The Mill at First Hill

I’m new to Seattle, and found the mill online when I was in China. Since I moved in, everything is really nice! There is a hot tub and a pool! Also really nice place on the roof! The location is really convenient! Walkable to everywhere. Everyone works here are really nice and helpful, Javier, Nicole, Jessica, Carlton, they are really good people, if you have any problem, just go to the office, they are always there give you helps. I’m happy to live here.

I love living here!
I moved here from San Francisco and I was really stressed about needing to find a place on such short notice. I went from looking at crappy studio after crappy studio through ads that I saw on Craigslist to stumbling into this office after walking past their location where I was warmly greeted by Javier, a leasing agent who was so helpful and helped eliminate a lot of the stress involved with moving. He showed me the units they had available as a walk-​in and I was very impressed with the affordability, cleanliness of the units and the overall professionalism that I was treated with. I knew I was in good hands with Javier. He was kind, compassionate about my situation and so knowledgable about the property and the leasing procedure. I decided to submit an application that afternoon. Shortly after, I was approved and I moved in a few days later. The amenities this building provides are awesome: pool, jacuzzi, in-​building gym facility, roof top terraces, a movie theatre (!) and a reliable staff that are available 7 days a week! Super helpful when it comes to receiving delivered packages as well :) Maintenance on this property is also superb– they have on-​site maintenance on staff ²⁴⁄₇ for emergencies. It’s always nice to have friendly faces in the office who are so dedicated to their residents well-​being. Through an online portal, we as residents receive invitations for community activities and giveaways and it’s just nice to feel like the staff does so much to create that feeling of community. Living here has made my move to Seattle so much better and I’m so grateful that I met Javier that seemingly hopeless afternoon and was treated so professionally!

First off, I had a speedy move-​in. And it was all done over FaceTime with Javier. I was able to come home from LA to my new apartment with all of my belongings inside thanks to the wonderful leasing agent Javier.
When I first moved in there was some issues with my apartment due to me moving in at the same time Sequoia took over the property. I addressed these issues with Javier and within the next 24 hours all of them were resolved. The funny thing is Javier told me that their maintenance turnaround was three days due to them just coming in. I can honestly say that this is never been the case.
Also another time I was really sick and had reached out to Javier asking him if he could print something for me. He was glad to print it for me and in addition he had offered to bring me up some tea for my sore throat along with the copy I needed. I love the personal touch :)
All of the staff (Javier, Louie, Nicole, Jesse, Jessica, Orlando, Carlton, and Tim– yep that’s how awesome they are. I know all of their names) are extremely friendly and helpful. In addition, I don’t think you can get a better location, great staff, great amenities, and greatly priced rent anywhere else!
The only reason why I have given it four stars instead of five is because currently they’re doing renovations.

I wish I could give them negative stars because they don’t even deserve a one. I have not even LIVED here but just trying to get approved for a lease has been a complete and utter NIGHTMARE. Their staff are rude and dishonest. They promise you many things but when it comes time to look at the lease or pay the deposit, they will deny everything. We paid our application fee and holding deposit which we were promised would be refunded if we changed our minds. It took them almost a week to get back to us and they emailed us a guarantor application without any information like we were children, because supposedly we did not make enough to suit their pretentious, over-​priced, soon-​to-​be-​renovated units. When we asked why, they told us of their multi-​list requirements which was not given to us when we applied. The leasing agent, JAVIER, very breezily said income didn’t matter! It was all based on credit! Don’t even worry! Etc. Then we waited ANOTHER week to find out they supposedly could not get a hold of our previous landlords and insinuated we had provided false information. I personally had to call ever one of my landlords to contact this place and all of them said they had not gotten any calls. So these people are clearly LIARS. Then, several more days passed and in the meantime we decided to stay in our current apartment because it was a lot less of a headache than dealing with these people, only to find out when that WOW, we got approved, only we needed to give them an enormous deposit on top of all the usual fees and the regular deposit and all of it had to be in money orders which is ridiculous. When we told them we decided not to lease with them and politely asked for our deposit back which was promised to us, they refused, were incredibly rude about it, and told us our window for the refund had closed. I have rented at several different apartments and houses and this place has been by far the worst, most disorganized, shady place I have ever had the misfortune of applying to.

