Quaint and charming. Overall, Ballard is a happening location to stay in; and the unit contained ample amenities. The living space, kitchen, and bedroom were all good sizes. The bathroom was quite small and hard to move around in. The mattress was MUCH firmer than I am used to and the pillows were not as fluffy as what I am accustomed to. The sheets were soft and everything was quite clean.
I wasn't aware that this was a garden-level apartment when I booked it and it carries the subterranean mustiness that accompanies that. There are two accessible windows in the unit (one being in the bathroom and the other in the kitchen). Construction workers and homeless walked by these two windows throughout the day (and nights and weekends) and could easily see into the apartment (all the way into the bedroom) through the kitchen window. The bathroom was too small to change in (much less open the door completely), so I hid behind the wall in the living room to change clothes. Accessing the unit is done via a back alley. The alley was frequented by homeless throughout our 8 days stay. I would not recommend this location if you are not comfortable with closer contact with Seattle's urban camper population. Finally, Swedish hospital and the fire department are within a block's distance. We heard fire trucks and ambulances throughout our stay in addition to our 7 am construction noise (not just on weekdays). Not a problem if you are anticipating it. The main construction entrance is via the shared alley. On a couple of occasions, construction equipment had to be moved in order for us to open the locked gate to leave.