads show rent for $750- whatever, but that is not what it will cost you to live here. Fees fees fees.... $35+ wsg fee (even though they say wsg is included in the rent) depending on your apt size. $50 parking fee, that is just stupid. Then when no one else wanted to pay it really started getting hard to find a spot on the street. $35 storage fee for a crappy wood box people can see in. Most recently an neighbor of my was harassed by a creepy tenant in the building next to ours (same complex). Even though its in the lease about behavior towards other tenants, the management did nothing for her. She had to get a restraining order and it took some scary frustration before anything helped. She has since left the complex. Three other people in my building left the same month. All good tenants and they lost us. They really need more and up to date washer and dryers. I work with Rental Management everyday and I will AVOID this management company every for the rest of my rental time. read more

We've been here a year and loving it! Definitely going to renew for a second year. It's by far the cheapest rent for the square footage available in Ballard, but also a good value. It's a good community with great neighbors (everyone says hello and smiles), it's well-kept in every category (really clean for how old it is, good landscaping, vacuumed and swept in and outside regularly) and doesn't feel sketchy or unsafe whatsoever. The management is amazing- always cheerful and helpful, and the maintenance team is GREAT and super responsive. We see them around the complex all the time and they're always friendly and quick to help where needed. It's an old building and so you can hear through the walls, but it's not nearly as bad as we expected for being so old. We rarely hear anything upstairs (except during football games w/ the old tenants, or guitar practice with the new ones), and have never heard anything on the side walls. We are always much more concerned with causing too much noise, than we are about hearing it from others. Of course it'd be nice to have the flexibility to play music late and be as loud as we'd like, but that's just not a reality in (older) apartment living. Parking is $65/month, which is great relative to other complexes, and the laundry room downstairs is really nice and big with plenty of machines. They have regular get-togethers like pool bbqs, happy hours, breakfast-to-go in the parking lot, which are all fun ways to build the community. The buildings are older and don't have the same luxury amenities as some of the newer Ballard spots-- but for the price, location, and other perks you really can't go wrong. read more

Recently we looked at an apartment here. This facility was built in the 1970s and they are in the midst of property-wide renovations. LIMITED ACCESSIBILITY: There ARE new elevators in the apartments. However, to get to the leasing office from the parking lot you must climb up 16 stairs in 2 flights with no ramp! All your package deliveries would be left inside this leasing office, up 8 stairs. There is only one entrance each per building that is flat and has no steps, making it accessible. So I'm told. NO HIGH SPEED INTERNET: The best you can do is Comcast. WAVEG is the high speed alternative in the region, but it does not service this complex. For an 8 month lease on an un-renovated apartment with no dishwasher, no washer-dryer (and with no exercise room anywhere on the property) they wanted the same price as a lower priced unit in a new apartment building nearby that has everything. The inside of the door to the unit was old wood, pretty well trashed. At the end of the 8 months, they wanted the tenants to move to another unit so they could begin work on the original apartment. Then, after a 6 week renovation of the first apartment, their idea was you could either move back, or you could have moved to an already renovated unit (clever you). They didn't specify how much the newly renovated unit would cost. The prices for incidentals seemed to be good. Parking in an uncovered parking lot was $100/mo. Pet fees were reasonable. Washing machine costs can be handled by card, so you don't have to have change (charges for washer and dryer were not mentioned). We weren't actually shown the laundry room, which was in the basement. They are installing two party rooms and an exercise room in the basement of one of the 3 buildings. They have an older outdoor pool (brrrr!) which is maintained in the summer. They are in an absolutely terrific walking and biking location, with bus service (and the federally-maintained tourist attraction, the Ballard Locks) across the street. The beautiful Shilshole Bay Marina and Golden Gardens Park are to the west about a mile, reached from the bike/walking trail across the street. There is a good grocery store (QFC) about 2 blocks away and the library is 3 blocks away. The Ballard neighborhood's main drag (Market Street) is 2 blocks away. Lock Vista is renovating all their studio apartments, so none are presently for rent. These were formerly some of the lowest priced apartment units you could find in Ballard. It will be interesting to see whether or not their prices go up significantly at the end of their renovations. This property has had several managers in the last couple of years. It is supposed to be owned by one man. The current management company, Greystar, has one star on Yelp and many complaints. With all the renovations, it's a guess that the owner is currently spending less on management than before. Many people have lived here in the past for its low prices and great location. However, with renovations and fluid pricing structure, people may not want to put up with the almost 50-year old building (built for military families) when there are so many new apartment buildings nearby. I would say that for new tenants, the prices are becoming middle of the spectrum, with fewer facilities than newer buildings. read more