I can not say enough wonderful things about the Mill. I was helping my son find an apartment in Seattle. The problem was that we were having to find a place while in Ohio. We dealt with Javier who was absolutely amazing. He was so incredibly professional and thorough. My son was so happy when he moved in. His apartment was better than what he expected. Everything was extremely clean and his apartment had fresh new carpet. They also replaced his windows. Javier has continued to be extremely helpful. My son is thrilled that he chose the Mill and will likely renew his lease. This makes this mother very happy!

I have been here since June 2015 and I love the neighborhood. Easy walking distance to shops, restaurants and transport links in Downtown and Capitol Hill. Since the change of ownership/​management in July the quality of service has improved dramatically. Jessica and the team are helpful, friendly and a significant building improvements program (including new windows) has been started. I would expect my rating to move to 5 stars in the coming months as the renovations progress.

I have been staying here almost a year now; it is good to stay here as all the great places are at walking distance. It’s near to Downtown and First Hill. It just takes 15 – 20 minutes’ walk to Water Front, Pike Place Market, Westlake Center, Olympic Sculpture Park and various shopping places for daily groceries and stuff. Also, there are many bus stops nearby so you get easy access to transits as well. The amenities and ambiance of the building are pretty good.
The new management, Sequoia Equities, has taken over since last 3 months. Well, I was impressed with them from very 1^st month, though I thought to just wait and observe and I think now it’s time I write a review here. I always like to praise the one who does the best and to me, someone new in the states, this management is very welcoming.
My all questions and doubts related to our Lease Renewal process were really taken well and I got all the answers in no time. The best part was they didn’t increase the rent and thus we got a chance to renew the lease else would have to search new place but we were lucky enough not to go through the hectic «move out & move in» process.
The cleanliness in the building has really improved since the new management. Earlier, we used to experience bad smell sometimes in lobby or elevators but now it’s not the case. The laundry room is also most of the time cleaned and well lighted. If there is something wrong, all we need to do is just message or notify them and within couple of days, it will be taken care of.
We have 1 problem in our apartment that the window glass gets moist during winters and water keeps dripping which makes the window pane area very wet; there is also some water leakage at some places on ceilings. But now all the windows are going to be replaced in the building so I guess soon we will be rescued from leakage problem as well.
Apart from this, we do sometimes need other maintenance as well, for that we just have to raise a service request and within 48 hours the request gets completed. Also, they leave a greeting note and candy when they complete the service which is good to receive after you come home tired and exhausted, instantly you get a smile on face to see such positive note.
The office staff people are friendly and helpful. Nicole and Javier always make sure that our all requests and complaints are properly taken care of. I would like to make this my home for year and year as long as I stay in the states, provided if rent don’t increase. ;) Overall, this place is good to stay at, with good apartment, neighborhood area and management staff. Thank You.

Well I like the location because it is close to downtown. The first hill crazies are definitely out in force here so that is… exciting? There were not bed bugs lol. BUT the old management did not want to fix the water damage and said it was just the «concrete settling.» Yikes. The halls are pretty disgusting and there are times where the trash sits in the halls for days. When they «clean» the floors it becomes a hot, stinky, humid mess. None the less, new management took over so hopefully they turn it around. At least there is a grill and pool and nice view from the roof. Oh and the washing machines have destroyed some of my nicer clothes so heads up there.

To anyone looking for an apartment in the Seattle area, never, I repeat, never move into the One Thousand 8^th Avenue Apartments. Apart from the fact that our hallway always smelled like smoke and my car got broken into in their «secure» parking garage, they just gladly took over $ 600 dollars from us when we moved out, a majority of which we shouldn’t have been charged. Even though I told them that our carpet had multiple stains when we moved in, they conveniently had no record of what I told them when we moved out. When we said we wanted to walk through the apartment with them on move-​out day, they conveniently said they could only do it the following week when both my roommate and I had work. And when I finally heard about these charges, it was from Collections a month and a half later because the letter conveniently didn’t get delivered to my new apartment. Of course, most of the charges were to replace the carpet that we did not damage. So again, for anyone looking for an apartment, avoid this place at all costs.

