AMLI 535

Here is a review of my stay at Amli 535. I stayed here for 2 years from 2013 to 2015 and this review is based on my experience over the 2 years.
Pros:
Management Team: The biggest pro of living in Amli was the management team. David, Meghan, Ken and Stephanie are really great people and make living in Amli 535 a pleasurable experience! They are extremely helpful, cheerful and accommodative and I have innumerable examples of that. If any appliance is faulty, they are usually very quick to have that taken care of. They are always on top of tracking your packages, collecting your laundry etc. In fact, even after I have moved out, they have been kind enough to hold packages for me!
Move Out Process: I always believe that the real test of a lease is at the time the lease expires. I have heard innumerable horror stories from my friends about being charged exorbitant amounts by other apartment complexes in the name of damages, cleaning fees, wear and tear etc. This is not the case with Amli 535. They have a hassle free cleaning option available — you pay $ 75 and they take care of the cleaning. You are off the hook unless of course you have broken an appliance. Alternatively, you can clean the apartment yourself. I chose the hassle free cleaning and it turned out to be hassle free indeed. At the time of moving out, David and team even went above and beyond by providing me with a trolley, being very flexible with reserving the large elevator etc.
Conveniences: The Starbucks coffee machine in the game room, ability to reserve the game room, laundry pick up and drop off, package room, gym etc. offer great convenience. It is hard to switch to brewing your own coffee after you’ve moved out. :)
Location: It is pretty obvious that the location is fantastic. It is right by the lake, close to Amazon, close to the freeway entry and Exit 167.
Cons: I can’t really call these things «cons». I would say these are ‘good to know’ items.
Rent hikes: I did see the rent go up around 7−8% year on year. To be clear, it isn’t just an Amli thing — it is the increasing demand for rental properties in SLU that is driving the rents higher y/​y.
Car Parking: Again, you might find it helpful to know that if you add the car parking to your rental agreement, it is going to stay on it through the period of the agreement. You can’t give up your parking spot in the middle of your rental period because you choose to avail the Zone 24 RPZ parking. Of course, the management team is reasonable and under exceptional circumstances such as you totaling your car or selling it, they might create an exception.
Summary: I really enjoyed living in Amli 535 and a lot of the credit goes to David and team for that. I recommend this place to anyone who wants to live in SLU.

AMLI 535 is a great place to live if you are looking for a great location in the heart of the city. The Management is top notch and always ready to make your living experience the best. They are always friendly, understanding and just great people. Whenever I’ve needed service, they’ve always been quick to respond and complete the work. They are always open to suggestions and get to know their residents! Rest assured that you will be well taken care of living at AMLI 535! The community is very pet friendly (just ask my dog, she loves everyone at the office!) and there are always activities going on to meet your neighbors and interact with the staff. I highly recommend AMLI 535 if you want to be near downtown or right in South Lake Union. I will have lived here for 2 years and am sad to leave.

Location awesome in South lake Union. Very clean and the management team is wonderful. Had a dryer issue and it was repaired immediatley. Been here 6 years and still impresses me!

Live here at your own risk! When I lived here, I moved in to discover dog stains in the carpet. The smell was really strong and my friends and neighbors agreed. But management denied they could smell anything and after several months and promises of plans to rip out the carpet that never came to fruition, I gave up and simply moved at the end of my lease.

I moved into the AMLI 535 units approx. 7 months ago from Tennessee. I had an opportunity to visit 7 other apartment buildings in the area prior to my move and felt most at home here at the AMLI 535. I love the location and I’ve been happy every since. They even have several great amenities like a Java Room with a free Starbucks coffee and hot chocolate machine.
The individuals in the leasing department (Megan, Kenneth, and David) have been nothing short of amazing, welcoming, kind and accommodating. They are super friendly and know everyone’s name. They are truly an asset and the reason I chose to call AMLI 535 home.
The grounds staff here also does a great job of keeping the interior, exterior and roof top in pristine condition. They are very friendly and even carry dog treats in their pockets for our furry little friends.
This building is very diverse. It houses smart, young professionals from different walks of life. I find that very refreshing. The residents here are friendly, courteous and respectful too. I have never been bothered by loud music or rowdy tenants.
The neighborhood in close proximity is growing and it’s exciting to see the changes happening. Although its still a 5 – 10 min. walk to the grocery store (Whole Foods), there will soon be other shopping options 1 – 3 blocks away.
There is construction finishing up across the street and other projects nearby, which can affect local vehicle traffic, but this building has probably the easiest freeway access in all of Seattle. But most, myself included, appreciate that you’re steps away from South Lake Union, a short walk to Downtown, close to Capitol Hill and easy access to Lake Union if you’re into running.
If you’re considering a new place to live, I wouldn’t hesitate to visit AMLI 535. You won’t be disappointed.

