I recently moved to Seattle and couldn't be happier with my choice to live at The Weatherford. Yes, you pay a premium to live (and park) in Capitol Hill (~$2000/mo for 1 bedroom + $200/mo parking), but the location is unbeatable and, after seeing 10+ apartments on a recent home finding trip, this was tremendous value.
Apartment floor-plan and amenities:
The layout of the apartment was unlike the other cookie-cutter apartments I had seen; corner units like mine have huge windows across both exterior walls, which was very important to me given the drearier days we can get here in Seattle. The in-apartment amenities are great; mine has a big open-concept kitchen with lots of counter space (granite, if you care about that sort of thing), plenty of storage with quiet-closing drawers, updated, quality appliances (including dishwasher and GARBAGE DISPOSAL YESSSSS) and new, stacking front-loading washer and dryer. The only drawback is the lack of large-item storage. As another reviewer pointed out, it has only one small closet in the bedroom so you have to get creative with your larger items. I stored my suitcase under my bed, for example. There is also just one (or maybe two?) storage unit in the building (with a waitlist), so if you're a hoarder, you won't have space for all those old newspapers and hubcaps.
Location:
Unbeatable. I commute to work every day by car, and I wanted a place where, on the weekend, I could park my car and just walk everywhere. With 15th street and Broadway just a block or two away in each direction, I couldn't be happier. I love to go to one of the many nearby cafes, walk to the farmer's market for some fresh produce or one of a local watering holes for a local brew or cocktail in the evening. Safeway is also across the street when you need that carton of milk in a pinch. Excellent and walkable neighborhood.
Management:
Before I signed my lease I came across the negative reviews on this very Yelp page and was concerned both about the security of the building and management of tenants. I basically ambushed the poor property manager who was showing me around the apartment with the reviews and asked her to answer each of my concerns directly from the reviews - from the garage break-in, to the prohibition of leaving things in hallways, to management treating tenants "like prisoners" - all of it. To her credit, she answered each of my concerns professionally, and more than satisfactorily. She was honest about the tenants' complaints, management's responses at the time, ways that the building has improved and ways they could have responded better. Since the time of those complaints, there had also been a change in local building management. Check.
I have had nothing but honest, positive interactions with each of the building managers since I arrived. Scheduling my move-in was a breeze. Whenever I'm getting a delivery of a larger item (e.g., a mattress) I just gave them a heads up and they're more than happy to coordinate getting it into my place while I'm at work (with my permission to enter, obviously). Even further: when I was having difficulty hanging my coat rack on the wall, they called in the building handy-man to check it out and, by the time I got home from work, the coat rack was hung properly on the wall! Amazing! They also plan occasional building parties on the roof to meet-and-greet your neighbors. Since we live in a rapidly growing city full of nerds (myself included), this focus on creating a friendly culture among neighbors was a BIG plus for me. Management has consistently showed me that they about their tenants. Thanks Zynday and Chris!
Building amenities:
If you're looking for one of those buildings with a sweet gym (do u even lift), oversized teak rooftop sunset lounge, huge party room with interchangeable kegs under the bar and a wood burning pizza oven, you're not getting that here (although I was a little bamboozled by the sunset lounge... I've always wanted a place to specifically watch sunsets from). What you ARE getting is a modestly-sized rooftop patio with a fantastic, unobstructed view of downtown, the Space Needle, the Olympics and the Cascades (being near the top of the hill they're just visible!). You might even be able to see Rainier on a good day (but I haven't checked yet). That's not to say the roof is ill-equipped for parties - there's lounge chairs with those fancy outdoor cushions, a fire pit (if I recall correctly) and a grill. So, in the summer, grab a steak, an IPA and a good book, go up to the roof and go nuts.
Verdict:
Live here. read more