Views on Fifth

We have lived in Olympia for over 35 years during which we owned a home in a very quiet neighborhood, and more recently a condo in a higher density area. We know the character of many neighborhoods as well as downtown. After selling our condo we moved into Views on 5th this past April and our experience to date has been exceptional! The building and property are beautiful and well-maintained. The equipment in the workout room is top notch and we use it almost daily. Taylor Ray’s Café is located in the building and in addition to coffee, serves a variety of delicious breakfast and lunch items. We are thoroughly enjoying being able to take advantage of many things in downtown Olympia, many within a quarter of a mile: over 20 restaurants; the Washington Center for the Performing Arts; Capitol Lake and the state Capitol grounds; the Olympia Farmers Market; art galleries; several parks; fresh seafood shops; brewpubs and tap rooms. There is also a wonderful grocery store just across the street. In addition to the automated parking garage, there is ample monthly parking available across the street at either the Olympia city lot or the Olympia Yacht Club. The building surface parking is reserved for use by the commercial units as well as the future restaurant. We have read all of the other reviews. Regarding those that have tended to be negative, we believe that every downtown apartment/condo in any city has it pros and cons. Downtowns tend to be less safe. They are also more noisy than most neighborhoods; that's just downtown. Even our friends who have lived in upper floors (40th+) of downtown Seattle and Bellevue condos have experienced this. We can say that the staff (both management and maintenance) have been EXCELLENT, readily available, and resident focused; they have been extremely open and responsive to any questions or requests we have had. Their communication with residents pertaining to the property is excellent. When we sold our condo, we looked at downtown apartments with views. Others had on-site parking or rents that were less, but NONE were as nice or offered as much as Views on 5th. We originally thought we would live here for about a year or so until we found a home or condo with a view to buy. Now we are considering staying longer.

I came in about renting an Apt. and met with Caitlin the Leasing Consultant. She was great at answering all my questions and walking me through the process. It was all so quick and easy and all with a smile.I am looking forward to living at Views on Fifth. Thank you again Caitlin!

We had signed a lease for one of the two-bedroom apartments with a harbor view. Upon arrival, we detected a strong odor. The manager said that it was common for such odors to arise in an apartment that had been unoccupied. (Why didn't he take care of it before we arrived?) He attempted to air out the apartment by opening the usually non-openable windows and running an ozonator, but to no avail. We informed the manager that the apartment did not meet occupancy standards, and we would not move in. We were informed that we would have to forfeit the first month's rent, a penalty and a deposit despite the fact that the company had failed to provide a habitable apartment. This building is a converted office and/or factory building with apparent systemic odor problems. The company has had difficulty renting the apartments. You have been forewarned.

I was so excited to move into downtown Olympia after moving here from Seattle. Small city life was exactly what I was looking for and I was led to believe Olympia had it. Wrong. This apartment building is expensive--not quite Seattle expensive, but still extremely pricey and for what? A Very Dangerous Living Situation. Not only have there been three shootings in the downtown area since I've moved in but there's also been a fire that wiped out some business and another new apartment building. Dangerous! I'm excited to be moving back to Seattle in the new year.

Everything about this apartment building is amazing! Views of the Capitol or the Pier (both within walking distance so perfect for pups), the staff is friendly & communicative, there's a stellar coffee shop, soon to be a restaurant, other businesses in the building, a block away from a grocery store, great gym, fun building get-togethers, and so much more! If you're looking to live downtown, you need to check this out. My dogs and I absolutely love it!!

