Colonial Square Apartment Homes

I lived here for about 13 months, from Nov. 2014 to December 2015. I lived in a one bedroom remodel, on the second floor, facing the street. I paid about $ 1400 for a 550 square foot apartment.
Accessibility: It is very close to Microsoft, and well served by bus lines on 156 Ave NE. There are two U-​turns in front, so it is easy to get in. The location is very convenient, especially if you are without a car. Crossroads Mall and Fred Meyer are within walking distance, as are parks, restaurants and schools.
Safety: Doors face the central square, so anyone can wander off the street and knock on your door. Furthermore, the single lock is pretty flimsy. Although I never had a problem with theft, I still would have liked more protection. Also, you have a large front window, which only increases security risk. The location is a bit shady too; I saw a woman get mugged on the street about 1 AM. Police came and everything wrapped up, but I was still a bit shaken.
Cleanliness: The grounds of the complex are kept manicured well. The management has replaced several of the aging wood beams on the walkways, which was nice since some looked rotted. The trash areas are generally clean.
Amenities: The amenities here include a large lap pool, hot tub, outdoor game court, barbeque area, and indoor weight room. The pool was a needed asset during the summer, and was kept clean by staff. Many residents use the pool, so I commend Colonial Square for being very diligent with the pool and spa. The floor is kind of brown, but it’s mostly cosmetic. The weight room has a treadmill and bike, and was generally clean and safe.
Staff: We had an ongoing dispute with a neighbor over a smell problem. The staff was kind and worked with us to the best of their ability. Jeni is an enthusiastic property manager who works hard to ensure residents are happy. We were able to transfer to Aventine Apartments (also owned by Weidner) and enjoy it as well.
The unit: The apartments themselves are fairly spacious and pretty much what you expect. Many homes have a strange curry smell, which indicates the cooking that has taken place there. If you tour one of these, ask for a different unit. The smell can linger for months or never leave.
Neighbors: This community is mostly working class families and a few single folks. The vast majority of residents were immigrant workers and their families. These people are generally nice and will keep to themselves. However, they do sometimes scream outside, or leave the laundry room a mess.
Since it is Section 8 though, we found several residents (no immigrants) to be strange. One women known to the management smoked outside all day and night, sometimes right near our window. This women would stay up all night playing loud music, and often appeared flat out drunk. She often talked to herself and wandered the hall.
Summary: Colonial Square is a fair place to rent if you need somewhere close to work, with a family atmosphere and many amenities nearby. The staff is friendly and works hard to please the residents. The renovated apartments are very nice. Pick here over nearby apartments such as Kendall Ridge and Central Park East.

Summary: this place has all the feel of a motel without the affordability, would not recommend !!!
The good: the courtyard is decent, seems well maintained. Fountain in the center is nice if you like sound of flowing water all the Time. The road has a convient u turn from 156^th so getting to your apartment is pretty easy. Convenient location to nearby bus stop and fast food.
The bad:
— the only windows in the living room actually face the walkway, which means you will have your shutters (which fall off all the time) closed all the time leaving you in an essentially windowless living room
— very minimal space in the kitchen to actually cook… Massive dining room table also takes up a lot of the space of the room which means the square footage is actually a bit less .
— you see smokers/​people hanging outside on the parking lots. Sometimes they stay up past 3 am and talk and wake you up.
— management is rarely around for questions. They don’t work on Mondays, and on the days they do work they
— you are getting around 500square feet for 1300 $, which is a pretty bad ratio especially since you live nowhere close to seattle or bellevue downtown .
— a family who moved out threw out their furniture and what did management do? They actually charged all of us for that fee which is ridiculous .
— people in this community do not seem to be very friendly at all .
— the parking lot is a massive one way u bend so it’s annoying to have to drive around the entire bend each time .
— fire alarm goes off all the time since it is pretty close to the kitchen
— you run out of hot water relatively quickly if you shower .
Either way, check out central east apartments. You pay only a little more and you get some very nice apattments and won’t feel like your paying premium to stay at what feels like a motel !

Really small for its price. Used to be a motel. 24 hour gym and pool is nice, but there is only 1 treadmill, 1 elliptical, 1 stationary bike, and a few free weights. Only one big tv in the gym where you can only watch one channel. You have to pay for the washer and dryers. Heavy Indian population, followed by Hispanic in this complex.