The Lincoln Apartments
I was fortunate enough to be invited on a tour of The Lincoln Apartments recently. The 224-unit apartment building that is located one block east of Moore Square brings luxury studio, 1, and 2 bedroom apartments with plenty of amenities to keep residents happy.
I wanted to write about the tour and, in a separate post, mention some thoughts and trends I’m noticing about the wave of rental buildings that have really hit our downtown. Think of this post as an introduction to that analysis.
The Lincoln will have its grand opening on September 10 but that shouldn’t stop anyone interested to get in touch with them now. I was told people are already moving in.
The clubroom, The Lincoln Apartments
The tour started us in the clubroom, an open space with kitchen, lounge, and billiard table with contemporary flair. Small groups could socialize comfortably here and there was easy access to the outdoor courtyard. The courtyard had the pool, a sundeck, outdoor TV and couches, built-in gas grills with high-top tables, and a shuffle board table. Sprinkled around these were a variety of fireplaces. The clubroom and courtyard should be the social center of The Lincoln.
The courtyard, The Lincoln Apartments
Walking back inside, we saw the fitness center, outfitted with brand new equipment. Attached was a yoga studio. While not large in size, the access and equipment probably rivals any public gym out there.
Transportation was next as each bedroom, not unit, gets a parking space. We took a brief peak at the parking as a way to show off the electric charging stations. The highlight, in my eyes anyway, was the bike storage room. A small room for storing bikes was easily accessible from the street. In addition, a bike repair stand, similar to the one on Hargett Street, was available for residents. Kudos to The Lincoln for providing this.
Bike storage room, The Lincoln Apartments
Down the hall, the pet spa. Not yet finished for the tour but a large tub was installed for washing pets. A pet dryer was to be installed later.
The rest of the tour took us through some of the units. The layout of the studios and one-bedrooms were optimal to make it seem larger. All the units have high-ceilings (9′ or 10′) and great access to natural light in most cases. Flooring consisted of faux wood throughout the units with carpet in the bedrooms. The kitchens were up-to-date with granite countertops, modern fixtures, and stainless steel appliances. Everyone gets a washer/dryer. Trash chutes and recycling are available on every floor.
Modern kitchens at The Lincoln Apartments
Pricing depends on the floorplan but here is a general idea:
- Studio – 552 sq ft – $1095
- 1 Bedroom – 628-923 sq ft – $1168-$1717
- 2 Bedroom – 997-1392 sq ft – $1655-$2311
The bulk of units lean more towards the lower end of those prices. Only 7 units in The Lincoln are asking more than $2000. The units along Bloodworth Street have a great downtown Raleigh view, with most price points represented on that side of the building.
View from The Lincoln Apartments
On the inside, The Lincoln, like most downtown Raleigh apartment buildings, offer a great list of amenities to renters. Combine that with the stellar location of being close to downtown and today’s high-demand for rentals, you can’t really be shocked by those asking prices.
We’ll get more into the downtown Raleigh apartments scene in the next post. Overall, I enjoyed the tour and look forward to seeing people move in to The Lincoln.
Similar Posts:
- The Four Sides to The Lincoln | November 24, 2014
- Greyhound Apartments Plans 250 Apartments on Jones Street | December 30, 2016
- The Lincoln Will Bring 224 Apartments To Emo Raleigh | October 28, 2024
Comments
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A great addition to the Eastern areas of Dowtntown Raleigh. The view you shared with us is truly nice… PNC Plaza looks almost like a supertall. Makes me sad that the Edison wasn’t delivered in its original form :( Anyway, thanks for the photos. I look forward to seeing more urban development in that area.
I just hope the standard is not being set in East Raleigh that residents will complain about the development of taller buildings in that area when that day comes. I can already feel this debate looming such as the situation with the Dawson. I don’t want to be negative because I think this is a great building for this area. It shows the potential downtown has to grow east. I wish they could have gotten rid of the power lines.
I still can’t fathom paying more than my mortgage (10 minutes from downtown, 2200 sq ft, also new construction with high end finishes) to rent a small apartment essentially in the ghetto. A condo, maybe, with the hope that property values will increase in the next few years. It may be a few blocks east of downtown, but it is a few blocks west of some pretty sketchy stuff. If it’s on Glenwood South or in Skyhouse, I understand it a little bit. Location, location, location. But this locale should not command those kind of rates. The market will decide, and hopefully prove me wrong.
