Aspira Apartments

I'm moving out because of the security problems here. Management hasn't taken action to make residents safer, and cars in the parking lot get broken into frequently, so don't park yours there. The building is badly managed, and I suspect the positive reviews are a scam. Who posts a review on the same day they tour?

The elevators have started breaking down too. More than once, residents had to climb from the ground floor to their units while the water was off. Management hasn't communicated consistently or taken accountability for these problems. Things weren't this bad before the current team, led by Rebecca, took over. Since then the conditions have deteriorated, with little urgency, transparency, or responsibility despite residents raising the same concerns again and again. For months, water has been shut off repeatedly from 9 AM to 5 PM, right in the middle of work and school hours. I asked them to move the shutdowns to less disruptive times, but was ignored. When service returns, the water is often muddy, smells strange, and is cold. We've asked repeatedly for water quality test results, but none have been shared. Management asks us to send proof or videos, yet they don't inspect the units or run proper tests. It feels like they're stalling instead of fixing the underlying problem. During daytime outages, management put porta potties in the parking garage. They're filthy and unhygienic, and the garage is accessible to anyone off the street, including homeless people who often wander in. It's unsafe and degrading to expect people paying full rent to use them instead of having working plumbing.

I've lived here for two years in two different units. It's generally good value for the money, with the usual apartment headaches. Maintenance has been excellent for me. I've put in two requests, and both were handled the next day without fuss. The apartments themselves are a 4/5: there's more space for the price than at other downtown communities, but the appliances are old and the cabinets, countertops, and hardware feel dated and low quality. Some units still have carpet. I'd give the building 3/5. Packages have been stolen, upstairs neighbors with heavy footsteps were noisy in both of my units, and the three elevators take an infuriatingly long time. At least four times in the past year, water had to be shut off or the building evacuated because of repairs or failures. There have been several car break-ins, including mine, and two cars were stolen. Management is hard to rate. The manager and assistant manager changed twice in two years, and the entire office staff changed once. Everyone I've spoken to seems nice and helpful, but they also seem overwhelmed and short on staff or processes for running the building. About a year ago, a new team introduced a lot of unpopular changes, especially removing the assigned parking spaces residents paid for and turning the garage into a free-for-all.

Rebecca, the manager, was great to talk with, and the whole team made the tour feel easy and welcoming. I really liked seeing Aspira in downtown Seattle. The upper-floor views over Lake Union were the standout for me, and they made me reconsider how much I care about seeing the Sound or the Needle. If you want a stylish apartment right in the city but a little away from the usual path, Aspira is worth a look.