The Audrey at Belltown

Office staff is amazing. Always greets you with a smile. Megan and Ellen are the very best. Truly responsive, committed, and helpful. They offer amazing floor plans and great deals. Proud to call this place home. The grounds and facilities are kept clean every day by friendly courteous workers. There’s conveniently located elevators, storage rooms, rooftop access, dry cleaning, covered parking garage, including first floor swimming pool, jacuzzi, social room, and business room for tenants. Other apartment communities downtown are built like a maze. However, The Audrey at Belltown is constructed so residents can safely and easily find their way around inside the building.
Very safe, great staff, great amenities, fantastic views of Puget Sound, and an easy step across the street to the Olympic Sculpture Park.(A+)

Pro’s:
Low rent and pretty quiet. One of the few places with an indoor pool in the city. Apartment management was very good when I first moved in. Excellent location. You can pay rent online. Killer water pressure.
Con’s:
Poor management now, poor security (my in-​building storage unit and a friend’s car, parked in the building’s parking structure at the time, have both been broken into), and poor fixes to address poor security (not giving area dog walkers, who have access to other area apartment complexes, key fob access to the building??? THIS will cause you issues, if you need a pet-​sitter or dog-​walker.).
The lease process is not great (you will have to read every page of the 50-​page lease, b/​c, I assure you, it will not necessarily be up-​to-​date or reflect current state/​local laws and regulations).
You will only be issued one key fob per resident (can’t pay more to get an additional), and they don’t care if you have visitors, or other people who need to get in the building (see my comments on the dog-​walker above).
I also echo the difficulty of trying to reach management by phone, once you are a resident — NEAR impossible with the complicated phone tree, and, once you get through it, they often don’t answer anyway.
I have heard the Western-​facing apartments are very hot (oh — no central air), and quite a bit noisier than those facing the alley.
The hot tub has never actually been «hot», but the fitness room is!

The only way to contact the management company to discuss apartments is to wade through an extensive phone tree. I.e.
1. If you’re calling about leasing the best apartment that ever happened to you, press 1 now
2. If this is your first time calling about one of our super magnificent apartments, press 1 now.
3. If you’re looking for a spacious studio apartment, press 1 now. otherwise press 6
4. If you’re looking for a gigantic one bedroom apartment, press 1 now. Otherwise press 7
5. If you’re looking for an asteroid sized two bedroom apartment, press 3 now. To repeat these options, press start.
6. I see you’ve selected one of our beautiful one bedrooms. If this selection is correct, press 1. Otherwise press star.
This continues for several months until you finally get to the end where you receive a message that the office is currently closed and if you leave your contact information in the proper order, someone will return your call.

Pros: Front desk staff has been pretty responsive to any issues (including helping to handle a rather bizarre incident on site), along with the maintenance crew. Parking is pretty open, very few tight spots, and the staff even worked with me to find an area I could also park the motorcycle. Amenities such as the indoor pool, gym, and business office are well maintained. Building has multiple internet provider options, including the lower tier of CondoInternet service (¹⁰⁰⁄₁₀₀ for $ 60). Amazing views from some apartments facing the sound, and from the rooftop deck open to everyone.
When moving in, they have a loading dock, and can lock down one of their two elevators for use.
Cons: Pretty much yet another big management company with computer set rates to the «market» levels, aka their excuse for raising rents at high rates due to the growth of Amazon and others. The front desk staff do their best to work inside this system and keep residents happy. It leads to a lot of turnover and no real sense of community.
Also be aware of the noise if your apartment faces Broad Street. The tourist Duck Boats drive by frequently, and use the hill to have their breaks squeak intentionally. I didn’t find it too annoying, but did move to another unit after my first lease to have a quieter living space and a slightly cheaper monthly rent. Staff was very accommodating with the move.
Prior to moving in, a coworker who lived here indicated a few problems with frequent fire alarms, water pressure issues, and elevator problems. These situations seem to have been addressed. Water pressure is excellent even in the top floors, and the fire alarms have not gone off erroneously in my time here over a year. Elevators have had some issues at times, but seem to be fixed quickly. Recently they also enabled residents to use one of the sets of stairs for entry, in the past they were exit only. The property was managed by BRE, however Essex bought them out last year. The change in management didn’t change any of the pros, and some policies Essex has are more lenient then BRE was. It’s unclear at this time if Essex will continue the rent rate increases BRE did.

