I moved into the Forest View Apartments in Renton, Washington, in July 2004. I lived on the second floor, which is always the only option for me, as I am so concerned about safety. I lived at Forest View until January of 2007, when I moved out of state to North Carolina. Had I stayed in Washington, and in Renton, I would have continued you to live at Forest View quite happily.
Grounds:
The grounds are always kept up nicely. From the street, the presentation is clean and presentable. The landscaping is always kept up well, and the parking lot well cleaned and paved. The complex is very large, having well over 100 units, many of which cannot be seen from Duvall Ave. I lived in one of the buildings closest to the street, but I never had any real residual noise. As a matter of fact, the complex is quite quiet from where I was located.
One of the most frustrating problmes at Forest View is the lack of parking. One space is provided to each resident and then covered spaces or garages can be purchased. Other than this, there is no other parking and when guests come, especially more than one, it can be a huge problem. I kept my entertaining to a minimum much due to this concern.
Apartments:
There are three levels of apartments, and as mentioned before, I lived on the second floor. I chose the second floor for safety, but the way the apartments in the complex are set up, the first floor is located almost below ground, which means the second floor is closer to the ground that I would have liked. When in my bedroom, I did not feel safe with the window open at night, as it would not be difficult for someone to climb in. In the living room it was much higher off the ground and felt safer. If I were to move back to Forest View in the future, I would choose a third floor apartment instead of second, just for the safety factor.
My apartment was approximately 715 square feet and had one bedroom and one bathroom. The apartment was small but very cozy and comfortable. The layout had the living room and dining room off to the right side of the front door. The kitchen was directly in front of the front door with the bedroom, bathroom, and laundry to the left of the entrance. The apartments are well maintained and I never had a problem with maintenance if I needed something done. They were always there quickly.
The one complaint I have about the apartment, which is a complaint that nothing can be done about, is that there was no air conditioning, and the heat was never comfortable. I was always either freezing or hot, rarely ever comfortable. Few apartments have A/C in Seattle, so this is not a fault of the complex, but if someone is looking specifically for air conditioning, don’t go to Forest View.
Staff:
I have never had a bad experience with the staff at Forest View, but I cannot say that I have had exceptional experiences with them either. The staff seems to change frequently, and just as I would get familiar with someone it seems they would leave. Everyone always treated me nicely and cordially, but I never felt like I was a particularly valued resident. For me this is not a big deal, as I was not interested in forming any bonds with the staff. But, it might be off putting to some people.
Amenities:
Forest View apartments has the normal apartment amenities, such as fitness room with both cardio and free weight equipment. There is a pool, tennis and basketball courts, and a playground area for kids. The pool is nice but filled with children in the summer and not great for just general relaxing. It is kept clean, though and is enjoyable for a quick dip or if you have kids who want to meet other children and play.
The fitness area is kept up nicely, and although it’s small, it was more than enough for my purposes. There were a few times that I had to wait for certain machines, which was frustrating, but it was never frustrating enough to worry or complain about.
One of the great features of the complex and one that I never did get a chance to take advantage of is the movie theater in the clubhouse. There is a room in the back of the clubhouse that houses a very small theater with about 20 seats. I believe you can either choose movies from the complex or bring your own. You can reserve the room for parties or just for a few friends. It’s a great feature that can be fun if taken advantage of.
Safety:
Overall, I did feel safe at Forest View. Every so often I’d have a knock at the door at an odd hour or hear a noise outside that concerned me a bit, but nothing that ever truly scared me. www.apartmenratings.com gives a detailed review of safety in the complex and the area. The ratings can be found at http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/WA-Renton-Forestview-Apartments-Safety.html
Cost:
Rents range from the low $800s to about $1300 a month. I paid $810 for a one bedroom/one bath, but I know the rates had gone up just prior to my move. I believe for the market, I did get my money’s worth and paid about what is normal for the area. Electricity typically ran about $35 a month.
On a scale of 1-10, I would rate Forest View a seven and would definitely return if I were to move back to the Renton Highlands area of Washington. For further information and others’ opinions, go to
Forest View Apartments are located at 650 Duvall Ave. NE in Renton, WA. The telephone number is 425-255-7800. The complex is located in the Renton Highlands, west of 405 approximately 4 miles off of 4th Ave.
