The Colony at Bear Creek - Redmond, Washington

Cheri J.

The Colony at Bear Creek has been a great place to live for my adult daughter and I got the past 2 years. Out of the three complexes I've rented from in Redmond (Redmond Hill and Redmond Square being the others), this has been, by far, my best experience. Simple luxuries like trash concierge are such a nice touch. Any (all minor) issues I've had have been resolved in under 24 hours. Every communication with staff has been stellar! The complex is kept nice and clean and you often see maintenance out tending to things that need done. This is a stark change from the other two places I've lived. They also don't schedule in-home visits excessively. The apartments I've seen in the complex are comparable to others in the area and the rent increases are minimal. There is dog friendly areas, package lockers and even a couple EV chargers now! Don't sleep on The Colony at Bear Creek!!

Lexa

Pros
The community of people is really nice. I never hear any loud partying or anything super disruptive.

The walls are thick - I never hear my neighbors and vice-versa.

The leasing office and maintenance staff are very responsive

They make an effort to improve the grounds - new playgrounds and a new dog run built in the last few years

Lots of walking paths that aren't near a road, good for kids or walking dogs

Multiple courtyards for kids to play in

I haven't used the weight room or pools much, but they seem nice.

Could do better
Covered parking has gone up I think 100% in cost since I moved in. I wish they were quicker to cite large trucks that park over the lines and take up multiple spaces.

More dog bag dispensers needed - ideally at dog waste disposal containers. I almost always carry my own, but would be nice to have a closer option when I forget.

The building letters are gold text on black background - very difficult to see at night for food delivery and the complex is 50 buildings or so, so it's easy to get lost.

I think a finer mulch would be better for the dog run and playgrounds.

Cons
The on-site staff doesn't get enough support from the owner. I think on-site maintenance is sometimes asked to do too much when the owner should contract with a company with more expertise.

The fire inspection service (Brimstone) they contract with is not very friendly and was resistant to masking in my apartment for fire inspections despite my high risk in the event of a Covid infection.

Rent is too high - I know this is the case everywhere, but The Colony was built in 1986. There's no way an older complex should be unaffordable to the median income for Redmond.

Lease contains a waiver of class-action rights and is either too vague to be enforceable in areas or outright contradictory with itself. There are really strict rules about what you can have on your balcony - can't even hang a towel over the rail to dry.

Greg N.

I had the pleasure of working with Monica Ariz, the Leasing Manager at The Colony at Bear Creek, and I am beyond impressed with her professionalism and exceptional customer service. Monica is an outstanding communicator who consistently ensures that every need is met promptly and efficiently. Her attention to detail is impeccable, and her level of organization is second to none. Monica’s in-depth knowledge of The Colony property is truly remarkable, allowing her to offer insightful guidance and support to both current and prospective residents.

Her warm, professional demeanor makes every interaction a pleasant experience, and her ability to manage complex tasks with ease is a testament to her outstanding skills. Monica doesn’t just make The Colony at Bear Creek a place to live—she helps make it a home. Her contributions to the community are deeply appreciated, and she exemplifies what it means to go above and beyond in providing a superior living experience. We are grateful for all that she has done and continues to do for the residents of The Colony at Bear Creek. Monica is truly a standout in her field.

Eugene V.

The leasing office and maintenance teams are super friendly and helpful. It’s got a pool in the summer and hot tub year round. Car parking is easy and it’s biking distance to my work near downtown. Morning trash pick up is convenient and the landscaping crew is always keeping the complex in impressive shape. Really happy living here.

Ashley M.

We are on year two of our time here and we love it so much. Joe and Monica have been incredibly amazing and always there when i need them. The property is always clean and well kept. We love our apartment and are always trying to recommend it to everyone we know!

Edit:

I ended my lease after 4 years just for a fresh start somewhere else. My previous review is still true! Monica is still incredible and always so responsive and understanding. I couldn’t have had a more positive experience without her. Even after 4 years, i enjoyed living there. The grounds are still beautiful and well kept. The pool is obviously the best part. I will say, there are only 2 cons to my stay here: no ventilation in the bathroom so mold grew quickly on the ceiling and we had ants in the summer. The complex was quick to take care of any concerns! I’ll miss my time there but it was a nice place to call home (:

Bryce V.

I’ve lived here for two years. Maintenance always comes to help in a timely manner. The leasing office is always very helpful. The pool and gym are clean and create a fun environment. The neighbors are never too loud. It’s in a very convenient location, close to restaurants and stores, and it is the most affordable place around while still being pretty nice! Definitely recommend looking into the place if you’re coming out to Redmond!

Aditya A.

[Update3] 02.18 - Chopping off a star rating due to scheduled power outage which will last about 8 hours. At the time of writing, this is planned for next week. The residents of the building I reside in were just notified. There’s no provision outlined for compensation due to the inconvenience. It would have been appreciated if they could compensate for a day’s stay outside the apartment. Since this is not something that the residents caused I’m not happy with lack of empathy while planning in such events.

[Update2] 01.25 - Its close to the end of my first year at the property. Here are some pointers-
1. Its very peaceful and the overall noise levels are low
2. Services requests are served super quickly.
3. The interiors of my apartment were a little dated and the wood smells pretty old. It may not be the case with all apartments.
4. If you like to walk, you’ll love walking here.
5. They have a couple gyms but they are super small and could get crowded; especially the one near leasing office.
6. For some reason I did miss a few of my mails. Not sure if it had to do with property but perhaps USCIS? But since each apartment number is a combination of a couple alphabets with four integers, it could get confusing for mail deliveries.

I’ve been happy overall and would still retain the original rating. Although think 4.5/5 from my pov due to very very old interiors in my case.

[Update1] 02.24 - I recently toured the property and was incredibly impressed by Briana, one of the property managers. She was incredibly helpful and understanding in addressing my individual needs. Briana went the extra mile to ensure I had all the information and options available, making me feel confident and informed about the property.

While I haven't moved in yet, my initial experience with Briana and the property management team has been very positive. I look forward to updating this review once I've settled in and can share more about my overall experience.

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Zachary T.

I recently signed a one-year lease for an apartment in this building but had to break it after just two months, and I feel compelled to share my experience to help others avoid the same mistakes.

First and foremost, the management is incredibly unresponsive. Despite numerous calls and messages, I rarely received any replies. I always had to go in person to get my issues addressed. When I moved in, the apartment was already damaged, with several issues that needed immediate attention. For example, there was a broken tile on the fireplace, the toilet didn’t flush properly, the oven was damaged and stained, and there were spiders in the unit. Unfortunately, getting anyone to address these problems was nearly impossible.

Adding to the frustration, I had a neighbor who was extremely loud and obnoxious at all hours, making it impossible to enjoy any peace and quiet. This was particularly disappointing as I had moved cross-country and couldn’t check the place out in person before signing the lease. To top it off, the neighbor smoked inside their apartment, so I would get the lovely smell of weed in my apartment, which I wasn’t even smoking. The ventilation was terrible.

To make matters worse, after moving out, they are trying to charge me an additional $65 for carpet cleaning, on top of the hefty fee to break my lease and forfeiting my security deposit. This is despite the fact that I only lived there for two months and left the apartment in good condition.

Please avoid this place. It’s not worth the hassle. Move to a different complex nearby, and you’ll be much better off. Side note: there was one cool lady who worked the front desk—I forgot her name, but she was great. Everyone else was less than ideal to deal with.