Condo Review – Ballard Condominiums in Ballard

Ballard Condominiums in Ballard
1525 NW 57^th St

Ballard Condominiums is a large 163 unit condominium building located in the popular Ballard neighborhood. It is just a couple of blocks from all of the activities and amenities of Market Street and Ballard Avenue that make this part of Seattle so popular. Being a larger building, it does have an impressive amenities package that the condo owners can use. For the Ballard neighborhood, there are only a couple other condo buildings that have this large of an amenities package as that is usually reserved for the larger high rise condos we find in the downtown core.

The stats:

163 residential units – studios, one and two bedrooms ranging in size from 453 to 1338 square feet
Built in 2000
6 story building
All units have 1, 2 or 3 parking spaces
Not all units have a storage locker
3 units have sold in the last 6 months ranging in price from $218,000 to $315,000; None of those were 2 bedrooms. At the time of this post there was one pending studio unit listed at $185,000 and no active units
HOA dues include: garbage, building maintenance, concierge, professional property management, earthquake insurance
Amenities: Swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, gym, party room, concierge, roof deck, business center and conference room

The pros:

The location is within blocks to restaurants, cafes, services, and grocery stores
All units have parking
Washer and dryers in each unit
The amenities are a nice bonus especially if you own a smaller unit in the building
The building does have two story townhome style units on the main level with exterior entrances which offer a lot of square footage for those wanting larger floorplans

The cons:

Wood frame construction can mean you hear your neighbors more than in concrete and steel construction
Built prior to stainless steel appliances so some buyers find that they want to replace the appliances
Installing hardwood floors is considered by the board on a case by case basis so it isn’t a certainty that it can be done
The HOA dues do not include the water and sewer – those are metered separately
Due to the level of current and recent construction in the area, very few of the units have views beyond a block or two
Street parking for guests can be very challenging in this popular part of Ballard