128 On State By Aboda

The people here have made settling into a new area much easier. Veruschka has been patient and generous with local suggestions, and the community events she organized helped me find my footing. She even came to check my oven the first time I used it because I was worried about the smell. It turned out to be the normal residue burning off, but I still appreciate that she took my concern seriously. She feels like a real person who cares about residents, and I always like stopping by the office to see her and grab a snack. Marco and Kevin are also a pleasure to see, even when something needs fixing. They’re down-to-earth, funny, experienced, and efficient, and later maintenance issues were dealt with promptly. There were a couple of snags at move-in, including a disconnected light and a broken toilet, but those were fixed quickly. This was my first apartment after moving to Washington, and Veruschka made the leasing process smooth. She answered all my many questions and was easy to reach. The downtown Kirkland location is very walkable, with good restaurants and lovely lakeside views.

Kevin in maintenance has been friendly and quick to respond whenever I’ve needed him. Veruschka is easy to reach, remembers residents by name, and makes the place feel like home. The modern building is right in downtown Kirkland, close to restaurants and coffee shops. I’ve had a great experience living at 128 on State and would recommend it to anyone looking for a nice place in Kirkland.

The move-out billing was a frustrating end to my year and a half here. I had little clarity about the final charges or deposit. First I was told part of my deposit would be returned, then I was asked to pay more after being told the account was settled. That back-and-forth felt exhausting and poorly organized. The building’s recurring problems were another source of frustration. Elevators were often out, and the garage regularly malfunctioned, which was inconvenient and felt unsafe. Costs also didn’t match the service for me: residents must use the building’s internet provider, utilities were significantly overpriced, and the pricing felt far too high for what was provided. I’d hoped a full staff change during my lease would improve communication and organization, but things stayed the same and seemed to get worse. Emails often got no response, and replies that did come were vague and lacked follow-through. It regularly felt as if residents were a bother rather than valued tenants. The one consistently dependable part was maintenance. The team was kind, professional, and very prompt, and handled each request thoroughly. They deserve credit for that. After hoping things would improve for a year and a half, I wouldn’t recommend living here. The building charges premium prices without giving premium service.

The gym is small and doesn’t open early enough to use before work, and State Street is busy and loud, so the location wasn’t great for me. Staff were generally unresponsive. On top of the high rent, all the added costs can reach $450-$500 a month: gas, pest control, sewage, storm water drainage, trash (over $140 in some months), water, a service fee, common-area electricity, plus the regular Puget Energy Sound bill. Internet is $70 and parking is $150, even though you can park across the street. They also wanted to raise my rent by $500 a month for the second year.