Anything east of this location becomes very sfh in nature and will likely remain as such for some time to come. There is a lot of opportunity for redevelopment between this building the core of DT. Until those opportunities are exhausted, I would expect many large scale projects that will disrupt the sfh nature of the areas to the east, except on the main arteries.
The bigger issue is displacing stable lower middle class neighborhoods with gentrification that will price out long term residents.
@Jeff … Review the definition of the word ghetto before you start throwing it around. It is very offensive to the hard working people who make the eastern part of downtown home. They may not have 2200 sq ft with high end finishes but it is by no means a ghetto.
To pull from wikipedia: A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure. Additionally, a key feature that developed throughout the postindustrial era and continues to symbolize the demographics of American ghettos is the prevalence of poverty.
Seems to fit what I was describing. My point is that it seems absurd to build something in a poorer area and then charge triple what everyone in that area is paying, especially for a rental.
so basically a fancy closet for a thousand dollars a month. *yawn* Raleigh is on its way to becoming a playground for the rich, and it saddens me. Where are the REGULAR new apartments? The ones that, you know, PEOPLE can afford. Why is everything “luxury?” And what, exactly, is “luxury” apartments? SkyHouse seems to fit that title. But this? This looks like it would fit in perfectly next to a McDonalds in the suburbs.
No need to be disappointed. This is a pilot project. A pioneer, in some ways. It’s not as if we have proposals left and right and this project won.
The fact that there is plenty of NIMBYism in this area, on the other hand, is a source of concern. Due to this area’s transitional nature I would not hold my breath for anything taller than 5 floors, but I am hoping at least for some decent urban projects that will make East Downtown attractive and something that everyone will enjoy, be that a well-off new resident or an existing low income resident. Maybe some useful retail will bloom in this side of the city, offering better employment opportunities for some of the “old” residents who prefer to live, work and play in the same neighborhood, pretty much.
I will not discuss the perceived image of the Eastern Downtown, as I know some people could take it the wrong way. Personally, I think that improvements in Eastern Downtown have been made and life for the existing residents has improved in some ways. There is still work to be done, but overall we can see the improvements, I think. As residents with more purchasing power arrive – not necessarily rich, or well-off – they may force retailers and other business people to look at East Downtown from a different angle.
My point is that not everyone in that community lives in poor conditions or are poor. All do not live there due to “social, legal or economic pressure” according to your definition. Many generations have made that area their home and have chosen to live there not because they could not afford anything else but because they care for the community. There is a rich African American history in the area. Not being naive, there are portions of the community that are poor and some live there because the housing is less expensive than many areas of the city, but that does not designate the whole community as a ghetto. Eastern downtown should have SOME higher end housing as well as a mix of middle and low income homes. A variety of incomes and housing is good for the area. Expensive apartments and condos should not be the norm. Affordable housing has to be a part of the equation.
I sometimes meet people that think all of downtown Raleigh is dangerous and that there is nothing to do there. I ask them when was the last time they have been and typically they say that it’s been over 10 years. This is an example of a lingering perception that’s out of date.
I want to respectfully ask readers to erase any perceptions of the area east of downtown. If you haven’t been there very recently and often then your perceptions are out-of-date and need to be updated, just like the out-dated Raleighites that still think downtown Raleigh is dangerous and dead.
I live approx 4 blocks to the east of The Lincoln and can, with high confidence, say that this neighborhood has a mix of all incomes, new houses, renovations, and still old affordable housing. It’s not the polished new apartments that we see around the city.
I want to get into this a bit more with my next post so I’ll save the rest of my thoughts for that.
John, there are some pockets that are zoned neighborhood mixed use east of The Lincoln so I hope some retail with office or residential will pop up there.
@jake
What word would you use if you wanted to sell this?
Luxury, upscale, -words people use to describe nice property they are trying to sale
Economic, affordable- words people use to describe low end property they’re trying to sale.
It’s all what people want to believe.
But to make your point, we need more apartments to bring rates down.
We all have to remember that we are building essentially a brand new product that wasn’t there anymore so the supply is catching up to the demand. In the early 00s, we had just a few batches of apartments and then came this rush where renting was the hot thing. We’re still trying to catch up.
If you’re a market kind of person, then you should believe that as soon as we meet that demand, the prices will start to even out.
I think this project will start the process to improve the area. I drive and walk by this area daily. The parking lot to the north will be next and many people are buying and fixing up the homes in the area. Thanks for the pics Leo. Since Skyhouse is about 70% leased for not much more the price point is a hard sell.
