After living at John Alden for 3 years between 2 units I can confidently say you need to avoid this complex. Good: -Building is in a cute walkable part of First Hill and once the Rapid G-line opened up it made getting around without a vehicle super easy. -Generally quiet inside the apartment units and unable to hear much noise from other tenants and due to the location by the hospital it's honestly mostly quiet at night outside too. -The old telephone system in the units is a very cute decorative feature -There is a parking garage Bad: -The building has cockroaches and after asking multiple property managers I gave up after the 3rd new property manager showed up within the first 18 months of tenancy. -High property management turnover so it feels like they can never address issues until the next one starts all over again. -No elevator. It worked, maybe, a total of 6 months in 3 years and not at the same time. -The laundry room is a disaster almost constantly, people are disgusting and leave clothes and grime everywhere and machines are down often. -There is a parking garage yes but after my windows were smashed out 3 times with "oh sorry the cameras don't work" when brought up to management this is a huge issue for $250 a month. -RUBS utilities, where do I begin with this one. When we first moved in our flat rate utilities for 2 people was $120, our final utility bill under the RUBS system was $441, none of this includes electric. -Wood floor in some units is bowed and buckling -No control of heat, you can control your radiator (kind of because if the boiler is on then it just emits heat regardless) but it won't turn on unless the boiler is on. It got to 50 degrees in our unit for an entire month with the boiler not on. -Not cleaning up after dogs urinating in the courtyard which smells just...lovely in the summertime -Constant smell of smoke in the building -There was a wall of black mold in the basement which the solution was to paint over it -Your rent will raise every year -Unresponsive property management generally. Attempting to give our notice to vacate in February and they didn't acknowledge it until the middle of April read more

This Apartment Building is a real treasure .It is located on a very quiet street ,and yet it is central to everything .Get to know the transport system ,and you are close to all. stops.The G Bus zooms you up all the steep hills from First Ave .It is an old building ,but has loads of style .The Apt Mgr Anastasia is a gem and is so courteous and efficient .All the tenants I have met in passing are very cool ,and are an eclectic bunch .Older Apts are the way to go ...Historic Seattle . read more

I've lived at the John Alden for close to 10 months, and it's been a great experience overall. This 1920s building has lots of character and charm, so if you're looking for brand-new and IKEA-esque, move in to one of those square boxes literally everywhere else. There will be quirks with an older building, but it's worth it to me. Super cute old telephones in some of the units (non-operational), ship-like telescope-style peephole on front doors, and sweet doorbell buzzers (that work!). I love little charms like this. Plethora of hot water, low utility bill every month, new windows... Most importantly to me, the neighbors and the building manager, Chelsea, were great. Chelsea quickly responds via text, call, email, and makes me feel well taken care of. That's huge. The building is fairly quiet, even on the side of the hospital. Rarely do I hear sirens, etc. from the hospital.. a neighbor who's lived in the building for years told me it's one of the quietest places in the city because they cannot blare their sirens within 2 blocks of the hospital. I don't know if that's true, but I can attest that I've only heard a few in my time living here. ALSO - Whole Foods opened up recently and is only a few blocks down Spring (take Spring.. trust me. Madison Ave is not the most fun to walk down with the traffic), but Spring is a wonderful neighborhood street. Sugar Bakery is amazing, Pho Saigon rules for a cheap eat, 206 burger isn't my style but their Veggie burger is great, Vito's is awesome for music and Italian food, the Hideout and the Sorrento Hotel for drinks... it's a pretty amazing location. Freeway Park is a nice walkthrough during the day, too, or to take a loungy walk to the shopping district downtown. All in all, I would recommend this place to people looking for a safe, quiet, quirky vintage building. read more

I recently stumbled across a rental property on par with John Alden just a block away renting for less money than what I pay. Yet I still feel good about the choice made to sign on here. The property manager truly cares about the tenants. Though it may take a reminder or two to get requests filled. I put the slow response time to the large turnover of tenants the building is currently going through. Overall I'm happy with the service provided. The building itself oozes charm. Lots of built-ins in the unit, hardwood floors, freight elevator, stained glass windows in the entry way and original phone system in tact (though not working ;)). The floors are somewhat thin as I can hear the upstairs neighbors talking and their dog barking. Nothing a pair of earplugs won't mask. And the location can't be beat. Being nestled between downtown and Capital Hill provides a walking scale of 5 out of 5. If you come by in the early evening be sure to stop next door at Sorrento Hotel for happy hour in the round room. Check it out for yourself - you won't be disappointed. read more