I moved to Seattle from new Jersey in august 2014. I flew in beforehand for 2 days to find an apartment. I saw the audrey on the first day and cancelled all other showings.
I fell in love with the location. You are on the cusp of downtown and queen anne, perfect location to experience both neighborhoods. Seattle center with the chihuly glass museum and the space needle are 5 minutes walking behind the apartment.
The apartment complex is right opposite the Olympic sculpture park and overlooks the beautiful puget sound area.
I have a water front facing apartment on the 5^th floor and the view is absolutely breathtaking.
The audrey has a pool, a jacuzzi, a full gym, business center, lounge and a huge rooftop deck.
The office managers are wonderful and extremely helpful. Since I was moving from out of state I did a lot of communication online with them and they were always prompt and helpful in responding.
A waterfront one bedroom on the fifth floor runs a little under 2000 a month and I consider it a steal for the location, amenities and the look and feel.
The audrey has regular events for the residents and is extremely dog friendly.

I really like living here. First, the location is incredible. You get the view and walkability of Belltown without the chaos. Second, the staff is incredibly kind and easy to talk to. From the leasing team to management to maintenance staff, I’ve had almost immediate help for anything I had a concern about. Lastly, the building itself has wonderful amenities: a clean and well-​equipped gym, a pool, a hot tub, pool-​side and rooftop patios, rooftop grilling, office with computers and printer, and even a TV with cable in the lobby/​community area. I highly recommend this building and staff! I have never had a complaint about this apartment building, and that is pretty special.

I have lived here for a year and half, so this review is long overdue.
My apartment: is a very large «studio». This thing is bigger and better laid out than my last 1 bedroom apartment. All the spaces are well separated and flow nicely. The sliding glass doors to the balcony overlooking the courtyard don’t hurt either.
Did I mention my wall to wall closet. It’s okay if you’re jealous.
The building: feels more like a small community. Friendly faces, greetings are often exchanged, elevator door held, etc. Your mom would want you live here.
Amenities, etc: The location is fantastic. Close to everything, without being in the middle of everything. I love the rooftop, and I like having a gym in the building (although, I am an irregular user). If you don’t like being inside for your workout, just step outside and go left to run the waterfront, right to run Myrtle Edwards Park. Then make your choice from any of the many walking options on the social scene, to show off your fit bod.
Last but not least, the staff. A+. They help culture the air of community in this place. They are friendly, and swift in their responses and resolution to any reported issues or malfunctions. Kudos and thanks to the wonderful Keshia who handled my initial lease. Jiahna The Great handled my renewal. And Sir Fix-​A-​Lot Guillermo has kept the place ship shape.

Overall, it’s a really good place to live. The building doesn’t have much in the way of high-​end amenities but it’s nice, the rooftop deck is the best in the city and the park is right across the street. The parking garage is spacious so it doesn’t require a 5-​point turn to park your car. The staff here — every one of them — is just fantastic. The front office does a great job of having rules and knowing when to relax them — which I find to be critical.

My husband and I have lived in this building for going on 5 years now.
The location is perfect, the amenities are great and our large floor plan is a huge plus. The maintenance staff is incredible! Jiahna and Ellyn have been an amazing addition to our buildings management and leasing staff, we’re so lucky to have them!

I’d like to take a minute out of my busy day to commend the staff at the Audrey– not only have they been helpful & supportive of me every step of the way through the process of choosing & leasing a new apartment, but they also run a really tight «ship” — the property is very clean & organized at all times, full of fantastic amenities that are well-​maintained and it is just a joy in general to be at this property. I’ve lived all over the country, including several complexes in Seattle, and so far the Audrey is undoubtedly my favorite place to call home.
Heather Steiner, resident

I love this place & I love Jiahna (the leasing specialist). My roomie & I moved into our apt at the end of Feb; the entire process of moving in was pleasant & hassle-​free. Jiahna is flexible with your schedule and fast at responding to emails.
The property is well maintained and all of the staff I have encountered so far have been friendly. Perks worth mentioning are the parking garage, the fitness room, the pool/​spa, and the rooftop deck!
The apt itself is great. We live on the 7^th floor with a breathtaking view of Puget Sound, you can’t beat it. Our balcony is huge, which was a big selling point for me and my roommate. We have 2 chairs, a table, a BBQ, and several plants out there right now and it still feels spacious. I also love that our 2 bedroom apt has 2 bathrooms. Other features I like are the skylight and the in-​unit washer/​dryer.
The location of this property is perfect, I can walk almost everywhere! On the wknds I hardly use my car unless I’m leaving the city. There are a TON of restaurants/​bars/​cafes w/​in walking distance. The sculpture park is right across the street and Pike Place is less than a 20min walk. What more could you ask for?
This place has it all: perfect location and wonderful amenities. We are incredibly happy here!

