Seattle Condo Authority

Best Waterfront Condos in Seattle

Seattle waterfront condo buying is not one category. Elliott Bay, Alki, Lake Washington, Lake Union, Eastlake, Westlake, and Downtown water-adjacent towers all behave differently. This guide starts with existing building records and separates true water access, view-driven buildings, beach-oriented buildings, and water-adjacent urban towers.

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Compass Real Estate · Seattle

Selection Criteria

What Counts as a Waterfront Condo Here

This list uses existing building records, not generic waterfront claims. Some buildings are direct waterfront or lakefront communities. Others are Downtown or Belltown high-rises whose registry content ties them to the Elliott Bay waterfront, Pike Place Market, ferries, or water-view positioning.

A strong waterfront condo decision starts with proof: the actual view, the water relationship, the building envelope, insurance, reserve study, parking, rental rules, and whether the next buyer will value the same feature. A water-adjacent address is not the same as direct water access.

Use this page with the full Seattle condo buildings database, the Seattle condo neighborhoods guide, the best Seattle condo buildings page, and Seattle Condo Authority.

Decision Framework

Quick Comparison Table

Factor How to Evaluate It
Core buyer question Is the buyer paying for direct water access, a verified view, a water-adjacent lifestyle, or simply a building name that sounds waterfront?
Most important due diligence View corridor, exterior exposure, shoreline or dock obligations where applicable, reserves, insurance, parking, rental rules, and current building-specific comps.
Best fit for Downtown buyers Waterfront Landings, Waterfront Place, Watermark Tower, Market Place Tower, and One Pacific Tower.
Best fit for beach or lake buyers Alki Shores, Bay Villa Alki Beach, Madison Park Waterfront, Lakeview Lanai, Lakeshore West, and Lake Union-adjacent options.
Seller risk Overpricing a water story that the unit itself does not support. The view, water access, building condition, and HOA documents need to match the marketing.

Registry-Backed List

Waterfront and Water-Adjacent Buildings to Know First

Waterfront Landings waterfront condo building

#1 | Seattle Waterfront

Waterfront Landings

Seattle
Built
1997
Residences
232
Stories
5
Type
Mid-Rise

Water relationship: Elliott Bay-adjacent Waterfront address

Buyer fit: Best for buyers who want the most direct Seattle Waterfront condo profile in the registry, with a larger ownership base and lower-rise scale near the rebuilt waterfront corridor.

Seller strategy: Lead with actual waterfront proximity, unit outlook, parking, outdoor space if present, HOA reserves, insurance, and how the unit compares with other Waterfront Landings inventory.

View building profile
Waterfront Place waterfront condo building

#2 | Downtown

Waterfront Place

Seattle
Built
1983
Residences
18
Stories
12
Type
Mid-Rise

Water relationship: Downtown address near the Elliott Bay waterfront

Buyer fit: Best for buyers who want a boutique Downtown building near Pike Place Market, the Seattle Art Museum, and Elliott Bay without moving into a large tower.

Seller strategy: Make the boutique ownership story clear, then support the price with view exposure, floor height, reserve history, and how monthly cost compares with larger nearby buildings.

View building profile
Watermark Tower waterfront condo building

#3 | Downtown

Watermark Tower

Seattle
Built
1983
Residences
95
Stories
22
Type
High-Rise

Water relationship: First Avenue high-rise near Pike Place Market and Elliott Bay

Buyer fit: Best for buyers who want a high-rise Downtown building with strong walkability, a rooftop deck, concierge, gym, and westward water-view potential by unit.

Seller strategy: Separate the specific unit from the broader Downtown set by documenting view corridor, floor position, parking, storage, dues, and current in-building competition.

View building profile
Market Place Tower waterfront condo building

#4 | Downtown

Market Place Tower

Seattle
Built
1988
Residences
7
Stories
18
Type
High-Rise

Water relationship: Pike Place-adjacent high-rise with Puget Sound and ferry views noted in the registry

Buyer fit: Best for buyers who want privacy, a very small ownership base, whole-floor residence potential, and a rare Downtown service profile.