Since moving to Seattle in 2011 from Jersey City NJ. I have lived in Pioneer Square, Capitol Hill, and landed in SLU @ AMLI.
The location is central to everything, the neighborhood is fine, and yes there are some «weird» people asking for «2 dollars», but that is it. The random conversations by the deli on the corner are very funny, and everyone is super nice.
The rent is very fair. Other units in the area are way too expensive, and really don’t offer more than AMLI 535 aside from a few minor upgrades. There is no rent control in Seattle, and last renewal was very reasonable.
The construction next to AMLI is wrapping up by spring, When there are new projects, there are signs posted well in advance that clearly details the start date, and the scale of the project. Anyone who lives in the area also receives an invite to the city planning meetings, so there is a venue to speak up about how you feel about the new construction.
The staff is super nice, and very helpful The cost to operate a building of this scale, and age is very expensive. Like every resident we all have needs. What is super important to me is that the staff makes an effort to help, even for random things. I have lived in many apartments, and the team has set the bar pretty high in that respect.

I’ve lived here almost a year and never want to leave.
The staff, location, and amenities make AMLI535 the best place to live in Seattle. I work at Amazon and love the short walk to work. The gym is always sparkling clean with a variety of machines and is never crowded. There’s even a personal trainer for the building.
Being a gamer, I have put it far too many hours on the free retro multicade. Even so, I still have yet to make it past level 3 of Donkey Kong (grr). There’s also shuffleboard, pool, cable TV, and a free coffee/​hot cocoa machine. I’ve reserved the lounge for many parties, dinners, and work events.
The roof has an amazing 360 degree view of the water, Space Needle, downtown, and Capitol Hill. It has lounge chairs, tables, a grill, a fireplace, and astroturf dog relief stations.
The rent is among the cheapest in SLU, and they even accommodated my 3 cats where most places had a limit of 2. My open 1-​bedroom apartment is spacious with a large deck and new appliances. I rarely have any maintenance issues, but when I have, they were small and fixed the same day.
What really makes AMLI535 are the staff. They are friendly, kind, and go out of their way to make their residents happy. I see them on a daily basis (Amazon addict, lots of packages) and they never seem to be in a bad mood, always personable and smiling. They helped me switch apartments within AMLI535 when I needed to downsize and made the transition smooth and easy. They also host frequent community events, like game nights and breakfast on the go.
The neighborhood itself is growing at a rapid pace. It feels like every week there’s a new restaurant, office, or apartment being built. Yes, it does mean some construction noise, and SLU can still be a weird mix of techies and homeless/​drug rehabbers. But I like it just the way it is and am happy to call AMLI535 my home.

