New Seattle apartment building catering to cyclists
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SEATTLE -- A new apartment building under construction in Seattle is catering specifically to cyclists.
From the outside, it certainly looks like any other apartment or condo building under construction. But the builders of this one say its location is key -- where Downtown, Belltown and South Lake Union meet up, just blocks from the downtown transit hub.
"Our hope is to convince people to not use cars," said Matt Rosauer with Pine Street Group.
Via 6 is designed for the cyclist, with 250 parking stalls just for bikes. There are 434 underground parking spots for cars, but there are 654 apartments.
"Our hope is that we can get people out of cars, get them on the streets, using mass transit and using bikes and create a more vibrant neighborhood and vibrant city," Rosauer said.
Residents will have direct access to Velo Bike, which is relocating from Capitol Hill to the first floor retail space here. And those who don't live here, can join the building's bike club, giving them access to a locker room and lock up for their bikes.
Chef Tom Douglas is taking most of the first floor retail space for a coffee shop, restaurant, bar, game room and market.
The 24-story building includes penthouses with fantastic views, though the largest unit in the building is about 1,000 square feet.
And inside each unit, designers took special care to make sure they maximized the living space with sliding doors closing off bedrooms that open up to large living areas. Each unit gets its own energy dashboard, tracking use of water and electricity, and comparing it to your neighbors, encouraging people to conserve.
Apartment sizes range from studios to 2 bedrooms, with rents ranging from $1,100 to $4,300 a month.
From the outside, it certainly looks like any other apartment or condo building under construction. But the builders of this one say its location is key -- where Downtown, Belltown and South Lake Union meet up, just blocks from the downtown transit hub.
"Our hope is to convince people to not use cars," said Matt Rosauer with Pine Street Group.
Via 6 is designed for the cyclist, with 250 parking stalls just for bikes. There are 434 underground parking spots for cars, but there are 654 apartments.
"Our hope is that we can get people out of cars, get them on the streets, using mass transit and using bikes and create a more vibrant neighborhood and vibrant city," Rosauer said.
Residents will have direct access to Velo Bike, which is relocating from Capitol Hill to the first floor retail space here. And those who don't live here, can join the building's bike club, giving them access to a locker room and lock up for their bikes.
Chef Tom Douglas is taking most of the first floor retail space for a coffee shop, restaurant, bar, game room and market.
The 24-story building includes penthouses with fantastic views, though the largest unit in the building is about 1,000 square feet.
And inside each unit, designers took special care to make sure they maximized the living space with sliding doors closing off bedrooms that open up to large living areas. Each unit gets its own energy dashboard, tracking use of water and electricity, and comparing it to your neighbors, encouraging people to conserve.
Apartment sizes range from studios to 2 bedrooms, with rents ranging from $1,100 to $4,300 a month.
Guess for some it beats Mom and Dad's basement..
Creative scheme to market otherwise undesirable cracker box size apartments
I'm all for bicycle commuting, but I'm wondering if the people that cook up these ideas bicycle commute themselves or even live in the same state that I do. Â In Seattle, rains 250+ days a year and staying dry while riding in the rain is next to impossible. Â The means that anybody working a professional job is going to not only try to keep their work clothes and laptop dry on their bike ride, they are also going to have to shower after they get to work. Â Â
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Perhaps, what they really mean, is that they hope that the people renting out these expensive apartments are going to be content riding the bus. Â Good luck with that!
 @UtterReality Depends on your definition of "professional" job.  I bike to work every day to a large tech company, and just change my shirt when I get to work.  Apparently the dozens of other cyclists in my building also find some way to do this.  Despite the oft-cited "250 days of rain a year", that doesn't mean that it will be raining while you're commuting for all of those 250 days, and adequate rain gear handles most of Seattle's light-by-most-standards rainfall.
 @Travis Hartnett  @UtterReality If you buy decent rain gear you can stay dry in any downpour. Most commutes are under an hour, I am outside in the pouring rain several hours at a time and manage to stay dry. It can be done.
The largest unit is about 1000 sqft? Â For $4300/month? Â I'm laughing. Â
 @Opus8no5 A studio for $1100/month?  And no designated parking spot?  I'm laughing even harder.
@Watery Tart My Gosh, I totally agree.....but, I checked.....it's 7300 + to own a car in seattle.......divide by 12 and applied to rent.....608.33.....take that 608.33 and subtract it from 1100 = 491.67.....so, if you had a car, but could dump it for a bike, it would make total sense in the long run.....
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But there is no way in frick I'm giving up my car! Really hard to make Ikea runs on a bike when the meatball mood strikes!
 @opus8no5:Â
How come on - you KNOW this is the "affordable housing" and "market rate housing" that they are always talking about, don't you? EVERYBODY should be able to move into places like this while working in Seattle, right?
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Oops! MJ is not legal yet...strike that
No doubt our idiot mayor would try to push for this everywhere if he could.
I would have to win the Powerball to even consider paying $4300 a month in RENT for a 2 bedroom APARTMENT. Even then, doubtful.
 @spacegoddess Yeah, you could probably get a super nice house in Bellevue or Kirkland for THAT kind of monthly payment.
must be nice to make that kind of money to afford $4300 a month in rent
 @BlueJedi If you can afford $4300/mo in rent, you're better off buying & getting the tax deduction
 @Smartypants  @BlueJedi I've yet to meet someone whose housing costs decreased in the transition from renting to buying.  Property tax, insurance, HOA fees, repairs and inevitable "improvements" always make owning more expensive than buying in real-world scenarios.  As I renter I never paid a plumbing bill or bought a kitchen appliance, washer/drier, water heater, roof, garage door, etc, etc.  Plus if you work downtown, the time and and money you'll save over commuting from say, Lynnwood are considerable.
Not sure where you are thinking this but my mortgage payment is a little over $1000 a month for a 2 / 2 condo with dues and  I get a huge check from my mortgage interest I pay each year... what do you get from renting in a year... free appliances and maintenance repair that likely you only shell out once every ten years if your place has quality appliances....only benefit from renting to me is being able to pack up and leave as with a mortgage I'm stuck.. but that is why I live on the top floor....
 @Travis Hartnett  @Smartypants  @BlueJedi After thirty years you will have a pile of rent recites and if you pay off your house all you have is taxes insurance and upkeep to pay that will cost you far less money.Â
 @BlueJedi City & County office employees...making $100G to push paper.
 @Controlled-Insanity  @BlueJedi There are very few county-city employees making $100k a year and none of those are just "pushing paper."