The PNC tower looks like it’s leaning in that last photo. Anyone else see that? Weird illusion.
Slightly off topic… but the Downtown Raleigh Alliance is offering grants to new business. According to the following article… Briggs hardware may open downtown within a week… can anyone say exactly hat location this would be at?
http://www.wral.com/cash-boost-could-help-startup-retail-shops-in-raleigh/14839073/
Briggs is opening next to Nuvonivo, where Cimos used to be. Here’s a photo that I took a few weeks ago.
https://instagram.com/p/566FhaN9vR/?taken-by=dtraleigh
Reply to Leo’s Comment:
My Morher-In-Law has lived in Raleigh for 40 years + and she is the same way. Lots of people that are from Raleigh and remember downtown in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s have this perception. As a southerner I have to say that it is also built into our DNA, we’re touht from a young age that the North is crowded and stuffy and we’re use to sprawling towns and cities with endless amounts of room to build strip malls with huge parking lots that allow us free parking and walk up access to retailers. I have met people downtown while walking into the office who might be downtown for the day who make comments such as “I don’t know how you stand it down here?” So for some it’s their view from the past, others it’s perception, and some just don’t like Metro areas and probably need to stay out. But the bottoms line is, downtown had a great thing going and if you’re the type of person who enjoys the metro scene, c’mon down and hang out! If not, well, “different strokes for …”
Rome wasn’t built in a day people! What we got here is,a city in transition, and, with that, there is always gonna be those who like what’s happening,and those who complain. I myself would like to see more retail(a lot more!)but you just can’t wish things into place! I love what’s happening, I just wish it would happen a little faster. I’m not getting any younger, and would like to see the city really just explode into a bonafide metropolis. It’s time to just step out there and do ‘sumpin! We need an identity! When people come here,they need something to talk about when they leave. I want them to say, “you need to check out Raleigh…they got an awsome….? Feel me
@ Everyone
I just wish Raleigh had found it’s identity…
Thank you Leo! I thought I had already seen this information… but just could not place it.
Sorry about my typo earlier.. I meant to say DT Raleigh HAS a good thing going. Not HAD. Anywho, I’ll keep working on my spellerin checkerin..
Wonderful. The Lincoln Apartments Look Great, But the price, $$$ talk about sticker shock. (OUCH!) there I said it. Overall a Great addition to the Downtown Area.
vic, Rome wasn’t built in one day, but Nero destroyed it pretty fast :LOL: On a serious note, the part that concerns me the most is not the slow progress – in some areas – but how quickly Raleigh may lose its chance to get to the next level as city. We want density, but we don’t allow it. We want venues, but entertainment venues are slowly being discouraged because we have too many (???). We want employers to our downtown, but we don’t go after the major ones like we should. Keeping the potential “Neros” away from Raleigh (especially downtown) should be a good first step, IMO.
Perception makes a big difference. The residents that will eventually live here don’t have the same frame of reference as older citizens who avoid this area and Downtown in general. The building has great amenities and is much closer to Fayetteville Street and quieter than Glenwood South.
The prices seem pretty competitive with what else is offered Downtown. I wonder what rent specials are being offered though.
[…] in the week, I highlighted the next downtown apartment building to open, The Lincoln. Today, I wanted to step back a bit and […]
I recently began looking at one bedroom places downtown and relatively close to downtown. I would’ve preferred somewhere like Skyhouse or the Hue, but looking for a 1 BR while being right out of college made the finances a bit difficult.
I toured the Lincoln and the L and while both had nice units, I ended up finding something a bit further away from Downtown that was in the same level of base rent, but had a much better special going on to attract tenants. I love where I’m at now, but am interested in seeing new some of the new developments that will be popping up in the next 1-2 years.
My immediate hopes for the Downtown apartment landscape are that a couple taller developments become options & that we start to see more developments near the Lincoln to continue to grow the downtown area in that direction.
Glad I’m not the only one who finds the prices for these apartments to be ridiculous.
What made downtown Raleigh a special place was that it was affordable. You ended up with an eclectic mix of people who enjoyed the urban setting.
Suddenly, we’re overrun with people who make about 10 times what I make. Rent is suddenly $1,200-$1,500 a month and everyone complains about the trash and the noise.
Hope the folks renting and buying downtown realize that when you sweep the rest of us out, downtown Raleigh is going to be as boring as it was in the 80s and early 90s.