I love this area so much and the people. I hope I can stay here forever. Everyone is just so nice and management is great about treating the residents with respect and keeping the building up even when the roof collapsed. I often stop by for snacks and to hang out with management

The Ascona Apartments are located on the border between the International District and Downtown. Just 2 blocks to the south is King Street Station, Bolt Bus, Light Rail Stations and all manner of bus routes. Go another 5-6 blocks south and you'll find Qwest Field and Safeco Field. I5 is less than a minute away with a southbound onramp on James street and a northbound Express Lane and normal onramp on Cherry. Downtown is about a 10-15 minute walk north where you'll find Pike Place Market, Westlake Center, etc. Best of all, just a couple blocks to the east you'll find a bunch new cool bars and venues like Good Bar, 88 Keys, and Comedy Underground.

The building itself is fairly up to date, especially the entrance. The mailboxes are new and secure. Fed Ex and UPS will make deliveries directly to your apartment door and services like Amazon Prime Now, Bite Squad, and Caviar don't have a problem finding the place.

Perhaps my biggest complaint would be the lack of washer/dryers in the units. Laundry is on the second floor and is coin operated at $1.50/wash and $1.25/dry. The machines work well and it's not that expensive, but it's annoying to haul your laundry to the 2nd floor, so I often accumulate a lot of it!

Another drawback would be the garbage system, which is due to Seattle's new Clear Alley Program in the Pioneer Square area. Residents have to use special garbage and recycling bags that management obviously cannot supply in unlimited quantity. If you run out bags, you have to buy more. The program doesn't seem to be working either, as the alley behind the Ascona is quite disgusting.

As for my apartment itself, it's a cozy 1 bedroom. The limited square footage has a good floor plan and still feels open and usable. The door opens to the living room, which has a ton of light from three very large windows that provide an awesome view of the downtown skyline. My kitchen came with updated cabinets and flooring which match the bathroom. It came with a full size fridge, but the dishwasher and oven are small and look like they belong more in a micro-studio for a student at UW. The bathroom is small, but there is a full tub/shower insert which is easy to keep clean.

As far as amenities, the Ascona only offers an approximately 250 cubic foot storage space for an additional $20/month and free bike racks in the key-secured basement.

There are approximately 15 free parking spaces on Washington St. adjacent the building and 10 more free spaces on 6th Ave between Yesler and Main St. There is also a ton of free spots to park on the Yesler bridge which spans I5 just a couple of blocks up the hill. I'm able to find a free space about 90% of time, but every once in a while I'll have to us the Pay to Park, of which there are countless. However, if it's a Seahawks or Sounders home game DON'T MOVE YOU"RE CAR! LOL. You likely won't be able to find a single space in the are until the games are over.

Overall, I've had a very pleasant experience at the Ascona apartments. The on-site manager is super cool and attentive to your concerns. The rent for these apartments is some of the most affordable I've ever seen in Seattle and appears to be staying strong despite the rapid and ridiculous increase in rent prices in Seattle. I don't think I'll moving out any time soon...

The Ascona Apartments are located on the border between the International District and Downtown. Just 2 blocks to the south is King Street Station, Bolt Bus, Light Rail Stations and all manner of bus routes. Go another 5-6 blocks south and you'll find Qwest Field and Safeco Field. I5 is less than a minute away with a southbound onramp on James street and a northbound Express Lane and normal onramp on Cherry. Downtown is about a 10-15 minute walk north where you'll find Pike Place Market, Westlake Center, etc. Best of all, just a couple blocks to the east you'll find a bunch new cool bars and venues like Good Bar, 88 Keys, and Comedy Underground.

The building itself is fairly up to date, especially the entrance. The mailboxes are new and secure. Fed Ex and UPS will make deliveries directly to your apartment door and services like Amazon Prime Now, Bite Squad, and Caviar don't have a problem finding the place.

Perhaps my biggest complaint would be the lack of washer/dryers in the units. Laundry is on the second floor and is coin operated at $1.50/wash and $1.25/dry. The machines work well and it's not that expensive, but it's annoying to haul your laundry to the 2nd floor, so I often accumulate a lot of it!

Another drawback would be the garbage system, which is due to Seattle's new Clear Alley Program in the Pioneer Square area. Residents have to use special garbage and recycling bags that management obviously cannot supply in unlimited quantity. If you run out bags, you have to buy more. The program doesn't seem to be working either, as the alley behind the Ascona is quite disgusting.

The final, but smallest negative would be the noise. Though noise downtown is to be expected, the Ascona is kiddy corner to the International District fire station. Throughout the day you'll have long stretches of silence and then BOOM sirens sirens sirens. It only last a couple of seconds and you get used to it, but the older windows of this building aren't that great at insulating sound.

As for my apartment itself, it's a cozy 1 bedroom. The limited square footage has a good floor plan and still feels open and usable. The door opens to the living room, which has a ton of light from three very large windows that provide an awesome view of the downtown skyline. My kitchen came with updated cabinets and flooring which match the bathroom. It came with a full size fridge, but the dishwasher and oven are small and look like they belong more in a micro-studio for a student at UW. The bathroom is small, but there is a full tub/shower insert which is easy to keep clean.

As far as amenities, the Ascona only offers an approximately 250 cubic foot storage space for an additional $20/month and free bike racks in the key-secured basement.

There are approximately 15 free parking spaces on Washington St. adjacent the building and 10 more free spaces on 6th Ave between Yesler and Main St. There is also a ton of free spots to park on the Yesler bridge which spans I5 just a couple of blocks up the hill. I'm able to find a free space about 90% of time, but every once in a while I'll have to us the Pay to Park, of which there are countless. However, if it's a Seahawks or Sounders home game DON'T MOVE YOU"RE CAR! LOL. You likely won't be able to find a single space in the are until the games are over.

Overall, I've had a very pleasant experience at the Ascona apartments. The on-site manager is super cool and attentive to your concerns. The rent for these apartments is some of the most affordable I've ever seen in Seattle and appears to be staying strong despite the rapid and ridiculous increase in rent prices in Seattle. I don't think I'll moving out any time soon...