FYI. This property was recently purchased by Sequoia Equities, Inc. for $ 93MM. They plan on investing $ 8MM on renovations. From the sounds of the reviews, this property needs some work. My guess is that they’ll make mechanical upgrades, perhaps window upgrades and common area upgrades. Obviously, rents will rise. Good luck.

This place is a smoker’s haven. Don’t move here if you’re a non-​smoker and want a clean smoke-​free apartment. My apartment, furnishings, and clothes now REEK from all the smokers around me — outside wafting through the leaky windows, smoking out the windows, smoking in their apartments, and smoking in the stairwells. My window ledges are littered with cigarette butts from people on the upper floors tossing them down. It’s super nasty. Unfortunately, when I moved out I had to pay for smoke damages caused by neighbors and at least a dozen other residents because of this clause in their lease:
«Resident agrees that damages or cleaning due to smoke from any source,
including cigarettes, candles or incense, shall not be considered normal wear and tear and that Resident shall be liable
for all such charges related to smoke, including sealing of walls or floors and extra cleaning and painting.»
But thank god I did move out — no more sore throat and coughing!
The garbage chutes are always overflowing and the halls reek of it. The gym is full of broken and/​or unstable equipment. The bathrooms have no ventilation so the mold and mildew situation is out of control. The weekend maintenance is sassy and rude as hell. I mean, I thought you guys would want to know something upstairs was leaking into my apartment, but I guess you’d just rather there be water damage in multiple units?
The elevators in both towers are shit. They are usually out of order and it’s not uncommon to get TRAPPED in them for hours on end. My neighbor was stuck in one for TWO HOURS and had to call the fire dept to get out. Speaking of the Fire Dept, they show up 2 – 3 times a week due to someone starting a fire somewhere. Hm, maybe all the smokers in the complex???
The office management is rude and gives no shits about anything. They also have frequent turnover, which makes things frustratingly difficult to follow up on. They won’t notify you if you have a package, so numerous times someone has tried to surprise me by sending me something only for it to be returned to sender because I can’t telepathically know a package was delivered to the office for me.
So, for all this shit you want to raise rent $ 300? Oh, I get that there is a new building down the street renting for 1700+/month, but you know what? THEY’RE BRAND NEW and don’t reek of rotting garbage and cigarette smoke.

Just moved out of the building a month ago and I couldn’t be happier.
From the very 1^st day we were disappointed with the building. First of all the layout was nothing like the one we viewed. The 2^nd tower/​building is a shit hole compared to tower one (the one with the office/​lobby). Of the year living there we had maybe a couple weeks worth of all 3 elevators working at once and maybe 6 months of 2 of the 3 working at once. Also there is a washer/​drying on every floor is, but ours was down for almost 2 months before they fixed it.
The management showed very little care about its residents. (I actually over heard the main manager talk shit on a resident after she complained about the elevators not working as soon as she walked out). She and another showed little care when I informed them about my car getting broken into in the parking structure. You’d hope for a little security when paying 170 bucks for on site parking.
Now that we’ve moved out due to them trying to bump our rent by almost 300 bucks to renew, I get a bill for $ 180 towards full repainting of our apt even though we never hung anything nor was there any damage to our unit.
I give it two stars only because it had decent amenities such as an OK gym, and a pool and washer/​dryer on every floor (when they worked) and the apt were decent, even if they weren’t what we originally fell in love with and overpriced for how old and unkempt the place is. also, our leasing agent Sam was super nice and was always friendly and sweet when I’d see her around the building or in the office. (she was new when we moved in and hopefully doesn’t get tainted by her superiors) I wish her the best.