My experience living at Lock Vista has been awesome. The office staff have been so helpful and friendly and maintenance requests are taken care of promptly and professionally. People are kind and friendly and the community is very pet friendly which makes for a puppy party daily. read more

First, the pros: these apartments are in a stellar location with walkable entertainment, food, cafes, and great public transportation. Living in Ballard is a wonderful experience (for the shrinking number of folks who can still afford it) and these apartments are on the lower end of rent in the area. The staff are friendly and responsive and visiting the leasing office was always an extremely pleasant experience for me. The units are spacious; my one bedroom had 600 square feet with a full bath. And the neighbors are a great mix of long-time residents and more recent transplants. The age of the complex is both a blessing and a curse, and part of the reason I can't give a higher rating at present. The apartments have many vintage features including metal cabinets in the kitchens and original mirrors in the bathrooms. Unfortunately, while they're charming to look at, living in an older unit can be difficult (and unexpectedly so- I thought I could easily do a year in a small kitchen sans dishwasher, but it was more challenging than I thought!). There were many issues with the water- in my kitchen, due to old pipes, water always contained specks from the rusty pipes (even after a visit or two from maintenance). There were multiple occasions when my building's hot water was shut off for a few hours to a day. What really proved challenging was when the management decided to replace my building's antiquated elevator. The repair began in the last six weeks of my lease and was scheduled to run about two months. This made carrying laundry (which is in the basement), taking out trash, and bringing groceries up to my place an extra difficulty. Worse, when it came time to move out, there was just no way I could do it without an elevator unless I hired help. I was able to find professional movers easily but it cost several hundred dollars. I appealed to the management to ask for any financial support for the moving costs but they denied assistance. To their credit, during one month of the repair they did give everyone on my floor $100 back towards our rent. It just wasn't anywhere close to the cost incurred trying to move without a working elevator. This was a significant and unexpected financial burden for me as a low-income renter (I was leaving because I couldn't afford to be here any longer in the first place). So, I am happy that Lock Vista is working to update their facilities. I know future projects include replacing the pipes (which should help the water quality), but for residents, these major repairs can be disruptive. Unless you're okay roughing it with some unpredictable amenities in the buildings, I can't strongly recommend these apartments. That said, if you're really set on living in an apartment in Ballard, this is probably the most affordable. read more

As another reviewer wrote, Lock Vista was, at one time, a lovely place to live with a friendly community environment. Apparently Greystar, in its ongoing endeavor to make as much money as humanly possible, couldn't pay their excellent staff enough money to stay on, and so, as the other reviewer wrote, the place has gone downhill, The incoming staff is trying, but they have been asked to oversee the impossible. The annual SUBSTANTIAL rent increases, new unfamiliar faces, seemingly constant construction and repairs, water outages, power outages, dog droppings, and noise, have made this place not worth the money. The "storage lockers" in the super creepy basement are flimsy and have been broken into several times since I've been here. The hallways look worse than elementary school halls built in 1936. As far as being close to the Locks...that's great, if you don't mind stepping over the needles in the parking lot there. And I'm not sure about where the "private green spaces" are, unless the website is referring to paths open to the public to walk through to get to the Locks. Shimmering pool? Great, if you don't mind intruding on apparent private parties being held there. If you want to rent now, be sure to check on when you'll be thrown out of your apartment with all of the rest of the tenants in order to accommodate Greystar's attempt to upgrade this place to "market value", and rest assured, should you choose to return, you'll be looking at a LARGE rent increase along with another income and credit investigation. read more

I love living at Lock Vista. The management staff could not be friendlier and really do care about my happiness. I have never had a maintenance request go unresolved for more than 24 hours. Other reviews speak about thin walls and dog poop. Yes this is a dog-friendly complex, and yes there are neighbors who do not pick up after their dogs. I know the management is doing the best they can to resolve the issue and who can ask for more then that. In regards to noise, I have found that a simple conversation with neighbors makes for a great solution to this problem. It's not a brand new building, but you can get a one bedroom in Ballard for less then some of those brand new buildings are asking for a studio. If you want to live in a complex that feels like a community with all of its quirks and imperfections then this is the place for you. IF you want a pristine overpriced tiny studio where no one talks to their neighbors then this may not be a good fit. read more