I lived at Audrey for 10 months in a 1 BHK apartment and I must say, it was one of the best staff I witnessed. Kecia has always been so helpful and proactive and making our lives convenient. I was living alone and often had to sought her help in various things like receiving my furniture or getting mail for my friends on my address, she worked it all out.
The maintenance was quite convenient too. I never remember having to go and TALK to anyone about the issues. I used to submit a request from Portal while at work and by the time I am home, things were fixed (even the non emergency ones).
The apartments at the backside did not have the best view but had a spacious patio to compensate. The quality of appliances and flooring is superior as well. And with an awesome roof top view and a hot tub and swimming pool, there isnt much to complain amenities-​vise as wel.
All in all, I had a comfortable 10 month stay in Audrey. I had to leave because the rent went above my limit with the lease extension otherwise there was no reason for leaving the same.

I’ve lived here for about 4 – 5 months and love it. I’m not sure why the other reviews are so poor but my husband and I are both really happy with The Audrey.
The all-​up rent isn’t cheap (we have a large dog, additional storage, and 2 cars) but it’s more than fair for the area. When I was initially looking at apts, I saw at least ½ a dozen other buildings that were the same price but had smaller or less functional floor plans. And from an amenity perspective, the Audrey has the same or more than most others in the same price range. Our favorites are the rooftop, indoor pool, and dog lawn! And the building is always well cared for and very clean.
What really makes The Audrey stand out is the staff — they are SUPERB! Everyone is approachable, knowledgeable, and very attentive. We were new to Seattle when we moved in and they’ve helped us with just about everything. Each person we’ve interacted with has been excellent and they make living in this type of building worth the price. Five months later and they are still consistently top-​notch!

The location is great. I agree with every statement made by Kris R. the reviewer who wrote an objective review.
The overall vibe of the building is positive and the maintenance staff does a wonderful job. I actually really enjoy living here. It would be my preference to remain here. But I moved into this apartment because it matched my budget and I thought it was a location I could live in for years. This is a community that I wanted to be a part of. Unfortunately, BRE does not value long term tenants. Since they are a large rental organization they are very comfortable with high turn over of apartments.
The negatives are as follows:
1) My tent has increased 10% every year that I have lived here. My rent in Feb.2009 was $ 1039/​month My rent for the exact same studio apartment is increasing to $ 1622/​month effective March 2014. This is effectively a 64% increase in my cost of living over a 5 year time span. The carpet is 6 years+ old. The apartment has NEVER been remodeled since it was built in 1991. The appliance are cheap. Fresh produce will not last in the refrigerator for more than 3 days because of the poor quality of the appliance.
2) The fire alarm goes off about every 6 –8 weeks. So if you enjoy getting up in the middle of the night and standing in the cold and rain please come join our community gathering. This has become a true safety issue, due to the large number of fire alarms many residents no longer respond to them.
3) If you choose to move here anticipate that each year and at each opportunity; They will increase your cost of living. If you do not want to incur the cost of multiple moves be prepared to see your rent and cost of living increase 10% a year, year over year. Some of this is due to the tight real-​estate market of the moment. I would anticipate my rent to increase in our current market environment. But I do not find it equitable that my apartment with outdated appliances, cupboards, paint, and carpet would be billed current market rent. In order, to obtain market rent improvements would need to be made and the cost of those improvements are not factored into their annual lease/​rent increase renewals.

My partner and I moved into the Audrey a few months ago and signed a 6 month lease. After 4 months we found an apartment complex we liked better so moved out, understanding that we would have to pay the 2 months rent remaining on our lease. After about a month we were told that someone had decided to rent the apartment and we would not have to pay the last 2 weeks. During the 4 months we rented we were rarely there due to a considerable amount of business travel. Last month we received an email saying we owed ~$ 3700. We assumed they had made a mistake and sent back an email saying no, we had paid til the end of our lease and in addition our lease payment was not that expensive. About 2 weeks after that I began to receive calls from a collection agency demanding payment of the $ 3700. Needless to say, we were puzzled and irritated. My partner, a lawyer, demanded an accounting of this charge to eventually discover that the person who was going to rent our apartment had failed to do so, so we owed the last 2 weeks (no one at Bre had told us this mind you). Of the $ 3700 they said we owed them, over $ 2000 was for repairs, maintenance etc. My partner informed them that she had taken pictures of the apartment and could prove that their allegations were false. We eventually settled and agreed to the amount due them for the 2 weeks rental. Having a partner for a lawyer helped! If you read the reviews of Bre apartments you will find that the charging of spurious amounts of money after the renter has moved out is a chronic practice of Bre (no matter where the apartment is located). I wouldn’t rent from these scumbags ever again and I caution anyone who is considering renting to reconsider and find a more ethical company.