I moved in the Forest View in July of 2004. I lived on the second floor, which is always the only option for me, as I am so concerned about safety. I lived at Forest View until January of 2007, when I moved out of state to North Carolina. Had I stayed in Washington, and in Renton, I would have continued you to live at Forest View quite happily.
Grounds:
The grounds are always kept up nicely. From the street, the presentation is clean and presentable. The landscaping is always kept up well, and the parking lot well cleaned and paved. The complex is very large, having well over 100 units, many of which cannot be seen from Duvall Ave. I lived in one of the buildings closest to the street, but I never had any real residual noise. As a matter of fact, the complex is quite quiet from where I was located.
Apartments:
There are three levels of apartments, and as mentioned before, I lived on the second floor. I chose the second floor for safety, but the way the apartments in the complex are set up, the first floor is located almost below ground, which means the second floor is closer to the ground that I would have liked. When in my bedroom, I did not feel safe with the window open at night, as it would not be difficult for someone to climb in. In the living room it was much higher off the ground and felt safer. If I were to move back to Forest View in the future, I would choose a third floor apartment instead of second, just for the safety factor.
My apartment was approximately 715 square feet and had one bedroom and one bathroom. The apartment was small but very cozy and comfortable. The layout had the living room and dining room off to the right side of the front door. The kitchen was directly in front of the front door with the bedroom, bathroom, and laundry to the left of the entrance. The apartments are well maintained and I never had a problem with maintenance if I needed something done. They were always there quickly.
The one complaint I have about the apartment, which is a complaint that nothing can be done about, is that there was no air conditioning, and the heat was never comfortable. I was always either freezing or hot, rarely ever comfortable. Few apartments have A/C in Seattle, so this is not a fault of the complex, but if someone is looking specifically for air conditioning, don’t go to Forest View.
Staff:
I have never had a bad experience with the staff at Forest View, but I cannot say that I have had exceptional experiences with them either. The staff seems to
change frequently, and just as I would get familiar with someone it seems they would leave. Everyone always treated me nicely and cordially, but I never felt like I was a particularly valued resident. For me this is not a big deal, as I was not interested in forming any bonds with the staff. But, it might be off putting to some people.
Amenities:
Forest View apartments has the normal apartment amenities, such as fitness room with both cardio and free weight equipment. There is a pool, tennis and basketball courts, and a playground area for kids. The pool is nice but filled with children in the summer and not great for just general relaxing. It is kept clean, though and is enjoyable for a quick dip or if you have kids who want to meet other children and play.
The fitness area is kept up nicely, and although it’s small, it was more than enough for my purposes. There were a few times that I had to wait for certain machines, which was frustrating, but it was never frustrating enough to worry or complain about.
One of the great features of the complex and one that I never did get a chance to take advantage of is the movie theater in the clubhouse. There is a room in the back of the clubhouse that houses a very small theater with about 20 seats. I believe you can either choose movies from the complex or bring your own. You can reserve the room for parties or just for a few friends. It’s a great feature that can be fun if taken advantage of.
Safety:
Overall, I did feel safe at Forest View. Every so often I’d have a knock at the door at an odd hour or hear a noise outside that concerned me a bit, but nothing that ever truly scared me. www.apartmenratings.com gives a detailed review of safety in the complex and the area. The ratings can be found at http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/WA-Renton-Forestview-Apartments-Safety.html
Cost:
Rents range from the low $800s to about $1300 a month. I paid $810 for a one bedroom/one bath, but I know the rates had gone up just prior to my move. I believe for the market, I did get my money’s worth and paid about what is normal for the area. Electricity typically ran about $35 a month.
On a scale of 1-10, I would rate Forest View a seven and would definitely return if I were to move back to the Renton Highlands area of Washington. For further information and others’ opinions, go to www.apartmentratings.com/rate/WA-Renton-Forestview-Apartments.html
Forest View Apartments, 650 Duvall Ave. NE in Renton, Washington, is in the Renton Highlands, west of 405, about four miles off 4th Avenue. The telephone number is 425-255-7800.