Sound: Every car muffler was audible from within my apartment on the 3rd floor and VERY inconvenient. Whenever motorcycles or supped-up cars go by (All Day) the sound is reminiscent of cars in a tunnel. For sleep, every room had an air purifier and sound machine on the loudest setting. This is still not enough and I would wake up throughout the night because of vehicles. Motorcycles are the worst! Do not forget the street sweepers that come by every Monday around 4AM. Rattling: Fourth avenue has several potholes on the road closet to the building leading to the building shaking. When logging trucks went by the entire apartment would rattle. Logging trucks can go by approximately every 10 minutes starting at 0600 and into the evening hours. Pictures fall off the wall (We ended up removing all of them), the floor shakes like an earthquake, and the ductless heating and cooling units (In every room) rattle. Protests and Homeless: Protests are conducted for various reasons at the Olympia dock (next to the Oyster house) and Sylvester Park. Have fun for weekly inconvenience. At the height of protest people parked across the street with assault rifles and riot gear. NOT SAFE! The homeless encampment is a ¼ mile away and is shows the housing and living disparities in the area. Parking (CityLift): The automatic parking garage can be the worst parking experience you can have. It has gotten better but still has issues. $100 extra per month for a system that has not been fully operational during my entire residency. Retrieving or parking a vehicle ranges from 5-30 minutes. New management! Residents Lounge: Limited hours and you have to pay to use it after arbitrary hours. Overrated! Donuts every Friday is the only nice part.

The apartment is new. It’s beautiful, has awesome amenities such as the lobby/lounge/kitchenette, gym, secure mail-room, and local stores in walking distance. The unit my husband and I rented was almost as if we were the first to reside in it. We hadn’t had any problems with our unit. We had washer/dryer that seemed unused as well. Since it was so new, maintenance had to come in twice to recalibrate A/C and heating but that was quick and with notice, so we didn’t mind. Management here is great; Aegis. The primary manager and assistant manager are both friendly and listen to our needs (ex: Requesting for more sanitation sheets for the gym, as during COVID, it goes fairly quick!) They offer security personnel on site daily in the evening, so I felt comfortable taking my dog out for potty. So yes, pet friendly here! They have a vending style parking garage which you can pay to use or use side street parking, which you can register your car with the city so they don’t fine you. We’ve done both methods. Their garage is a new system so they’re working out the “kinks.” Management was accommodating with the knowledge of the garage taking a bit longer than expected so we have a free month, so that was nice! We personally liked the garage knowing it kept our car from simply being exposed to harsh weather conditions or bikers passing between cars. They have a team of cleaners too so this place is well-kept. I could say more but I wanted to keep this short, sweet, and to the point! Oh and lastly, the owner of this apartment was very nice and care about how his tenants experience is, so that was nice as well. Everyone seemed involved. 5/5 rating from both my husband and I.

The gym has everything you would need for a great work out and I love hanging out in the resident lounge! It is really cozy and inviting. They are doing an amazing job and keeping everything clean especially during the pandemic. I can't wait for the restaurant and coffee shop to open this summer! The only downside right now is that there is sometimes construction noise coming from the ground floor where they are working on the restaurant. But I believe you can only hear it on the lowers floors in that building.

Honestly, after moving in I can't imagine ever leaving. The nighttime views are spectacular. I love relaxing in the evening with a glass of wine. Walking distance to clubs and shopping. I have been told they are adding a spa along with the incredible fitness center! Views is quickly becoming the hot spot in Olympia!

The only thing good about this complex is the views. The apartments are tiny and much more than what you would pay in other cities. No pool, sauna, or jacuzzi but a decent fitness center. The kitchen cabinets are cheap and not a pleasing color. The photos they show are not what you get. No white cabinets. They are all a nasty dark gray with matching cheap dark flooring. In a place with constant rainy, cloudy weather, why decorate with dark colors? The parking is non-existent, so you are forced to use their expensive automated parking garage that is very slow and a maintenance nightmare. The garage is constantly requiring software updates and often a technician is required to help you causing extensive wait times. I have consistently been late and even missed appointments. A large parking lot is denied to residents and guests that is designated for a non-existent restaurant. They will fine you or tow your car if you park there so there is no guest parking except by chance availability on the street or the park. The complex is constantly under construction and is late to service residents apartments. The elevators are always under repair and often closed. The elevators and halls are not temperature controlled so you freeze. Sorry but I will not renew my lease and recommend you look for other options unless the only thing important to you is a view. The building owner is not a nice man and thinks he can lecture residents who lodge legitimate complaints.