Lightbox

My boyfriend and I signed our lease moving from out of state, so we did all the research we could online but never saw it in person. It's a nice complex, is cleaned every day, feels safe, apartments are new with new appliances, and has a super nice rooftop deck. But it is SO. FREAKING. SMALL. 400 sq ft doesn't sound that bad, but the way the apartment is set up your kitchen is the same as your bedroom. And we did NOT get a studio, and yet it feels that way. There is a huge gap in the bedroom wall and the doors are sliding, AKA absolutely no privacy in this apartment, which is essentially a hallway that we live in. The only normal sized part is the bathroom which I like. But having a small apartment also means the fire alarm goes off SO easily and any smells, good or bad, instantly permeate the place. We had to measure every inch to make sure the furniture we were ordering would even fit because the living space is so small! The people that have come over have always been so shocked by how small our apartment is, it is actually kind of uncomfortable so we just stopped having people over. If you're living alone the space is tolerable, but FYI - you're paying outrageously high rent by yourself for such a teensy space that's poorly laid out. You ABSOLUTELY should look at this place in person before moving in, and decide if that's a compromise you're willing to make. I definitely wasn't.

RENTER BEWARE: My daughter and her friend were 2 summer interns who decided to live in Seattle instead of in the suburbs like they had done the prior summer. They liked the Lightbox apartments and the location. The problem is, Lightbox has a history of scamming you after you vacate the premises. There are many reviews out there just like ours that attest to their experience. They do this especially to out of state students who are naive and vulnerable. Once you leave and go back home they hit you with made up and unsubstantiated charges like smoke damage and having to paint the entire apartment and ceiling twice! They can't supply pictures or receipts for the repair work. The comical aspect, if there is one, is that during their 3 month stay, the girls did not cook and they don't smoke. Lightbox knows that the amount they charge is not high enough to expend the money necessary to retain an attorney, fly out for court appearances, and fight them, so in the end, after you try to reason with them, you end up begrudgingly giving them the $1100 they require just to make the situation go away. The irony, they wouldn’t allow them to pay online or mail them a check. They had to give these unscrupulous thieves their credit card number over the phone. They were told if they didn’t pay that day over the phone it was going to collections and their credit would be ruined. Bad credit is a big concern for college students who have yet to graduate and embark on their careers. This was a horrible situation and these girls were so taken advantage. We have all learned a lesson the hard way. Before moving into any apartment, read reviews first, check with the local police department, and force a final walk-through prior to leaving. We feel it is now our duty to warn everyone about these scammers!

The building has great in unit amenities--washer/dryer, garbage disposal, dishwasher. The building has a bike room, lounge, and is putting in a fitness room. It's walkable to lots of bus routes, Trader Joe's, and the Ave. There's a parking garage and a decent amount of street parking. But the crown jewel of the building is the rooftop deck that overlooks Lake Union and downtown Seattle, with a view of Rainier on clear days. Overall it's a nice, newer building with good amenities. It's somewhat pricy but they do sometimes offer move-in specials, so that could make that less of an issue!