Lock Vista is a quaint 50's building with large apartments in Old Ballard across from Ballard Locks with Golden Gardens and Discovery Park nearby. It's a great location with a pool. The botanical gardens right across the street are beautiful with lots of quiet nooks. Many of my summer meals were picnics there. Several bus routes pass right by and always have a seat. That's not the case a couple of blocks later. The staff, Jessica, Jenette, Joshua, Quintin, Gary, Malcolm and Phenian are great! They are why I felt I had to do a review. Several times a year they would do a BBQ, parking lot breakfast or drinks at a local pub. They are responsive and considerate and work hard to make Lock Vista a welcoming home. I frequently saw them go out of their way to assist residents. The neighbors are great too, it was not unusual for residents to deliver homemade pies or ice cream to the staff. It is pet friendly and the sound proofing is not great, if the occasional barking dog, violin or passing train is going to bother you, it's not the place for you. If you like the sounds of a village, it's a plus. I just left after 4 years and will miss it. read more

Our daughter moved cross country for a new job and did not have the opportunity to go apt. Hunting in person. Lock Vista was a perfect choice for her (and she looked EVERYWHERE on line) I was over her shoulder with a mom's eye and can debunk many of the earlier reviews as they seem to completely have their act together from a management perspective. The staff was super helpful as we bought lots of new furniture from Wayfair and it's difficult to control delivery dates. They even helped us carry stuff in if available. She rented a studio (scheduled for rehab in the spring) and it's ADORABLE. At 425 sq. Ft it's plenty of room for a full sized bed, dresser, nite table, room divider, sofa, chair, coffee table, large TV, and dinette. The apt. Was spotless upon arrival and had been freshly painted. Appliances and fixtures were immaculate as well. Also... there was NO dog poop on the grounds... it's an ideal set up if you have a pup though you'll be required to pay $59 for a DNA identifier for your dog. If poop is found on property, and it reveals your dog's DNA, you are seriously fined. So it's a lovely place to stroll with your pet or pop outside for a late nite potty break. The park/botanical garden across the street is a BEAUTIFUL place to walk your dog or run and it leads to the locks. A super nice park staffed with uniformed patrolmen. Steps away is the heart of Ballard so the location is great! They plan to do some remodeling /upgrading so our daughter hopes she can still afford Lock Vista going forward. On street parking is pretty available - they do have assigned spots on property but they current run $100 per month. A very nice, slightly retro complex!!! read more

After living here for over 6 months, I unfortunately don't have many nice things to say about this complex. The only good things are the spacious layouts and the friendly staff. Other than that, there is no reason for me to renew my lease. 1) I was not told how thin the walls are. Side to side is alright, but up and down is terrible. I can hear my upstairs neighbors laughing, arguing, and every time their phone goes off. Also, if there are dogs living above you, forget about not hearing them. I can hear them playing, fighting, walking, barking, etc. 2) The management does not really care about the quality of their apartments. Upon move in, the property manager and I did the walk through. Multiple fixtures in the kitchen needed fixing and there is paint splatter everywhere. When I pointed it out, she told me that it didn't matter. I couldn't believe that the management doesn't care about the appearance of their units. 3) The heat is not adequate to keep the apartment at a comfortable temperature. Because the heat basically is an "on/off" with no temperature reading, you can't leave it on all day. Because of this it takes forever for the apartment to warm up. It got so bad that I had to buy a space heater, which raised my electric bill significantly. 4) Despite each apartment having a separate circuit breaker, 3 of my outlets (2 in the kitchen) fritzed out one night. Because of this, my fridge was unable to be plugged in for at least 18 hours, causing all my food to go bad. I am happy to moving out and honestly do not understand how people can live here for multiple leases. read more

After living here for a few months I feel like I can write a pretty solid review of my experience here thus far. First off, the staff is great. I really enjoyed how friendly and helpful Jessica was. She's since left the complex and I'm not sure who is in her place. I've never had to go to the office to complain before. The apartment itself is not bad, but not perfect. With that being said I moved here from Magnolia and had a 1,200 sq/ft one bedroom with a den and a huge balcony that overlooked the Cascades. I moved here to be closer to Ballard and things to do. I'm in my 20s so living in Magnolia just wasn't for me. The one bedroom apartments are pretty spacious...besides the kitchen which is tiny, but do-able. I love the hardwood floors and the Swedish tile in the bathroom! It doesn't have a balcony or a large kitchen (my 2 favorite amenities), but I'm okay with that for how convenient it is to live here. This place is pet friendly, which is awesome because I have a dog. Now I feel like when you decide you are going to adopt a pet you have a certain responsibly to look after it. But people here honestly just don't care about their dogs constant barking or picking up their poo. My neighbor has 2 small dogs which bark all day and all night. The walls aren't THAT thin (I barely hear anything in my apartment), but I can hear her dogs barking and barking. My boyfriend left a polite note on her door to please put her dogs in a back room when she is away from home because they stand at the door and bark all day. We came home to find it crumpled in front of our door. And they still bark. So if you hate dogs this place isn't for you. Speaking of noise, if you want to live in a quite area this also isn't the place for you. Lock vista is right across the streets from the Ballard Locks, so there's always noise. For me, I don't mind. Living here has defiantly had its moments where I want to rip my hair out, but overall it's a pretty good apartment complex. It's close to the center of Ballard and Golden Gardens. If you're young and want to live somewhere "cheaper" this is most definitely the place for you. If you want a quite, large, peaceful apartment this isn't the place you want to live. read more