Lived at John Alden for a year and it came with the good and the bad. Nothing that I couldn't live with, but definitely some things I wish I had known before moving in, if anyone is looking for an honest breakdown. THE GOOD - The building itself is absolutely beautiful. 1920's brick building with Mayflower-themed stained glass in the lobby, and gorgeous detailing throughout - It has an ELEVATOR! Which is so unexpected and nice in an older building - The location is fantastic! I absolutely love the First Hill neighborhood: on the cusp of Capitol Hill without being stuck with all the noise & craziness, and a very short walk to the business district downtown. It's surprisingly quiet for being next to a hospital; no ambulance sirens blaring at all hours - A few really great restaurants/bars around the block: Hotel Sorrento, The Hideout, Little Neon Taco, Quarter Lounge, 206 Burger, Italian Family Pizza, Vito's, Sugar Bakery... the list goes on! - Gorgeous new black granite counters to match the black & white checkered vintage-tile-looking rubber mat in the kitchen. As someone who loves to cook, the rubber mat flooring in the kitchen was AWESOME! Comfortable to stand on and very easy to clean - Original hardwood floors - Having laundry in the building was very nice - On-site parking in the building was very nice - The front door entry code is SO convenient for those times when you don't want to dig for your keys in the cold & rain - Even though there's not a package room, I never had any issues with my packages disappearing. It's a safe building & neighborhood - The living room is HUGE! - I got my full deposit back - The building manager is incredibly helpful and kind - available by text, phone, and e-mail, and responds quickly and professionally. After I moved out, several packages were sent to my old address, and she was incredibly helpful & gracious about me stopping by to get my packages. The 4 stars are primarily because of her THE BAD - Tenants don't have control of the heat. When the boiler is on, your heat is on/When the boiler is off, your heat is off no matter how your radiator knob is turned. This got to be a problem when the heat was off and it was snowing outside - Folks tend to congregate on the front steps. In a unit where the bedroom is right above the front door courtyard, this tends to get pretty irritating when you're trying to sleep and there are loud conversations happening at 2am. Sometimes employees from Hotel Sorrento and Virginia Mason use the apartment's courtyard to smoke. Not necessarily management's fault, but still worth noting for future tenants - The laundry room has a mildewy, damp feel/smell to it. The machines sometimes leak (not the building employees' fault, as the machines are run by an independent company, but still something to consider). It's all quarter-operated (no card readers) - The paint job isn't the cleanest, and things are a little worn-down, as they tend to be in older buildings that aren't well-maintained - Maintenance requests can take a long time, and there's no online portal to make sure your request was received or taken care of. It's not a very transparent process that I have come to expect living in other apartments around town. For example: The bathtub was originally painted with latex paint, which is not durable or sanitary. The tub got dirty every time I showered, and after a couple months the paint started to peel. It took them over a month to respond to my maintenance request and when they finally got someone in to fix it, they re-painted (enamel paint this time, thank goodness) but didn't tape off or tarp the rest of the bathroom, so there was off-spray from the paint everywhere - The light switch was outside of the bedroom and the door hinge was on the same side as the switch, so I had to open the door and walk around it into the living room to switch the bedroom light. Not a deal-breaker, but certainly annoying after a few months - The unit itself was about 100sf smaller than the advertised square footage - If you have a car: be aware that the parking garage is a little difficult to maneuver - No one has taken time to sand the paint between tenants, so with the paint build-up the cabinets don't really close or stay closed, the kitchen drawers stick, and most of the doors don't close all the way In all, it's a decent building. Definitely not the worst place I've ever lived, but also not the best place I've ever lived. I had my reasons for leaving, but there's also TONS of friendly, long-term tenants still living there, which says a lot! read more

Clean and safe. Good location. Older building but quaint. Pet friendly and has a cool lift to assist with move in/out. Chelsea was friendly, helpful, and efficient. Overall a good place to land for the time being. I would recommend to friends. read more

I have lived at the John Alden for the last five months in one of their furnished apartments and it's been a great experience. I moved here from NH and Chelsea, the property manager, made the transition seamless. She is attentive, kind and responsive. The building itself is beautiful brick and the apartment has cool built in features. It has a huge bathtub for relaxing. The furniture and decor is updated and comfortable. The location is perfect for walking to both downtown and Capital Hill. read more

I have no complaints! The manager is very nice and maintenance workers are timely and nice as well. The building is beautiful brick and the inside has stained glass windows. It is very comfortable and I'd like to think rather safe as well. Overall a very quiet and pleasant living atmosphere. And since it's downtown Seattle, it's kind of crazy how quiet it is, especially on the weekends. I was very nervous about noise before I moved in, since the building is next to Virginia Mason, but I hardly ever hear anything, the ambulances don't run their sirens 99% of the time. I'm not sure why, but they don't. Anyway, I'm very happy and plan to renew my lease. read more

