Swansonia Apartments

I recently moved out of the Swansonia after living there for three years because my partner and I bought a house. If we hadn't made this major life move, I would have happily stayed there for another ten. There's so much to love about this plucky building and the people who live there. Are there safer buildings in the neighborhood that have better amenities? Sure. Does the building sometimes push the definition of "charming" by showing its nearly-100-year-old age? Of course. Did I occasionally… have to wait longer than I wanted for something to be fixed? Who doesn't. If you need to be locked behind four RFID-activated doors and have a concierge on-hand at all times, you'll find ample buildings on Capitol Hill that could provide that for you... for an extra $2,500/mo. But unless your patience is thinner than your pocketbook, I don't think you'll find a better value anywhere on Capitol Hill.

The community in this building is also super rad. The Property Manager encourages community interaction through things like a lending library, a cat-sitting circle, and a building Facebook group, on which residents frequently trade things like furniture, baked goods, and kombucha starters (if you're into that sort of thing.) I also found that almost anyone on the FB group was willing to come to your rescue if you locked yourself out on accident. The building's facilities are vulnerable to the occasional quirk, but if something critical in your apartment is broken, it almost always gets fixed in a timely manner. The property manager is attentive and responsive, and always up front about potential building issues. I always appreciated her no-nonsense approach to building safety and community policing.

And the location - oh! The location. I wonder if the people who built this 100 years ago knew that the Swan would grow up to be smack-dab in the middle of everything. One block from the 8, 10, 60, 49 and the Link Light Rail, you can literally go anywhere you want to in Seattle in less than twenty minutes. The Broadway Market QFC has everything you could possibly need: kitchenware, food, booze - even a small hardware section. Not only that, but PNW Fitness (formerly Gold's Gym) is open daily from 5:00am - 10:00pm, so you can get your sweat on nearly 24/7.

The owners should really update the hallway carpets, though. 4/5. Read More

I moved into the Swansonia in 2015 after moving from a different city, and I have to tell you that it was my little nook of cozy safety for two years. I loved it there.

What really sets this place apart are how it feels like a part of Seattle that is hard to find these days, and that you actually feel a sense of belonging.

Over my 2 years, the property manager, Jess, was so kind to me. My neighbors were also really nice. We actually *spoke* to one another. I'd go outside for a walk, find my… neighbors sitting on the stairs talking to each other or out in the hallway, and we'd actually (get this!) engage in conversation. Or I could opt out if I was in a hurry, no big deal!

I saw mentioned in another review the fees for going month-to-month and cleaning fees. Both of those are standard in ANY Seattle apartment. I have moved on to a newer building (I moved in with my partner), and my fee for going month-to-month here is $200 PER MONTH, in addition to the rent increasing by over $300. The Swansonia actually works with you, and Jess empathizes and advocates for her tenants. Good luck finding that elsewhere. I talk to automatons in my new building who give no f*cks about if I come or go.

In conclusion, if you want a home and not just a place to sleep between your working hours, this is it.

Pros:
- Cozy AF
- Cute, vintage, charm
- The Swansonia has "soul" to it
- The location. This cannot be understated. You will literally never live in a better location in Seattle. Ever. It's off the loud street but a block away from Broadway, where you can meander to Pride festivities, brunch, QFC (the best in Seattle imho), the lightrail, and beyond.
- Pet friendly
- Friendly neighbors

Cons:
- There is a lot of dust due to nearby construction and the building being old. Hire a cleaner if this bothers you that much.
- No fancy amenities you get at newer buildings (in-unit laundry, dishwasher, gym)
- Appliances are old, but management was always willing to talk to me about updating things if they were not working
- BYO heaters. They have in-unit heating, but I found the ones I got that were portable worked better.
- The laundry machines were broken 1 or 2 times (over 2 years, that's not so bad), but I never had an issue with not being able to clean my clothes. As a young adult, I learned to wash my laundry well before I was down to 3 pairs of clean underwear. If nothing else, you will learn that lesson here if you haven't already. ;) Read More

This post is mostly in response to the two 1-star reviews posted here, but also to provide another point of view and support for this lovely building.

My thoughts:
- This building is older, yes, but well kept. I've never had any issues with a "dingy" apartment, a rusty sink, or mildew-y cabinets. I also clean my place on a regular basis, so there is that.
- The units are priced at market rate, so good luck trying to find anything cheaper in this area. Also, I think the fees for locking… yourself out and going month-to-month are fair as is the cleaning fee. I locked myself out once, owned up to the fact that I am an adult human with responsibilities, paid the fee, and never locked myself out again.
- The manager is just trying to do their job. They deal with all kinds of tenants as well as balancing the (somewhat difficult) building owners. I think it's great that they communicate to the tenants on the regular. It's transparent and a lot of people appreciate it. Sure, sometimes the emails are lengthy, but it's better than no communication at all.
- Capitol Hill is full of junkies. It's a fact and it's not only apparent around the Swan. It's everywhere. I think our building is really great at working together and making sure packages are out of sight of the door, and at making sure people call the cops if they see junkies trespassing. The manager has ALWAYS strongly encouraged people to call 911 if they see anything funky happening. I'm here to say that there has never been encouragement to be a vigilante.

I love my unit, this building indeed has vintage charm and if you keep your place clean, you won't have rust, mildew, or bugs. Science! This place is also 2 blocks from grocery stores, bars, restaurants, and the light rail station. Couldn't be more convenient. Yes, it sucks that we have to deal with junkies, but everyone does. It comes with living in the city. What makes this building great is the manager and the community that they foster. I really like my neighbors and we're all here to help each other out. If you're looking for a building with a little soul, great neighbors who take care of one another, and something that is close to everything, this is your place. Read More

Yes, the location is amazing. Just around the corner from everything Broadway has to offer. A short (though steep) walk to everything 15th has to offer. Two-minute walk to the best QFC in town. That's really where the pros end.

Everything the "Too expensive for an experience that could be better" review is right on. Endless signs all over the building from the property manager threatening 10-day eviction for the minor things, like doing your laundry past the time restriction. The building is… barely secure. I mean, yes, it has a lock, but sketchy people get inside all the time. The door handle on the bike room was charred forever because someone broke in a tried to burn the handle off. People steal packages. "Junkies" run around on the roof, which is a freaky sound. People shoot up in the parking lot (I suppose after a night of running around on the roof). The landlord actually suggests that residents confront these people and ask them to leave "unless you're uncomfortable with that". A lot of these things are features of living in Capitol Hill...but the Swansonia, instead of doing something about the locks on their ancient doors, blame it on residents and ask them to be vigilantes. It's the threatening mass emails that are just so strange, too.

The apartments are advertised as "vintage charm" which is true...they're very old...but since they're not taken care of, they are just dingy and probably structurally unsound. I can't imagine this building surviving "the big one". Severe cracks in the ceiling, the inside the cabinets smell very mildewy, the sinks are rusted to an insane degree, and BUGS. From what I understand, the building is owned by some guy who sends in his brother to fix "important" repairs when needed. Between him and the building manager, It's a very unprofessional operation. By the way they talk to you, you'd think you're staying there for free....but you sure ain't.

I'm so happy I no longer live here. And yes, they did take the absurd $125 "cleaning fee" out of my deposit...which is def a scam because I know they don't hire anyone to clean those apartments. I spent a lot of (wasted) time cleaning my place upon moving out. Our apartment was super dirty when I moved in---dust everywhere, cheese on the ceiling, etc. What a difficult year. Read More