10th Ave (Townhomes / Lofts)
Brix construction is nearing completion with the move-in date scheduled for August 8, 2008 for their 10th Ave town homes / lofts and September 8, 2008 for their Broadway units. 32 units on the 10th Ave side and 57 units on the Broadway side are already sold — roughly 60% of the total units. Most of the remaining units in the Broadway side are in the $300,000’s. Just like Escala, they have also raised their prices on some of their units.
Right now, only a town home model unit is available for viewing. A sky bridge connects the two parts of the 10th Ave units. The roof top deck has a pretty good view that shows the skyline of downtown Seattle as well as the Sound and territorial views of Capitol Hill. When completed, there will also be a central courtyard with a water fountain.
This model unit is a 2BR/2BA, 1,175 square priced at $649,900 with 8 foot ceiling under the wood beams and 16 foot ceiling in the living room that opens up to the 2nd level bedroom.
Right off the bathroom is a little den area used as a small office space. Perhaps not the most ideal area for a work space but prob good enough to pay bills and check email.
Overall, the the town home model’s interior is nothing like a conventional condo. The wood beams, toned down exposed pipes and venting ducts add an interesting touch to the unit without being too over the top (e.g. Mosler’s famous in-your-face ducts).
It seems to me that the town homes will appeal to a more mature crowd that prefers to face the more quiet residential side of the street. Whereas the Broadway side, with smaller units, are probably best suited for folks who are looking for a little bit of hustle and bustle from the vibrant Broadway activities. Price points are close to fairly new condos in Belltown and Downtown. If you are an urban person, you will probably lean towards Downtown / Belltown condos. If you are not looking for super urban, Brix is worth checking out since there aren’t a whole lot of new construction choices in Capitol Hill and this one strikes me as very appealing.
I am “mature” at least age-wise but love the big beams and the somewhat industrial kitchen. However I seriously question why,as in too many condos in the Western USA and Canada, the sink and the stove are across an aisle from one another, a design that violates ergonomic design, Universal access rules and Feng Shui (F.S rules are often just basic common sense). The microwave oven above a stove, especially a gas one, is an extremely unsafe location, especially for short people/kids and older people. Not to mention that since the 1980s even cheap microwaves in other countries also bake and broil (and now also steam cook). According to photos in another blog the showers only have a fixed shower head!!. Which open the whole question of why the average fixtures and appliances in the USA and Canada are 20-30 years behind what is made in other countries, even small ones like Australia, Finland etc. Please note that I am not interested in buying foreign appliances and fixtures here, even if we could get the most technically advanced ones, which we don’t. I just don’t understand why North American manufacturers aren’t aware of what is being done in the rest of the world and can’t do the same. One reason why other countries are technologically more advanced about appliances and fixtures and everything about a home is that customers there wouldn’t dream of buying a home-their most expensive purchase ever–and end up with the same stuff as everyone else in the building if not in the whole town. Developers offer a package for everything that goes inside a home and customers choose all the various things they need from various manufacturers (not only fixtures and appliances but even kitchen cabinets doors, radiators or other heating systems, room doors, doors handles, floors and walls coverings etc. etc.). Because of this culture of choice manufacturers constantly innovate in order to sell. And of course there is competition between several dozen of manufacturers. I worked in that business overseas and still have friends and relatives in Europe and Japan. They are average families who all have bought and/ or renovated homes and I know that they haven’t spent a fortune.
seriously? don’t you have anything better to do then rattle on and on about how euro you are? develop your own condo already…
The “in Europe and outside of North America” people always amuse me.
If you think Europe is such an ideal place, why haven’t you moved there already? Stop complaining and go there. Please.
One hope that you guys never go to Starbucks or any other coffee shop that are based on Italian cafes (without the hard stuff.In case you guys haven’t noticed, many condos developers here brag about their Euro whatever. I thought that I made clear that I don’t want European stuff, I want North American manufacturers to design “stuff” that is as good as, and preferably better, than what is done in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Europe etc. The USA has already lost the race–cheap pun intended–when it comes to cars and a lot of other manufactured goods and this should worry you, especially if you are young.
$649,000 for a two bedroom two bath condo or ‘townhome’? Apparently buyers (and the sellers) haven’t noticed that similar units — even regular houses — within a six block area aren’t selling at that price. At least 5 similar units/houses in the area have been on the market for 6-9 months. One finally decided to just take it off the market, 3 others have lowered their price.
The market is so clearly oversaturated, and with the old QFC across the street from Brix now finally beginning construction, it will be even more overbuilt. Plus, once that building is up, there will go the “view” that anyone had from the Brix rooftop.
It’s hard to have any sympathy for the short-sighted fools who have bought or will pay that price for a condo, when the market is clearly heading downward.
But, that’s their choice. And hey, if they stay in it for 5-10 years, maybe they’ll actually make a profit if they sell.
I have a P&S at Brix (Unit #302) on the Broadway side. I will be moving from Seattle, so if anyone is interested in taking over please e-mail me at [email protected].