With new apartment buildings seemingly being built on every block in Salt Lake City, here is a glimpse of what this popular urban lifestyle offers
Urban Life
It’s just a matter of time at a party when the topic of conversation turns to the number of apartments being built in downtown Salt Lake City. I’m curious by nature, and I wonder what sort of lifestyle urban Salt Lake City apartments can offer. Fortunately, some recent photo assignments took me downtown, and I will share two of these apartment complexes with you.
Unite Student Living on 700 East was recently completed by the Elliott Workgroup, architects and designers based in Park City, and constructed by Built Contractors. Its residents are solely students from the University of Utah, and the complex offers an off campus living environment for freshman through graduate students.
There wasn’t a vacant apartment for me to photograph. Options are furnished and include one bedroom & one bath, two bedrooms & two baths, three bedrooms & three baths, and four bedrooms & four baths. The bedrooms lock with their own key card and the kitchen, and living areas and laundry are shared spaces. Residents prepare their own meals, and I wonder if that is a draw for students with specific food preferences and traditions versus the eating in the dining halls on campus where food is prepared by others.
With its proximity to the U of U campus, bicycles are a popular transportation mode. Additionally, there is parking and recharging for cars and a ten-minute bus ride. The TRAX line is near, and I noticed that many electric scooters were in use. In addition to bike storage and a bike repair area, there is storage for skis and snow boards.
The intent of the design program was to create opportunities for students to meet, find commonalities, and form friendships. This lounge is located by a convergence of building wings near entrances and the mail station.
This may be heartening to parents. The study area was the first communal area to fill with students when I made the photos. The study area has rooms to work collaboratively on projects and places for individual reading and studying.
For relaxing, there is a lounge and club room, and a community coffee machine.
Healthy bodies and healthy minds go together hand-in-hand—at least that’s what a Wheaties commercial of my youth said. The gym is well-equipped for both cardio and weight work outs.
The roof top terrace offers incredible views. The amenities include an outdoor kitchen and grill, dining space, lounging spots with television, conversation groupings, and a game area with corn hole.
Let’s move on to another downtown new apartment complex. The Lotus Republic is closer to downtown on 300 East, and while some residents are university students, the population is mixed with professionals and others. There are two towers that share the same underground parking but each has separate and distinct social areas. Think Architects designed the project and it was built by Pentalon Construction.
On the street level is a convivial lobby area adjacent to the manager’s office.
Apartment choices range from 401 to 1,184 square feet and studios, one-bedrooms, and two bedrooms. The apartment shown above is one bedroom.
Up the stairway from the lobby, mailroom, and small food commissary is a large lounge and game room. Similar to Unity Student Housing, the complex emphasizes on-site social spaces, but Lotus Republic has more area devoted to it. However, without the emphasis on student living, it lacks a study area.
The pools and sundecks are on a mid-level. The views to downtown speak for themselves.
The fully equipped fitness center is located off the pool’s sundeck with city views.
The extensive social areas include a kitchen with dining space, a conference room or private dining room, a variety of lounging with media, and even a speak easy with a hidden door, which I managed to find accidentally.
If I were to draw a conclusion, these urban apartments offer a great launching point for living in a new community. With a little resolve, one could make connections and friends. For professionals (and students) who work long hours, this is also a low maintenance and low hassle lifestyle.
Personally, I would miss my trips to the do-it-yourself store and the garden shop and the endless hours repairing and maintaining my home and yard. Wait. Maybe I should rethink this.
Read more of our entertainment coverage and get the latest on the design lifestyles encompassing Utah. And while you’re here, subscribe and get four issues of Utah Style and Design, your curated guide to the best decor in Utah.
