Olympus Apartments

This was a weird review to write.
On one hand, I loved the front-​desk staff that worked at the Olympus, as well as our lovely apartment – it was definitely a home for us. They have many lovely amenities (including a reservable unit for family/​friends/​parties), and it’s quite a quiet place for belltown.
However, I felt somewhat betrayed when they sent us a lease renewal with a 20% increase in rent and a $ 100 increase per month for parking. While you may be able to negotiate concessions upon signing a lease, they will not hesitate to put you above market value at lease renewal because they know what a hassle it is to move. Also, as the Olympus was along my husband’s daily commute, he noticed that our old unit stayed vacant for at least 6+ months before finally being occupied. I guess a higher paying tenant is worth the long wait.
So, if money is no object, you’d probably love it here. If you would rather not get taken advantage of/​move every year, keep looking.

So I lived at the Olympus for a year and it was definitely a great building. The apartments themselves are in great shape (even better now with new renovations), great views, and staff that really do try to take care of you quickly and professionally. A couple lessons learned:
1. They will pay for one steam cleaning of your carpets. That being said, you have to request spot removal along with that (don’t assume it’s included).
2. You are paying a premium rent for the concierge staff (all four of which are wonderful and professional people that I could approach with any concern at any time). That being said, I really didn’t need to use their services as much as I thought I would.
3. The insulation is pretty good, but there’s not a great central heat unit (all individual wall heaters) which worked just fine in winter, but was kind of stagnant at times.
4. There is storage available in the basement which is semi-​secure, but I did come to find that it wasn’t only residents who stored things there; there was staff, there were folks from other properties, and even a guy who used to be a bartender nearby stores stuff there, so please don’t assume it is as secure as it looks…
5. Also on storage — get a bike lock!!! You need a large U-​lock to go around the fence door and door frame. Why? The fence door clasp does not have a central pin, so if you just have a padlock in the clasp hole, you (or a thief) can still pull the door open (the clasp will turn inwards and give way).
All this being said: here’s the gist– you would be hard-​pressed to find another property with such great amenities, views, location, and staff anywhere else in belltown or other Seattle neighborhoods.
Lastly– the Equity company manages Olympus and a dozen or so other properties in Seattle neighborhoods, and they have a great transfer program that reduces cost on move in or application fees. So you can always try Olympus for a year then try another equity property without breaking the bank…

This is a very nice building that offers great square footage and high end features for a competitive price. The neighborhood is very nice and centrally located. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. The views from higher floors are incredible but the price for those increases significantly. The only small complaint I have is that facing west on a lower floor is pretty noisy, but that has a small part of the experience.

I recently moved out of Olympus, so thought I’d leave this review:
I moved for a few reasons, but most importantly to be closer to work. If my work location hadn’t changed in the last year, I would have likely stayed in the Olympus, though I may have moved to a different unit.
Some positives:
1. Excellent value for the price. The Olympus had some of the nicest and largest studios at very affordable (for the city of Seattle) rates. Units of comparable quality in similar buildings are generally $ 100 – 200 more expensive
2. Very good studio layouts. None of that «kitchen is along the living room wall» crap that’s passed for living space in a lot of other buildings. The kitchens in (most) studios in this building are reasonably separated from the living area, which matter a lot if you like to cook often
3. The noise isolation seems to be amazing. Maybe I just had really quiet neighbors — I don’t know — but I rarely ever heard noise from any of the adjacent units.
4. The staff is incredible — everyone at the concierge desk is fantastic, the maintenance staff got around to every single issue I filed within 24 hours, and I had a great experience with the leasing office as well. One just gets the sense that the staff really, really cares about every single resident
5. Everything is very well-​maintained within the building. The garden between the towers is always clean and well-​groomed, none of the hallways or common areas smell of dog/​cat fur (even though there are lots of dogs in the building), and none of the garbage rooms that I used smell like garbage.
Negatives:
1. Units facing Elliott Bay should be prepared for some significant train/​traffic noise. Trains continue to be rowdy throughout the night, and traffic along Elliot Ave starts to pick up at around 6 am or so. It’s not too bad when the windows are closed, but if you want to keep your windows open in the summer for ventilation, be prepared for some serious noise
2. Speaking of ventilation, if your unit doesn’t have AC and faces West, you will need to equip yourself with a couple of fans for the summer. Even with the blinds down, the units get a LOT of sunlight (to the point where I rarely ran the heat even in the middle of winter), and because windows only open a crack, it’s impossible to get a significant breeze inside the unit.
3. There are no good internet providers within the building. It’s Comcast or go home (I think century link might also be an option, but I don’t think they’re any better). I wish the Olympus would outfit the building with Condo internet and rescue its residents from the clutches of Comcast
3. Equity Residential has a policy of increasing the rent by an absurd amount at the end of your first year. In my case, the increase was over 10% of my base rent, which just seems like a slap in the face. This is something you need to be prepared for no matter which Equity apartment you live at, but it still sucks if you really like your apartment and suddenly get a notice like that at the end of the year. And it’s not like the price of my apartment legitimately rose as high as it did within the year — since they’ve put my unit up online, I have noted the advertised price a few times and it was never as high as what I was quoted. This is the primary reason why I’m knocking a star off my review — and though I feel bad because this is not the fault of anyone on staff — it still made the Olympus feel less like a home and more like an exploitative relationship

