The following is a completely honest review from my past 3 years living at Westlake Steps, and I've been waiting to write this review until after I moved out. I've lived at this property from May 2020 thru June 2023, I've watched as they transitioned from pandemic mode to normal mode, and I can honestly say that I would have done another year at this property if I wasn't leaving Seattle. I would like to note that I lived in the South building (sometimes called Marina SLU) on the 9th floor in a corner unit, so my experience may be different than others. I would also like to say before starting that in my last 2 months, the community has started to have monthly events which were very fun and a great way to meet your neighbors.
I want to start with the leasing staff and first and foremost say that Cheri was with me from day one and was one of the most wonderful people I worked with. When I did have a problem, whatever it would be, she was always very quick to help me get the problem fixed. This included when my parking number was mixed-up, or when I needed a guest FOB for a friend to watch my cat while I was out of town. (And Cheri, again, thank you for the years). I also worked with Kyle, Nolan, and Brandon; and had many good interactions with all of them.
The apartments are really nice and they deserve the "luxury" brand quality that we see online. My apartment was approximately 600 sq ft and I lived in it with my cat, working from home (yes it was a tight squeeze). The automatic shades were definitely one of my favorite aspects, and while this may seem weird to others, you really do open and close them more liberally than manual blinds. I wish the material was a bit thicker, and during the summer hot months I found myself still using black-out blinds to keep the apartment cooler. I will also note that the layouts do not allow for much heat flow during the summer, and I did struggle to get the bedroom to cool during the 90+ degree days. Pro tip: If you can't afford a portable AC unit, I would highly recommend investing in a box fan and pointing the fan so the air blows out the window (note, this blows the hot air out of your apartment and works better than trying to blow the cool air in). Just keep the other window open so there's cool air coming in. I would also use the oven fan and bathroom fan to pull air out of the apartment and that worked very well.
The apartment complex was also very nice. They have a package room in the main building, and also a locker system you can register for in both buildings (I recommend registering). I used the weight room for a good while and it had all the general equipment you would need for an average person's work-out. And if you want something more, there's a gym just down the street. The bowling alley I never got a chance to use, but it was very nice. And the 3 community rooms were really nice (and also excellent for escaping the heat during those hot summer days). There's also a dog-run on each of the building's roofs, and several outdoor spaces with grills, TVs, and some games if you want to chill with friends. And again, the apartment is very well located. Need a bus to get downtown? There's 1 right outside the property door and 3 more within walking distance. Want to go enjoy South Lake Union or the local parks? A short 10 minute walk and you'll be there. Seriously, one of the best things about this property is the location.
The property has hired security, and I spoke with them on more than one occasion. Very polite and they can be seen walking the grounds at all times.
The only things I found annoying with the apartment was that people tended to let their animals go to the bathroom in the elevators. This was typically cleaned-up very quickly, but I would have appreciated an email from the property because it was annoying none-the-less. (Also, this complaint seems to be with every pet-friendly property in Seattle, and I'd like to repeat that these were typically cleaned up very quickly by the property).
Sorry for the long review, was just trying to get 3 years of living in this complex off my mind. And hope you find your next perfect home :) read more