Seller strategy: Lean into scarcity, but do not skip diligence. A seven-unit HOA requires clear reserve, insurance, governance, and service-cost context.

View building profile
One Pacific Tower waterfront condo building

#5 | Belltown and Downtown edge

One Pacific Tower

Seattle
Built
1994
Residences
75
Stories
27
Type
High-Rise

Water relationship: First Avenue high-rise near Pike Place Market and Elliott Bay

Buyer fit: Best for buyers comparing Belltown and Downtown high-rise living with very high walkability and a more established tower profile.

Seller strategy: Explain why the unit wins on floor, exposure, view, plan utility, parking, and HOA cost against nearby Belltown and Downtown alternatives.

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Alki Shores waterfront condo building

#6 | West Seattle

Alki Shores

Seattle
Built
1986
Residences
28
Stories
4
Type
Mid-Rise

Water relationship: Alki Beach address with direct Elliott Bay water-view positioning in the registry description

Buyer fit: Best for buyers who want a smaller Alki ownership base, beach proximity, and a waterfront lifestyle outside the Downtown core.

Seller strategy: Sell the Alki lifestyle carefully and verify the building fundamentals: exterior exposure, reserves, parking, balcony condition, and buyer appetite for West Seattle access.

View building profile
Bay Villa Alki Beach waterfront condo building

#7 | West Seattle

Bay Villa Alki Beach

Seattle
Built
1997
Residences
16
Stories
6
Type
Mid-Rise

Water relationship: Alki Avenue building near the beach corridor

Buyer fit: Best for buyers who want a boutique Alki Beach option with a small unit count and a quieter ownership scale.

Seller strategy: Position the unit around beach access, view or light if applicable, parking, HOA strength, and how the small building budget handles future capital work.

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Madison Park Waterfront waterfront condo building

#8 | Madison Park

Madison Park Waterfront

Seattle
Built
1964
Residences
44
Stories
4
Type
Low-Rise

Water relationship: Direct Lake Washington access with a private community dock

Buyer fit: Best for buyers who want Lake Washington waterfront living, Madison Park village access, and more flexible ownership policies noted in the registry.

Seller strategy: Lead with direct water access, dock access, no rental cap, pet-friendly policy, and document the shoreline, bulkhead, reserves, and dock maintenance history.

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Lakeview Lanai waterfront condo building

#9 | Madison Park

Lakeview Lanai

Seattle
Built
1959
Residences
41
Stories
3
Type
Low-Rise

Water relationship: Direct Lake Washington access with private dock and outdoor pool

Buyer fit: Best for buyers who want mid-century waterfront character, lake access, watercraft storage, and a resort-like Madison Park setting.

Seller strategy: Make the lifestyle concrete, then support it with reserve study, pool infrastructure, dock rules, shoreline maintenance, and unit-specific outdoor space.

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Lakeshore West waterfront condo building

#10 | Madison Park

Lakeshore West

Seattle
Built
1966
Residences
52
Stories
4
Type
Low-Rise

Water relationship: Direct Lake Washington access with private swim dock and boat launch access

Buyer fit: Best for buyers who want a larger Madison Park waterfront community with lake access, a private swim dock, and village proximity.

Seller strategy: Show the water access advantage while giving buyers clean documentation on dock systems, shoreline exposure, parking, reserves, and no-rental-cap policy.

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3100 Fairview waterfront condo building

#11 | Eastlake

3100 Fairview

Seattle
Built
1991
Residences
30
Stories
4
Type
Mid-Rise

Water relationship: Fairview Avenue East building in Eastlake

Buyer fit: Best for buyers who want a smaller Eastlake building and Lake Union-oriented daily life without the Downtown waterfront price story.