I relocated to the Seattle area from NY after I accepted a project management position at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. At the time, I had a friend who lived in the building who recommended AMLI 535 (primarily because of the amenities and extremely close walking proximity to FHCRC campus). I signed a lease and all before I actually relocated based on the strength of my friends recommendation, and reviews I saw about the property (and from other friends experience with AMLI in other cities).
After living here for a year and a half, I have to say that I am so in love with this property and it has made my transition almost 3000 miles to Seattle a great experience. The neighborhood can be a bit noisy at times, but I can forgive it. The rooftop deck offers an impressive view of the downtown area and Lake Union. The gym is great, and I use it often (usually at night). The computer room, though I don’t use it often, is also a great amenity (and will be even nicer when they upgrade the pc systems in there to Apple products– yes, I love Apple!).
My commute to work is about 10 – 12 minutes walking, which is amazing, and that in and of itself almost makes up for the pricey cost of rental. I have had some tech issues with Comcast (honestly I’ve never cared for them as a company even before moving to Seattle), and they have had to come in at least 7 times during my stay to address wireless internet connectivity and signal strength issues.
Property management staff is always pleasant and engaging and helpful. David was the staff person that worked with me to get me setup while I was in NY, and has been a constant blessing. Stephanie, Kenneth and Megan are awesome staff as well, and always go above and beyond to help out when they can. I remember coming into the leasing office one day to find Stephanie mentioning that she was going to order lunch from Jimmy Johns (being new to the area, I was unfamiliar with the establishment) and based on that convo I decided to try them out, and was glad that I did.
The controlled access is another great feature of the property, and I have never felt unsafe going in the parking garage or even walking around the building at any point day or night. I only have two critiques of the property, and that is that the call box could accept out of state numbers (so I don’t have to deal with having multiple phone numbers because I refuse to change my personal cell phone number), and that the increases in rent would not happen so dramatically (I think I saw a 12% jump in rent when I renewed). I assume its because of all of the development in the neighborhood, and market competition.
I have not had any of the issues that I have read others have had with other AMLI properties. The management team here is very nice, respectful and always willing to help. The maintenance staff are super quick. The property is well maintained, and its so QUIET in the building (which I love). Great job!!!

Took a walk through with the leasing agent the other day. Very helpful, nice guy. The building sets you up for a nice experience. Cool lobby, funky light fixtures, hip furniture. It’s all downhill from there. These places are way over priced for the level of finishes inside. Probably the cheapest cupboards I’ve ever seen. They’ll be falling apart in two years. Fridges that are two sizes too small for the opening, just looks silly and cheap. Most rooms week barely fit a queen sized bed. And the one bedroom with den really isn’t that unless you consider the area in your room separated by a piece of linoleum faux wood flooring a den. It’s bizarre how they designed and finished this place. Fantastic looking from the outside but awful inside. Roof top patio is nice though. Not recommended based on what we’ve seen in Seattle. At least not for the piece they are asking.

Pros:
— Great management staff. David and Stephanie are always very helpful and tries to know everyone in the building.
— Management delivers my packages to my apartment if I can’t pick it up in time.
— Building has a hotel-​y kind of feel. The place is pretty modern.
— Gym has (not all) but enough of what you need to workout. There are 4 tvs which is nice too.
— Apartment rooms are spacious. My studio has a large living room area and a walk-​in closet.
— Building has been getting some renovations. The lounge area has gotten a renovation in the last 2 months and the office has a large TV outside letting residents know what packages have arrived.
Cons:
— Neighborhood isn’t the greatest. Behind the building is a rundown building and there are always homeless or beggars around the corner.
— Also there is construction on 3 sides of the building which leads to a lot of noise.
— Price for rent is a bit more than what I would like. $ 200 – 300 more on average than the apartments in belltown.
— No A/​C in apartments. The summers can be really bad (even until fall). Without my fan blowing on me, I will be literally sweating even when I’m sitting down. The hall ways are A/​C-​ed so it’s not uncommon to see people with their doors ajar and a fan blowing.