Since the one review on this is not very good at all, here’s a more objective view from a current resident that will move at the end of the year.
BEFORE YOU READ FURTHER: This is a smoking complex. People do smoke here. The standard rules for smoking near an entrance apply, but during summer when it’s very warm inside and you want to open the windows, this can be a problem. Also, people flick their butts off the balconies and it lands on to our balconies. This says more about the residents than the people running the place, and would be the same experience with any smoking complex.
Management: Jessica is da bomb. Very professional, very good in her delivery of customer service, and very good at her job. For more serious matters, she should not be considered management, but more a liason to management. They use the common resource (elevators) to notify residents of upcoming community events and other pieces of information very effectively.
Maintenance: Vic also rocks. Every «low priority» maintenance request I have filed has been completed in 1 business day. The best thing about living here is that nothing stays broken for long.
Security: Not bad. They have cameras for post-​break in analysis, but for the most part people aren’t super vigilant about security. There has only been one break in in the parking garage while I’ve been here. The storage units are located in the hallways, so internal to the building (need a key to get that far)
Parking: The bays are very small. Think of every parking bay as being a compact bay. There are some bays that are larger than others; if you are thinking of living here and have a large car, ask about that first. Most of the residents are pretty good at parking as a result of the small bays. The garage doors have a high service rate and have only broken once, for less than a week, in the 2 years I’ve been here. In addition to this, Management was extremely quick to respond and put a notice in the elevators.
Amenities: Pool, gym, communal area. The communal area is open 24 hours a day, the gym and pool close late and open early. The pool is unheated, or if it’s supposed to be heated, the heating is broken. The hot tub on the other hand does have working heating and jets. The gym is your basic no-​frills gym. The changeroom downstairs has remained in the state it is in (some things broken, some not) since I moved in; I suspect no one really cares if the shower works or not when you can just shower in your own apartment.
Rooftop area: Recently overhauled, it was a pretty decent area before but a little on the small side. A buddy of mine that lives in the building said that they expanded the rooftop area, which only adds value.
Community: Very sociable. People know who other people are. They say hi and hold open elevators for each other. When there’s rooftop parties, everyone says hi to each other, even if they don’t know each other.
Noise: Generally the noise is pretty reasonable around here. Sometimes you’ll get the odd drunk crowd wandering down the alleyway, but otherwise it’s fine. Most of the time, the residents will make more noise than you get from outside.
Apartments: I don’t know about the other apartments, but mine is incredibly well laid out. They’re pricy for what you get, but as they always say in real estate: location, location, location.
Elevators: 2 of them. Both can be locked down for moving in and out, and the roof of the elevators can be lifted up to accommodate very large items (e.g. couch). See Jessica for this when moving in. If you’re familiar with the concept of Trunking (the minimum number of shared resources that can service multiple people with high usage and low wait times), the minimum number of elevators in this apartment for reasonable wait time is 2. When 1 goes down or is locked down, it can take up to 5 minutes under the worst case scenario to get out of the apartment. Why is this important? Imagine you have a puppy with a bladder that needs to be emptied RIGHT NOW…
Pet friendly: Yes, up to 50 lb dogs if I remember right, no «dangerous» breeds as the standard policy. Not strictly enforced on dog weight, I’m sure that some of the dogs here are bigger than that. They have a doggy area on the 3^rd floor at the south end too, and poop bags by the front door. Management cares about your pets.
Recycling & Trash chutes: 1 on each floor above floor 3. Recycling is ONLY available on floor #3.
Problems in the past: Every single problem in the past seems to be due to water either getting in to places it shouldn’t, or leaking out of places it shouldn’t, which either resulted in elevators being out of action, or fire alarms going off, or water pooling in the fire escape… there was a period of time where for 6 – 7 months, we had fire alarms going off at least once a month. That was 18 months ago, and has not happened since.

Not great at all…