Katie Hoynes and the other Olympus leasing staff are phenomenal at what they do, and the supreme service here sold this apartment for us. Since moving in, we have also found the location to be superb, the apartment to be cozy and high quality, and the noise level/​privacy to be ideal. Fair lease prices and practices, excellent grounds/​amenities, and superior service– what more could you want from a rental? Olympus leaves nothing more to be desired.
Also, see Andy P’s review from 4÷1÷13−− hits the nail on the head regarding the perfection of the location, and I second everything he says in that review!

Iv lived here for 18 months. Very poor customer service. Would not talk about an upgrade in the type of counter tops. The apartments need air conditioning! The carpet does not last 9 months, very cheap! There are other apartments that have better service! Also over priced!!!

We’ve lived in the Olympus Apartments for three months, so it’s time to document our impressions.
First, the complaints (the review would have no credibility without some, right?). The pricing strategy is bizarre, to be kind. Rents are set by the Chicago office, and reflect their perception of the local market. Inputs include available apartments in that category, as well as the interest expressed by potential customers (determined by the number of showings). We moved here after selling our house in a nearby ‘burb, so spent several weeks evaluating our choices. During that time, the price for our apartment fluctuated more than $ 100 — changing daily!
My second complaint is that the Chicago office apparently thinks of «water views» as being of Lake Michigan. Apartments with views of Puget Sound are described as «Lake View». Huh? Yes, some parts of the world actually have salt water.
You need to give the matter some serious thought it you’re considering a west-​facing apartment without air conditioning. We live in a west-​facing 12^th floor apartment with a fantastic view. We have NEVER turned on our heat, including nights when the temperature was in the mid-20’s (yes, below freezing). We normally sleep with at least one window open. Considerable heat from lower apartments finds it way to our apartment. I expect that our A/​C will be getting a workout this summer!
If you dislike the sound of trains, avoid living near the Seattle waterfront. Fortunately, Olympus’ double-​pane windows and thick walls mute the noise to a very low level. However, you’ll need to be aware of traffic problems caused by those trains, if that’s a concern for you. I’ve observed crossings (including for pedestrians) blocked for 20 minutes by successive trains.
Okay, now the good stuff. I cannot imagine a nicer place to live. My hat’s off to the GM, David Parrish, for his hiring skills. He’s hired some extremely high-​caliber folks. I’ll not mention names, to avoid omitting anyone. Without exception, the staff here is extremely friendly and competent. A couple of times, we’ve made casual mention of a minor maintenance item to a staff member. The next time we look, it’s been fixed. The maintenance folks are not only very responsive, but very pro-​active in doing preventive and minor maintenance. The overall condition of the common areas is outstanding. If you sign a lease while an apartment is being readied for the next tenant, the staff is very accommodating in selecting wall colors.
One reviewer complained about the neighborhood being dull. That’s a matter of personal preference. It’s several blocks from the night clubs and bars, in a quiet residential area. A quick check of the Seattle PD’s map of Belltown crime reports will show that the incidence of crime, particularly violent crime, falls off dramatically with distance from the clubs (generally located about a half-​dozen blocks to the South and East). While we dine out a fair amount, we’re retired, and not hanging around the clubs, especially at closing time (when most of the shootings occur). We live in a very quiet area, which we like.
The Olympus is within a two-​mile walk of nearly anything that we want to do. To the South, Town Hall is a bit less than two miles away. Pike Place Market is about a mile away. There’s a City Target (urban version of Target) next to the Market, and they have a decent selection of food items. About the same distance away is the grocery store in the basement of the old Kress store.
The Seattle Center is a few blocks to the North, with the Lower Queen Anne shopping area just a bit further. That includes a QFC, Safeway, and Metropolitan Market for groceries, along with a Bartell drug store, and more restaurants than you can count.
The Big Picture cinema is a few blocks away, and is a treat that you must experience. Go to the Cinerama or the Science Center’s Imax theater (also within a few blocks) for movies that are best seen on a big screen. Otherwise, go to Big Picture (
) simply for the experience.
The Olympus has two Zip Cars in the parking garage. With so many nearby stores and restaurants, and good bus service within a few blocks, there’s little need to own a car. We went from four vehicles to one, and that car is driven very little.
Parking is expensive, but not out of line with other properties (much cheaper than some, actually). You’re given a remote control and sticker, for access to the secure parking area (beyond the public area) Spots are not assigned, but are plentiful.
To summarize, avoid Olympus if you’re looking for inexpensive lodging, or want to be close to the nightlife (and crime). However, this is the place if you want an exceptional experience in a quiet residential area of Belltown.