South Lake Union is a neighborhood on the rise — the continual addition of cranes and the notorious planned land use action signs are a testament to this. Construction permeates the neighborhood and Amli is no different; the building is surrounded on three sides with crews working six days a week, starting at 7AM and working consistently through the day until 5, sometimes 6, even 7 or 8PM.
This is the playground of Jeff Bezos and Paul Allen. Amazon and Vulcan dominate the neighborhood culture and not being linked to either of those corporate behemoths may lead you to feel disconnected from the murky and schizophrenic identity of South Lake Union, one that is still in beta. Just remember — with growth comes growing pains.
If any of the above provokes a sense of reticence about the neighborhood, you should not live in ANY building located within the borders of South Lake Union. If you oppose Seattle’s approach to transitional housing and their philosophy that these facilities be located throughout the city and not heavily concentrated in one area, then you may be uncomfortable here. If the homeless occasionally sleeping in a park, asking you for money, or screaming profanities at late hours of the night intimidate you, you should live in the suburbs. If you can accept the above as the nature of the beast of this economically gentrifying neighborhood, then Amli is likely your best choice in terms of value.
My wife and I lived at Amli for three years and, overall, had a very positive experience.
The amenities are some of the best that the neighborhood has to offer. The roofdeck offers unrivaled views of both New Year’s and Fourth of July fireworks with ample standing room for friends and coworkers alike. The grill is heavily used Spring through early Fall as are the lounge chairs which provide views of some of the best Space Needle summer sunsets in the city. The gym is fully equipped with anything you would need to stay in shape; a wide range of ellipticals, treadmills, machines, and free weights inhabit this 24-​hour space. The recently renovated Java Café is also a great space for meetings and get-​togethers.
In terms of layout, I can only speak for our floor plan when I say we loved our apartment (more than any other space we have ever lived). The interiors in our space were not the newest (black appliances and not stainless, formica and not quartz or granite countertops, carpet and not hardwood throughout, etc.), but we don’t care about those things. The cherry hardwood in the entryway of our space provided a great deal of warmth throughout the apartment. The slate colored carpet (which I anticipate may be replaced as residents move out) provided a level of sophistication to the space when paired with our interior furnishings. The eastern-​exposure floor to ceiling window panel and outdoor patio provided ample light in the space. The bedroom was a little smaller than desirable, but that’s to be expected with city living. The saving grace of that arrangement was our walk-​in closet and our scandalously large living room.
Our experiences with the staff in general were very positive. David, Ron and Stephanie were all very friendly and willing to help with any issue we had. The maintenance team (Ben and Yasha) was always very prompt and efficient in their resolution of all maintenance-​related repairs, even working with us with respect to scheduling on the few occasions that warranted it. Mary, the housekeeper, was one of the friendliest people I have ever met and frequently went above and beyond in her duties, making us feel like Amli was our home.
(The question that now begs to be asked is why did we leave if we loved it so much. We relocated back to the East Coast.)
In response to other Unilocal reviewers regarding rental increases, did we receive annual rent increases of close to 10%? Yes. Did we like it? No. Did we stay? Yes. Talking to others in various buildings in this neighborhood, such increases were par for the course with the continuing influx of Amazon employees (and Amazon salaries). All ownership groups here have clearly done their due diligence in maximally pricing the apartments to get the best bang for their buck, and, in that regard, I think AMLI is no different. I am a firm believer that they still remain the best value for the money in this neighborhood and would without a doubt rent here again given the same circumstances. Was our time here perfect? No. But it was very good and the few negative issues within the control of the building were remedied relatively quickly. Given the inherent issues of neighborhood growth and culture (or lack thereof) which remain outside of the control of Amli, I have to give a 4 and not a 5 rating. Given a different neighborhood context, it is very possible that I would have given Amli a 5.
If you’re debating about whether or not you should move here, I do think you should strongly consider this community.

Go ahead and sign a lease here if you hate sleeping in.
The construction noises from the east side of Pontius that start at 7am MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY —YES EVEN SATURDAY, despite what the leasing office might tell you — are unbearable. In fact once the trucks start pulling up at 6am (but you know, «not» working until 7am), you won’t be able to go back to sleep.
AMLI should give all of us a discount on our rent until the construction to the east is finished. Lord knows we’re paying them enough as it is.

I’ve been living at AMLI since May of last year and have had awesome experiences with everyone there. David and the rest of the office crew are incredibly responsive, both to random questions and to maintenance requests. The maintenance staff is quick and has always gotten me back up and running within 24 hours, on the few occasions I’ve actually needed maintenance. The building was great [nice, newer appliances, countertops, and floors], and I loved the layout of my rather large apartment. Would happily recommend to friends.