We lived at Lock Vista for 3 years and only recently moved out. I haven't reviewed much of anything online in the past few years, but my wife and I had such a good experience here that I feel compelled to jump on Yelp to give credit where credit is due. Lock Vista was exactly what we needed at the time. We had a terrible experience with a slum lord (don't rent from City Center Property!) in Lower Queen Anne and needed to get out quick. Thankfully, we landed on our feet. We prefer wood floors since we have dogs, needed something safe (see slum lord reference above) and hoped and prayed for a good management experience. Besides the slum lord, we had bad luck with a seperate management company. This is where I get to start bragging about Jenette, Jessica, Quintin and Hector. Jenette and Jessica are (were? hopefully the gang is still together!) lovely to deal with. I never had any qualms or dreaded calling the front office for a service request, picking up a package or just popping in with a quick question. In fact, they even helped us in our apartment search as we were moving on to our next stage. More on that later. Quintin and Hector are the maintenance staff and are very friendly and quick to respond. We would often just stop to chat with them in the hallways since they were such great guys. They even went the extra mile to get to know our dogs. This may have been to make service calls smoother while we weren't home, but it is just as likely that it is because they are good people. Some pertinent details. We ended up in a second floor apartment in building C that faced the courtyard. Noise was never really a problem for us. We occasionally heard our upstairs neighbor walking in high heals, but that is to be expected in apartments with wood floors. Every once in a while we would hear loud conversations, but, to me, it never was anything abnormal for apartment living, especially in a building from the '50s. If you are sensitive to noise, I would recommend considering living in a top floor apartment. There is also a trolley bus line that terminates on 32nd, so hang out in the apartment for a bit if you are thinking about an apartment in building D that faces that way. I know someone that lived there for 8 years that didn't complain about it though. Also, to her credit, Janette mentioned the 3rd floor recommendation to us when we were first looking at the apartments, but we never had any problems being on the 2nd floor. Also, they have a p-patch! This combined with some long term residents and a barbecue/pool area made it feel like a community. We loved living there, but could finally justify more amenities and space and decided to move on. Once it was time to move on, Jessica even helped us set up an appointment at another apartment complex that she knew of that fit our needs. Just another example of our great time there. Thanks guys! read more

This is a fantastic place to live. The ladies in the office are amazing! Great location with many restaurants and bars nearby. Located across from the locks and the botanical gardens. Near golden gardens park and discovery park. read more

Apartment living has it's pros and cons, you just deal with it when you live in the city. Ballard's wonderful, always has been. But what makes the Lock Vista a great place to live (going on 2 years for me) is the management and maintenance crew. I actually feel like the managers care about how things are going with regard to the building and residents are all always greeted with a smile. Another really awesome part of living here is that the management puts on these resident functions; summer time luau, dog party for the dog owners, BBQs, appetizer happy hours often. It really makes a difference in feeling like we're neighbors, and in turn makes the annoyances that can come with apartment living barely even an issue. The bottom line with regards to price point, couldn't be better. Really well kept grounds thanks to Hector and his crew, was built when buildings were build correctly, and management actually takes pride in the place and treats it as if it were their own home. (And there's often fresh baked cookies in the office) read more

I attempted to set up a tour here and it took them over a week to get back to me. It was a nightmare just setting up a tour! First glimpse into poor management. I get there and bring my small dog who is in a pouch, and they immediately tell me she can't come on the tour because they just cleaned the apartment. They allow dogs here so that's the whole reason I brought her, not to mention she was in a purse not touching anything! They say I can look inside a unit without going in but I didn't have my ID on me since I just walked from my current apartment a street over. Didn't think I would need an ID just to take a tour. The ladies seemed unorganized and unapologetic for completely wasting my time. Any interest I had in moving here has completely gone away. read more

