After months of research and two earnest money backed reservations at both Expo 62 and Gallery, I have finally settled on my next condo purchase. Expo 62 is my choice at a $300-375k price point.
Expo 62 unit 407 is actually located on effectively the 3rd floor, which provides sound and dalmatian absorbing concrete construction beneath. At only 454 square feet, this unit is much smaller than the unit I was purchasing at Gallery. However, this unit includes a 150 square foot terrace, with excellent and virtually guaranteed views of the Space Needle and Pacific Science Museum arches for all time. With the seemingly endless new condo construction in Seattle’s lower queen anne and belltown neighborhoods, the only view I am interested in investing in is one that could never be obstructed. There is barely enough room for my condo home theater, but it will definitely fit while taking advantage of the flexible acoustic environment that this unit in particular offers.
I should also point out that I only began actively searching for new construction condos again after Gallery decided to split all of their awesome 2-story Sky Loft plans into 1-story 600 square foot open one bedroom plans. I feel that this will negatively affect the value and potential appreciation of open one bedroom units in less desirable sections of the building. This design change also dramatically increased the number of units in the building, and while the amenities at Gallery are superior, I would prefer to share them with a few dozen $650k+ Sky Loft residents rather than twice as many $375k open one bedroom residents. Ultimately, the luxury proposition of Gallery has been sacrificed for the profitability of the development, and as a result I am no longer willing to pay the luxury concrete and steel premium.