Great concrete building with good sound insulation.
Love the car wash bay indoors!!! Perfect for winter washing.
The only one star ding is the expensive parking when there are plenty of empty spaces available and the hot tub is under repair half the time.

I loved this place. Great staff, great location, amazing views, awesome building and believe it or not, it was affordable.

Location is awesome!
— You are close to the beautiful Olympic Sculpture Park and right near the water.
— The air quality in this part of town is amazing because it’s close to the water.
— You are within close walking distance to 3^rd Ave, which has major transportation hubs.
Building is beautiful!
— Building has nicely decorated lobby, courtyard, and hallways.
— Your suite has plush carpeting and nice wooden floors in the kitchen.
— Countertops in kitchen and bathroom are elegant.
Building has many amenities.
— There is a gym, a jacuzzi, a sauna, a theater room and a grill for residential use.
— There is a 24 hour concierge
— You pick up packages and drop off outgoing mail with concierge if you don’t want to go to the post office
Leasing process and move-​in was seamlessly easy!
— The leasing consultants Kimberly and Julia are really nice, easy to work with, and make sure you have what you need prior to move-​in
— I didn’t see the property before I moved in; I was moving from cross-​country and my friend had previously toured this property and really liked it. For work reasons, she chose to live elsewhere, but would have lived here, had Belltown been a good location for her to get to work. Since I didn’t see the property, the leasing consultant I was working with emailed me pictures and discussed the apartment with me via email. I was confident enough to sign without having seen my exact unit.
Everything is online or automated which is awesome.
— You receive an email when a package arrives for you at the Concierge desk (they are moving towards text messaging for this)
— You let people into your apartment using your cell phone
— You pay your rent and other bills online
I hope rent doesn’t increase too much next year because I want to stay! Rent might increase because companies such as Amazon are hiring extremely rapidly.