I tried leasing an apartment from here for three months. I received an internship and would only need a 3 month lease. (They DO offer short-​term leases.) I called months before hand and was told by a leasing agent, Carisa, «no problem!» She seemed really helpful!
Early May I contacted them again to confirm as my move date was only a month away…
Monday: Called to confirm. Spoke to a very unhelpful agents and i was blind sided by a complete 180 of customer service. She was very wishy-​washy on details and made me feel like a 3-​month lease wasn’t worth her time. She said «oh my computer isn’t working, let me call you back in ten minutes.» Nope. Never called back, ever.
Called again early on Thursday… Spoke to that «awesome» agent again. Said she’d call back, again… Decide to call them before they closed. No answer. Called 5 min later. No answer. Called one more time… THEY TURNED THE PHONES OFF. It was 5pm and they close at 6pm.
Finally, I got a hold of Carisa on Friday. I thought, «finally, a capable person!» She explained what she was going to do and how i could go about securing a place. Unfortunately, she too had to «call me back.»
No call. No email. No nothing.
After finding another place, with a very capable leasing team, i ended up driving by this place to see what i «missed out on.» I’m way better off, this place look old and smelling — you know, that kinda place that you don’t even have to be in it to smell the musk of ancient drywall and pealing paint.
If you can get into a lease here, I’d recommend not. I ended up getting a place at Legacy at Platt Park (The wonder bread building) and LOVE IT! There isn’t a pool but the leasing staff is fantastic and they neighbors are great. The roof deck is far superior!

I’ve been living here since last July. Before moving in I read previous Unilocal reviews and got a little nervous. That being said I really don’t understand why so many people have complained about this place. The amenities are unbeatable. Pool, jacuzzi, gym, rooftop views, perfect location to EVERYTHING. Of course there are some kinks every once in a while that need to be fixed, but I’m fairly certain we all live on planet earth where problems are unavoidable. If you have the expectation to live in a castle and be treated like royalty, go somewhere else, but if you’re in touch with reality and looking for a sweet apartment to live in I say this is the place. We’re planning on staying for a while.

My husband and I just moved in I almost did not due to the reviews on this site. I have to say so far everything has been great. Love our new place. Only issue we have is the cable and internet has not worked since we moved. I know its not their fault but Comcast however its just annoying. They should have them re wire each building as the wires Hopefully it will be fixed soon and this place will be perfect. The office staff have been great very nice and approachable. I think you should give this place a try. Don’t believe all the negative reviews on here.

Beware of rodents and loud/​obnoxious neighbors in corner of the fourth floor. There has been a mouse issue in the unit for close to two months. ’ pest control’ was called with no avail, they came and put down traps and claimed that ever mouse was the ’ last one ‘. Showed no expertise or experience in dealing with the matter, even asking to borrow my tools.
Was forced to move not only due to the ongoing rodent issue but an obnoxious neighbor with a loud yappy dog that would bark at all hours, although no loud animals are allowed.
Incurred all moving costs with no assistance or help from management. DHSS has been made aware of the situation in the building. I would urge all residents to have holes under dishwasher and sinks closed off as well as any openings looked at as well as to call DHSS if any issue arise.

I wish negative ratings were possible only so I didn’t have to give this place one star. They do not even deserve the 1 star rating.
First off, don’t let the lobby fool you, its the only part of the apartment complex that is nice. The apartment units are shit. The old, single pane windows rattle with any breeze and collect moisture, creating mold on all of the window sills (see pictures). Bathrooms have no ventilation, which allows for more mold to grow due to the moisture. Appliances are cheap; the fan on our stove has never worked, the oven door is coming apart. Our front door doesn’t even stay closed.
Secondly, the managerial staff is incompetent, condescending, and disrespectful. They might seem nice and friendly when considering a lease, but trust me, it’s all an act; once you sign the lease, you’re no longer worth their time. They are almost always on Facebook or online shopping and do as little as possible to help solve any issues. They’re lazy and obviously do not care about the residents. Packages are left unmonitored in the leasing office. They’re supposed to get packages for you but the managers just gesture to you to get them yourself. Many times we have walked in, grabbed a package, and left without any of them noticing. There’s nothing stopping anyone, including non-​residents, from taking packages that aren’t theirs. Packages aren’t safe there, whenever we get packages sent that are important, we ship it elsewhere.
On top of all of that, the area is unsafe, cars frequently get broken into. But even though the parking offered with the apartment is expensive ($ 195/​month), according to the managers, the cars aren’t even safe, monitored, or protected. Our car got broken into while parked next to the apartment, so we asked about the garage parking. One of the property managers specifically said that the car wouldn’t be much safer in the garage than on the street.
We’re moving out in 2 months after our lease is up. I would never recommend anyone to live here. Stay as far from this apartment as possible.

