Metropolitan Park Apartments

I'm a current resident and I would recommend against. It's an old building so problems are to be expected. The issue is that getting repairs done are always an unnecessary hassle and it seems as though problems would rather be ignored than fixed. Not really sure why, I mean you'd think they'd want to upkeep the units they lease out, especially given their age and location.

I've submitted 4 maintenance requests to have my furnace fixed and each time they've resolved my issue without a response,... except once to tell me they found a vendor but are waiting and blah blah blah ignoring the issue and delaying a fix. It doesn't take 2 months to fix a furnace, plain and simple. Plenty of vendors in the Seattle area that can fix a furnace.

I had a leak in the ceiling and they came and looked at it, ran upstairs for a few minutes, came back down and told me "it's all fine, you're good"

Hopefully that issue doesn't return.

If you're fine with never getting things fixed, loose outlets, loitering, broken elevators, and a general lack of responsibility for the building, this is the place for you.

The package situation is also a mess. While they have parcel pending, it's extremely small so packages end up in the lobby. Unfortunately, as with many Seattle apartments, there are people that sneak in and steal packages. Making the parcels pointless when a lot of packages are delivered through the week.

Management was pretty rude when I asked about a package notification I received saying it was in the main office. Immediate dismissal with "we don't accept packages" Alexandria was cool, though.

The rooms are spacious and the area is usually quiet though, save for the occasional increase in traffic noise on the highway.

Mainly, they need to fix issues and improve their communication with residents Read More

Overall, my experience here was just okay. The location is awesome and the view is great. However, getting a hold of anyone in the office is very challenging unless you try to stop by in person. Sometimes I'll receive email responses, but forget calling them. I can think of 2 VERY painful experiences I had here which have completely overridden any positive feelings I had about their "community."

1) I paid Rent online once (normally pay via check to avoid the additional $2.50 processing fee)... but the one time I ever paid online, apparently it didn't go through. I never received any notification that it didn't go through until I received a notice on my door of being evicted due to not paying my rent. As soon as I finally heard back from someone about the charges ($400 for missing 10 days) I was told that I had to pay the charges even though I never received any notification, which...fine. But then I find out after multiple phone calls and emails of trying to reduce the charges, that the management had been on vacation and THAT'S why I was never notified. But I still had to pay the some of the charges. I was livid.

2) The elevator, which is constantly out of service, has been out of operation for the past month and a half. I was told it would be fixed by the 14th this month and it is still out of service. I am getting ready to move out tomorrow and have some pretty heavy and big furniture that will not fit through the stairwell. Not to mention I live on the 5th floor. I have been trying to reach someone from management for a while now trying to figure out how I'm going to be able to move any of my stuff out. There has been no conclusion or offer to help the situation.

These are only a couple of examples. I had many other maintenance issues in my home which they claimed to fix but every time I came home didn't find the issue to be resolved. Overall, I would NOT recommend living here to anyone. Read More

I just moved out of this apartment and had a really unfortunate experience with the management company. Do yourself a favor and choose somewhere else to live.

The deposit is non-refundable, which is not communicated on the lease. There are a couple other non-refundable fees outlined upon moving in, but this is not one of them. A few days after leaving, I was sent a move out statement listing a series of costs that had been applied to the deposit including complete re-painting ($250), unit... cleaning fee ($105), Drip pans ($11) and carpet cleaning ($35) as well as final utilities. Ultimately, I owed them more money. I attempted to discuss these charges with the assistant building manager and expressed dissatisfaction with the company's poor communication and the charges I felt were unnecessary. In particular, the complete repainting fee, when I had neither painted nor damaged the walls to warrant repainting. The assistant building manager was unhelpful in dealing with these charges and I've noticed a similar response style throughout reviews on other sites. The company pretends to care, but does not follow through with action. It's pretty sad.

Essentially, this company wants to get as much money out of you as possible, so expect to pay for every single little thing, including the drip pans.

Other pain points:

- Larger projects take a long time to complete, including rooftop deck, grill and patio furniture. No updates or written communication about progress provided to tenants.
- The main elevator is consistently broken.
- Parking is expensive and poorly managed. I've also experienced people parked in my spot or blocking my spot and leaving their vehicle unattended. This made it difficult to enter or exit the garage. The towing signs within the garage instruct residents to call the associated tow company, which is unhelpful. I tried this on 2 occasions and spoke with a man each time who informed me they do not provide service to that area or company. I informed the assistant manager and suggested removing the signs, but these were still up when I moved out, several months after complaining.
- The carpets were disgusting for a while with layers of dust and dirt that was visible along the edges.
- High turnover rate of management and cleaning/repair team.
- Rent and utilities raises are extremely high.
- Most floors and even the entryway has smelled strongly of weed.
- The package delivery system is broken. Read More

If you want rent increases of $100 or more a month every time you renew a lease, if you want an owner who owns 250 apartment buildings and doesn't care about individual renters (a consortium out of Salt Lake CIty), if you want an apartment that springs leaks from under the sink, broken water heaters, leaking dishwashers, washing machines then this is the place for you. They say its pet friendly, then charge you $25 a month; they decide what you will pay for water, sewer, garbage and... landscaping) and you end up paying $145. Run, don't walk away from this place Read More

The apartment: this one bedroom apartment is fairly small (630 sq ft) but is considered affordable ($1300/month) by Seattle standards. The carpet and paint on the walls were both brand new when we moved in and have held up nicely in the last two years. Very little (if any) noise pollution from apartment above or next door neighbors. The appliances (stove/oven, fridge, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer) are old on average but get the job done. Cabinet doors in the kitchen are cheap white... melamine and the counter tops are the faux stone spray-on kind. One of the drawers in the kitchen only opens a few inches before hitting the oven handle and stopping. Similarly in the bathroom, the door hits the toilet before closing. Most units have a gas fireplace in the living room although ours did not. Electric heating wall units but no A/C in the apartments.

Apartment amenities: Rooftop deck with absolutely stunning views of Puget Sound and downtown Seattle. There is a barbecue on the deck that is hooked up to the building gas line so no need to worry about empty propane tanks. Tables and chairs make the deck a nice place for a meal or sunset watching but a lack of umbrellas or shade of any kind makes it difficult to enjoy the roof on a hot day. There is a small fitness center on the main floor that has one elliptical, one treadmill, one recumbent bike, a squat rack, bench, a set of free weights, and a sauna. While small, the fitness center is rarely busy and has all the basics. Parking garage spots available for an extra $150/month (limited availability).

The neighborhood: These apartments are located at the top of a steep hill where downtown, Chinatown, and Pioneer square all collide. The hill is quite steep to walk up and you need to be in fairly good shape to do so comfortably. It's probably not possible to ride a bike up the hill. It's just a 15 minute walk to Pike Place Market or Capitol Hill so lots of nightlife is easily accessible. Easy access to many bus routes including the routes that pick up in the downtown tunnel system. The I-5 is right behind the building and there is a fire department at the bottom of the hill which means that there is a good amount of freeway noise and sirens at all hours of the night. The building next door is a retirement community and sees more than its fair share of ambulance visits.

Overall: A decent place for anyone just moving to Seattle and trying not to break the bank. Read More