This is so tough for me. First, I hate to write reviews stating that a business is just ok or average. But second, there are LOTS of good things about The Olympus. However, if you add them up and take everything into consideration, it’s still not enough for me to really recommend this building to friends.
Here’s the deal… This is an Equity Residential building. And that’s a GOOD thing. In all my 5 ½ years in Seattle I’ve lived (only until last month) in an Equity Residential building. So if I try to compare these two, I still get the same smiling service and the same sense of security. In fact, I moved to this building because of its security systems. There are cameras in the garages, in the elevators in the courtyards, in the entrances and exits… it’s like a fortress. And no joke, I wanted that. I felt very safe here.
But here’s where I have trouble. This building is located on the dead side of Belltown. You’re a few blocks from anything with a heartbeat and unlike my previous spot in Capitol Hill, you’d never find me walking around here at night alone. Sure, I’m a block from the Sculpture Park but all of the nearby restaurants and shops are a miss. The center of Belltown (between 2^nd and 1^st) up by hot spots like Rob Roy, Shorty’s, List, Clever Bottle, etc are all a good 10 min walk or more away. For some though, this could be a good thing. It’s a highly residential area and you don’t get lots of street noise and you never hear crowds of people outside.
Additionally, I was really disappointed that after talking to management and breaking the news that I needed to move, there was just a one day period between this apartment and my new one. I had even informed management that I wasn’t moving more than a mile away. So an important package of mine that was en route to me arrived the morning after I moved. I got an email from FedEx notifying me that it was at the Olympus front desk and because I had to go down there and drop off keys and speak to management anyway, I called ahead to confirm the package and let them know I was coming to get it. Shocked by their response, I was told by the gal at the receiving desk that she promptly turned the package around and sent it back to California. Really? I have been paying your company rent for 5 ½ years, you have my cell number, you even have my bank account number and I moved out 12 hours ago and you can’t call me? All of the boxes in that shipment were extremely time sensitive and sending everything back to California caused a huge mess for me at work. I’d love to say it was an oversight of mine that the package came a day late but I hadn’t moved into my new place yet and really didn’t expect that my package would be returned like that. After thinking about it for a while, that really summed up my experience here. My old Equity apartment was in Capitol Hill in a building with something like 75 units. I knew everyone there and they knew me. It was fabulous. And while I received a warm welcome from the team at the Olympus, it failed to really stick. The gal at the front desk never seemed to know who I was, the woman I signed my lease with quit and left the company shortly after I moved in, and it just seemed like a much bigger, less personal operation.
That being said however, you do get what you pay for here. You won’t find anything for under $ 1000 but the apartments are spacious, they are spotless and with amenities like a 16-​seat theater, a 24 hr gym, a sauna, a jacuzzi, storage units and more — it’s certainly a place that many people can (and do) call home.
It took a month to get my deposits back and while I got a lot of $$ back and was pleased, I laughed when I got a notice saying the «oven wasn’t cleaned» or that the bathroom wasn’t either. I spent HOURS cleaning that apartment and not only was the oven clean, I never used it in the 6 months I lived there. Not once. So be careful when you move in to make sure everything is spotless. I’d have happily stayed here longer but had to relocate for personal reasons. If you’re like me and you’re willing to pay extra for a clean, safe space, this will make a great new home. Especially if you like peace and quiet and anonymity.

Very nice and spacious apartments for a city area. I recommend them for anyone who is looking for a city apartment with decent building amenities and on a quieter side.

I really have enjoyed my time living here. My apartment is great, the maintenance staff responds immediately and the staff in general is terrific. Unforunately, my rent was raised $ 300/​month so i will not be staying.

Expectations Exceeded for this High-​Maintenance Crew
We were in Seattle for 6 months for my husband’s leukemia treatment (a bone marrow transplant). The apartment we rented (PH7) could NOT have been more gorgeous — visiting family gasped when they saw the view of Puget Sound. We never stopped gasping either (and our three-​year old THRILLED over the view constantly). But most importantly, the staff at Olympus bent over backwards to make sure all of my husband’s special needs were met, that the apartment was super clean for move-​in, that air filters were changed regularly, etc. Maintenance was great. Joshua Service (our sales agent) was superb. The concierge crew were all amazing. We never heard any neighbors; solid construction. You do hear trains at night some, but it’s part of living in the urban center. The location here cannot be beat. You can walk to the fish market, to the sculpture park, to a beach, to Seattle Center with all of the museums, to the grocery, etc. We could not have had a more beautiful, supportive environment during our stay, and we highly endorse the Olympus. If you can afford it, it will make your stay in Seattle so much more enjoyable. Also, here’s a tip: the winter «dreary» weather is not nearly so dreary when you have a view of Puget Sound — there is almost always some sun over the water! While we have a beautiful, large new home in Texas, we will sorely miss PH7 and the Olympus. (We started in another tower, in a smaller apartment, and it also had a wonderful view). I cannot imagine wanting to live anywhere else in Seattle if I were in the market for an apartment in-​town.

