Property Watch: Old Seattle's Finest
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Image: Courtesy of Angie Miller
Just a block away from the Capitol Hill branch of the Seattle Public Library, this one-bedroom condo is a little bit art deco and a little bit tudor, and still has the sweet layout and many of the striking features that this place came with in 1931. The Park Lane building was designed by Chicago-born Albert A. Geiser, better known for tudor buildings in the Montlake area.
The lobby is incredibly ornate and practically Medieval looking (carpet aside) with a stone fireplace and arches. The building has some original elevator elements, too, with a gate behind an otherwise normal-looking door.
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Image: Courtesy of Angie Miller
The unit itself is tidier-looking, but the historic preservation starts at the front door with a period knocker and peephole with a door; according to a Seattle Times article from August 1931, hardware for the building was originally supplied by the Schwabacher Hardware Company, a Gold Rush-era supplier that employed many early influential Seattleites.
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Image: Courtesy of Angie Miller
The living room, decked out with original hardwoods and mahogany trim, is through an angular arch off the foyer. A window bank stretches along the back wall with leaded glass in a grid pattern, with a matching door leading to the eat-in kitchen. What used to be a large closet is now a home office—you’ll have to leave the door open to get any natural light in there, but it’s always nice to be able to close it again to turn your work brain off after a long day.
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Image: Courtesy of Angie Miller
While the finishes are a little different, the kitchen layout is typical of many apartments of the era, with a small dining area along the window and the kitchen itself tucked behind a couple of low cabinets. A similar, but larger arch to the one by the front door also frames the kitchen.
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Image: Courtesy of Angie Miller
The bathroom has been modernized, with a subdued look that pairs black paint with white tile. The bedroom is mostly untouched, with the hardwood floors that continue from the hall and living room, plus original molding and trim.
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Image: Courtesy of Angie Miller
The building shares a large courtyard, with stone patios surrounded by large swaths of greenery. A water feature at the center is decorated with a pair of stately stone lions, too. The laundry here is shared—residents aren’t allowed to have in-unit laundry for Old Building reasons—but there’s a piano by the machines so you can practice while you wait.
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Image: Courtesy of Angie Miller
Listing Fast Facts
400 Boylston Avenue Unit E306
Size: 642 square feet, 1 bedroom/1 bath
List Date: 9/28/2023
List Price: $440,000 ($534/mo HOA)
Listing Agent: David Axberg, Windermere