Seller strategy: Clarify the exact view or water relationship. Eastlake buyers care about exposure, access, parking, commute pattern, HOA health, and how close the unit feels to Lake Union.

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Riva at Lake Union waterfront condo building

#12 | Eastlake

Riva at Lake Union

Seattle
Built
1996
Residences
30
Stories
7
Type
Mid-Rise

Water relationship: Eastlake building tied to the Lake Union corridor by name and location

Buyer fit: Best for buyers looking at Lake Union-adjacent living in a smaller mid-rise building with Eastlake convenience.

Seller strategy: Avoid vague lake language. Present the actual unit view, floor height, parking, storage, HOA reserves, and buyer tradeoffs versus larger South Lake Union inventory.

View building profile
Portal Over Lake Union waterfront condo building

#13 | Westlake

Portal Over Lake Union

Seattle
Built
2004
Residences
76
Stories
5
Type
Mid-Rise

Water relationship: Westlake building with rooftop Lake Union and city views in the registry

Buyer fit: Best for buyers who want Lake Union outlook, rooftop amenity value, and access across South Lake Union, Fremont, and Queen Anne.

Seller strategy: Lead with the rooftop and Lake Union view story only when the specific unit and common areas support it, then document rental policy, reserves, parking, and storage.

View building profile

Buyer Fit

Match the Water Story to the Buyer

Elliott Bay and Downtown Waterfront

Best for buyers who want Pike Place Market access, ferry movement, Olympic Mountain exposure by unit, and a core urban water-adjacent setting.

Alki and West Seattle

Best for buyers who want beach proximity, a less Downtown daily rhythm, and smaller building profiles along or near the Alki corridor.

Madison Park and Lake Washington

Best for buyers who value direct lake access, docks, watercraft storage, village proximity, and the maintenance diligence that comes with shoreline buildings.

Lake Union, Eastlake, and Westlake

Best for buyers who want Lake Union outlook, access to South Lake Union or Eastlake, and a smaller-building alternative to Downtown towers.

Seller Strategy

Waterfront Sellers Need Proof, Not Poetry

The seller's job is to show the exact water relationship. For Waterfront Landings, that may mean Elliott Bay-adjacent living and a lower-rise Waterfront address. For Market Place Tower, the story is more about a rare Downtown ownership profile, service, privacy, and Puget Sound or ferry-view exposure by residence.

For lakefront buildings such as Madison Park Waterfront, Lakeview Lanai, and Lakeshore West, the launch has to address dock rules, shoreline maintenance, reserves, insurance, and whether direct water access is documented clearly enough for buyers and lenders.

For water-adjacent towers and Eastlake or Westlake buildings, overstatement is the risk. The marketing should distinguish actual view, common-area water outlook, water access, and neighborhood lifestyle. Buyers can forgive nuance. They do not forgive a listing that promises waterfront and delivers only a distant glimpse.

Resale Considerations

The Exit Buyer Has to See the Same Value

View durability

Confirm the exact water, mountain, ferry, lake, or city view from the unit. Do not price a view premium from the building name alone.

Water exposure

Waterfront and shoreline buildings can carry added exterior, dock, bulkhead, insurance, and reserve questions. The documents matter before the view does.

Buyer depth

A narrow buyer pool can still be strong, but the unit must match the buyer's brief on parking, access, HOA health, pet policy, rental policy, and daily lifestyle.

Jeff's Take

Waterfront value is specific, not automatic.

The phrase waterfront condo can hide very different realities. A direct Lake Washington building with a dock, an Alki beach building, a Downtown tower with Elliott Bay views, and an Eastlake building near Lake Union are not substitutes for one another. They serve different buyers.

I would start by proving the water story, then move straight into the building documents. The best waterfront condo is the one where the view, access, HOA, maintenance exposure, monthly cost, and likely exit buyer all line up.

Free Consultation

Compare a Specific Waterfront Condo

Send the building or listing links and Jeff will compare the view, water access, HOA documents, reserve profile, and resale fit before you make a decision.