Finished a whirlwind apartment hunting tour this weekend, and was very impressed with Olympus.
NOTE — I’m not a resident here, but did a lot of recent research on different apartments in Seattle that I hope other non-​Seattle-​lites who are apartment hunting may find useful…
The leasing staff was outstanding. Helpful, informative, very nice, and not pushy.
It’s got condo-​like standards, which seems exceptional for apartments in Seattle — It’s a steel and concrete building, which helps cut down apartment noise. Windows are thick, which cuts down outside noise. Units on higher floors have AC.
Place is classy — nicely decorated, nice lobby and common areas. Some places looked classy online, and were less so in person. This is truly a well designed place.
Amenities are excellent: concierge, security, gym, spa/​sauna, movie room, conference room, courtyard, etc.
Location is great for Belltown — surrounded mostly by other apartments/​condos. Immediate area is much more residential than some of the other options in the area. However, if you wander a little further you’ll run into the Bell and 2^nd area where… shady activity goes on at night… (enough has been written about this online; google it if you don’t know what this means).
Rents are amazingly low because of the economy. They have places with a gorgeous unobstructed water view for cheaper than comparable complexes in Ballard!
Resident ratings online were one of the highest for the apartments in that area. I think the main criticism was about rent raising after lease was up, and the non-​refundability of security deposits… (which, btw, they’re currently waiving)
The negatives (leasing agent was very honest about these) — it’s downtown Seattle… you’ll have noise if you open the windows. Exercise caution when out at night — true for any urban city. There’s a train that runs by the waterside, so you have to be able to tolerate that noise. No pool, if that is important to you. Perhaps more expensive than some other places…
If I were going to live in a newer place in Belltown, this is absolutely the place I’d be…

Have really enjoyed the Olympus and will miss it when I move. The complex is extremely pet friendly, which is a huge plus since I have a dog. And living directly next door (across the street) from the Seattle Sculpture Museum is great for walking the dog in a safe and well kept environment. There’s also a long walk/​run/​bike trail that starts just a block away…
The only negative thing I can say is that as well insulated and soundproof as the shared walls are in the apartment (and they are — it’s by far the quietest apartment I’ve ever lived in and I know I have neighbors), you can hear EVERYTHING through the front door into the hallway. Not really a problem if the layout of your apartment (like mine) is designed so that the living spaces are outside of earshot from that door — but if you look at an apartment here and you’ll be occupying space near the front door, or if your apartment is near the elevator which I can hear beeping from around the corner, you might want to scope out a different space in the building.

Once your lease is up they will raise your rent significantly. Would only recommend it if you plan on living here for 1 year, and not renewing.
Otherwise, expect then to raise rent by hundreds of dollars a month, to sign for the second year.

Pricey apartment, but I’m pretty happy with it considering that I have a decently spacious studio. I just wish that most of the footage is in the living space instead of my bathroom. What the heck is up with that? My bathroom is the largest one I’ve ever had, ever. The concierge service is nice, and they were fantastic in recommending me things, and one of them actually helped me haul a TV to my room. Which brings me to my 2^nd favorite thing here: the rolling carts. You appreciate it more and more if you shop like I do: one every couple of weeks and in bulk.
The leasing agent who attended me was very very nice, and he was so helpful in making sure I understand everything. My only gripe was that when he was out of town, no one seemed to know anything about the details of my move in. Minus one star for that.
I’ll be leaving soon since I have to be in Canada for a few months, but I will definitely *try* and come back to live here when I get back to Seattle. Hopefully the rent wouldn’t skyrocket.

Pricey but nice. We moved into the city and had to find an apartment quickly. We paid $ 1200 for a spacious 1-​bedroom with a view of the Space Needle. A few months later we were able to break our lease and move out to a more affordable apartment with a bit more character.
It’s definately a nice place with lots of perks — beautiful courtyard, business office with internet, fitness center and jacuzzi. They have a concierge and throw lots of tenant events.
The lobby is gorgeous and the services were nice, but I’d rather do my own dry cleaning and deal with one less obelisk in my lobby and pay half the rent.