The location cannot be beat. Access to the locks, downtown Ballard, and Golden Gardens is incredible. It's really nice to have convenient parking, a garden, and a pool as well! The management put a lot of effort into hosting community events. read more

It's sad. I've lived in Lock Vista for over 6 years. I was happy there, most of the time. I was glad when they made it non-smoking as the people below me smoked & their smoke came up in my vents & windows. It is a wonderful neighborhood to live in, you can walk to Discovery Park, Golden Gardens, Dog Park, Downtown Ballard or Ballard Locks. I had a great experience, most of the years. However, over the last few things have changed considerably. It seems many of the people who have moved in don't give a darn about the building. It's not their home, it's a transition place. They smoke in the halls & leave their garbage laying around. I'm really not sure what to say about management, except it isn't what it used to be. I think now, if you are a young 20 something, this is the place for you. read more

-1 The walls are thin. My neighbors can hear us as tho we are in the same room if we are standing and talking. -1 Lots of old single men living in the studios and they have gone absolutely crazy. They complain if there is any music or talking at all even in the early or late afternoon. -1 They charge for storage unit, parking spot, pet, and additional persons living with you. -1 It was army barracks at one point in time. So everything is made with just the crappiest material. They floor is the nicest part unless your neighbor down stairs complains about the squeaking of floor boards. + the new management is awesome. They take care of everything. +there are some awesome people who live there. (Dennis you were the most awesome neighbor) + you are with in walking distance from everything. The only things I can't complain about is the location, price and maintenance. So there you go if you can handle it here .. you can handle it anywhere. I would say you live in an apartment get over it. The LV is pretty good for what it is. Thanks for the couple of years .. read more

I have lived at Lock Vista Apartments for about 1 1/2 years. My dog and I moved out of a two story, four bedroom private home, with a fenced yard, where we had lived for 11 and 30 years, respectively. During that time, in order to make the mortgage payments after I divorced, I rented out bedrooms, including my own (for nearly two years), in order to make the mortgage payments. Once my son moved out, however, and my last tenant failed to pay thousands of dollars in rent owed, I decided to move. I loved my home, but it was not really mine. It belonged to the bank and to everyone else who lived there, more than it belonged to me. Fortunately, I found another home, at Lock Vista. I live in a one bedroom with lovely vintage qualities, including original tile in the bathroom, hardwood floors in the living room and bedroom, glorious picture windows, and interesting floor plan with nooks and crannies (not just a nondescript, characterless square or rectangle). The on site managers and maintenance staff have been very helpful whenever I had questions or needed service, and very empathetic whenever I had complaints (seldom: just one about a noise issue with a neighbor, now resolved; and one about smoke at one of the entrance/exits to my building). I live on the second floor, sandwiched between other units, and I have next to no complaint about noise. The noise issue mentioned above was resolved by contacting the other tenant several times, and contacting management, and now it is no longer an issue. In fact, I consider that tenant a good friend now. The smoking issue is trickier, but I have multiple entry and exit points that I can use, and as such do not have to use the one that seems to gather smoke. I love living across the street from the botanical gardens and the Hiram Chittenden Locks, as well as a short walk from the marina and beach at Shilshole and Golden Gardens. Although I only moved 1 1/2 miles further west, it is the first time since I moved over thirty years ago, that I truly feel that I live on the west coast. In addition to these benefits, I also have a manageable and productive P-patch, where I can meet other gardeners and swap stories and plants. There is also a seasonal outdoor pool, which is another great gathering place in the summer months. I don't think I could have found a more welcoming, comfortable, historic, quiet, beautiful location for myself and my dog. Although she was accustomed to staying outside all day when we lived in a private residence, she made the adjustment to apartment living as easily as she wags her tail. Other tenants have been very friendly toward her when we meet outside or in the on-site laundry room. Snitch has been known to enjoy a cookie once in a while when she walks to the office with me, and sometimes the office managers (and the people who open and close the locks for the boats), give her a biscuit. My apartment feels spacious, not cramped, and I feel completely at home. The rent is affordable, which has allowed me to take giant leaps toward eliminating my debts, while also leaving me enough funds to travel and do other things I enjoy in Seattle. I was drowning in debt in a home that no longer felt like one, until I made the decision to move to Lock Vista. I couldn't be happier, and hope you will be too. read more

These are the best apartments for the money in Ballard. Walkable to everything you would want (bars, restaurants, movie theater, Golden Gardens, Locks, etc.). Great management! The apartments are cozy and well kept, beautiful wood floors and lot's of light. A+++ read more