John Alden Apts - John Alden Apartments on Terry Avenue - Apartments Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I give the actual apartment 4 stars. Hardwood floors, lots of charm. There were a few quirks but nothing I couldn't work with. My low rating is due to property management. There were 3 building managers in the time that I was there. The first one was extremely unprofessional and I think was fired the day I moved in. The second was super nice and very helpful. I didn't interact with the third one until I moved out. She seemed nice enough. I came home from vacation to a letter in my mailbox saying that I my lease had expired a month ago (ok, my bad should have been prepared) and that I could renew for way more than what I had been paying. I tried to negotiate with the property manager but she said there was no way they could lower the price. I really liked the apartment but didn't feel it was worth what they were asking. So, I found a new apartment and moved all my stuff out over the weekend. I returned to the John Alden on Monday to finish cleaning and turn in my key. I arrived to a note taped to the door from the new building manager saying she had heard I was moving out and if I hadn't found a place yet I could renew for exactly what I had been paying. WHAT?? I just spent hundreds of dollars moving and signing a new lease!!! When I talked to the building manager about it she said the property manager had simply "changed her mind." Terrible management in my opinion. Overall, I'm happy that I moved even though it was a pain in the ass. read more

This apartment experience has been excellent! Quiet, friendly neighbors and in a wonderful neighborhood! I would go next door to the Sorrento Hotel on Saturday evenings for free live music. The apartment is close to downtown and several museums and art events. I especially loved the sound of the church bells from the amazing cathedral down the street. The manager here is very responsive. A single text is all it takes to have most problems addressed. She is truly the best! read more

Still living here all these years later...still absolutely loving it. The manager is still awesome, they still fix things quickly, and I am still super happy that I get to live in this building. I'm starting to see more BMWs in the garage, which should tell you something about the types of people who live here. Prices are definitely getting higher, but still below average for Capitol Hill/First Hill at this quality. read more

As a Midwest transplant moving to the area I had no clue how fast the market moves out here(luckily I had relocation to help ease the pain). I found an ad for the apartment on craigslist and reached out to Chelsea and she responded right away, we set up a time to check out the apartment later that day. I walked in and adored the charm of the building (it reminded me of the Victorian home I grew up in)! My apartment is a happy medium between a one bedroom and studio, yes-my bed is in my closet but oddly I kind of love it, it's great to have the separation between kitchen, living and bathroom space and is plenty large enough for someone who's working all the time plus a cat. I've been at the John Alden for a year and a half now and don't intend on leaving during my time in Seattle. OH! Chelsea was also a life saver when I thought I left my oven when I left for Christmas, she went in and double checked for me :) read more

First--I don't live here, but I visited the building and my observations might help some prospective tenants that are looking at renting at this building. Background: I visited to view an apartment, on a Saturday. The unit I viewed was a studio apartment. I had done my homework and found out that the John Alden Apartments have two floor plans; studios and one bedrooms. The only exceptions are corner units that can be a bit smaller, but still have the same fundamental floor plan. The corner units would only be 10-20 sq ft smaller, nothing more. The manager was running late with earlier viewings and I had to wait outside for half an hour. I used that time to look around the block, at the outside of the building, and the tenants that were coming & going. I had a very favorable impression. Everyone I saw coming & going had a dog. This is a very dog friendly building. The building is old-school, vintage charming and is next to an equally charming hotel, the Sorento. Despite being a Saturday and only a stone's throw from a major hospital; I did not hear much noise outside and virtually none inside. The building has an intercom system and appears to be very secure. On entering the building, I noticed that the interiors are well maintained and I didn't smell /see anything that would trigger an alarm bell. :-) Prior to making the appointment, I specifically asked about the size of the studio apartments. I was told, over the phone and in person, that the studio apartments are 450 sq ft, with huge walk in closets that could fit a queen sized bed. I was intrigued. When I actually saw the apartment, I was hugely disappointed. I had brought a notepad and a tape measure. I wanted to be absolutely certain about the size of the unit, because I planned to scale down (current unit was 650 sq ft). I carefully measured the rooms and found that the apartment was 320 sq ft!!!!! The manager looked right at me and repeated, "450 sq ft". It isn't that difficult to figure out square footage. This isn't rocket science. Furthermore, the huge walk in closet, which is quite big, has no door. Imagine that all of your clothes and bedding acquired the odors emanating from your kitchen. Do you really want your cashmere sweater to smell like garlic? I asked about this and was told that there is a "door cemetery" in the basement, but it was unlikely that anyone had saved that particular door. The kitchen counters were beautiful, but the cabinets were so-so and the appliances looked very small and outdated. Many vintage style studio apartments have totally up-to-date appliances. The bathroom was good sized, for a studio, but only had a tiny medicine cabinet for storage (no under the sink cabinet). The flooring, throughout the unit, was beautiful. This is a charming building, but the studio units are quite small. Other studio apartments in the same area are 100-150 sq ft larger. The location is super convenient and if you have a furry friend; they will welcome him/her. read more