The office management at these apartments is horrible. It’s extraordinarily clear that management only cares about attracting new tenants and has absolutely no respect for current tenants and feels no need to keep them happy.
We have lived here for a year and will be moving out when our lease is up.
Management is completely disrespectful and very unprofessional. They know we can’t break our lease and they treat us like dirt because of it. The apartments are dingy and all painted the ugliest shade of yellow/​tan you could ever hope to set your eyes on. Appliances/​Blinds and outlets are constantly breaking. Look somewhere else, even the awesome location isn’t worth being treated like an animal.
Pros:
Location
Maintenance people (shit breaks A LOT, but at least they fix it pretty fast once you put a request it).

The units themselves are clean, however the windows rattle with the slightest wind blowing against them. The hallways tend to fill up like a «Value Village» thrift shop; elevators are almost always out of service and for us hardly ever stopped on our floor.
The pool fills up with non-​residents and there is almost always broken glass in the patio area. The roof top deck is beautiful, however features broken chairs and soggy AstroTurf.
During our one year lease we experienced management entering the unit 5 times for general maintenance, fire alarm patrols, and bug bed spraying. (Excessive)
At move out you should expect to pay a pretty penny with unexpected charges. After leaving our unit immaculate (except for a fresh coat of paint) we were charged over $ 90 to have it «professionally disinfected»? Evidently it’s a «standard charge» everyone must pay. You will also be expected to pay for carpet shampooing at $ 70, and you’re first and last month’s utility bill which together will run about $ 200.

I usually only review restaurants that I enjoyed, but I was saved from a few dud apartments by Unilocal reviews, and want to pay it forward.
I moved to Seattle to start a new job and only had 2 days to find an apartment. I ended up renting a 340 sq foot studio in Tower 2, which overlooked a parking lot, for a year. This place is what they call in the real estate industry, «not good.»
The night I moved in, my key fob wasn’t yet activated so I couldn’t gain access to the building. I called the emergency line for tenants, and some guy picks up, clearly annoyed. I explain my situation, he sighs the sigh of a very defeated man, and tells me to just wait until I see someone leave the building so I can get inside. He explains that it would take him a while to get there. I felt bad for inconveniencing the poor guy.
My studio smelled weird, and I kept finding long hair in the carpet — a disturbing amount. Like if you put a grenade in Cousin It amount. After almost jamming my vacuum with some stranger’s left behind hair, I asked their office to refer a carpet cleaner for me. I also asked if I could be reimbursed for this, as it was obviously leftover from the last tenant. I was first told they’d look into it, then eventually told they would not cover this cost. The appliances are not very new, I had difficulty cooking with the oven, I ended up not using it much/​at all. The windows in my apartment did a terrible job of keeping out a draft or sound of any kind. You will not forget that you live close to a hospital.
It was not uncommon to find dog piss in the elevators. And by «find,» I mean «step in.» I hope it was a dog’s. It also wasn’t uncommon to have the hallways smell like weed, but this helped mask the unpleasant dog piss aroma.
Packages shipped to the building were not guaranteed to arrive. Halfway through the lease, they stopped letting people check if they had a package in the mail room, so I assume someone was stealing stuff. This was a major bummer, as I didn’t receive a number of things that friends and family had shipped to me and could not be replaced.
Here are some of the pros: the location is not bad. It’s an easy walk to Capitol Hill or Downtown. There is a seasonally open pool, which is nice, and a hot tub that is open year round, but I’d make sure to get a round of vaccinations before and after using it. Nice view on the roof, usually locked with a guard sending people back downstairs after 10pm. There is a minimally appointed gym that is usually pretty empty.
I don’t know you, but I’m sure you deserve better living accommodations. Unless you are trying to get over claustrophobia and/​or germophobia in a very extreme way, I’d recommend you find another place to live.