I've been living in this building for over two years and have had the unique experience of moving in just a couple of months after it opened. As such, I operated with the mindset that there would be growing pains and was patient with some of the associated experiences for quite some time. That said, this building has been operational for over two years, so they can no longer rest on those laurels and it's time to give my honest opinion.
First, I'll start with the good things:
- Amazing location: Being in the Denny Triangle gives you easy access to a variety of restaurants, bars, workout establishments, and more. It also has a Whole Foods right down the hill so you can quickly and easily get your grocery shopping done
- Beautiful units: This is definitely one of the best-looking apartments I've ever lived in. The design choices are great, their flexibility in allowing you to customize your space is awesome, and the huge windows that let in a lot of natural light are a delight
- Building Amenities: The view from the 41st floor is amazing, having a bar with great food options right in the lobby is super convenient, and having the option to work out in a really nice-sized gym is fantastic
- The staff (with one exception below). They are kind, helpful, and knowledgeable
Now, I'll go into the things that after two years I can no longer ignore:
- Forced internet provider: You are forced to use Whitesky, a wifi-only internet provider, as a resident of this building. There's no flexibility here, and the service is awful. It has gone down countless times, and at one point it got so bad that the company had to be brought out multiple times to try and fix the issue. It's better than it used to be, but still goes down or has poor performance overall frequently. Given the fact that most of us work from home at least a few days a week these days, it's highly impactful
- Billing issues: There have been multiple accounts of charges not showing up correctly and/or charges showing up late. As recently as this last billing cycle we had our utility charges not show up until the last day of the grace period, and we received an email that day informing everyone that they had just loaded (without any prior warning that there'd be a delay) and that you must pay by the end of that day or receive a late fee
- Building logistics issues. Highlights include: Elevators are often down, ranging from a few hours to, at its worst, a few weeks causing significant delays in being able to get to and from your unit
Some of the promised features as part of one's residency have never worked for over two years, including the ability to control lights in your apartment via an app despite several contacts with the company that runs this feature.
Unbearable building construction noise with the installation of the restaurants and stores. This noise starts before 8 (even though this isn't allowed) and is so loud that you could be in a virtual meeting, have the volume turned all the way up, and have no way of understanding what is being said
Security concerns. We recently had mandatory inspections of our units, which took place during the work day when I was working in-office for my job. When I got home, I discovered that they left my unit unlocked by those running the inspection, meaning anyone could have access to my apartment for over 8 hours.
- Negative experiences with Community Manager: My communications with Cameron have made me feel that he doesn't want to be bothered with resident questions, even as a brand-new resident. He also does not engage with residents he sees in the building, as he always avoids eye contact and does not acknowledge you he sees you in the building.
Overall, REN is a beautiful-looking building with some great features and in a very ideal location. It has so much potential to be one of the best apartment communities in the city. That said, I would urge them to take a look at some of their ongoing misses, stop associating them with being a new building, and figure out a way to provide an experience that matches the price that residents are paying to live in a luxury building. I've lived in other luxury apartments in Seattle, and in comparison, REN needs to step up its game. read more