I have lived in the John Alden Apartments for almost 7 months and my experience here is hellish. These apartments are infested with ROACHES. The apartment I am in has been treated 3 times while I have lived here and the exterminator told me that before we moved in it was treated as well. (he also told me he has been called in to treat the building for rats in other units) The landlord refuses to admit that this is their issue to deal with and claims to the exterminator that we may be "dirty people". The roaches have remained constant here since we moved in and the issue has not been resolved. I am fed up with dealing with roaches in my bathroom, fridge, and kitchen cabinets. There is also the issue of the gross floors and windows that this apartment has, as well as the disgusting laundry room that smells like mold and has obvious water damage. If you plan on paying the amount these apartments cost, you are better off in a smaller unit in a cleaner apartment building rather than paying for a gross apartment in this run down building. read more

Responded to Chelsea's ad about an apartment on craigslist via text message - twice. No response. Texted a third time and finally received a reply that a deposit had been put down already. I asked if anything would be opening up the next month. No response again. I guess she's a good apartment manager if you already live there or got in early with an application or tour request. read more

Edit: I decided to shorten this to be less judgemental and more objective so it may seem a bit disjointed: Here are the details, good and bad, just the everyday stuff I wish someone would have laid out for me before I would have signed a lease. Looking back, the in-house manager is not to blame as much as the ownership is for what could be a great building in a great spot. -The total deposit was $1000 which was cheap (600 for us and 400 for the dog) and they kept half for admin fees, not cleaning or possible damage, just non refundable fees. -The radiators keep the place warm but they only come on sporadically and make noise at any time of the day (sometimes from 3-4 am when it is coldest) which we specifically asked about before moving in but were told that they did not. Not a huge deal, just woke us up a few times during the colder months when they began popping and hissing(whether the valve is open or closed) because they are not far from where you sleep. -Yes there is charm, hardwoods, old window frames, coming home to a historic brick building but it was also fairly dirty in the halls, stairs and basement. (once again, not the employees as much as the ownership) - Hot water was great, and on demand, very nice.(we were on the third floor) -People smoke cig/weed in the back stairway, sometimes in their rooms and all of the hospital staff walk across the street on their break to honor the 25 ft rule from their building and yet smoke right next to ours. If you have allergies or asthma that can be a concern, especially when they take refuge from the rain in the two side entrance overhangs. -No real security in the garage, people prop the interior door open constantly and it doesn't often shut completely, not to mention the front door that was pretty hit and miss as well. -Not a very clean building, bags of garbage are left in the back staircase on a weekly basis and left for days(although not many people use it so it isn't an issue for most). -Laundry room is pretty dank and smells of mildew, and the washing machines are left closed a lot and get pungent as well. -People come home late (1-3am) probably 3-4 times a week(weekdays included) and do not care how loud their conversations are after a night out, which I understand comes with the territory but I am just giving you an idea of the day to day. -The alley way access from the garage (only one) is blocked about 50% of the time during business hours because of deliveries, people moving or being dropped off. -Sirens are not bad being next to a hospital, but they are still a consideration. -Got the remainder of our deposit back on time but here is where I got a little bugged and decided to write this review. We were charged $125 for "touch up paint", and in my opinion we left the place in great shape and have always received our full deposit back some 14 times since college. So keep in mind you are dealing with a large corporation who loves to make money sailing as close to the wind as they can without consideration for fair play. We obviously survived and are unscathed but I wouldn't recommend it to everybody, especially if you are beyond your party years. I hope this helped. read more

Hannah, the manager, is as excellent as it gets. I enjoy the stained glass windows and antique detailing in this 1924 brick building. The hardwood floors are beautiful, and the windows are wide. Apartment sizes range from studio to 3 bedroom, and are reasonably priced. The location is quiet and walkable. My only complaint is that I wished I had looked closer at the paint, since it is peeling in places in my new apartment. read more

If you like quirky-vintage-details, and old-world charm, the John Alden is for you. The apartments are small, but with hardwood floors and lots of big windows they actually feel quite spacious. The building is pet friendly, and also a short walk from the dog park, which is great! The neighbors are quiet and the lobby and halls are always clean. The location is awesome, a short walk to pike and downtown. My one complaint is that the management doesn't always respond as quickly as I'd like, but it's no different from anywhere else I've lived. Overall, a cozy spot. read more