I moved in 4 months ago, after relocating from Minneapolis/​St Paul. I have been a homeowner for 7 years, and going back into the rental market was pretty overwhelming. When I was in town for my 3 day «house hunting trip», I looked at over 20 apartments– primarily in South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, Belltown, Lower Queen Anne, and Ballard.
For the neighborhood (SLU), I felt that Amli was by far the best value in terms of price for the space/​amenities/​inclusions. I needed minimally 900 sq feet (I had a loft back home, so a lot of loft-​sized furniture), hard-​surface floors (I have a dog that is a shedding machine), and I wanted an open floorplan or loft if possible — all of these features were found in Amli 535. The parking fee was on average if not lower than other places I looked at, pent rent/​deposit was lower, and the storage unit was pretty inexpensive as an add-​on.
Since living here, I have been more than happy with the management (David and Katy are always super helpful, responsive, and have known me & my dog by name since my first weekend here). I have had a few service requests and they were all taken care of within 1 day. Everyone I’ve met around the building/​on the rooftop has been very friendly. I have had very few issues with noise (I almost never hear my neighbors on either side or above me), and the building/​grounds have always been very well-​kept and clean.
I signed a 1 year lease, and if I had to make the call today, I’d most likely renew again next year.

The building is nice enough, the location is good, the leasing agents are wonderful and well-​meaning people… but their hands are tied by soulless corporate «policies». We signed a 90-​day lease. We were informed that, having failed to give a 60-​day notice before moving out, that we would have to pay essentially an extra month’s rent. We’re here on an internship, so asking us to pay that amount of extra money really hurts. Now any human being allowed to use their brain knew that we were only here for the summer, we clearly were not going to renew the lease, we stated our intent to move out before we even moved in, and would find some way to help us out. Not so AMLI.
(Neither one of us remembers receiving the notice that’s in our file, which is why I am so angry. You bet I would have given notice if I had realized they needed it.)
There’s a chance we’ll move back to Seattle in a few months. But if we do, we will NOT be renting from AMLI.

Great place given the alternatives. wonderful location, staff, cost typical and apartments on par with city.

I’ve lived here almost 3 years now.
The building, the staff, and the apartments themselves are top notch. Everything is attractive and well maintained, and even though it’s a 200 unit building, the management seems to know everyone by name. If you need a light bulb changed, they usually handle it the same day. There’s a large community room that can be reserved if you want to have a big party. The fitness center is huge and well equipped. I don’t spend a lot of time on the rooftop deck, but the view up there is spectacular.
It’s located in the Cascade neighborhood, which is relatively quiet mix of nicer new apartment buildings, a few offices, mixed in with a few shops and cafes nearby. That being said, also some low-​income housing as well as a rehab center next door. This does introduce a certain sketchy element, but it’s nothing like Belltown with its seedy clubs, rampant panhandlers, and lack of parking space. Cars do get broken into periodically, but such is life in the big city. One thing I wish the building had was a nighttime security guard.
In a building this large, there’s always a few douchbag types who will try to get away with stuff like, smoking, having loud parties, and trashing the common areas, but thankfully they’re in the minority and the management can and will evict people who break the rules.

Lived here almost 7 months. Noisy. Unsafe neighborhood with Several Half-​way houses adjacent to property western and southern borders. Many drifters, drug users and screaming lunatics with mental illness at night. Physically accosted several times while walking home. Cars broken into while in 100/​month, underground «secure» parking lot. But, friendly staff. Oh, and jackhammers breaking apart old buildings being torn down while neighborhood is «redeveloping» Good luck getting rest or feeling safe.

See review for AMLI in Houston, Austin, Denver, Atlanta or several other cities, tenants in all cities report the same problems. Management rude and very slow to fix things, dog shit everywhere, thin walls (these places are mostly new construction, it isn’t much more expensive to sound proof with rents $ 300 above the market value, that is basic quality), and major security problems.
The Seattle AMLI had horrible Unilocal reviews, 7 of them, but now all are magically missing. Some of the AMLIs in other cities have magically, no reviews when they previously did. AMLI is a cancer.

Lived here for about a year. Incredibly responsive and friendly staff, and the office is open 7 days a week. The management office has monthly happy hours for the residents, which consist of office staff and some residents – they pay for appetizers, you buy your own drinks. Good amenities. This is a very pet friendly building (dogs up to 75 pounds allowed), which is great for animal lovers but maybe not for those scared of dogs. Location-​wise, it’s very convenient to downtown, and close to the I-​5 Mercer St ramp. Which also means that driving in the area can be a pain, if traffic backs up, etc. Overall, a solid choice.